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Messages - Robin Low

#1666
News / Re: Massimo- news?
14 April, 2007, 08:51:39 PM
"Some recognition within the Galaxies Greatest for one of the true greats of tooths early years would be a fitting tribute to the man "

Not so long ago, I suggested that the powers that be make the effort to do something like that in 2000AD *before* he died, and send him a copy so he knew how much he was appreciated before it was too late.

Seriously fucking pissed off.

Robin
#1667
Events / Re: My Easter Miracle!!!
07 April, 2007, 09:17:19 AM
I'm so glad I didn't have a mouth full of tea at the time.

Regards

Robin
#1668
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
10 April, 2007, 06:28:33 PM
"Isn't Rennie already chalked in as the future of Dredd once JW finally decides he's had enough?"

As far as I can tell it's mostly online gossip based on the fact that Rennie is apparently the only person other than Wagner who knows how to write the character properly, and has been doing so for a while now.

Regards

Robin
#1669
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
08 April, 2007, 11:17:43 PM
"If Wagner was to write stories linked to Origins such as the battle of armageddon would he incur the wrath of Pat Mills for writing about things he created 8-)"

I reckon if it came to a fight, Wagner could field a bigger army than Mills.

Regards

Robin
#1670
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
08 April, 2007, 12:22:31 PM
"I wonder if there's any mileage in throwaway lines like the Great Germ War mentioned in the Cursed Earth."

I think there's always mileage in these things, but there seems to be a reluctance on the part of many writers to take advantage of them.

Similarly, I find the linkage of the various 2000AD series to be full of potential for new and exciting stories. However, I've seen writers claim that tying series together will stifle creativity. It's not an argument I buy into; I just see stories to be told.

I think part of the truth is that linking series or taking advantage of throwaway lines requires writers to go back and re-read their own work and that other writers. Such research eats into their work time, they don't always have access to back issues anyway, and drawing on other writers' ideas can cause problems.

Regards

Robin
#1671
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
08 April, 2007, 10:17:33 AM
"IIRC I'd stopped reading 2000 and the Meg for nearly two years when Judgement Day was introduced. Initially cover art work drew me back into making a couple of purchases but the textural content was confusing and frustrating in parts- it just didn't read like any of the other Dredd epics I'd grown up with and too much like some Marvel/DC hero team-up (which is no bad thing in itself just not Dredd) so I promptly gave up on it."

Although I loved reading it and still have very fond memories of key moments in it, I admit that if I went through it with a fine-toothed comb I could easily find a hell of a lot to criticise. Even little things like that machine gun irritated me. Fine a new gun, but why call it Widowmaker after a real-world weapon? It doesn't sound like a name the Judges would give a weapon - Law-something-or-other would have been more appropriate.

Anyway, I think there's a Judgement Day collection now, so maybe you could give it another go in a more convenient format?

"As for the civil conflict between MC1 (with MC2, together as Union forces?) and Texas City- can a cover poster be considered canon? I'd like to think so ;)"

Me too. It would be an absolutely fantastic story to tell and I can't see it having any impact at all on continuity.

"Who knows, John Wagner may or may not visit this particular part of history to provide some backstory for a contemporary tale yet to be told. If he felt it would actually add value to a narrative there's every possibility it might feature, however to include it in an historical arc for completion's sake just seems a bit pointless to me."

It wouldn't be entirely pointless - if nothing else it would be one less thing for continuity freaks like myself to keep going on about! But like you say, it might be better as a backdrop to another story. Hmmm, it's been a while since Dredd was in Texas City...

Oh, worth noting, if/when these historical stories get told, for god's sake, don't let anyone but Wagner write them! Or Rennie. But nobody else.

Regards

Robin
#1672
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
08 April, 2007, 09:59:02 AM
::the deaths of some characters::

"his best cadet bar none"

Precisely. I still don't know how to react to that one. On the one hand, I'm still annoyed that we lost a significant characater (Dekker or Decker? I can never remember) and at the same time it was interesting to see Dredd affected by something for a change.

Regards

Robin
#1673
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
07 April, 2007, 11:29:26 PM
I've tried to limit myself to 2000AD stories that are (A) regarded as absolute classics

"Surely, using that criteria, you can completely disregard Strontium Dog from Dredd continuity."

You may not like Strontium Dog, but I think you'll find that it's been regarded as an absolute classic by a lot of the readership for quite a long time.

Or were you just talking about the specific cross-overs? (In which case, I should have said series, not stories.) Well, Top Dog is a pretty good story, and Judgement Day is established continuity whether anyone likes it or not. Personally, I did like it a lot. There were some foolish decisions made (like the destruction of MC2, the deaths of some characters and the cross-over with the Meg), but on the whole it was a classic epic.

Regards

Robin
#1674
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
06 April, 2007, 09:17:54 PM
"are you including all the Dreddworld spin-offs in your timeline?"

I've tried to limit myself to 2000AD stories that are (A) regarded as absolute classics and (B) connect to one another in some way and (C) contain events that are historically signifcant.

So, by and large, in addition to Dredd as the core series, I consider myself largely limited to: Invasion 1999, Ro-Busters, ABC Warriors, Robo-Hunter, Strontium Dog and Nemesis. These series have obvious ties and dates.

