Andrew Potts

So it’s R U OK Day/ World Suicide Prevention Day and I’ve written something about it. I’ve struggled with poor mental health and what Winston Churchill called his “black dog” for much of my life. @GCBulletin @ruokday #RUOKDay #RUOKDay2020 goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coas…

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Today in music: Stop it Girl by New Kids on the Block from the 1986 album New Kids on the Block. Released 40 years ago this week, it was the band’s debut studio album. A commercial failure upon release, it was re-released in 1989 after the success of NKOTB’s second album and finally charted, reaching No.6 in the UK and No.25 in the US. #Music #stopitgirl #newkidsontheblock #pop #rock #poprock #1980s #80s #1980smusic #80smusic #hangintough #merrymerrychristmas #stepbystep #Facethemusic #theblock #ten #Thankful

@WizardsComics That Cable plot description is interesting because I don’t remember that happening at all. It’s possible that got dumped when they rebooted the book midway through 2002.

How many of these comic book titles that were relegated to “Also In 2002” status did YOU read that year or at some point?

Today in music: The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range from the 1986 album The Way It Is. Released 40 years ago, it was the band’s debut album. Produced by Hornsby and Huey Lewis, it was a surprise hit, going to No.3 in the US, No.16 in the UK and No.20 in Australia. The title track, The Way It Is, went to No.1 in the US. No.12 in Australia and No.15 in the UK. #Music #thewayitis #BruceHornsbyandtherange #brucehornsby #rock #rocknroll #1980s #80s #1980smusic #80smusic #Scenesfromthesouthside #anightonthetown #harbourlights #hothouse #spirittrail #absolutezero #nonsecureconnection

It’s an exciting time to be a @u2 fan

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Today in music: Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes from the 1981 album Mistaken Identity. Released 45 years ago this week, it was the singer’s sixth studio album. A major hit upon release, it went to No.1 in the US for four weeks, No.2 in Australia and No.26 in the UK. Bette Davis Eyes, the lead single, was a cover of a 1974 Jackie DeShannon song and was the highest-selling single in the US in 1981. It also reached No.1 in Australia and No.12 in the UK. It remains the 17th-highest-selling single of all time in the US. #Music #BetteDavisEyes #KimCarnes #MistakenIdentity #pop #rock #rocknroll #poprock #1980 #80s #1980smusic #80smusic #Restonme #Sailin #stvincentscourt #romancedance #Voyeur #Caferacers #Barkingatairplanes #lighthouse #viewfromthehouse #Checkinouttheghosts #chasinwildtrains

Today's Gold Coast Bulletin front page: ROLLER COASTER RIDE - Village Road Show Theme Parks is confronting allegations staff embezzled more than $1m in “inappropriate payments” and “associated benefits”. @GCBULLETIN #GoldCoast

Today in music: Chariots of Fire (Titles) by Vangelis from the 1981 album Chariots of Fire. Released 45 years ago this month, it was the soundtrack to the film Chariots of Fire. The film, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, told the story of a pair of British runners in the lead up to the 1924 Olympic Games – the Christian missionary Eric Liddell and the Jewish Harold Abrahams. Vangelis was hired to do the soundtrack and score but rather than use period-appropriate music, he chose to instead use synthesisers. The titles music famous plays over the opening credits which depict the British Olympic team running along a beach in Scotland. It also features a synth arrangement of the William Blake poem/Hubert Parry song Jerusalem which closes the film, and from which it draws its name. A major hit, the album went to No.1 in the US and remained there for four weeks, going to No.5 in both the UK and Australia. Chariots of Fire (Titles) went to No.1 in the US, No.12 in the UK and No.13 in Australia. #Music #ChariotsofFire #Vangelis #synth #synthpop #instrumental #1980s #80s #1980smusic #80smusic #soundtrack #Jerusalem

