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Prog 2010: The Eye of the Storm

Started by Leigh S, 03 December, 2016, 12:34:34 PM

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Frank

Quote from: Banners on 07 December, 2016, 03:29:23 PM
So regarding the back cover, who is in the pic just up from the almighty Bamber Boozler?



The late, great Steve Dillon


Quote from: Greg M. on 07 December, 2016, 03:49:51 PM
Quote from: Frank on 07 December, 2016, 03:28:47 PM
I think I prefer Tharg's new model, where popular writers are given residencies, rather than popular characters.

My view is the exact opposite of yours: my current attitude is "Oh, it's another (INSERT NAME) story, I'll skip that," because I'm not a fan of his work.

You can see why few of the Thargs have much hair left. I'm off to read the comic I'm supposed to be discussing.



Banners

Thanks! Yes, thought it was Steve Dillon but wasn't quite sure—lovely touch.

Woolly

Quote from: Banners on 07 December, 2016, 08:46:41 AM
Why is no-one talking about the back cover and last page of Counterfeit Girl? It's absolutely incredible!

I was going to moan how it was a shame that this was the first thing I saw as I picked up the sub, and how it kinda gave the game away a bit.
But on reflection I think it being on the back cover helps with the open-ended nature of the finale - no confines for Libra, not even from the cover of the comic she appears in. And it really is a wonderful piece of work!

Dredd would've worked better if the story had focused just on the idea of someone forgotten on a holding post, instead of shoe-horning the Chaos-denial in at the end, but thats just my opinion.
Was still a good Dredd, from a great writer.

Muon

Just want to say how much I enjoyed Counterfeit Girl.

With all the talk of strips on holding patterns, this one stood out as a concise, self-contained story with a simple premise and a beginning and end. The art was great and it was fun to dive into that colourful and distinctive future world every week. The end even managed to be a bit thought-provoking.

Well done to all involved - and thanks!

A.Cow

Quote from: TordelBack on 07 December, 2016, 02:02:22 PM
The Dredd was okay, but we've had this basic idea twice (?) before...

This is precisely the problem now, and John Wagner alluded to it at the Lawgiver convention a few years back: with 40 years of stories, it's too easy to accidentally re-tread well-worn ground.  I'm guessing that's why he was so keen for Chaos Day to upset the balance a bit.

CalHab

Despite not really enjoying Savage, the ending was great and now leaves me wondering if I should re-read and reappraise.

I liked the change of pace with the Dredd story and I'd be very happy if we had more one-offs next year.

My heart sank when I saw "to be continued" on the last page of Flesh, for the well discussed reasons on this thread and others.

Counterfeit Girl ends on a high and is probably my favourite thing in the prog this year. More Milligan and Dayglo please Tharg!

The Amstor Computer

Rather frustratingly, I'm still waiting for my sub prog. I think this is the first time since starting my sub in 2003 or so that the prog hasn't arrived by the street date, and it kind of caps what has been quite a drop-off in service following the switch to the new distributor. I've received my prog and Meg on the Saturday before the cover date almost every week/month for years, with the very occasional Monday or Tuesday during busy periods, but since the change the prog has arrived later and later, with Tuesday and Wednesday being more common now.

I'm not hugely fussed if it's a bit later - though before the street date would be nice - but it's such a sudden and clear change I wondered if it was just down to the change in distributor or whether there was a change in policy (i.e. management want subs to arrive closer to street date instead of half a week early).

(...anticipating a dig in the Damage Report now... ;-) )

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: The Amstor Computer on 08 December, 2016, 11:03:28 PM
it kind of caps what has been quite a drop-off in service following the switch to the new distributor.

I don't map the problems in service to the change in subs provider. My general level of postal service took a massive hit within a very few weeks of our lovely government part-privatising it. Collection frequency was radically reduced, and second class mail, in particular, would arrive up to a week after the posting date. In addition, a lot of mail now arrives with part of the address (the town) written by hand on the envelope, suggesting that it's been sent somewhere else and then sent back, despite the envelopes being correctly addressed in 100% legible machine-printed text.

Privatisation. Improving public services since... oh, wait, basically never.
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

The Amstor Computer

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 08 December, 2016, 11:22:45 PM
I don't map the problems in service to the change in subs provider. My general level of postal service took a massive hit within a very few weeks of our lovely government part-privatising it. Collection frequency was radically reduced, and second class mail, in particular, would arrive up to a week after the posting date. In addition, a lot of mail now arrives with part of the address (the town) written by hand on the envelope, suggesting that it's been sent somewhere else and then sent back, despite the envelopes being correctly addressed in 100% legible machine-printed text.

