Can't believe no one has posted this up yet 3 dredd tales this issue Xmas story was very good and really good end to killer elite, Anderson was well Anderson nothing new unfortunately as always the next issue looks better but never quiets deliver fast becoming a habit
Quote from: moly on 15 December, 2012, 08:11:19 PM
Can't believe no one has posted this up yet
Not got it! What do you want? Guesswork?
Yeah, Burns' artwork was glorious and that last page made me grin. I was wondering all the way through what Dredd would be in the eyes of the girl, I shoulda guessed really.
Going to read the rest of the stories today but, wtf was that penguin!?!
Could we have a story where Anderson actually succeeds for a bit?
Even to make a contrast for when it all turns to shit, it's just become a bit of a running gag that when she's not in a coma, it will all got tits up...
Really enjoyed the end of Killer Elite and the Dredd as well, although similar to Lori in Preacher.
Not read the rest yet, may keep it to spread over the progless Christmas.
Will be interesting to see if American Reaper II is a bit less sprawiling than the first run.
Penguin DREDD? Coming soon?
V
My MEG 331 ARRIVED ON TIME yesterday morning. :-)
I soon read thru it over breakfast and enjoyed the 3 Dredd tales _ especially BURNS'S artwork Maybe a family link there.Who knows?
Anderson was a bit ...well... I think suicidal at the end of that story. She seems to be fighting too many of these demons at the moment. Not my cup-o-tea.
A bit confused about this Judge Pengiun???? advert..coming soon!
Looking forward to a new set of strories next issue. :-)
The Law comes to Club Penguin.
Drawn a blank on the blind mouse logo, vinyl figure merchandise I guess. Quite odd.
Minor controversy over on twitter as Jock spots not one but TWO straight tracings from his own work in Antonio Fuso's story... :-(
Cheers
Jim
Thought it was actually Jock at fist glance, until I looked at the credits box. Literally a glance though.
Don't think I should let him know that on Twitter though, might not help matters!
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 December, 2012, 05:19:11 PM
Minor controversy over on twitter as Jock spots not one but TWO straight tracings from his own work in Antonio Fuso's story... :-(
If someone's going to trace, they could at least get the eagle on the right bloody shoulder. As for the Meg in general, I thought it was an OK issue. The festive Dredd was OK, the wrap-up for the death match one was quite fun, and bar artwork swipes, the Tale was a decent yarn. Anderson... I'm not sure I care any more, but I keep hoping she'll again hit the highs of the old days, or Shamballa, or Satan.
Also, I don't recall reading Disaster 1990 before, but maybe I did and just forced it out of my memory. It's... not held up that well, has it?
I'm saving Disaster 1990 'til I have both parts (I don't remember it being great but I do enjoy the cheesy B film nature of some of the early stuff). Loved Paul Marshall's cover and the last page of the Dredd Christmas story but THE thing from this month has got to be the Penguin! :lol:
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 16 December, 2012, 06:52:22 PM
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 December, 2012, 05:19:11 PM
Minor controversy over on twitter as Jock spots not one but TWO straight tracings from his own work in Antonio Fuso's story... :-(
If someone's going to trace, they could at least get the eagle on the right bloody shoulder. As for the Meg in general, I thought it was an OK issue. The festive Dredd was OK, the wrap-up for the death match one was quite fun, and bar artwork swipes, the Tale was a decent yarn. Anderson... I'm not sure I care any more, but I keep hoping she'll again hit the highs of the old days, or Shamballa, or Satan.
Also, I don't recall reading Disaster 1990 before, but maybe I did and just forced it out of my memory. It's... not held up that well, has it?
Can't see an eagle on the wrong shoulder anywhere?
Ah, my mistake. I was looking at the pics on Jock's Twitter feed—it seems Fuso flipped the image before he traced it, and then swapped the shoulder pad accordingly.
I enjoyed the Meg. Lots of readable stuff there, especially Gordon Rennie's Dredd story.
