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Messages - Paul faplad Finch

#31
Quote from: CrazyFoxMachine on 23 April, 2011, 08:00:02 PM
It was so complicated and confusing! I long for the days of Russell T Davies...

...but seriously I've heard people actually saying things like this.

Comments like this are cropping up online, from people who watch and review television - science fiction television specifically - for a living.

Although to be fair, SFX (the only print sci-fi mag I read, can't speak for any others) have been up RTDs arse for years so I suppose it's not something that should come as a surprise.
#32
Prog / Re: The evil of the postal service.
23 April, 2011, 02:59:28 PM
The letter accompanying the cheque mentioned that I had 'met the conditions', whatever the conditions are.

The letter also mentioned that £100 is 'the lower rate of Job Grant', so presumably if you meet certain other undisclosed 'conditions', you get a bit more. I wish I knew what they were, I'd have tried harder.
#33
Prog / Re: The evil of the postal service.
23 April, 2011, 02:39:33 PM
I got a cheque in the post today for £100. Apparently this is something the DWP do when you sign off the dole and go into work, to help bridge the gap between your last benefit payment and your first wage packet.

Who knew? Certainly not me. Nice little surprise though, 'cos the gap was looming like a big fuck-off loomy thing and I had no idea how I was gonna manage.

So anyway, the postie is alright by me.
#34
Megazine / Re: Meg 310: The Cogs of War!
23 April, 2011, 01:45:47 PM
Ah well,got my hopes up a bit there. Cheers lads for the quick response,anyway.

#35
Megazine / Re: Meg 310: The Cogs of War!
23 April, 2011, 01:30:10 PM
Out of interest (though I'm sure I could find out easily enough if I left the forum and actually looked at the rest of the site once in a while) what's in the Flesh floppy? Wouldn't be Chronocide would it?
#36
Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?
23 April, 2011, 12:41:50 PM
I'm on with the second (or 3rd and 4th, since I am apparently reading 2book omnibuses, although the individuals seem too slight to have been released on their own) Vampire Diaries book. 

Same as with the first, it is very obviously aimed at teenage girls, but the horror quotient, although not particularly well written, does seem to be increasing as I head to the conclusion.

Reading this as a counterpoint to the (really rather good) tv version. Would probably have been a good idea to wait, and read it between seasons of the show rather than at the same time, because while it is massively different with wildly diverging storylines ([spoiler]the lead in the show is now dead in the books[/spoiler], although I suppose that could change)*,it is similar enough to cause a little bit of confusion if I let my mind wander.

As I say, content wise these books are most definitely not aimed at me so I can't really complain that I'm not getting much out of them, but on a purely technical level the writing is really rather poor as well. Characterisation is particularly bad; I find it hard to believe that these books were written by a woman, because all of the female characters are such airheaded bimbos, obsessed with hairstyles and boys. Feminism, thy name is most definitely not LJ Smith.

I could understand it if this was the start point from which the characters would then develop, but I'm coming to the big finish, half the cast are dead, the small town is about to be destroyed by some unthinkable evil (who will probably turn out to be a, like, really really hot guy) and the main girl is still obsessing over the fact that this one guy has really nice cheekbones.

I am giving these books far more consideration than they deserve aren't I?

*I realise just how unlikely it is that anyone on here is gonna read these books, I can't quite believe I'm reading them myself, but I spoilered that just on the mild off-chance.
#37
Prog / Re: Prog 1730 : HORROR OF THE HANGMAN!
23 April, 2011, 11:28:05 AM
A fantastic cover and 3 crackers out of 5 for me in the story department so I'm happy. Worst to best :

Flesh : No comment.

Bob Byrnes : I didn't like the first few of these, then they won me over. This one though, just seemed like the story was a little slight to justify the pagecount. Also, I'd echo the sentiments of whoever it was said these stories work best with the more fantastic or surreal settings. I was waiting for something like that to happen and kickstart the 'real' story but it never came and I was left with a deflated "oh, that's all it is then".  Again, not anti these strips at all and I'd love to see more but this one wasn't for me.

Red Seas : It's taking it's time but I don't care. A little more on the mythology underpinning the strip and the stirrings of an uprising amongst the survivors; that'll do me. Can't help thinking that them turning against Dancer is a long time coming because, human nature being what it is, when you consider that most of what Ryddle is saying is true.

Dredd : Lovely artwork. Story, if a trifle sussable (I pegged it on p4) was still very well done.   

Dandridge : I love this strip, and I hope that his first assignment isn't to long in coming. I still haven't decided whether I prefer Davis-Hunt to Pleece on the art but I've decided I don't need to choose between them. They are different, but equally good. Does anyone know if the plan is for the current style to stick, or is Pleece likely to do more? Or is it gonna be a different artist each time out? All assuming the series sticks around of course. It definitely deserves to.

