So the Meg got another make-over.
When I first subscribed to the Meg and the Prog in 2001 - my first issue was Vol.3 No. 77 -, it still had the old, larger format, which benefitted the art, but the page count was much less, also there were no articles. Then came Vol.4 with 100 pages a few month later, still no articles at first, but more stories. As a newcomer I liked the reprints. When David Bishop's Thrill-Power Overload started, it was as interesting as it was helpful for the decision what to buy of the classics.
22 years are a lot of Megs. I started at 11.45 for both the Meg and the Prog a month for Europe, at the moment it is 25.50. (No complaint, just a fact.) There were good times, there were bland times and there were tiring times as a reader. Which is to be expected.
But the last few years I often thought about cancelling the Meg. Without Lawson, the odd Dredd and some interviews or articles I guess I would have. Too many series I either didn't like the story or the art. Or both. The monthly format can be difficult for long stories, and nearly a year of this or that can be endless if you don't like it. I often questioned the wisdom of running these stories in the Meg.
Dredd was also a mixed bag. Basically it is standing still, looking too much backwards instead of going forward. But this has nothing to do with the Meg and may be a better topic for the Prog. The most enjoyable Meg of last year was the zombie edition (and I can't believe I write this). It was nonsense, of course, but it knew it and still – or because of it - everybody had fun. And this translated on most pages.
We will see how long the new format will be. Back then it didn't last long. 18 months.
When I first subscribed to the Meg and the Prog in 2001 - my first issue was Vol.3 No. 77 -, it still had the old, larger format, which benefitted the art, but the page count was much less, also there were no articles. Then came Vol.4 with 100 pages a few month later, still no articles at first, but more stories. As a newcomer I liked the reprints. When David Bishop's Thrill-Power Overload started, it was as interesting as it was helpful for the decision what to buy of the classics.
22 years are a lot of Megs. I started at 11.45 for both the Meg and the Prog a month for Europe, at the moment it is 25.50. (No complaint, just a fact.) There were good times, there were bland times and there were tiring times as a reader. Which is to be expected.
But the last few years I often thought about cancelling the Meg. Without Lawson, the odd Dredd and some interviews or articles I guess I would have. Too many series I either didn't like the story or the art. Or both. The monthly format can be difficult for long stories, and nearly a year of this or that can be endless if you don't like it. I often questioned the wisdom of running these stories in the Meg.
Dredd was also a mixed bag. Basically it is standing still, looking too much backwards instead of going forward. But this has nothing to do with the Meg and may be a better topic for the Prog. The most enjoyable Meg of last year was the zombie edition (and I can't believe I write this). It was nonsense, of course, but it knew it and still – or because of it - everybody had fun. And this translated on most pages.
We will see how long the new format will be. Back then it didn't last long. 18 months.