That Fuso art - other accusations aside - just looks like messy, early Jock work to me. I love Jock's work but I'm not keen on this. It's hard to follow the story. The last panels throw away the ending.
As for Anderson's misfortunes, they have me worrying about Alan Grant. I hope she cheers up soon.
- Trout
I think that Disaster 1990 is a terrible choice. It's so bad that in 2000AD's 16th summer special, they did a feature about the worst 16 stories ever published in 2000AD, and this was one of them! I'd rather have had Finn book 2.
The Meg proper was good. Don't see anything wrong with the end of Anderson, I would call it character development and I hope that it is leading somewhere. Like Dredd, I used to get a bit annoyed at how bloody cheereful she used to be all the time despite living in the total shit-hole which is MC-1, surrounded by tragedy and misery.
Hope to see more of John Burns on Dredd now that Dante has finished.
I suppose it's not that different to early Anderson which had her killing Hammy Blish - but it feels too relentlessly miserable.
Like having Day of Chaos go on for 10 years. She just appears far too ineffectual.
I think the problem with Anderson is that she's not really got any supporting cast to bounce off - there's only really Shenker who's a permanent fixture.
The separation of her and Dredd doesn't help either, having a supporting cast growing from around the time of the Pit has helped Dredd grow enormously.
The well must be running a bit dry on the reprints. I wouldn't be too heartbroken if it was dropped, but surprised that Return to Armageddon hasn't been reprinted yet - but I guess a Savage strip fits in better with the current prog.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 December, 2012, 05:19:11 PM
Minor controversy over on twitter as Jock spots not one but TWO straight tracings from his own work in Antonio Fuso's story... :-(
Cheers
Jim
I' wonder if that - following on from (IIRC) the swipe/s in the "Ichabod Azrael" episodes - may have put paid to Tharg commissioning further work from Fuso? Can't have put him high on the list of must-use artists...
He's traced Dredd artwork, though, which is the property of rebellion, so it's not illegal or anything*, just a bit tricky ethically for the artists involved. I gather Greg Land has avoided trouble in the past by only tracing artwork owned by the company he's working for, so this would be the same kind of situation.
* Although tracing and/or plagiarism is not legally actionable as far as I know.
Has Paul Marshall been interviewed for the Meg ever. I think he's pretty underrated as an artist and would love to know a bit more from him.
Quote from: Professor Bear on 17 December, 2012, 12:06:34 AM
He's traced Dredd artwork, though, which is the property of rebellion, so it's not illegal or anything*, just a bit tricky ethically for the artists involved. I gather Greg Land has avoided trouble in the past by only tracing artwork owned by the company he's working for, so this would be the same kind of situation.
* Although tracing and/or plagiarism is not legally actionable as far as I know.
IMO, it's less about whether what he's done is legally problematic and more that outright tracing the work another artist has produced for the same publisher - and doing it twice on different strips - suggests contempt both for the other artist and for the editor commissioning your work.
It seems pretty clear from his work for the prog/Meg and the few bits I've seen online that he's heavily influenced by Jock/Dom Reardon and others. That would be cool, as most artists wear their influences on their sleeves initially (and occasionally throughout their careers), some to the point of being hammered for being "imitators". However, there is - to me, at least - a pretty big difference between being heavily inspired by someone's work and working in their style before you refine and define your own, and simply tracing elements of their previous work.
ach, the whole Prog up/Meg down thing seems to be back!
maybe its the megathrills in the Prog that is doing it but this Meg is a bit of a filler, the highlight its the Dredd finale of the megakiller playoff. Sorry to say that final Dredd full page just didn't have the inpact it should have had, a great idea sadly poorly executed, Well, at least Anderson's over, the bad news is the sexy ostrich story is back next month.
Enjoy Anderson and American Reaper so it's a win win for me.
Quote from: Proudhuff on 17 December, 2012, 03:59:06 PM
the bad news is the sexy ostrich story is back next month.
