Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Low Life vs. Nemesis and Deadlock Round 2 Heat 03

[Dark Jimbo]

I've always liked stories involving the Wally Squad - I wonder how it got its name?

Because its undercover judges have to dress and act like typical Mega-citizens - i.e. complete wallies.

[paddykafka]

Ah, yes. That makes sense now. Thanks, DJ!

[Funt Solo]

Low Life

[Huey2]

Nemesis and Deadlock

[JayzusB.Christ]

I've always liked stories involving the Wally Squad - I wonder how it got its name?

Because its undercover judges have to dress and act like typical Mega-citizens - i.e. complete wallies.

Aye, it's a wee bit dated now - calling people wallies was the in thing when the Wally Squad got its name.  Though I don't think it was ever used across the Atlantic even back then, let alone 122 years into the future.

[Funt Solo]

I suppose there's also Where's Wally? (Although, in the US it's called Where's Waldo?)

Things I never tire of telling Americans: that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was censored to Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in the UK because of a moral panic about the yoof getting tooled up.

[AlexF]

Getting wildily off-topic, but I believe it's specifically James Ferman, long-time head of the BBFC, who had a problem with the word 'ninja' (automatica 18 rating for including that word in the title!). He also hated chainsaws, nunchuks and, I think, flick knives.

To his credit, there is soemthing about the appeal of certain weapons. I have a very vivid memory of seeing Face/Off while on holiday in Greece in 199whatever year it came out, and there's a scene that was definintely NOT in the UK version where evil John T shows his daughter a butterfly knife opening up - and it was just about the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I immediately wanted to buy one and stab all my friends.

(All of which is less funny than an epsiode of Low Life, but more interesting than an episode of Nemesis and Snoozelock)

[Link Prime]

For me, Nemesis and Deadlock was kind of the beginning of the end of Pat Mills' glory years. 

Not for me. Those Millsian hooks were still in deep, and I was extraordinarily eager to find out what happened after The Black Hole.
As it turns out, nothing ever did top that particular Thrill, but it's the memory of the frisson that carries Nemesis and Deadlock through for me.

[Tomwe]

Low Life was one of the strips that was new to me in the Mega Collection and I lapped up every volume! Fond memories of reading N/D in my brother's bedroom but it doesn't compare really.

[Southstreeter]

Individually, Nemesis and Deadlock are great characters, however their team ups were really dull. Lowlife was one of the great Dredd spin-offs.

[Funt Solo]

Getting wildily off-topic, but I believe it's specifically James Ferman, long-time head of the BBFC, who had a problem with the word 'ninja' (automatica 18 rating for including that word in the title!). He also hated chainsaws, nunchuks and, I think, flick knives.

To his credit, there is soemthing about the appeal of certain weapons. I have a very vivid memory of seeing Face/Off while on holiday in Greece in 199whatever year it came out, and there's a scene that was definintely NOT in the UK version where evil John T shows his daughter a butterfly knife opening up - and it was just about the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I immediately wanted to buy one and stab all my friends.

(All of which is less funny than an epsiode of Low Life, but more interesting than an episode of Nemesis and Snoozelock)

Interesting - thanks.

[Colin YNWA]

Last day on this one, its been active but there still a final chance to vote if you haven't yet. I'll announce the result in the morning.

[Colin YNWA]

VOTING CLOSED

Cut and dry this one and little surprise. Low Life is a magnificent thrill that introduced so much that weaves through Rob Williams' Dredd world work. It's initital ensemble cast really gave so much and is masked a little by what a breakout star Crazy Frank became. And that art by D'Israeli - wow. Deadlock and Nemesis in contrast took two established characters and managed to make them less interesting - quite the reverse and the vote kinda show that as

Low Life

goes undercover into Round 3.

[I, Cosh]

Low-Life is one of the great Dreddworld spin-off strips. Has a great cast of characters and wildly different tones. Doesn't matter if the latter is more about Williams responding to the unexpected popularity of an early supporting character. The Hitler babies story would be my vote for funniest thing Tharg's ever printed.

I remember there were vague promises that we'd get another D'Israeli illustrated series to wrap some things up. I assume that boat has sailed and dangling plot threads were swept up in Williams' later Dredd stories.

Nemesis and Deadlock are two cool looking characters, so a story starring both of them must be doubly cool? Not really.

Low-Life by a distance.

...evil John T shows his daughter a butterfly knife opening up - and it was just about the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I immediately wanted to buy one and stab all my friends.

Ha! Thinking back, teenage boys going on school trips to France were always bizarrely obsessed with the idea of buying and smuggling home butterfly knives and flick knives. I didn't even know what a butterfly knife was.