My main problem with the prog at the moment isn't with any of these stories (except Flesh, but I'm resigned to that being around for the 19 books or whatever Mr Mills has planned) but rather with the structure of Dredd overall at the moment. I have always preferred longer tales and with the exception of Served Cold (which I liked) we haven't had anything longer than 2parts since The Skinning Room ended. I know, coming off Tour of Duty the feeling was probably that the series needed a few shorter, lighter pieces but a lot of progs have gone by since then. Can we at least have some 4/5 parters? I'm not one of those who thinks it has to be John Wagner writing them either - I agree with most of the conclusions reached in ahem 'helms' recent thread - but as long as it's not Robbie Morrison there are a number of  candidates capable.
#38
Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...
21 April, 2011, 09:24:27 PM
Watched The Wrestler. Wasn't as good as the reviews would suggest but better than I expected, given just how 'wrong' most mainstream media get it when they touch on pro-wrestling, even the well intentioned ones who don't set out to take the piss.
#39
Quote from: The Adventurer on 16 April, 2011, 07:29:28 AM
The one thing I kept hearing over and over again was how great and classic Nemesis the Warlock was. And how essential it is too read.

But when I finally got to it in the chunky 'casefiles' collections it left me stone cold. I think its because, as I have learned, Pat Mill's writing style just doesn't do it for me on any level. Nemesis, ABC Warriors, Slaine... just not my bag it seems.

I'd read enough Slaine, ABC's etc in the prog to know that Nemesis was never going to be on any shoping list of mine, however much the forumites might rave about it.

Sadly, I relented (I figured, it's just the 1 book, where's the harm), when it came to Ro-Busters. I'll not be making that mistake again.


And Abnetts VCs was one of my favourites when it was running. Inspired me to buy the Finley-Day trade, which I loved as well.
#40
Quote from: Daveycandlish on 15 April, 2011, 08:37:53 PM
I realise I may be run out of town for this, or chased from these boards with pitchforks and torches, but I don't like Shakara. I know everyone else loves it, but it just left me cold, and the latest story was just skipped over when I was reading the prog. I just don't get it, and have no inclination to go back and try it again

You aren't alone.
#41
Quote from: JOE SOAP on 14 April, 2011, 12:35:41 AM
Tone Deaf. Tone Death sounds like a zombie hip-hop artist or what happens when you hear Jedward.


Do you have a favourite Dredd artist?

:-[  I knew that, I really did. I'm normally the one pulling people up on things like that. I am cringing.

As for fave Dredd artist, and at the risk of sounding really cliched and unimaginative, the ones that have really stuck in my head are Ezquerra and the Flint/Blythe combo.

Although, having said that,one of the few really vivid memories of my early days as a reader is of absolutely loving the Crusade art. Shockingly bad story of course, but I was loving the visuals. So, yeah, that guy too.

(Is he much maligned? Am I digging myself deeper?)
#42
I wasn't disputing it, I genuinely didn't know.

I hear people (or read people) talking about these classic artists and while I can appreciate that they are good - I can recognise that that page is good art - I can't see why one is better or worse (or just different) than the other. Just can't see it. Really feel like I'm missing out on something sometimes.

Is there a visual equivalent of tone death? Cos thats me.
#43
Film & TV / Re: Russel Brand is 'Arthur'
14 April, 2011, 12:25:22 AM
Quote from: Misanthrope on 14 April, 2011, 12:15:42 AM

Most people probably did,

I didn't.  Kinda wish I still didn't. I was happier then.
#44
Does that look like Bolland then?

I may be lynched for saying this, but there are a lot of early 2000ad artists that I simply can't tell apart. Most of the first few Casefiles, with a very few notable (read crap enough to really jar) exceptions, might as well have been done by the same person for all I realised.

I think it's because for a long time I was not the most artistically minded person, only recently starting to get a little interested in that side of things, and thats coupled with the fact that I came to 2000ad in relatively recent times where different artists are really different. The distinctions between a bunch of guys, all doing b/w linework, are too subtle for my eye.

I am a philistine, I realise.
#45
Prog / Re: Prog 1729 : IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST!
13 April, 2011, 06:11:00 PM
Haven't done one of these reviews for a while for the simple reason that I rarely get the progs in good time any more. This is the first one I've managed to pick up on day of release in ages.

Anyway, here goes, worst to best, as is my wont:

Flesh : I don't even have my usual "at least the arts good" refrain that usually accompanies my slagging off of a Mills script. The script is all over the place and the art is just messy.* Which is a shame (and a little odd) because the covers have been great. I really really wanted this to be good too.

Bob Byrne : Nothing wrong with this at all, but it's down the list because of the others being top stuff. Couldn't get away with these stories when they first started to appear but they won me over and I'm glad to see them back.

Red Seas : Something of a favourite of mine this series. But then I've always been a sucker for a nice long running serialised story. It was a toss up for 2nd place and this just lost out to Dandridge because of the confusing last page. ( Or at least it was confusing until Cosh pointed out what is of course bleeding obvious)

Dandridge : Can't decide whether I prefer Davis-Hunt over Pleece on the art - love both styles, different as they are. Stories cracking along nicely and, easily pleased though I may be, I did chuckle at the fact that the reality anchor was an actual anchor. If the first series was any indication, this is probably about due to finish is it?

Dredd : Because it was funny. And a mans brains exploded out of the back of his head. And a child fell of an escalator.

And I did like the way that one of those nuns was eyeing up the 'Free Spanks' placard. That placard was probably a really clever in-joke that I didn't get but I like to think the nun didn't get it either and was thinking exactly what I was thinking.

*Although, I showed last weeks prog to a mate and he raved about the art. I asked did he not think the Flesh strip was weaker than the others, or, in my words "a fucking mess" and he responded with "I wish I could draw half as good".  As someone who can barely cobble together a stick figure, I felt properly put in my place. Colour me chastened.