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Everything comes back after 20 years: The Prog's New Dark Age

Started by The Enigmatic Dr X, 13 February, 2018, 09:58:53 AM

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BPP

I do think Dredd needs better editorial input - that Atlantic waste story in the meg from last year - was total bobbins from a Dredd Set up point of view

1) after they land his side-kick judge Shamus exclaims he had no idea it was so big - humm, dont justice department do recon and intel?

2) ballistic / laser weapons dont work (because... magic) - fine, wouldn't they have sent Dredd in with, ya know a ton of non-ballistic weapons and maybe a judge-ninja rather than Paddy the stable lad?

It just seemed so half baked (and with yet another mutant whose mutation makes him resemble a baddie from doom rather than, you know, a falling apart victim of radiation (see also this months Dredd story)) that it was completely uninspired. Not that the basic premise or location couldn't have been made to work, its just that it all seemed desperately in need of someone to tighten it up.
If I'd known it was harmless I would have killed it myself.

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Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Magnetica on 16 February, 2018, 01:35:44 PM
I can think of many existing 2000AD strips that could be used in this way, including Gray Area, Sinister Dexter, Ro-Busters (going back to basics), Strontium Dog (but would people accept someone other than Carlos Drawing it?), Robo-Hunter, DeMarco, Jack Point etc.

You think any of Tharg's current droids are going to sit back and watch their strips get farmed out to other writers? I think that Dan Abnett would very quickly be concentrating on his US work and best of luck getting Pat Mills to relinquish Ro-Busters (or any of his other strips) to someone else.
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Professor Bear

Quote from: Banners on 16 February, 2018, 09:58:52 AMAnd it's tough for the Prog to engage me in the same way when life's priorities have changed (Trump, Brexit etc) and when I'm generally miserable these days.

Quote– and despite such a fractious political landscape rife for rebelling against – the Prog's not speaking to me at the moment.

It's not that I disagree with these sentiments, but I don't think the prog would be helped with overt political commentary for various reasons, not least because - as you point out - the times are more polorised than ever and there aren't any "safe" targets for parody or commentary.  Political statements would almost certainly backfire by alienating one side or the other, even if those statements are just broad and inoffensive parodies like the Farage/EUref strip, which managed to alienate some readers (who made their opinions known on Facebook, naturally).

If you want political comics, the Americans are surprisingly good at it these days, with even superhero fluff like Ms Marvel doing arcs about Republicans enacting voter disenfranchisement measures.

Magnetica

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 February, 2018, 02:14:48 PM
Quote from: Magnetica on 16 February, 2018, 01:35:44 PM
I can think of many existing 2000AD strips that could be used in this way, including Gray Area, Sinister Dexter, Ro-Busters (going back to basics), Strontium Dog (but would people accept someone other than Carlos Drawing it?), Robo-Hunter, DeMarco, Jack Point etc.

You think any of Tharg's current droids are going to sit back and watch their strips get farmed out to other writers? I think that Dan Abnett would very quickly be concentrating on his US work and best of luck getting Pat Mills to relinquish Ro-Busters (or any of his other strips) to someone else.

Yeah I kinda knew that would be a problem as I wrote that. The point I was trying to make is the issue is coming up with the story ideas in the first place.

And I wouldn't like to see anyone other than Abnett write his stuff. It was just a thought.

But.., on the other hand John Wagner has let others write his characters and doesn't Tharg own the characters anyway, but let's not derail this by getting into creater's rights.

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Magnetica on 16 February, 2018, 02:25:13 PM
But.., on the other hand John Wagner has let others write his characters and doesn't Tharg own the characters anyway, but let's not derail this by getting into creater's rights.

No, it's not a matter of creators' rights, it's more the fact that no one would create any new strips for the prog if they thought they were then going to get farmed out to multiple writers and I imagine a lot of writers would turn their eyes across the Atlantic with a lot more focus if that were the case.
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Magnetica

Ok fair enough but I guess that kills off the idea of a house character that others have suggested.

Unless...one can be picked from the existing stable that is a) flexible enough and b) isn't going to upset the original writer/ the original writer is happy to allow to be used in that way. Sounds like a tall order.

The Adventurer

Yes, across the Atlantic where our major publishers appreciate and respect the creative rights of their freelance creators.

*spots a copy of Doomsday Clock*

Oh, wait...

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Jim_Campbell

Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

The Adventurer

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 February, 2018, 04:19:27 PM
Quote from: The Adventurer on 16 February, 2018, 03:45:56 PM
Oh, wait...

I was under the distinct impression there was more than one publisher in the US.

Boom, IDW, Dynamite, and Dark Horse are majority freelance work for hire gigs where creators retain nothing (only a few big name creators might get creator owned projects published through them on a case by case basis).

Image is the only major publisher where creators retain 100% of their creations. But Image only publishes, they don't pay page rates, only percentage on final sales. So creators take all the financial upfront risk.

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The Adventurer

Vertigo has a deal where I think you get a page rate to make your comics with an ownership stake, and if the title goes out of print for long enough you get your rights back. God help you if you're popular though, you'll never see your creations again.

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Jim_Campbell

Quote from: The Adventurer on 16 February, 2018, 04:40:09 PM
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 February, 2018, 04:19:27 PM
Quote from: The Adventurer on 16 February, 2018, 03:45:56 PM
Oh, wait...

I was under the distinct impression there was more than one publisher in the US.

Boom, IDW, Dynamite, and Dark Horse are majority freelance work for hire gigs where creators retain nothing (only a few big name creators might get creator owned projects published through them on a case by case basis).

Image is the only major publisher where creators retain 100% of their creations. But Image only publishes, they don't pay page rates, only percentage on final sales. So creators take all the financial upfront risk.

Almost no part of this post is correct. You also forgot about Black Mask, Vault and Aftershock (can't speak for those last two, but BM are definitely creator-owned).
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Professor Bear

Not a Rickroll, honest, but a vaguely germane couple of observations on the 30 (and 20) year cycle.

sheridan

Quote from: Magnetica on 16 February, 2018, 02:48:35 PM
Ok fair enough but I guess that kills off the idea of a house character that others have suggested.

Unless...one can be picked from the existing stable that is a) flexible enough and b) isn't going to upset the original writer/ the original writer is happy to allow to be used in that way. Sounds like a tall order.


I vote Halo Jones.  That won't get anybody's backs up ;-)

sheridan

Quote from: The Adventurer on 16 February, 2018, 04:46:46 PM
Vertigo has a deal where I think you get a page rate to make your comics with an ownership stake, and if the title goes out of print for long enough you get your rights back. God help you if you're popular though, you'll never see your creations again.


As happened to Watchmen.  (I thought Vertigo got rolled in to the main DC imprint though?)

The Adventurer

Quote from: sheridan on 16 February, 2018, 08:35:28 PM
Quote from: The Adventurer on 16 February, 2018, 04:46:46 PM
Vertigo has a deal where I think you get a page rate to make your comics with an ownership stake, and if the title goes out of print for long enough you get your rights back. God help you if you're popular though, you'll never see your creations again.


As happened to Watchmen.  (I thought Vertigo got rolled in to the main DC imprint though?)

Vertigo very much still exists. Wildstorm got rolled in with the New 52.

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