Messages

1

Off Topic / Re: This is the News!

« on: 06 July, 2022, 09:18:15 PM »

Boris's mandate arguemtn is such nonsense - what people thoguht about him 3 years ago before he proved his critics right is not really relevant to what the here andd now is

It's like finding the Bank Manager had been embezzling funds, but going "yeah, but his job interview was amazing, best we ever had"

2

Prog / Re: Prog 2289: Shotgun Diplomacy

« on: 06 July, 2022, 08:14:44 PM »

True enough - I've heard of more people with Covid these past few weeks than for a long time.  Though it is very consistently late for the longest time before that and it's still a pain when you've stumped up front to get it early when that is increasingly not the case (and the bills still run like clockwork!). 

I've always bought a copy from the shops rather than report one missing in the past, but that was when it was a fairly rare occurrence and I was nearer a Smiths on a daily rather than a weekly basis.  First World problems (Homeworking benefits outweight that particular downside!), but annoying nonetheless.

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Prog / Re: Prog 2289: Shotgun Diplomacy

« on: 06 July, 2022, 07:12:22 PM »

No prog for me.... I'd normally pick it up from the shop, but if it doesnt turn up tomorrow, I'l be contacting Subs - cant see why the subs are so much worse now than during the pandemic?

4

General / Re: Forthcoming Thrills - 2023

« on: 06 July, 2022, 07:09:38 PM »

Indeed - thats a good image that is totally unused, but For Thargs Sake, recolour it!  Blue costume AND blue eyes!!

I would rather the Vol 1 of the 2000AD years was just Galaxy Killers, Journey Into Hell and any Specials stuff (Night of the Blood Freaks?)

Vol 2 would be progs 178 to 199 & Specials
Vol 3 would be Portrait & Specials
etc etc

Sell me more!

Can I be really nerdy and say that I hope that isnt the cover

Stront has distinct phases costume wise - Galaxy Killers and Journey Into Hell Alpha has double small shoulder pads; Death's Head through to Gronk Affair he has more bulbous helmet and left pad; Moses through to Rage he has the three band pad shown here...

Given that the new hardcover of 'The Son' has a classic Johnny from circa Death's Head era, I think you're waaaay out of luck there!

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Film & TV / Stranger Things 4 *SPOILERS*

« on: 04 July, 2022, 06:27:17 PM »

So, now its over, what did people think of it? SPOILERS**

I thought it was pretty good - characters were fine, though Mike remaained as whiney and useless as previous series.  Loved Eddie and leaning into the Satanic Panic I thought was a good call.  ST is trying to do what Chibnall did with its gay charcters with its metal characters, though.  Dont have a problemw with Eddies demuse, but it could hvve been more meaningful - in what way is he the hero?  Or his death part of that heroism?  If he had kept running, he would have kept the bats occupied longer AND survived - I see the theme they were gonig for, but it lose something in the execution - shame after the Master of Puppets scene.

The ending I didnt grock at all.  OK, so 11 brings ax back from clinical death and reverses the gates opening - but Max is now comatose and her mmind is a blank when 11 tries to look... Then the gates silently open back up a coouple of days later... not so much a cliff hanger as a head scratcher.  Feel liek they';d have been better not having  a fake out "happy ending"  if that's where they were going to leave it?

Overall, I enjoyed it, but it still suffers with a lot of weak story telling that I've come to expect from modern TV.  How did Papa create a "chip" to block Ones powers? How does he know all about how Ones papers work now: "he takes all their memories" How would he know?

How did the Russians transport all those Demogorgons and such to Russia if they didnt have a way to subdue them?

I kind of wish they hadn't gone with the disaster ending - I know theres only one season left, but they were stretching credibility last season by writing everything off to a "Mall Fire" - was there also a hospital fire?