Today in music: Achilles Last Stand by Led Zeppelin from the 1976 album Presence. Released 50 years ago today, it was the rock band’s seventh and penultimate studio album. It was recorded in a handful of week in Germany during the final weeks of 1975. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page wrote many of the songs in at attempt to return to the hard rock sound of their earliest albums. Achilles Last Stand, the 10-minute opening track, was recorded in a single day in November 1975, with Page later returning to overdub it with the sound of six guitars playing simultaneously. It was released to strong sales, and charted, going to No.1 in the US and UK but would ultimately be the band’s lowest-selling album. It was initially given a mixed reception from critics but in recent years has been reassessed. Led Zeppelin would release one further album, 1978’s In Through the Out Door before the death of John Bonham and the band’s break-up in 1980. Coda, a final album including the band’s last unreleased songs, was released posthumously in 1982. #Music #achilleslaststand #LedZeppelin #Presence #RobertPlant #JimmyPage #JohnPaulJones #JohnBoham #rock #rocknroll #1970s #70s #1970smusic #70smusic #hardrock #LedZeppelinII #LedZeppelinIII #LedZeppelinIV #Housesoftheholy #Physicalgraffiti #InThroughtheOutDoor #Coda #TheSongremainsthesame #Howthewestwaswon #Celebrationday #Stairwaytoheaven #Kashmir

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Today's Gold Coast Bulletin front page: THE CRANE CAPITAL - A record 75 cranes now dominate the Gold Coast skyline as developers scramble to complete mega-projects before Olympic infrastructure steals their workforce. @GCBULLETIN #GoldCoast

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Today in music: Darling Pretty by Mark Knopfler from the 1996 album Golden Heart. Released 30 years ago last week, it was the Dire Straits founder’s debut studio album. Knopfler had been releasing soundtracks for 13 years by 1996 but had never recorded a full studio album. Dire Straits split up following the release of 1991’s On Every Street, as did Knopfler’s marriage. After a two year break from music, he began recording Golden Heart in 1996, a process which took two years to complete. A critical and commercial hit, it went to No.9 in the UK, No.28 in Australia and No.105 in the US. #Music #MarkKnopfler #Goldenheart #rock #rocknroll #guitar #1990s #90s #1990smusic #90smusic #Direstraits #LocalHero #SailingtoPhiladelphia #TheRagpickersdream #shangrila #killtogetcrimson #getlucky #Privateering #Tracker #Downtheroadwherever #Communique #MakingMovies #LoveoverGold #Brothersinarms #OnEveryStreet

A spectacular sky this morning at dawn on the #goldcoast

Personally, I've always been a fan of that style of costume. It felt so fresh at the turn of the Millennium - both from the films and when it continued with the overall adoption of that look in the Morrison/Casey New X-Men/Uncanny relaunch in 2001. Those designs were cool. I like that Cannonball also got a beard (or goatee, I can't remember).

@GCS_Pottsy @ClassicXMen He’s so awesome. I remember getting his Counter-X costume design sketches for the team in and they blew me away. In 2026, all the hardcore leather and straps feel a bit trite, but it was so exciting and cool at the time.

X-Force #115 from May 2001. The end of X-Force as we know it!

Ultimately we didn't get JLA/Avengers until late 2003. It was funny reading Wizard in that era. Marvel would often announce projects which then didn't materialise until long afterwards. In the December 2003 issue (also announcing Jim Lee on Superman/Michael Turner on BVS) there was the announcement of Wolverine: Origin II for 2004. I think it was another decade before that book actually came out.

This Wednesday on the podcast we're bringing you our coverage of Wizard 125, that kicks off the year 2002. Get ready, Geeks!

@Collectingcandy @ClassicXMen That's awesome! Glad to hear it!

@GCS_Pottsy @ClassicXMen Fortunately Whilce recovered and has never been healthier!! I love visiting with him when I see him at NYCC.

Oh far out! The poor fellow! I met him at a con probably 15 years back. He was really nice. I was a big fan of his follow-up to X-Force which was the really fun StormWatch Team Achilles over at Wildstorm. That was a great little book. I re-read it a few years back and it holds up!

@GCS_Pottsy @ClassicXMen Yeah, it was so exciting to get Whilce back for the project. And he was excited too. At a point, he disappeared and I couldn’t reach him. I thought he was ducking my calls, but it turned out he had a medical emergency that left him in a coma. Things could get crazy. 🤷🏻‍♂️😄

Interesting! Thank you for your perspectives. I haven't re-read any of it since it ended in 2001 but I recall X-Man being quite good and a really nice change of pace from the book's previous direction. It's probably the one that was strongest to my memory. X-Force I remember enjoying initially (as I was and remain a big fan of Ellis and Portacio) but I recall feeling the last arc didn't work at all (though Jorge Lucas' art was nice). I have virtually no memory of Generation X's storylines, so I can't speak to what I thought of it, beyond it didn't leave any impression.

@GCS_Pottsy @ClassicXMen 2] In spite of increasing sales across the Counter-X books, they were caught up in management changes and my battles with Bill Jemas. And canceled shortly after I was asked to leave. 😬