1487 - Sea Change

[Funt Solo]

It used to be the exception, rather than the rule.

Fair enough, you prefer this way of doing it, but it's not intrinsic to the format.

[Leigh S]

"Some people have been moaning that it's too dense and, perhaps, overwritten. I disagree - I think the voice of each of the characters is unique even if they all love to hear themselves in caption boxes."

For me,one of the problems of the dense strips is that they don't sound unique - Point, Random and now spygirl all have the same way of expressing things - that is, in as long winded a way as possible, avoiding the point as if their very life depended on it, and stretching metaphors to the event horizon.  There's a bit of variation in the tone (world weary gumshoe, old psycho, girlie girl psycho) but essentially, they seem to me to be speaking with one voice - the voice of the author trying to densify the strip where for my money, clarity would sell the concepts 10 times better (or expose the actual plot as a bit weedy, whichever the case may be!).

Of course, you can find other examples of people taking the same - Gordon rennie scripts could always be spotted by the "repeated phrase"  trick, there's Robbie Ms overwordy speech patterns that just about everyone from commoner to king has... but with Si's strips, it just seems to stand out even more - death by caption box in terms having to plough through these great gobs of 'witty' captions.

as for the prog.. erk.  Dante is the only thing that might have been of interest, but this pirate arcs all a bit meandering - be interested to see where it'll go afterwards though.

Talk of the Death penalty in Dredd always feels wrong - as did last weeks "Dredd turns a blind eye while Guthrie fries a captured cit" but - Currently the Dredd reminds me of that thing where you cut up sentences and rearrange them to form new sentences  - its a bit like someone cut up 3 or 4 old Wagner Dredds, but somehow a Millar one got in the mix at the same time.  And Guthrie does look clunky compared to the work that Mandroid had himself - Judges need a better insurance scheme it seems!

[DavidXBrunt]

It doesn't help that Lob, Kipple, and Domino have pretty much run concurrently. There are differences I'm sure but taken together it blurs.

[Funt Solo]

:: "It doesn't help that Lob, Kipple, and Domino have pretty much run concurrently."

That's a key point.  If Bolland had illustrated three strips in one issue*, I doubt you'd hear many dissenting voices complaining that his art was all a bit samey.

Sure, if he had Slaine, Ace Garp and Johnny Alpha all wearing Dredd's helmet, there'd be raised eyebrows a go-go - but it's not as if Lob, Dom, Simp and Kips all have the same character anymore than Dredd and Alpha are the same (despite both being gun-toting, be-helmeted hard-asses).

With a lot to read, if you don't like it, you're really not going to like it and it'll seem like a chore to read - but if you get into the internal monologue of the characters, it's a value for money storytelling method.

Imagine if Slaine, Black Siddha and Finn all ran in the same issue.  You'd have three sets of evil gods with their evil human underlings being defeated by a pagan-esque reluctant superhero under the thrall of an attractive woman (be it goddess, head witch or, uhm, worker in the local newsagents).


* Oh frabjous day that would be!

[wrighty47]

posted by IndigoPrime

"Likewise, annoyingly. Well done, Royal Mail! Idiots."


C'mon... be fair. Don't blame us (i'm a postie). Lay the blame where it should be... at Tooth subs themsleves that send the stuff out with no ptotection other than a paper envelope. We deal in many, many subscription services.... some good, some bad... and Tooth is one of the worst i've seen when it comes to protection.

Even stuff like the kids Jackie Chan magazine was sent out in waterproof plastic envelopes.

I subscribe myself but any that's come damaged i've always called Tooth and gotten a replacement, an area where they are good in, but they should be as it's often their fault!

Alan!

[DavidXBrunt]

Rain logged I can understand but I've chatted to my postie a lot and asked him not to bend the envelopes in two and elastic band them. Now he can't remember everyones foibles and it's probably the sorting office but still it irks/

[LARF]

Wrighty - how about this then.

Denise from subs phoned me on Monday to tell me that my Megazine was returned by the post office saying 'no longer at this address'?

[IndigoPrime]

:: C'mon... be fair. Don't blame us (i'm a postie).

I'm not blaming you specifically, but Royal Mail in this area is appalling, in terms of its service. The reason my sub was soaked is because the delivery people here wander around the entire street with "bundles" of post for a number of addresses, and if it's raining, everything gets wet.