6

Games / Re: Warlord Games’ 2000AD System Creator Interviews

« on: 02 July, 2022, 10:23:56 PM »

Doh!

that seems the most obvious, even if it isnt tht much of the comics - robot vs robot action

I'm incredibly curious how an ABC Warriors game will work from the perspective of antagonists - will it be set on Mars?  If so, who are the big villains that you could put into the game?  If you set it in Nemesis times, then that makes that easer, but better to just make it a Nemesis game?  The Black Hole? 

Intriguing

Volgan war?

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Off Topic / Re: Boys Adventure comic blog

« on: 02 July, 2022, 10:22:33 PM »

Wow! that hat was not far from me! I like the Bullseye logic of someone from Shard End entering a competition to win a boat!

Rare comic merchandise alert! Who'd like to see what an original 'Action' comic branded baseball cap looks like?

https://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com/2022/07/action-baseball-cap.html

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Games / Re: Warlord Games’ 2000AD System Creator Interviews

« on: 02 July, 2022, 10:16:09 PM »

I'm incredibly curious how an ABC Warriors game will work from the perspective of antagonists - will it be set on Mars?  If so, who are the big villains that you could put into the game?  If you set it in Nemesis times, then that makes that easer, but better to just make it a Nemesis game?  The Black Hole? 

Intriguing

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Off Topic / Re: Thought Police: Are we allowed to query 'woke'?

« on: 01 July, 2022, 10:50:55 PM »

No apology necessary, Funt.  I just saw Corinthians post and my reading of it as "if you agree with X then you also support A,J and @" got me slightly incensed.  I got as far as Jim's reasoned response, wanted to echo what he was saying and throw a few thoughts on the prog itelf, so just hit quote on that without scrolling any further. 

While I think there is a lot of nuance that gets buried in the Trans debate, I can;t help but see the parallels with the struggle for Gay Rights echoed in a lot of the rhetoric of the (lets call it) Anti-Trans sde of the argument - a lot of demonising and assuming bad intentions - "they are after your children, public toilets arent safe" etc.

We've seen more than a fair share of political/moral positions shut down by arguing that if you support one thing you must be soething else as well - I was among a fairly large group of people who supported Corbyn, but wasnt an Antisemite - not thatyou would know, but there were a few of us.... I just dont think its helpful as a way to win arguments (Though Kier Starmer may beg to differ!)

Sorry, Leigh. I should have taken more care to allow for that scenario. I often post on threads without having read all of the preceding points.

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Off Topic / Re: Thought Police: Are we allowed to query 'woke'?

« on: 01 July, 2022, 10:17:36 PM »

I use the forum via a laptop - not sure if it is different on a phone or so, or maybe its my shitty eyesight, but mostly its I hit quote on your message as thats as far as I had read and IPs message was (presumably, I cant check as there is no video footage of the event) without scrolling down to see what else was there - basically to support what you were saying.

I didnt realise that the forum didnt allow you to post before you read every post - my laptop is clearly too old for that tech to have kicked in.  Unless you think I deliberately ignored IP, which to set the record straight here for anyone thinking I was shit stirring againt IPs wishes, I did not. 

To reiterate, I did not see it, otherwise, I would have waited for the conversation to move elsewhere.

Hence me not seeing it, Jim?  Not saying it wasnt there, just I responded to Corinthian without reading all the responses that followed it.  Am I missing something (other than IPs message)?

Not sure how you responded to the message in question without seeing IP's request, given the timestamps. Whatever.

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Off Topic / Re: Thought Police: Are we allowed to query 'woke'?

« on: 01 July, 2022, 10:06:54 PM »

Hence me not seeing it, Jim?  Not saying it wasnt there, just I responded to Corinthian without reading all the responses that followed it.  Am I missing something (other than IPs message)?

I confess I didnt see IPs sensible appeal to move the debate elsewhere Funt

Before you posted right under it, several hours later?

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Off Topic / Re: Thought Police: Are we allowed to query 'woke'?

