The future is 35 years young in February!

[COMMANDO FORCES]

SWEET JOVUS  I don't mind paying decent money for an event but I do like to know what is actually happening at said event before I part with my hard earned wages. The website just shows a list of who is attending and a 'non specific' list of what is happening, whoopie doo!

I have a feeling that most of the people who will be attending will be going for Dr Who, Being Human, etc... and 2000 AD will be minor addition, that's if they even want to have a look at it. I hope the prog does well at the event but I feel it could have done better for the real fans at a Comic Convention instead. Say for instance Cardiff, London Super Comic Con, etc... This is where the comic reader actually frequents.

Anyway I wish all from the forum who go a great time and tell us all that it was brill with your reports 

[Steve Green]

Well, it's a tricky one - no matter where they chose it wouldn't suit some people.

I guess there's an argument that going beyond a comics fanbase might be better for exposure, I don't know whether just making it for the real hardcore fans (whatever that means) is the best route.

Best of luck to everyone involved and attending though.

[Trout]

Has part of this thread been deleted?

For my part, I would point out this is certain to be a great event. There have been cons in the past which have been organised by 2000AD, but I would prefer their busy staff to concentrate on making great comics. I'd love a Dreddcon but I'd rather have a prog.

I think we all want this celebration to be a success. Let's not get into a huge row about something so positive.

- Trout

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Yes part of the thread was deleated, not my posts but I did read them!

[W. R. Logan]

Been contemplating whether to write another post In case it gets deleted like the others.
I wish the SFX Weekender all the success in the world but I doubt if many people there will be there for the Anniversary of Thrill Power but for the other SFX Faves.
I hope that the Queue to see Carlos & John goes around the block but in reality itll probably be nothing like the queue for the 3rd Dalek from the left from that 70's Episode.
It just goes to show that once again the loyal fan gets forgotten about as the only 35th party will be out of the price band of many Squaxx.
How hard would it have been to have a year of celebrations as there are enough 'Droids' at most Cons that something could have been done to appease the masses.
'Come to the Convention Bar and raise a glass to 35 years of Thrill Power and get pissed with a droid' followed by a talk by some droids the next day (preferably in the afternoon to give them a chance of getting to the talk)

But the reality is that when 2000 has been at a convention that droids are late or don't turn up just for that reason.

Maybe it's time that the UK regular fans were rewarded as the backbone that has kept the Prog going and treated as well as the Cons attended to break the American Market.

I'm sure that any fan who has attended a convention where the Nerve Centre Droids have appeared have had a drink and a chat and gone home with stories of how great they are.
The same being said for if you've chatted to an art or script droid, on the whole generous to a fault with their time and patience.
Where it does fall apart is when you talk about the 2000AD brand, I'm sure people have their own funny stories of merchandise stalls unmanned, of drunken panels, of droids not turning up or the big star who having been working for American comics for years and returning to 2000AD, to hear them say they never really read the Prog as a kid or when they were working for it and showed no interest in appearing in it again after so many years.

To get back on topic I have no problem with the 'Official' 35th party being at the SFX Weekender and hope its a blast for all those that do go.
The problem I have is that there isn't anything for anyone else or if there is it'll be put together by fans for fans.

I know times are tight and budgets non existent so how do you do the 35th Birthday with no budget?
If a convention has no official presence there are usually 'Droids' attending.
Acknowledge the fans, make them feel as if they are part of the celebrations and a few bits of insider knowledge will usually keep them happy.



I'll now prepare for my wilderness years.

[Trout]

Ah, it's not that expensive once you factor in the accommodation.

You grumpy old sod, Logan. 

I'm sure it'll be a great event.

- Trout

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Ahem.

Well - according to http://www.fantasyevents.org/exetercomicexpo/index.html Exeter's February expo is celebrating 35 years of Dredd. With Jock, Lee Garbett, Henry Flint, Shaky Kane & Dom Reardon. It's three pounds entry.

[NSFTM]

HOW MUCH!!!!!!!!

