"Funk you!" -- Prog 1387

[Brod Parsnip]

I haven't read all of Prog 1387 yet, only Savage, as I knew it'd excite plenty of discussion among boarders. I'm so disappointed. I thought the preview panels I'd seen were from the first episode, so I was expecting a tank to go through the shop window of French Connection. I didn't want all this lead-up, just straight into Bill Savage leading a resistance group in guerrilla fighting against the volgs.

What really let it down though was that I'd been expecting a straightforward action story with a bit of a contemporary political edge, but it read like the kind of crap Pat started in Third World War. I didn't expect a story that would have me immediately making lists of 10 Things I Hate About Pat Mills, but that's what I got.

The made-up swearwords, the homophobia, the anti-Christian put-downs, etc. were so unnecessary here. I want to read Savage, not Slaine!

The dialogue was rubbish. The story didn't make sense - why was it important to get the apparent death of Bill Savage on camera? Wouldn't that make good propaganda for the volgans???

I really wish Pat wouldn't try to educate us about important stuff we ought to know about. I could've done without all that stuff about uranium-tipped shells. So radiation from depleted uranium is bad for you? we know!

"it takes bottle to be a suicide bomber"? Is that right - are we talking about Palestine here, or the World Trade Centre or what? No, it takes desperation. Besides, Savage's comrades are blowing up a military target, not a civilian one. So there are suicide bombers and there are suicide bombers. If Mills is suggesting here that the rights and wrongs of suicide bombing are not black and white, he's got that bloody well right!

And the homophobia's crap. What's it for? To establish that Bill's an authentic cockney, as has been suggested here? That means either a) we all know that real cockneys are homophobic, and that's how we know Savage is a cockney, or b) Pat is suggesting that Bill's homophobic because he's a cockney, and we can infer from this that we are supposed to understand that 'cockneys are homophobic, aren't they?'

Contrary to what thrillpowerseeker said, there WASN'T a gay character in the first episode. It was Savage's brother-in-law that Savage was implying is a woofter because he's a bit weedy and not very manly in the bedroom with Savage's sister. And you fell for it.

That's why it's not good when Pat writes this stuff. If he says poofs are a bit girly, or evil, or treacherous, people dismiss it as 'just words', and a bit of a laugh. But here Savage says someone's a bit of a poof, and mud sticks.

And do we really need Pat Mills to tell us that Christians are a bit weedy and not up to much in bed? What are we supposed to do with this revelatory nugget? Add it to the many other reasons why we hate Christians? Sheesh.

Okay, sorry. This is that discussion in the offing that no-one wanted. I'll say no more, and go back to lurking. Just to be on the safe side, everybody kill-file me now.

Cheers.

[Endjinn]

I was more annoyed that they'd gone for such an...average image for the cover. By all rights they've got a strong line-up including 3 big name characters the prog, and they chose one of the dullest poses ever!

And considering it's a Dave Gibbons, there's not really much excuse for it being so flat.

[thrillpowerseeker]

Brod..your letting this get to you too much..lol..its a comic strip ffs

[IndigoPrime]

I've been a designer now for over ten years, and yes the logo IS *VERY* important. Rapid ease of/identity recognition is everything and totally fundamental on crowded shelves, and I wasn't just referring to this issue: 2000 AD has been pissing about with its logo for a very long time now.

Okay, if Dredd's on the cover, it might not matter that much, although I'd still argue that the big 2000 AD logo is more prominent from a distance (which is the whole point of a strong corporate ID). But if trying to attract a lapsed reader, and something rather more murky or unknown is on the cover, covering part of the logo is tantamount to commercial suicide. (And if it's so unimportant, why not scrap the logo entirely, or just have a horizontal 2cm strip at the top, saying "2000 AD prog XXXX, ?1.30) so the art can have the whole space?) Even when Dredd's on the cover, the design should be such that the corporate ID isn't affected.

[Cthulouis]

the cover was a gibbons? wow, I didnt even notice.

On the Dredd side, could this be a hint at the next mega epic, Fattyjudges and Thinniperps?

[Eric Plumrose]

Had dashed high hopes for Prog 1387, what? Dashed high hopes now dashed.

[VampiraJen]

Is the Logo really that important?

it's a pride thing, i want everyone to know i'm buying 2000Ad (as oppose to 200)

tps - i suppose what pisses me off is that there are people out there who are really like that, not the character, not mills, just normal everyday people who take the piss out of minority groups just because they're different, people who judge someone on what they are and not who they are.

[Eric Plumrose]

'I'm pleased to hear it, Noddy. For a minute, I thought you was saying you was gay . . .'

'Gay'? Poofter, shirtlifter, or ginger would have been more in character. Such funking clunking dialogue is not going to dispel any accusations of homophobia.

[thrillpowerseeker]

I get your jist jen..I think thats always been the case and probably always will be..it was going on way before Pat Mills was around  but somehow certain members of this board seem determined to make Mills responsible for this

[Mr D]

certain members of this board seem determined to make Mills responsible for this

I don't have a problem with his pointing this out. It's just his pointing it out in bold every single damn time is getting old. But I liked this first installment. Wasn't perfect, was a bit more confusing than it needed to be (though I could still follow it) and it could be a great story.

[thrillpowerseeker]

That may be Ellie DeVille..she was responsible for lettering the story

[Mr D]

I don't just mean actually in bold... bold as a metaphor too - I mean he lets it get in the way of the story.

[thrillpowerseeker]

that happens all the way through the progs tho..from wagner dredd to abnett sindex..no-one pays it a second thought unless its a Mills story

[Mr D]

I have NOTHING against Mills!!!

Fer flick's sake...

[VampiraJen]

That may be Ellie DeVille..she was responsible for lettering the story


she?  i though she was a he...shows what i know and it aint much...