*Shudder*
Love the hidden 'Invasion' on the floppy - didn't realize at first...
Also , the 'next issue' picture - does this mean that Anderson is back in a Dredd strip , seeing as the Dredd story is drawn by JDH as is the picture..?
Dreddlines in only 3 of the last six Megs. Will someone please think of the children. And Tom.
Quote from: Buttonman on 17 December, 2012, 05:56:25 PM
Dreddlines in only 3 of the last six Megs. Will someone please think of the children. And Tom.
Strue, on the down side I'll have to go out and buy xmas gifts this year, on the upside my Mum won't get that Anderson TPB again!
The lack of Dreddlines can clearly be traced back to the controversy of you tracing my letters!
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 16 December, 2012, 06:52:22 PM
Also, I don't recall reading Disaster 1990 before, but maybe I did and just forced it out of my memory. It's... not held up that well, has it?
I didn't exactly expect it to be a classic although I was sort of looking forward to Disaster but it really hasn't, has it? I'm not sure that I would've been able to identify the flaws in the science at the age of 8 but I still don't think this would've been a particular favourite.
Quote from: strontium71 on 17 December, 2012, 05:47:03 PM
Love the hidden 'Invasion' on the floppy - didn't realize at first...
I still can't see this. Any hints?
Quote from: strontium71 on 17 December, 2012, 05:47:03 PM
Also , the 'next issue' picture - does this mean that Anderson is back in a Dredd strip , seeing as the Dredd story is drawn by JDH as is the picture..?
It's an Alan Grant Dredd story so could be.
Quote from: The Cosh on 17 December, 2012, 07:46:36 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 16 December, 2012, 06:52:22 PM
Also, I don't recall reading Disaster 1990 before, but maybe I did and just forced it out of my memory. It's... not held up that well, has it?
I didn't exactly expect it to be a classic although I was sort of looking forward to Disaster but it really hasn't, has it? I'm not sure that I would've been able to identify the flaws in the science at the age of 8 but I still don't think this would've been a particular favourite.
Quote from: strontium71 on 17 December, 2012, 05:47:03 PM
Love the hidden 'Invasion' on the floppy - didn't realize at first...
I still can't see this. Any hints?
Quote from: strontium71 on 17 December, 2012, 05:47:03 PM
Also , the 'next issue' picture - does this mean that Anderson is back in a Dredd strip , seeing as the Dredd story is drawn by JDH as is the picture..?
It's an Alan Grant Dredd story so could be.
'cos I meant to say 'Disaster' , heh... :-[
Disaster 1990. A different Bill Savage in a different timeline.
V
I actually read the articles this time. Now I know why Annie Parkhouse uses the same Font all the time. Someone should tell Flint @ ECBT2000AD
That last page in Anderson goes a long way (in my own mind at least) to answering the question of how she's remained such a fox despite being in her mid-fifties. It's a psychic projection. People looking at her see her as she wants them to see her rather than how she is. That reflection shows how a woman who's been to hell and back (literally) and experienced everything Cassandra has should look.
I really enjoyed John Burns art in the Christmas Dredd tale (good story too Mr Carroll) but Dredd's badge really annoyed me and spoiled the last page.
Still no Meg hereabouts- two days late is the worst I've ever known it without the added hinderance of snow. Loads in town... argle!
SBT
I read Disaster 1990. Hmmm... Now I know why it has never been reprinted. Absolute tosh.
Oh well.
The cover art for Disaster 1990 is fucking superb regardless of anything else.
Agree with Mabs on the cover art-beautiful stuff. I also enjoyed the story in a daft old nostalgic way.
Quote from: vzzbux on 17 December, 2012, 10:32:00 PM
Disaster 1990. A different Bill Savage in a different timeline.
V
Possibly the one killed in Armoured Gideon?