I'll also consider stuff like Harlem Heroes and Flesh. I include Dante for the reasons outlined in an earlier post, but I admit my justifications are tenuous.

Then there's the issue of personal taste. Although I liked Armitage as a character, the stories themselves were not that strong, so I've found it easy to resist adding them. However, I remember the Brit-Cit civil war stories and I may well take a second look at them someday. Same thing for Cal-Hab Justice.

And I just ignore Abnett's Durham Red altogether, because it has nothing to do with the original character - if ever there was a 2000AD series that's in a universe of its own, that's it.

Of Hitler, Reagan, Clinton and the virus (actually alien parasite if I'm thinking of the same thing), I've only included the parasite one as I think that constituted an actual historical event, if you see what I mean.

Regards

Robin
#1675
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
06 April, 2007, 04:10:16 PM
"My other Grip is that Jonny Alpha and Dantie should be different worldfs
Strontiam dog should have never been included in the Dredd time line. ever!"

Well, even so, Alpha was included. Twice. And McNulty has crossed-over, too. Of course, we've another two decades before it matters one way or the other.

As for, Dante my justification is that there's a brief reference to a linking character (Shimura) and Dante is the only significant new character to appear in 2000AD in almost two decades. Also, given the 500 year gap between Dredd and Dante, his addition has no effect on continuity in the slightest, which makes life an awful lot easier.

But then I've said all this so many times before. You'd think I'd be fed up of rabbiting on about it by now.

Regards

Robin
#1676
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
06 April, 2007, 01:20:32 PM
"Oh, right - well that clearly contradicts the stuff from the RPG."

I don't see that piece on Texas City as contradicting the RPG timeline. Firstly, it supports the idea there were arguments between the mega-cities. Secondly, the RPG timeline gives a date for this supposed civil war as 2083-86, ample time for Texas City to build itself up into a power capable of taking on the other two. In the absence of a dateline, I just interpret that article as being written before the war happens.

I'm revising my timeline in light of Origins. It's also missing the 2121 to 2129 period, but that will come.

It will also contain Volgans, ABC Warriors, Robo-Hunters, Strontium Dogs and Nikolai Dantes when it's finally done, but I'm trying to arrange it so people can copy it, then cut and paste stuff they like and don't like.

Regards

Robin
#1677
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
06 April, 2007, 11:19:34 AM
>I know, that is rather odd. Is it mentioned anywhere else?

"not in the comics. Except for that cover image and some RPG stuff."

As you probably remember me mentioning, I heard years ago that the timeline given in the original JD RPG came from an annual. Somebody here mentioned an annual in a recent post, too. But then if you haven't found it, I'd be surprised it does exist.

However, I still think it's an interesting idea. There's plenty of room between 2071 and 2099 for all sorts of stuff to happen, including the Germ War.

As I've said before, Wagner has done a remarkable job of telling the story he wanted to tell and yet still leave room for the fanwankers to get on with what they do best.

Regards

Robin

#1678
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
06 April, 2007, 11:11:45 AM
"When I was a kid, I had this naive belief that everything I read about Dredd was an official part of the overall history of that world - including a single cover poster and the information presented in the original RPG, and anything by any creator."

My take on this stuff goes as follows:

-does it add something interesting to the story?

-does it fit without causing problems to established continuity?

-if it does cause problems with established continuity, but still adds something intersting, can a credible fudge be created to explain it?

If the answers to those questions are yes, then I tend to go for it.

"The thing is, we did see that - we saw them fighting regular army units and a citizenry out of control. Without a character being involved in that, it's not much of a story."

I'm thinking of the period following the Battle of Armageddon as the Judges firmly establish themselves in MC1

"One thing does interest me - the Judges took power by force, right? And all this happened after an atomic war. Why did the citizens erect the Statue of Judgement in their honour? You'd think they'd be equally peeved with any gun-toting authority."

As someone pointed out, it was said (I think in the Cursed Earth epic when we first hear about Booth) that the Judges took control at the wishes of the people. That could be Justice Department propaganda, but under the circumstances of what had just happened it seems perfectly credible.

It's entirely possible that the two decades or so between the Judges taking power and the first time we see Dredd in 2099 was a relatively relaxed period, where the citizens were reasonablely happy with the way the Judges operated. As readers, we might literally be real-time witnesses to the increasing power and controlling authority of the Judges.

Regards

Robin
#1679
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
06 April, 2007, 09:43:54 AM
"Are the civics and construction of Mega City One really that interesting as a story?"

Potentially, yes. The transition between the two systems of rule could not have been easy. It would be interesting to see what challenges to their authority the Judges faced, and whether or not they relied on force, cunning or genuine heroism to get their own way.

Also, the city-blocks and roadways of MC1 have always been an integral part of the series, so using their construction as a backdrop to stories could be intersting.

Regards

Robin
#1680
Prog / Re: Minor Orgins Gripe
06 April, 2007, 09:35:28 AM
You know, for years I've been trying figure out where the idea of a civil war between Texas City and MC1 and MC2 came from, and finally it's revealed to me that it came from a cover poster!

I'm at a loss whether I should incorporate it into my timeline or not.

Either way, I reckon there's plenty of ideas for Origins 2. Let's just hope we don't have wait another 30 years.

Regards

Robin