Would the Megazine be better off with fewer strips?

[IndigoPrime]

I'm increasingly tempted to sell up and go digital. But I do also like paper, and fear I'd just forget to read digital editions. Space is running low at chez IP though.

[Richard]

I'm against this idea. I prefer the variety of an anthology, and that would be diminished. If there are only three stories and I don't like one of them, then that's a third of the comic. Also the longer episodes would mean that stories had to be scheduled longer in advance, because the artists would need more time to draw each episode.

Some of the comments about memory say more about the reader than about the comic.

[Funt Solo]

Quite funny to think of a bunch of fewer-marbled old codgers trying to read their comics but being like "Judge Dredd, is it? Never heard of him!"

[Magnetica]

I think part of the problem is that the current bunch of strips just aren't very... memorable.

Sometimes I think I need to catch on the Meg, get halfway through a story, then realise I already read it.

Could be my aging brain, but on the other hand I had no problem following 'Lawless' every month.

Absolutely nailed it.

[DrJomster]

I wouldn't want to see the Meg drop to fewer strips. This would give less space for new talent to hone their craft and also make the overall Meg more variable in quality if one of the strips was a bit off. Particularly if it ran for a bit.

It is a monthly title and it is a bit hard to remember sometimes. Although to be honest, I sometimes have that problem with the prog! The answer ? Re-read the first part she of the story before updating with the latest part. Easy!

[Fungus]

I'm reading the Meg from 6 months ago. They sit on the iPad and accumulate. Life gets in the way but whoever said 'Lawless' nailed it. Beautiful comics. The rest is throwaway and I yawn in the face of Fear and the other Dark Judges. Why are they still with us?

Annoyingly, I'm pleased that 4 months of the floppy are imported D-Day fare. It's not for me. I skip it, that helps me catch up.

Most sadly of all, I'd have jumped ship except Tharg gets my subscription up front. Bottom line is, the Meg should be experimental because it can be, and I forget backstory as much as everyone else. So, long-form in the Meg, please.

[Proudhuff]

How about a compromise? Four stories slightly longer page count? and a 'current' synopsis for us old codgers to help catch up?

[Mardroid]

I have issues remembering too (but that's also the case with the weekly prog, although it's not so bad)* but I think I'm happy keeping the number of strips as it is. Having the variety is great, although I'm glad they're keeping the comic entirely Dredd-world. (I'm happy for the bagged floppy to include other stuff.) It gives it a different identity to the Prog** and I'm happy to learn more about that specific world.

A synopsis of the story so far before each story would be welcome though. It need not be long. A paragraph will do. In some cases, just a sentence would be fine. I know we can reread previous installments, but it's not something one always feels like doing, every time.

I am about to catch up on the past chapters of The Returners though. I'm feeling more in the mood for catch-ups this month.

*As Richard posted:

Some of the comments about memory say more about the reader than about the comic.

I'm probably in that group, if I'm brutally honest with myself. I even forget stuff I enjoy, when reading it piecemeal. Like others here, I didn't have much of a problem with Lawless, though.

**Long may that one provide a selection of stories from a mutiverse, as it always has. The occasional cross-over is okay... if it works.

[Proudhuff]

...also keeping up with half a dozen other comics, a shed-full of Prime/Netflix series, the Tory party re-shuffles, its too much for elsters!!!

[MumboJimbo]

Some of the comments about memory say more about the reader than about the comic.

I think most human minds would struggle to remember an ongoing story for which they had 10 minutes' worth of new content each month. Imagine a Netflix series delivered on this basis, or a book you only read 9 pages a month. Anyone without an eidetic memory would fail to grasp a coherent plot unless they performed plenty of re-reads.

[Robin Low]

Personally, I'd be happy for each issue to feature a single Dredd (usually multiple episode, occasional one-off) and four or five single episode stories. If you keep the main Dredd story as multiple episodes, that'll keep people buying on a regular basis, but having the rest of the strips as one-offs allows for far more variety and perhaps helps our ageing brains. I'd be more than happy with fewer Dreddworld stories, too - the place is getting a bit messy and incoherent with too many writers all with their own takes on the place (a bit like the Dredd strip itself)

Keep the series for 2000AD - I don't see any reason why Lawless could not have been in the Prog (okay, due to page length it would have been structured differently, and I think there were some naughty words in there, but basically it would have been fine).

As with the Prog, I find I'm skipping a lot of stuff altogether these days. I'd be less inclined to with more one-offs. I've found the various specials we've had recently far more interesting - get some Misty/Scream/Valiant stuff in there.

Regards,

Robin

[broodblik]

I am not so keen on the once-offs. I find the structure of the Meg and how the stories work fine. As many suggested rather have a better  synopsis  of the current story arc.

[Frank]

I think most human minds would struggle to remember an ongoing story for which they had 10 minutes' worth of new content each month.

Rereading isn't cheating.

Rereading is the reason most of us loved stories as kids. The reluctance to reread is the reason some of us don't enjoy new comics as much as we love old comics.

Most of us enjoyed Watchmen the first time we read it. I guarantee you everyone enjoyed* Watchmen more the second, third and fourth times we read it.


* And understood it better and noticed new details, too.

[broodblik]

With the meg they have always tinkered with the format:
From Meg 385 the total stories per month jump from 4 to 5.
From Meg 275 up until 376 a non-Dreddverse story was running in the Meg as well (but still only 4 stories)
From Meg 265 to 274 only 4 stories
From Meg 245 to 264 only 5 stories (but also with some non-Dreddverse stories)
From to 244 a mix back ranging from 4 to 6 stories (plus some reprints as well Charlyes' War for example)

[broodblik]

And the floppie was introduced in Meg 275