To be fair, they do include accommodation (it's at a holiday camp). Daily tickets are something like £45, so add hotel costs and you'd be spending a similar amount.

Yes, but have you been to that holiday camp? I spent a week there with the family in the summer just gone, and have no wish to return in this life time (and probably not the next either)...

only difference is there are women at a holiday camp

[Teivion]

Wow,
what a depressing thread.


Surely everyone here has admitted at one point on this forum that for the comic to survive it needs to appeal/ find new readers, and that 2000 AD need to start looking like a brand name .
So, as soon as they start doing that, and the additional things that might involve ( cost? what, we have to PAY for things these days ? I can remember when the Prog was 12p ! etc etc...jeeze....) everybody starts bitching.

2000 AD appearing at Comic cons is preaching to the converted, after all.

How about a little support here ?

[chris_askham]

Wow,
what a depressing thread.


Surely everyone here has admitted at one point on this forum that for the comic to survive it needs to appeal/ find new readers, and that 2000 AD need to start looking like a brand name .
So, as soon as they start doing that, and the additional things that might involve ( cost? what, we have to PAY for things these days ? I can remember when the Prog was 12p ! etc etc...jeeze....) everybody starts bitching.

2000 AD appearing at Comic cons is preaching to the converted, after all.

How about a little support here ?

I think the main issue here is not that 2000ad are making an appearance at the SFX Weekender, or even that they're making a big thing of the 35 year mark. That's all good stuff, obviously.

The bigger issue is that fans are feeling dissed if this is the one and only, exclusive celebration of 2000ad's 35th birthday. At a con that isn't generally peopled by the 2000ad fans who've stuck with the comic through the last 35 years.

Personally, I don't attend many conventions anyway, so it makes little difference to me. But I think a lot of the faithful masses would like to be able to celebrate the occasion in some manner.

[Trout]

How about a little support here ?

Yes. This.

This is my polite request to everyone to focus on the health of the comic. I'm fully aware that there's some bad blood at the moment between some people but it need not cause trouble in public.

Critique the comic: fine. Anything else goes too far. This is the publication we all care about, and its editorial need to know that fandom stands with them.

I say again: the fans are on the side of the comic.

- Trout

[SmallBlueThing]

We are Trout, and that's why i have no doubt whatsoever that the thirty-fifth will be celebrated, at around the actual anniversary date, in various ways- all organised by us lot. Im sure, for example, we'll have a forum meetup in the usual place in london, for us southers, and you norts will have one of your own. Cos you're not bloody welcome at ours!

If i could realistically make it to sunny prestatyn, i would. But the lure of john barrowman and some people off buffy and true blood isnt strong enough, im afraid. And besides, id be arrested for painting a tuberous cock and balls on the place signs...

But yeah, all stuff that happens to promote the prog is good, and while it's a shame that cost and inaccessibility rule many of us out, there are other ways to celebrate.

SBT

[Trout]

we'll have a forum meetup in the usual place in london, for us southers, and you norts will have one of your own. Cos you're not bloody welcome at ours!

STAK! You Souther scum!

[Colin YNWA]

Funnily enough I've just got back from town where I picked up Comic Heroes 9 which has a nice log interview with Matt Smith. Have only read the beginning on the bus home but within that he says the following in relation to a question about the comic being in a new 'Golden Age'

"I'm glad that people are enjoying it, and just wish we saw a major upswing in sales in line with that."

(Apologise if this is being discussed elsewhere by the way)

Now we can't read too much into that little statement, but it hints at the fact that there is still work to be done boosting sales. The new Molcher Droid seems to be doing a sterling job in trying to do this and I'd guess (and it is only a guess), this sort of move is part of that work?

As a fan of the comic I feel that the reward I want for my 'loyal' readership is a team that is doing all it can to keep the comic alive and hopefully thriving into the future. The quality of the comic itself is reward enough for me.

[Trout]

The new Molcher Droid seems to be doing a sterling job

In my opinion, the great tragedy of Molcher getting a job with 2000AD is that everybody on this board seems to have stopped ripping the piss out of him.


- Trout