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Let’s get Dreddlines back!

Started by MumboJimbo, 29 July, 2021, 10:30:41 AM

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MumboJimbo

In the current prog (2242), Tharg tells us that he hasn't axed Dreddlines, it's just that he doesn't get enough letters addressed to the Meg. So, it would seem if some of us peeps on the forum write in, we could bring it back, even if it's for one month only. Cmon, guys - whatdyasay? You'll get a free GN!*

As the form and etiquette of a Dreddlines letter, is now lost in the mists of 2018, here's a few reminders:

1. The standard greeting is "Dear Dreddlines", so no need to think up an overly-familiar salutation to TMO.
2. In fact, the whole facade of Tharg, his worker droids, and Quaxxian language is generally eschewed on Dreddlines. Feel free to drop in the occasional 'zarjaz' though.
3. Apart from that, just go with standard Input letter content, viz: I've been reading the Meg since such-and-such. My elderly relative never failed to buy me my monthly Meg, back in 1900-and-frozen-to-death. I love strips A, B, C but I dislike strips X, Y, Z. Could we have obscure-contributer-from-yesteryear back writing/drawing/colouring/lettering for the Meg? Something about Pat Mills. The End.

Send email to dreddlines@2000adonline.com, with name and home town.

*Actually, I'm looking at a Dreddlines from Meg 402 and there's no mention of a prize for getting your letter published. But neither did it say you definitely don't get a prize, so hope springs eternal.

sheridan

Quote from: MumboJimbo on 29 July, 2021, 10:30:41 AM
1. The standard greeting is "Dear Dreddlines", so no need to think up an overly-familiar salutation to TMO.

Ah, I was going to for "Wotcha, chinface".

IndigoPrime

Given that it's easier than ever to communicate with a publication, it's curious how so few do sometimes. Perhaps it's just a habit people get out of as they get older, combined with the fact we now share so much opinion online and on forums. I do rather enjoy letters pages, though, because missives tend to be more thought through and considered. (I'll admit I don't write to the Meg often myself. Not sure why. I guess, for whatever reason, I usually have something specific to say about 2000 AD, and am not keen on penning 'overview' letters about the entire content of any given issue—something others are clearly far happier doing.)

Barrington Boots

I've never written to Tharg, I'm not really sure what to say.
Those letters that basically review the Prog aren't really interesting to read and if I have a question or comment I'd normally put it here.
I could just drop him a line saying hello?
You're a dark horse, Boots.

MumboJimbo

Well, one unique aspect of writing to the Meg, is you get to communicate with Matt Smith directly, without having to go through the contrivance of TMO, so you can be a bit more direct, I guess. We all write things here with forthright opinions on the prog and Meg, some of us even on a daily basis - things we'd like to change, things that could be better, things that are already great that we'd like to see more of, etc. So it's no different from what you're already doing here, but with the added bonus that you have the ear of the guy who actually calls the shots and a chance to sway his opinion, and get a free graphic novel (or not, as the case may be).

Or you can just write something witty, irreverent, nostalgic or just silly and get to see it in print. I've got two letters published and got a kick out of it (to the prog, not the Meg). I wrote a third letter, which never got printed and that was the one I most proud of. The conceit was that, although 2000 AD was the greatest comic in the galaxy, there were several better other comics in the local galaxy-cluster that I referenced and discussed as if common knowledge. It was probably better suited to Input as it was in the 80s, when the Tharg conceit and his milieu was taken more "seriously". Or maybe it was just because I forgot to include my hometown! Or maybe it was just crap. Probably that, actually.

JayzusB.Christ

Anyone remember when Fightin' Talk replaced Dreddlines, because of the Preacher reprints?  All too often, people were writing the likes of 'I fuckin' love Preacher - how come Garth fuckin' Ennis didn't do shit for Dredd?'  I also remember the Dreddlines of Bish-OP's day, which were always entertaining but very, very serious indeed - I remember our Dave scolding a reader for 'mixing his metaphors, to unsavoury effect'.

Anyway, yeah, it's always great to see a letters page.  It's something of a dying art, really, in the age of internet forums, but I always feel a tiny bit uplifted to see them.  (I've only written two letters to Tharg ever - both printed, I'm chuffed to say, and one of them even got letter of the week.)

"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Funt Solo

#6
Email sent.

---

Yeah, back in the day there was a two (sometimes more) page spread of letters every fortnight. In Internet-land, we can post our thoughts, they ALWAYS get published and people can respond in real time.

I noticed in Facepalm-land that someone had taken it upon themselves to send an abusive letter to Tharg about Skip Tracer for each and every episode that is published. Of course, they decided that they were going to hate it at the beginning of the process - so their opinion is pre-determined and therefore vacuous. And they're posting each of their abusive missives online because they realize that sending vitriolic, pre-judged abuse probably isn't going to get it printed.

Imagine, as well, how lost people would feel when they try to include emojis, memes and animated gifs in their letters - what even is a letter? Where is the "like" function?
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

MumboJimbo


PsychoGoatee

For sure, a classic art. I wrote in once maybe 10 years ago asking for more Judge Death. I don't think it got printed, but, we did get more Judge Death!

This has come up in other comics I'm into too, like Savage Dragon. That has a fun letters page, but it had some slow months over the years, so he asked for people to write in etc. It is definitely a nice part of comics. Robert Kirkman's books like Invincible have fun letters pages, I've been in a bunch of those too.

The Enigmatic Dr X

This counts for The Letters Beast, right?
Lock up your spoons!

Buttonman

Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 29 July, 2021, 10:20:11 PM
This counts for The Letters Beast, right?

Indeed it does. As this handy chart shows, a mere 52 letters printed could make you, yes you, the all time top Megazine correspondent.



I haven't written for a while; the last letters printed were in Meg 404 - given the current issue is Meg 434 that's a lot of disappointed scribes. Even my '404 Error' letter was ignored. I will of course answer this call to arms and look forward to some Dreddline goodness.

Magnetica

There was a time a few years back where I wrote a load of letters to both the Prog and the Meg. And pretty much every one of them got printed. It's a massive thrill to see your letter printed. A bit less so when Tharg disagrees with what you said 🤣. Even less so when a subsequent letter does that as well 🤣🤣.

I prefer writing to the Meg as generally they seem to print longer letters. And you get a nice Graphic Novel as a prize.

I then stopped...I really should start as I must be close to getting near the top of Buttonman's list. A handful more should see me into the top 20, if not the top 10. Surely that's incentive enough to start again?

Buttonman

*Splutter*! A forum letter writer outs himself! Who are you on the chart good sir? Please refer to the Beast online / Lettersentertainyou thread for in depth discussions on all things letter page.

JayzusB.Christ

I've got to admit, I kind of miss the short, daft letters that Tharg used to print in the prog.  A few of them really brought a smile to my face ('Dear Tharg, are you green all the way through?').
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Magnetica

Quote from: Buttonman on 30 July, 2021, 10:29:41 AM
*Splutter*! A forum letter writer outs himself! Who are you on the chart good sir? Please refer to the Beast online / Lettersentertainyou thread for in depth discussions on all things letter page.

Do you have a link to your spreadsheet so I can see where I stand?