The Political Thread

[Proudhuff]

Marvel's Kamala Khan
http://theconversation.com/why-america-needs-marvel-superhero-kamala-khan-now-more-than-ever-72401?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2016%202017%20-%2067734961&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2016%202017%20-%2067734961+CID_9d3154f02a7abdb098e90f7bdea0854a&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=Why%20America%20needs%20Marvel%20superhero%20Kamala%20Khan%20now%20more%20than%20ever

[Prodigal2]

Some rumblings of low morale within the DUP of late from well informed non-Duper political types. Whether this translates into anything useful politically remains to be seen.

[Rately]

Some rumblings of low morale within the DUP of late from well informed non-Duper political types. Whether this translates into anything useful politically remains to be seen.

We can but hope.

Would have hoped by now they realised that the political landscape is changing, and the empty threats of them against us are more and more, thankfully, falling upon deaf ears.

About time we had some responsible leaders, whatever their religion / allegiance, actually doing something to improve the situation in the country.

[TordelBack]

Marvel's Kamala Khan
http://theconversation.com/why-america-needs-marvel-superhero-kamala-khan-now-more-than-ever-72401?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2016%202017%20-%2067734961&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2016%202017%20-%2067734961+CID_9d3154f02a7abdb098e90f7bdea0854a&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=Why%20America%20needs%20Marvel%20superhero%20Kamala%20Khan%20now%20more%20than%20ever

Ms Marvel is a solid character, and as far along as I've read of it her own book is good clever stuff.  It has the genuine feel of early Spiderman, but told in a modern manner: and while that article makes it seem a bit po-faced and worthy it actually does the trick mentioned of normalising and humanising its subject through fun, interesting stories.  However the comments below it would make you weep.

[Hawkmumbler]

"Bring back Carol Danvers!"

She hasn't fucking gone anywhere you muppets!

[Theblazeuk]

Well the two comments on there are at the moment are fun, and seem to be unaware Kamala has been around for a few years at this point.

I just like that someone, somewhere, got to open a comic book and see a hero they can relate to. And it is a fun book.

[Proudhuff]

Marvel's Kamala Khan
http://theconversation.com/why-america-needs-marvel-superhero-kamala-khan-now-more-than-ever-72401?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2016%202017%20-%2067734961&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2016%202017%20-%2067734961+CID_9d3154f02a7abdb098e90f7bdea0854a&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=Why%20America%20needs%20Marvel%20superhero%20Kamala%20Khan%20now%20more%20than%20ever

Ms Marvel is a solid character, and as far along as I've read of it her own book is good clever stuff.  It has the genuine feel of early Spiderman, but told in a modern manner: and while that article makes it seem a bit po-faced and worthy it actually does the trick mentioned of normalising and humanising its subject through fun, interesting stories.  However the comments below it would make you weep.

I never read below the line...

[TordelBack]

Well the two comments on there are at the moment are fun...

I dunno about that, man...

I don't think this will be a big hit in the stores outside Jersey City or Gaza.

I doubt it will be popular there either... no niqab or hijab and a form-fitting costume.

In most Muslim countries she'd be caned.

Ohhhhh.... NOOOOO.... she's shamelessly exposing her HAIR to me, thus stimulating my UNGOVERNABLE LUST! Heeeelp!

But you are spot on when you say people can read about a hero they can relate to.

[Theblazeuk]

I may have meant 'fun' rather than fun.

[TordelBack]

I may have meant 'fun' rather than fun.

Gotcha, my apologies for doubting you.

[Modern Panther]

If any further evidence was needed for the importance of 2000ad's role in the medium, its that for decades it's been producing quality stories featuring a diverse range of characters and almost nobody cared.  Heroes of colour, female characters who rarely end up in fridges, and defiantly camp homosexual exorcists way back in 1992 (eight years before it was legal to tell school chidren that gay people exist).  Sure, its had its less enlighted phases ("wait...did Dredd just call that guy a "Nip""), but on the whole its been a comic that says, "we dont care who you are, or where you're from...you seem as weird as us... come on in".  Meanwhile, elsewhere in comic fan land, the existance of a young muslim woman is controversial.  Essentially, a comparatively low number of you guys are dicks.  Well done. 

[Steven Denton]

Breakfast news this morning had a vox pops section on the Stoke-on-Trent By-Election. Depressing to see people still saying they voted Leave because the NHS is being overrun with foreigners*. Must be counting the days until the NHS gets that sweet £350 million a week and gets rid of all those foreigners**. Also interesting to see Labour voters deserting because Labour had given them nothing and they were a party for the pits and ship yards, and younger voters just don't see voting as important.

*personally I don't believe this is their real motivation.

**The NHS is being underfunded by the Tory's and it's care of the elderly and long term conditions that are driving the exponential cost rise, not overwhelmingly Tax paying people who so happen to have been born in a different country, who are also statistically less likely to use services.)

[GordonR]

If any further evidence was needed for the importance of 2000ad's role in the medium, its that for decades it's been producing quality stories featuring a diverse range of characters and almost nobody cared.  Heroes of colour, female characters who rarely end up in fridges, and defiantly camp homosexual exorcists way back in 1992 (eight years before it was legal to tell school chidren that gay people exist).  Sure, its had its less enlighted phases ("wait...did Dredd just call that guy a "Nip""), but on the whole its been a comic that says, "we dont care who you are, or where you're from...you seem as weird as us... come on in".  Meanwhile, elsewhere in comic fan land, the existance of a young muslim woman is controversial.  Essentially, a comparatively low number of you guys are dicks.  Well done.

Mate, you should have seen the backlash we got over Psi-Judge Hamida, the practicing Muslim judge. Most or all of was on the 2000AD Facebook page, which has a far larger reach than here, although I'm fairly convinced that a lot of the people there have Liked the page for nostalgia reasons and haven't read the comic in years/decades.

Anyway, the intellectual powerhouse that is the  "it's political correctness gone mad!" brigade were out in force on that one.  My favourite was the guy demanding that, because the comic had featured a positive depiction of a practicing Muslim, that there then be "balance" in a later story.  I think he's probably still waiting for his Dredd versus the Evil Suicide Bomb Muzziies story,. But then he can get his fix of that stuff from about 95% of the popular media depictions out there of Muslim characters.   'Balance', indeed.

Rob's gay Dredd story received a similar Daily Mail splutters of outrage reaction from some of the denizens of the FB page.

[Hawkmumbler]

The FB 2000AD pages are a boiling pot of far less pleasant folk than those present here.

[Jim_Campbell]

Rob's gay Dredd story received a similar Daily Mail splutters of outrage reaction from some of the denizens of the FB page.

There are still several members of this forum residing permanently on my 'ignore' list due to their reaction on here to the press release about that story.