10 Things You Might Not Know About "Two Girls One Tank"
Plus - New Poster Magazine... We've Got Work To Do...
As I was putting together the much-request “We’ve Got Work To Do” poster pack (out today - a limited edition of 100), it struck me that many of the obscure references (or “Easter Eggs” as the kids like to call them these days) that were scattered merrily through the original comic “Two Girls One Tank” may have been passed over by the casual reader. So here’s a list of ten of my favourites from that series. Did you spot any?
MAGNOLIA JONES - the alias of a long-lost Tank Girl character (I still don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read it yet), Magnolia Jones is also the real/off duty name of the character MELODY ANGEL from Gerry Anderson’s fab 1960’s Supermarionated TV show CAPTAIN SCARLET & THE MYSTERONS.
Episode One’s title “LIFE IS VERY LONG WHEN YOU’RE LONELY” is a lyric borrowed from THE SMITHS’ song THE QUEEN IS DEAD.
ROB ROY FINGERHEAD, the gallery assistant to Magnolia Jones, is named after a character in THE MONKEES’ TV show episode “MONKEES A LA MODE”.
The name of the location ALLISON SPRINGS is a combination of the Australian town ALICE SPRINGS and the song ALISON SPRINGS by the band CUD from their LP “WHEN IN ROME, KILL ME”.
The TWO COPS that bust Tank Girl and Magnolia are loosely based on Wacky Racers DASTARDLY & MUTLEY.
GENERAL FLETCHER and CAPTAIN GODBER are named after the two main characters from the BBC comedy prison show PORRIDGE, starring Ronnie Barker as Norman Stanley Fletcher and Richard Beckinsale as Lennie Godber.
The cubicle trap in Episode Four is inspired by the DOCTOR WHO story THE END OF TIME, in which Bernard Cribbins’ character WILFRED MOTT gets stuck in a glass control room.
When we first encounter Tank Girl in the story, the bus behind her is painted with THE WORDS OF BARNEY, these words appear again in the book TANK GIRL GOLD, where they inadvertently spawn an entire civilisation.
Later in the book, the same bus is painted with the slogan MAMA WEER ALL CRAZEE NOW - the third No.1 single by British glam rockers SLADE.
GLORIA SWANAGE is named after silver screen star GLORIA SWANSON mixed up with my wife Lou’s home town of SWANAGE in Dorset.
I was toying with the idea of publishing the original script for Two Girls One Tank here, is that an idea that tickles anyone’s fancy? I know some of you are interested in the creative process and looking behind the scenes.
Take a look at our new poster mag “WE’VE GOT WORK TO DO”, it comes with some great art prints and a tasty little TG trade card (the back of which has the “turn this sh!t around” image), handy for carrying in your wallet or arse pocket!
Stay warm, my friends.
And take care out there in the world, we really have got work to do.
Big love
Alan XXX
Easter eggs and all the little side scribbles are some of my favorite parts!
Loved Morrisey's recent complaints about being written out of the creative story of The Smiths. Yeah mate, funny that.