« on: 01 July, 2022, 09:38:49 PM »

I confess I didnt see IPs sensible appeal to move the debate elsewhere Funt

I think your Wagner analogy isnt quite right though - it woould probably run something like "You think Wagner was a Nazi?  Then you suppot Stalins deathcamps???"

Corinthian's argument starts addressing the point, though it isnt one I can agree with - you  can find a lot information as to why it isnt unreasonable to conclude JK Rowling has a "Transphobes, stand back and stand by" dogwhistling history.

And concluding that, doesnt mean you stand with nutters who make death threats to children.  If you can only win an argument by telling people that f they hold a view they are responsible for the worst act that someone who might also share that view, then that works both ways in this debate - or rather it doesnt work in either way, because otherwise, Corinthian supports people who think Trans people should be exterminated. 

I didnt even go to the effort of posting the link to Contrapoints video, but may as well, because I think its actually a good way to avoid wall of text, and the video is a lot more convincing than I will ever be, though I understand some people arennt going to be convinced by either of us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gDKbT_l2us

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Prog / Re: Prog 2288: Law versus Claw

« on: 01 July, 2022, 07:52:19 PM »

Skizz is hte perfect comparison - its the plot of ET, but what if that happened in Inner City Birmingham

Set Low Born High in Nechells and it would write itself!

Lowborn High was definitely the low point. The underlying concept of, as Leigh put it, Grange Hill meets Hogwarts isn't terrible and 2000ad has form for this kind of subversion of pop culture. Sadly this is no Skizz.

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Off Topic / Re: Boys Adventure comic blog

« on: 30 June, 2022, 09:56:22 PM »

Ah I am filled with Nostalgia for when you could pick up fanines for 50p a shot - the late 90s and early 00s were my Glory days of hunting these things out and that copy of Hellfire was a Grail find I never did get, along with Masters of Infinity with the Bolland cover (I think!)

There was an eBay seller who came along and started buying them up and reselling them for a 5er a pop and it killed my interest, sadly.  Should have persisted!

15

Prog / Re: Prog 2288: Law versus Claw

« on: 30 June, 2022, 06:52:48 PM »

This is a pretty strawman argument Corinthian - If you are ssaying that if you are taking a stand on any topic, you have to support the worst elements of that viewpoint is pretty insane.

I like Doctor Who, but dislike Chibnalls run, but I am not Nerdrotic.  I like modern2000aD with reservations, but anm not a MAGAverser with a "Not my Tharg" T shirt

I would suggest watching Contrapoints video on this subject as a good starting point to see why a lot of the criticism of JKs stance is justified, without condoning death threats etc.

As for this weeks, the Dredd I could write an essay on.  I liked Liam Johnsons previous tale that I think Jake Lynch illustrated?  BTW the art here seems like a pale mix of Lynch and Willsher.

The basic idea is solid, but the execution is all over the place, with lots of non sequeter occurrences tht could easily be fixed with a bit of thought.

Low Born High could be great in a Jaws = Hookjaw, One Eyed Jack = Dirty Harry way.  It needs to be more savage in being a Working Class version -that would be pure 2000AD - but characters called Adrogeus doesnt really sell me on this being Grange Hill meets Hogwarts.

The rest of the prog hasnt really been read, as with the different artists and creators (for the most part) make it feel like something very different to what I personally am interested in - my bad really.

I do think they should lose the "next week" advert though, for the reasons we discussed at length in the previous thread!

Again, I hate to be that guy, but calling Rowling a bigot is defamatory and untrue.

Rowling has explicitly stated that she regards the definition of women as "people who menstruate" and that's not even true of people who were born biologically female and identify as such. She's tweeted links to a site selling merchandise with explicitly transphobic slogans. Under her (somewhat loaded) Galbraith pseudonym, she published a book about a male serial killer who dresses up as a woman in order to murder women.

Whilst, on the spectrum of TERFery, she's not at the most extreme end, she absolutely does have form in this area.

(This is neither an endorsement of, nor justification for, any form of harassment or threatening behaviour.)