I've just read the Christmas Dredd--nice idea, lovely artwork and I loved the 'Eha Nullig' pun...one for the gaelgoirs there
I think I'll save the rest 'til I'm off for the Christmas break. I'm not sure what happened this year but I was expecting the big end of year prog at xmas, for me it takes the place of the much missed annual
Quote from: Tombo on 19 December, 2012, 08:54:22 PM
That last page in Anderson goes a long way (in my own mind at least) to answering the question of how she's remained such a fox despite being in her mid-fifties. It's a psychic projection. People looking at her see her as she wants them to see her rather than how she is. That reflection shows how a woman who's been to hell and back (literally) and experienced everything Cassandra has should look.
I hadn't noticed on first reading but thanks to your post i had another look and you're right. Couldn't agree more, i thought it was a nice touch by Cook/ Grant.
Quote from: Mabs on 21 December, 2012, 01:26:29 AM
The cover art for Disaster 1990 is fucking superb regardless of anything else.
I also didn't realise that the lettering was disguised in the water! Its only after admiring the cover for the 3rd time that i saw it. A nice touch methinks. I'm also with you on the story; i'm halfway through reading it and i have to say i'm quite enjoying it! :D
'Disaster 1990' was the only reason I bought the Meg this month; even if it is tosh I still prefer it over the 'Ratfink' and 'Finn' floppies. (It's the old b&w strips that interest me more than the more recent colour stuff. Really hoping 'Return to Armageddon' gets a reprint one day!) Huge bonus to have John Burns on Dredd and I might even read the Annie Parkhouse interview but the rest of the Meg didn't do anything to make me regret dropping it two months ago. Still, 'Insurrection''s back next March so I might start picking it up again (dependant on what floppies we get in the meantime) then. :)
Finally got my Meg, and it's the now-usual mixture of good and bad, never quite hitting the highs that the prog seems to manage on a weekly basis. Best of the new stuff was some gorgeous John Burns art on curiously touching seasonal tale.
But absoute highlight this month was the DISASTER 1990 flopster. This could have gone either way for me, but i ended up wolfing it down in one sitting and am now keenly anticipating next month's. These type of strips are my meat and drink- they fuelled my young imagination by taking the normal world and twisting it into nightmare shapes. Comics were always doing this when i was a lad- mainly in the prog, but Action, Eagle and the rest were always at it too. As was tv, with the likes of Doomwatch, Survivors, The Nightmare Man et al. As ideas that couldnt be bettered on tv due to expense go, flooding Britain is genius. No way could it have been done on the box, and a movie- while nice- would have been a one-off. Here, we lived Savage's waterlogged adventure (cont)
(cont) for months. And it seems to get better with every installment, as GF-D plainly makes it up as he goes along and as situations occur to him- which is how i wish comics were done more often today. It's the difference between a drama series and a serial drama, and serial dramas are not the dumping grounds of shit writers and actors that lazy snobbery would have you believe. DISASTER is a serial drama that could have run and run. I'd imagine it petres out next month, as GF-D grew tired of the concept in the later stages. Still, be interesting to find out.
The cover is a late contestant for my personal comic cover of the year award, and while it wouldnt work necessarily as a stand alone edition for sale, as the front of a 'freebie', it's indicative of a fierce and hungry design sense, keen to kick some arse. Hope next month's is equal to it. Glorious, so much better than 90% of Rebellion's trade covers, and better than 100% of Meg covers this year.
SBT
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 22 December, 2012, 01:08:16 AM
Finally got my Meg, and it's the now-usual mixture of good and bad, never quite hitting the highs that the prog seems to manage on a weekly basis. Best of the new stuff was some gorgeous John Burns art on curiously touching seasonal tale.