However, it's probably worth noting that over the past year, I've had to make formal complaints about the service from our local depot several times (including complaining to my local councillor), because it's been so bad. The main issue I have is that the posties here were leaving mail in the letterbox (against company policy), which is a danger when you're away from home (in terms of saying "HEY! Rob this house!"); also, they got into the habit of ringing the doorbell and then immediately buggering off (and sometimes not ringing the doorbell at all) if large packages were being delivered. As someone who reviews software for a living, I've often ended up opening the front door at 2pm to find several hundred pounds' worth of software sitting on the doorstep. At Christmas, this was worse: I found seven large Amazon packages just sitting on the doorstep (and seeing as they were wet, they'd clearly been there -- in plain view of the entire street -- for hours). We've also had packages "delivered" by leaving them between our wheelie bins and at our back door (both areas of which require the postie to trespass on our property; and, of course, no notes were ever left to tell us where the packages had been left).

This may not be typical of Royal Mail service, but you can understand why I blame the post in this area, rather than Rebellion.

[DavidXBrunt]

And those red elastic bands all over the floor everywhere you go. That ticks me off something rotten. Tidy up after yourselves.

[Carlsborg Expert]

So I went to the shop and got myself a nice clean copy at the usual price ...rolled it up and shoved it in my back pocket like a five year old. How nefarious am I? *snort*

So far I looked forward to Low Life for a read on the way back from the shop. Nice and light on the grey cells if not on the greyscales.
 Lovely shmooth akchun you've got ther Mr Coleby and Mr Williams.Shure to be sheeing you at Bristol draped with beyootiful women!

I had read Dredd with a bacon and egg.In a cafe with coke, not coffee and sauces brown and red.
Nope. The arts better but I disagree with the thread opener .The last page had too much work in the build up to the cliff hanger and not enough artistic spillings and the last page filling panel could have done with more background detail. Showing a little inexperience there is Ian. Don't let the pressure get to him!These droids will be straight to the bar,necking shorts and mopping their brows.

Lobster is not one to be read while walking.In fact it is hazardous to ones health.The humour in it's opening panels is liie a Fawlty Towers cheeky set up and the story winds into some Alan Moore homage a sweetly as the blossoming friendship Randam makes with each passing encounter. Definately find this lot of droids knocking back o.j.s and dark brews before sharking off for some scran/food.

I was ready to be disappointed by Dante but the story is roguish enough to drunkenly punch out at you and Burns droid has a large percent of fabulous workload. His ships are classic looking and clothing is meticulously observed.I tend to dislike his 1.5 metre distance shot(if you could bear with my camera allegory).These droids will be half cut by the time they get to the con and will be smuggling their own "stuff" into the hotel.Parkhouse is on the brandy already or is that ye olde privateer spelling of *decide* Annie-driod?


Nicely balance V.C.s gets you into the story from any distance. Abnutt is giving good direction and Ant02 is coming to the table with script met and then some. They must be bricking it when they saw Clembot and Bolt01 grafting a feat of their own over at the review station.
Yeah it'll look nice that *small talk* episode, in trades paper.These guys will be confined to taking notes on all the competition and be found in the function rooms.

Overall. Exceeding expectations. Which what I expect and get every week.HAIL  to the Thrillpower!

[Buttonman]

My postman hasn't given me any cause for complaint - apart from not showing up until 11.30 on a Monday morning.

I do sympathise with our resident Pat, especially regarding water damaged progs. When I first started to subscibe three years ago the progs came in plastic wrappers complete with a Cliff Robertson Dredd. I don't know if complaints from embarrassed squaxx led them to the now plain (and often soggy) paper envelopes, but clearly this change has led to the issue of the soggy issues.

[scutfink]

Sorry, don't mean to be picky but:

The main issue I have is that the posties here were leaving mail in the letterbox (against company policy), which is a danger when you're away from home (in terms of saying "HEY! Rob this house!"); [...]At Christmas, this was worse: I found seven large Amazon packages just sitting on the doorstep (and seeing as they were wet, they'd clearly been there -- in plain view of the entire street -- for hours).

 If the packages had been there untouched for so long, surely the risk of robbery in your street isn't as bad as you think?

 I'll get on to the Prog tomorrow, after I've read it...

[LARF]

"If the packages had been there untouched for so long, surely the risk of robbery in your street isn't as bad as you think?"

They all hide in pretend Amazon packages, get carried into your house and then rob you blind.

[DavidXBrunt]

The classic for me happened to my brother. He came home from work and found a note saying the parcel had been left...in his bin. Fortunatley the bank holiday had delayed collection so it was still there when he looked. Also lucky that he seals all his bags when he puts them in the wheelie and that the item wasn't edible.

He complained and complained but to no avail/

[Dog Deever]

Boy, am I glad, i buy it from a shop! My hours on a Wed/ Thurs mean I cant get it til Friday, but at least it's in one piece! Long live my local thrillmerchant (which is in the next town...)