Messages

Hard to choose just one, but - if I really have to - I'll pick The Shawshank Redemption.

-- Mike

Dante's Peak, that was.

Never saw it myself, but I heard so many bad things about it that last time it was on telly I taped it and then played it back when I wasn't there so that I could miss it twice.

The Producers.

I've tried to enjoy it, believe me, but I can't. I've seen it five or six times now, and I just don't find it funny.

Ever since I listed it on my website as one of the world's most over-rated movies, I've received dozens of e-mails from fans "correcting" my opinion! I even received a death-threat once, though I'm pretty sure that the guy didn't really mean it (based on the rather strong evidence that I'm not dead yet).

Am I alone in this?

Me, I hate shaving. But I hate having a beard, too.

And I hate the fact that I'm rapidly going bald on the top of my head, while my ear-hair is growing like crazy! Great big thick black hairs... Just like the ones that have started appearing on my shoulders!

Anyone know if it's possible to get electrolysis on your ears?

Mike

Viz comic had a one-page parody of Judge Dredd way, way back in the distant past. I'd attach a scan of it, but sadly it's after 11:30 now and the help have all retired for the evening, and I'm not in the mood for going all the way across to the east wing and down into the temperature-controlled sub-basement where my comics are stored.

But in the morning I'll ask Hives, my butler, to dig it out.

Lord Mike

Tiplodocus: Yep, that's the one!

Mike

I imagine that there'll be a lot of Star Wars stuff there...

I don't have much Star Wars stuff myself, but I DO have the quite rare Ralph McQuarrie Return of the Jedi portfolio. The cover is slightly worn - it is twenty-one years old, after all - but the contents are in mint condition.

However, it's going up for auction tomorrow night - Tuesday - at Concise (a one-night mini-convention in Bowe's Pub, Fleet Street - more info about Concise on the Octocon website or on www.lostcarpark.com). If you're interested, come along to Concise, or - if you can't make it - contact me ASAP and maybe we can work something out!

Cheers,
Mike

Link: http://www.iol.ie/~carrollm" target="_blank">Mike's Website

I imagine that there'll be a lot of Star Wars stuff there...

I don't have much myself, but I DO have the quite rare Ralph McQuarrie Return of the Jedi portfolio. That's assuming that it doesn't go tomorrow night - Tuesday - at Concise (a one-night mini-convention in Bowe's Pub, Fleet Street). More info about Concise on the Octocon website!

(oooh, another shameless plug!)

Mike

It looks like this is going to be a pretty good event! This sort of thing doesn't happen often in Ireland!

I'll be there too, with a dealer's table, pushing my own upcoming convention. [Cue shameless plug] That's Octocon, of course... Guest of Honour Tanith Lee, with lots of other big-name SF guests (Harry Harrison, Anne McCaffrey, Storm Constantine, Kim Newman), plus some 2000 AD VIPs: Paul J. Holden, Gordon Rennie, and The Mighty Tharg himself; Matt Smith!

Shameless plug ends!

-- Mike

Link: http://www.octocon.com" target="_blank">Octocon

Excellent work, Smiley! I'm one of the perennial judges in the (mostly) annual James White Award (a short story competition in honour of the late great James White), and pretty much every one of these stories has cropped up over the years.

As a rule, I automatically look unfavourably on stories that feature Elvis, Hitler, JFK, Marilyn Monroe, Shakespeare or Adam & Eve, but... They still keep coming!

In my years as a judge for the award, and my early years as an editor of small-press SF mags, I've found that novice writers tend towards "humans are the real aliens", "war was really fought by children / robots / remote control / etc.", "I'm my own grandpa", "pricessless future treasure is a Coke bottle", or painful pun stories.

However, my own early stories weren't any more original (and my puns were even more painful)!

- Mike

Link: http://www.jameswhiteaward.com/" target="_blank">The James White Award

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Lucas once say that the original trilogy would only be released on DVD once the last episode of the prequel trilogy had been released?

And now he's changed his mind... Why? Here's why:

1. Release Episode 1 on DVD.
2. Release Episode 2 on DVD.
3. Release Eps 4-6 on DVD box set.
4. Release Episode 3 on DVD.

So far, so good. Now comes the clever bit:

5. Wait until everyone's bought them, then release box set containing all six movies on DVD.

6. Wait a bit longer, then repackage the six-movie box set with a few tatty "recently rediscovered" extras.

7. May 2007, release "30th Anniversary Edition" - more tatty extras, new interviews with grey-haired cast and crew.

8. Sometime after that: realise that there's no new income from Star Wars, so announce pre-production on episodes 7 - 9 (and claim that this was the intention all along).

- Mike

Dear Floyd,

I will forgive you for this blatant plagiarism if you answer one question that's been bugging me for these past few years: what do you DO with all those sets of 2000 AD postcards you get in return for your letters?

Splundig vur Thrigatoni,
Mike

Let's see...

Johnny Alphabetti Spaghetti
Dredd and Butter
Big M.A.C.H. 1
DR & Quiche
From Grapes
Bad Companini
Bella Bagel
Sam Salad: Robo-Hungry
Dead Meat and Two Veg
Middenface McNuggets

And let's not forget the really obvious ones:
Synnamon
Ulysses Sweets
Judge Hershey Bar
Coca-Kola Commandos

... Somebody stop me now!

Hah, beat you to to, Oddboy! This topic came up back in March (message thread 8577), and I put together a little chart. Click the link below to see the thread.

My chart probably wasn't 100% accurate, though, being based on a very quick survey. If anyone wants to compile a more accurate one, I can send them the Excel spreadsheet I used.

Mike C

Link: http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=fan&page=messagethread&choice=8577" target="_blank">Thread 8577

Or, if you prefer the modern logo...
http://www.iol.ie/~carrollm/2000ad-octocon-logo2.gif">