But absoute highlight this month was the DISASTER 1990 flopster. This could have gone either way for me, but i ended up wolfing it down in one sitting and am now keenly anticipating next month's. These type of strips are my meat and drink- they fuelled my young imagination by taking the normal world and twisting it into nightmare shapes. Comics were always doing this when i was a lad- mainly in the prog, but Action, Eagle and the rest were always at it too. As was tv, with the likes of Doomwatch, Survivors, The Nightmare Man et al. As ideas that couldnt be bettered on tv due to expense go, flooding Britain is genius. No way could it have been done on the box, and a movie- while nice- would have been a one-off. Here, we lived Savage's waterlogged adventure (cont)
Great post SBT. Totally agree and thanks for the great memories evoked by your post.
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 22 December, 2012, 01:18:01 AM
(cont) for months. And it seems to get better with every installment, as GF-D plainly makes it up as he goes along and as situations occur to him- which is how i wish comics were done more often today. It's the difference between a drama series and a serial drama, and serial dramas are not the dumping grounds of shit writers and actors that lazy snobbery would have you believe. DISASTER is a serial drama that could have run and run. I'd imagine it petres out next month, as GF-D grew tired of the concept in the later stages. Still, be interesting to find out.
The cover is a late contestant for my personal comic cover of the year award, and while it wouldnt work necessarily as a stand alone edition for sale, as the front of a 'freebie', it's indicative of a fierce and hungry design sense, keen to kick some arse. Hope next month's is equal to it. Glorious, so much better than 90% of Rebellion's trade covers, and better than 100% of Meg covers this year.
SBT
I couldn't have put it better mate! Also just finished the floppy and i have to say i really enjoyed it.
Great review too. ;)
I liked Disaster 1990, too, even if it doesn't bear the slightest scrutiny on a storytelling level (where are the helicopters, international relief efforts, science don't work like that, etc) before you get to asking why Bill didn't mention any of this in Invasion or Savage and why there is not even the slightest hint it ever happened. It's episodic, daffy post-apocalyptic adventure in an intriguing setting and aimed at boys who like hard nuts shooting and explosioning things, as one would expect of 1979 Twoothy. Wasn't long before this that Dredd was fighting a car called Elvis on the moon who was going around robbing oil, so I'm not inclined to judge D90 as harshly as others.
Quote from: Professor Bear on 22 December, 2012, 02:37:51 PM
Wasn't long before this that Dredd was fighting a car called Elvis on the moon who was going around robbing oil, so I'm not inclined to judge D90 as harshly as others.
Well put! Dissaster 1990 is better than the bulk of Case Files 01 (Robot War and Return of Rico being the only stand out exepctions to my 'be advised to skip CF01' rule for newbies).
Quote from: Professor Bear on 22 December, 2012, 02:37:51 PM
I liked Disaster 1990, too, even if it doesn't bear the slightest scrutiny on a storytelling level (where are the helicopters, international relief efforts, science don't work like that, etc) before you get to asking why Bill didn't mention any of this in Invasion or Savage and why there is not even the slightest hint it ever happened. It's episodic, daffy post-apocalyptic adventure in an intriguing setting and aimed at boys who like hard nuts shooting and explosioning things, as one would expect of 1979 Twoothy. Wasn't long before this that Dredd was fighting a car called Elvis on the moon who was going around robbing oil, so I'm not inclined to judge D90 as harshly as others.
I believe I summed it up with "tosh". :) But I can't disagree with you.
Enjoyed Disaster 1990, not a bad read at all.
The Dredd Christmas tale was well told and beautifully drawn.
Killer Elite: good story overall, but I feel it did fizzle out a bit at the end.
Anderson: good finish, enjoyed the story and the artwork was particularly nice.
Cheers
Quote from: The Amstor Computer on 17 December, 2012, 10:01:10 AM
Quote from: Professor Bear on 17 December, 2012, 12:06:34 AM
He's traced Dredd artwork, though, which is the property of rebellion, so it's not illegal or anything*, just a bit tricky ethically for the artists involved. I gather Greg Land has avoided trouble in the past by only tracing artwork owned by the company he's working for, so this would be the same kind of situation.