Privatisation. Improving public services since... oh, wait, basically never.

Heh. Indeed...

Our service here has fallen off a bit, but nothing quite as bad as that, which is probably why the change in the day the prog arrives stands out - when every other bit of regular mail is much the same, the sudden change in this one thing is very obvious.

I don't recall whether the same company handles fulfillment for shop orders too now (IIRC that changed in the last couple of months as well) but I've also been a bit unimpressed with the service there - my last order was for half-a-dozen books during the Halloween sale, and they arrived in a black plastic bag with a bit of thin bubble wrap taped round them, and a few dents on the spines where they'd been clobbered during shipping. Quite a contrast to the way orders from the shop were shipped previously - sturdy boxes, packing material etc.

Dandontdare

Don't think there's been any material difference  since the change- I had a late one that week when there were acknowledged problems, other than that it's been Saturday or Monday as always.

Cyber-Matt

Quote from: The Amstor Computer on 08 December, 2016, 11:03:28 PM
It kind of caps what has been quite a drop-off in service following the switch to the new distributor.


As I've already stated in the thread for Prog 2004, there is no new distributor. The subs copies are sent directly from the printers, and have been for the last 2-3 years. They're mailed out on the Thursday, to arrive Saturday. Sometimes problems at the printers can mean they leave a day late, and that can knock arrival past the weekend.

No change in policy, no change in method. I can only put the unfortunate recent lateness of your prog's delivery down to a localised Royal Mail issue.

The Amstor Computer

Quote from: Cyber-Matt on 09 December, 2016, 01:38:03 PMAs I've already stated in the thread for Prog 2004, there is no new distributor. The subs copies are sent directly from the printers, and have been for the last 2-3 years. They're mailed out on the Thursday, to arrive Saturday. Sometimes problems at the printers can mean they leave a day late, and that can knock arrival past the weekend.

No change in policy, no change in method. I can only put the unfortunate recent lateness of your prog's delivery down to a localised Royal Mail issue.

Apologies, Matt. I hadn't seen that post in the thread and I've clearly got the wrong end of the stick. My recent progs had been arriving packaged differently with a different company sticker on (I think the most recent ones I received had an "Intermedia Solutions" sticker on them, which I don't recall seeing before, as did the last order I got from the online shop) but perhaps I'm just putting that change and something I read elsewhere together and getting 5. It's odd that the prog/Meg are the only things affected among other regular mail, but if there's no change in method or policy then it must be (yet another) Royal Mail quirk.

Cheers for clarifying (again!)

TordelBack

Quote from: Cyber-Matt on 09 December, 2016, 01:38:03 PM
...there is no new distributor.

That's what you said about the collapse of WTC Building 7.

(Good job Rigellian hotshots can't melt structural steel).


Proudhuff

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 08 December, 2016, 11:22:45 PM
Quote from: The Amstor Computer on 08 December, 2016, 11:03:28 PM
it kind of caps what has been quite a drop-off in service following the switch to the new distributor.

I don't map the problems in service to the change in subs provider. My general level of postal service took a massive hit within a very few weeks of our lovely government part-privatising it. Collection frequency was radically reduced, and second class mail, in particular, would arrive up to a week after the posting date. In addition, a lot of mail now arrives with part of the address (the town) written by hand on the envelope, suggesting that it's been sent somewhere else and then sent back, despite the envelopes being correctly addressed in 100% legible machine-printed text.

Privatisation. Improving public services since... oh, wait, basically never.

the good news is to help the trains run better, they are handing the profitable bits over to their Rail Company chums to asset strip...
sorry diverting thread ahead  :D
DDT did a job on me

sheridan

Quote from: Cyber-Matt on 09 December, 2016, 01:38:03 PM
Quote from: The Amstor Computer on 08 December, 2016, 11:03:28 PM
It kind of caps what has been quite a drop-off in service following the switch to the new distributor.


As I've already stated in the thread for Prog 2004, there is no new distributor. The subs copies are sent directly from the printers, and have been for the last 2-3 years. They're mailed out on the Thursday, to arrive Saturday. Sometimes problems at the printers can mean they leave a day late, and that can knock arrival past the weekend.

No change in policy, no change in method. I can only put the unfortunate recent lateness of your prog's delivery down to a localised Royal Mail issue.

As the person who deals with incoming post in my office, I've also noticed the effects of privatisation on delivery times - what used to take a day or two now takes up to a week.