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I thought maybe Durham Red as another option, but the hair seems wrong.

[Rome]

I'm 19 years late to the party but I just finished Rome. Blimey, it's a bit good innit?

Yes. Yes it is.

13th

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[16 - Landmarks]

16 - Landmarks

The big numbers matter, and here we look at progs 500 and (one version of) 2000.


Prog 500's Special Souvenir Issue (from 1986) has, I think, twenty artists providing a gallery of thrills. Like any top twenty, it's probably safe to say that the passage of time would suggest a different grouping. This prog was a different size than normal, with shiny cover paper - heralding a bigger change coming twenty progs later.



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Prog 2000's Galaxy of Stars (one of the variant covers from 2016) takes a different position - with Tharg dominating and the space-bus off in the background and obscuring the characters. That back cover's not really doing much - even if it is an exploding star.




Who's that next to Slaine, being cool on the back seat? Also - everyone is smiling (even Kano) except for Dredd.


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Next: time-slices...

[trailer-spoilers]

I haven't seen it, but I've realized an irony based on the trailer. So, trailer-spoilers...

The complaint percolating through reviews seems to be that Alex Garland hasn't taken sides. Of course, this is entirely deliberate on his part, and he even has a scene in the trailer that explains clearly why.

A uniformed, armed man has stopped the protagonists on a roadside and is asking them which side they're on. One of the protagonists says that he's American. The gunman asks "which kind of American?" It's clear here that the wrong answer may well result in their summary execution.

Now reviewers are demanding to know what side Garland is on...

He opens by pissing all over Alex Garland's other films, so can I suggest his review is going to lack balance? Then he complains that Civil War is about a Civil War - which is, well, it's moronic, isn't it? Snakes on a Plane should've been called what?

I think I'll stick with Empire, for at least an attempt at balance, and a hiring and editorial process that would sort the wheat from the chaff.

Empire gives it four stars, and summarizes thusly:

"As a political statement, Civil War is provocative and occasionally exasperating; as a purely cinematic experience, it is urgent, heart-in-mouth, extraordinary stuff."

I don't always agree with Emp, but it's higher on my respect-o-meter than random net-worriers. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm guessing it's going to lean anti-populist, anti-fascist, anti-militant - but subtly because they want MAGA-heads to watch it as well.

Anderson has a daughter!?

Judge Anderson in 2127 (aged about 50):




Anderson's daughter in 2145 (18 years later):




The only thing that baffles me is that we never saw the story in which Anderson gives birth (or conceives a daughter through other means). Her daughter looks like she just graduated from the academy, so there's some missing tale left to be told.

I've only just figured out why they have the mirror-writing.

[Durham Dredd]

Durham Dredd

Yes, I'm just finding things where I replace the word "red" with Dredd. Still, a Durham Red / Dredd crossover is gold!

[Little Dredd Riding Hood]

Little Dredd Riding Hood

Let's see now ... Dredd's in a red rad cloak, supposedly meeting a mysterious informant in the undercity - but it's a trap set by those werewolves from that one time. Is Prager still a wolfman?

[Grud on a meanie]

Grud on a meanie

Spud on a Genie

Anderson's daughter is sent to Murphyville to investigate some supernatural shenanigans!

[Cover]

Cover: good, but not as good as:




Fudge Bread: don't panic! He still has his boot knife, I think. Is Williams channeling DKR? All the internal monologue and the young sidekick. Anyway - clueless still about why we've ended up out here and what the mission is, but I suppose that's all irrelevant as the mission parameters have changed to "stay warm and ahead of Shako's bigger cousin". I'm really enjoying the art - the facial expressions are really selling it.

Boogie Wonderland: setting us up for the next part of the mission. This is fine, but fair points have been made about it being a bit slow if it's read weekly. I don't actually mind that we have something paced a bit differently, but if you're wanting weekly "shots of rocket fuel", then I can see how this might play at the wrong speed. Looking forward to the next series.

Blackhawk: "Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler! You've got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled." ... [clang, smash] ... "How you doing, you old pirate?" Could you remove a pound of your own flesh? The Internet Detectives are on the case! Patrick Goddard's email to GRrrr: "Anything you can do to reduce the number of eyes? I really don't like drawing eyes." Explains a lot. (Nothing else sensible to say - it's really good, so...)

Periwinkle Supreme - the appeal has to be something other than the lives and deaths of the characters, because when Jerry Foundation gets cut in half, well, wasn't he already dead? Did he used to wear a universe? Is that the same person from the same reality? Is he really cut in half, like that guy that got shot in the face but was fine a couple of episodes later, or will he just sew himself back together with a magic space zip? What the fuck is going on, Kek? Do you know? Did John ever know? Never mind - big explosions and weird things. (As above, I do actually like this.)

Salamander Irk - best thing in the prog - continues to surprise while still moving an over-arching plot forward and remaining dense with dialog, comedy beats and action. It's a real treat.

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Top prog running a five-for-five wanna readingness factor. Bonus Maitland thing makes it all feel curated, and cared for. Sword percent symbol on shoulder pad a nice touch.

[15 - Planking]

15 - Planking

Sky surfers, assemble!


Cam Kennedy's Midnight in the Mega-City (from 1985's prog 424) was part of the classic Marlon Shakespeare reinvention tale Midnight Surfer. In the background, there's some of his old graffiti, and that of his ill-fated scrawl rival The Phantom.




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Patrick Goddard & Dylan Teague's Stand & Deliver (from 2021's prog 2219) demonstrates the superb high quality we've come to expect with modern techniques. Mona Plankhurst's tribulations are as compelling as Chopper's, but there's perhaps less out and out escapism and more kitchen sink (ironically) reality. Still, it all started with the Chop, and there's a nod to that hiding in the background.






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Next: all those moments...

Another thought I had was about a person's involvement in a highly-skilled pursuit. The example "knocker-upper", one assumes, would not feel bereft at the invention of alarm clocks. They may feel a loss of income and wonder what other avenues to explore, but the knocking-up (*ahem*) was presumably a bit of a trudge, as employment goes.

On the other hand, when someone is in love with their work to the extent that it is a core aspect of their lives...

Bristol tailor's 'heart crying' as he retires after 54 years

Much as we might moan, we all have to adapt to this new world.  After all, there are not many jobs nowadays for knocker-uppers, telegram messengers or VCR repairers these days.

I'd like to argue that artistic expression is rather different, in that the intention of the artist seems rather to be a part of the piece (alongside the reaction of the audience).

I'm never going to be able to express this feeling as well as this person: How to Replace the Sky