* Although tracing and/or plagiarism is not legally actionable as far as I know.
IMO, it's less about whether what he's done is legally problematic and more that outright tracing the work another artist has produced for the same publisher - and doing it twice on different strips - suggests contempt both for the other artist and for the editor commissioning your work.
It seems pretty clear from his work for the prog/Meg and the few bits I've seen online that he's heavily influenced by Jock/Dom Reardon and others. That would be cool, as most artists wear their influences on their sleeves initially (and occasionally throughout their careers), some to the point of being hammered for being "imitators". However, there is - to me, at least - a pretty big difference between being heavily inspired by someone's work and working in their style before you refine and define your own, and simply tracing elements of their previous work.
I would say it's more a swipe than a trace, and many artists swipe (unfortunately). It's embarrassing when they are caught!
I loved the floppy this month (always enjoy the early stuff B&W being reprinted and rarely enjoy the stories reprinted from the 90s with their painted muddy art when they return as floppies - Tharg take note!) - best thing about the Meg this time around - but have to disagree about the cover of it. No, it lacked oomf and it took me ages to see the title in the water :-\
I'm going to go lone wolf with a vote for Tales From Megacity 1 as my top thrill, issues about tracing aside. Nice slightly (but not too much) old school feel about it.
Second place goes to Anderson. I'm ok with how it's going script-wise & Mr Cook's art has certainly delivered. Interested to see if Anderson's in the 2013 Death story. Here's hoping!
The cover and tagline were excellent I have to say. Great to see the Carroll and Parkhouse interrogations.
Pleased with all the love for the floppy. Shall be tackling this shortly!
Don't forget, good people, support your Meg! :thumbsup:
Quote from: DrJomster on 01 January, 2013, 11:45:55 PM
I'm going to go lone wolf with a vote for Tales From Megacity 1 as my top thrill, issues about tracing aside. Nice slightly (but not too much) old school feel about it.
Second place goes to Anderson. I'm ok with how it's going script-wise & Mr Cook's art has certainly delivered. Interested to see if Anderson's in the 2013 Death story. Here's hoping!
The cover and tagline were excellent I have to say. Great to see the Carroll and Parkhouse interrogations.
Pleased with all the love for the floppy. Shall be tackling this shortly!
Don't forget, good people, support your Meg! :thumbsup:
Rest assured you're not the only one mate, i too really like Tales From Megacity 1. I've noticed the controversy regarding tracing-gate, but being a new reader i wouldn't have noticed.
Mmmn, Missed all this due to being in sunny Cuba,,but it seems it's not just Jock he traced.. Page 9 panel 1 is a trace of my work. Google lawmaster and you will spot my Dredd on a bike :).You can tell as the cosistancy of the eagle pad changes. Shame as he seems like a good artist :(.
Still nice to be a inspiration ;)
Quote from: LeeCarter_Artdroid on 03 January, 2013, 08:17:19 PM
Mmmn, Missed all this due to being in sunny Cuba,,but it seems it's not just Jock he traced.. Page 9 panel 1 is a trace of my work. Google lawmaster and you will spot my Dredd on a bike :).You can tell as the cosistancy of the eagle pad changes. Shame as he seems like a good artist :(.
Still nice to be a inspiration ;)
I just did. That
does seem very similar! By the way, great art for the
original Lawmaster mate! ;)
Anderson and Killer Elite for me.
Not a fan of Burns on Dredd (too much pensioner about Joe) nor Carroll's take on Dredd.
Fuso's strike two and three were glaringly obvious, his Dredd on the final page an entry into 'how many broken bones would you need to look like that?'. You can see Yeowell in his art as well as Jock and Dom but there must be serious doubts as to where the better panels are coming from.
the floppy was great although that was probably nostalgia. They have been very good this year - ratfink and Download tales especially.
looking forward to Reaper bk ii and hope Fay Daltons contributions to that make a return too.