Monday Prog! I eagerly went through it on my tea break. I wasn't a fan of the cover when I saw it on FB last week, but it's got some cool details and has really grown on me, aside from the font on the tagline.
Dredd Wraps up neatly. I wasn't hugely into this Dredd story and the ending didn't change that. Neatly done with the spin on execs having 'killer instinct' and all that corporate jargon but it wasn't really a funny or exciting tale overall.
That said, the end reveal did feel very old school and I didn't think this was a bad Dredd, just not one I was into.
As various forumites have commented each week, the art is both good and a bit jarring with it's contemporary depictions of things (this week, the manor house). I did like the little medi-droids. Also was the axe guy using Slaines axe?
The Out provides a very wordy and very excellent episode. Stuff is revealed. The art is incredible. The Cheerio bit fell a bit flat, as he was a pretty unlikeable character, but the rest is tremendous.
I enjoyed this Future Shock - it was concise, snappy and had a suitably grim twist at the end, even though thinking about it now the whole thing doesn't really stand up: I'm not actually 100% sure what the deal was with the pheromones or why Hans or Zoe would act as they did. Great art, shows a little of Dave Roach in places? Promising stuff from two new Droids anyway.
The Order is... alright. It manages to be all action and a bit of a muddle all at once - it definitely feels like it's cramming stuff into each episode as it strives to reach a conclusion. "H-How's this possible?" says Clara at one point before saying something pseudo-nonsensical and I'm right there with her: This isn't the best series of the The Order and I find myself hoping it's got a bit more in it after this. You can tell Burns doesn't like drawing the big robots.
Vex ends in a crazy, apocalyptic and very dramatic manner. Tharg seems to imply this isn't the end of the series as a whole, which is good as for me this has been one of the finest things in the Prog for a while. I'm looking forward to going back and reading this as a whole - it's been an epic storyline brilliantly realised.
Regened next week, ho hum.
Cover by Leonardo Manco:
(https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL222452.jpg)
Cover and Logo:
(https://dyn.media.forbiddenplanet.com/zAUKohF9idIIKofWhnqE4UtFhms=/trim/fit-in/779x1024/filters:format(webp)/https://media.forbiddenplanet.com/products/89/a6/91ed89d1f8671cb4cdb15a9516f92dee4e09.jpeg)
A good prog before the regen struck again and the promise of new thrills after that
Dredd – So all this violence for one person's echo and selfishness. It was not Niemand's best but still highly enjoyable.
The Out – Some more secrets revealed and Cyd's journey will take another turn (but for the worse). Pity that this will now take an extended break.
Shock – Well not a bad one-shot and the last few shockers has not been bad at all. Great to give new talent a shot.
The Order – The madcap caper continues its relentless roller-coaster ride to the end. I love Burns painted work.
Proteus Vex – The ending almost felt like an anti-climax with everything building up to the grand showdown and just like that it ends. This was a wonderful grant-scale space opera tale. Hopefully we will see more in the future.
I see that K. Niemand comment on his twitter that the Dredd would have been 6 parts but it looks like a clash with the artist
Quote from: broodblik on 22 March, 2023, 07:08:13 AMI see that K. Niemand comment on his twitter that the Dredd would have been 6 parts but it looks like a clash with the artist
That does explain a lot as the
Dredd this issue while it ends fine does feel like some of the ideas and themes were a little under developed. The AccounT Dept Judge and his role in particular. Shame as it makes for one of the weaker Dredd's in Niemand's entry, but then under par Niemand is still fine, fine JD.
Elsewhere the
Future Shock is fine. The twist feels a little explained and nailed on a bit roughly but its works well enough.
There is nothing hammered together for
The Out which remains simply magnificently. The cartoon fate of Cheerio raises chuckles for the rug to then be pulled with a really well played reaction and impact on Cyd which gives it real impact.... as opposed to the cartoon impact. The flip is quite wonderful. Perfectly crafted onto that is some thrilling plot development and a glorious cliffhanger as we go into a break. Breathtaking stuff.
The Order similarly drives the story forward with fun and thrilling momentum. I mean its not as good as The Out, but then what is! Great stuff though.
Proteus Vex ends really well. I mean the heroic sacrifice to conclude the conflicit could be cliche but the played wonderfully as the Tsellest [
spelling - haven't got the comic in front of me] speculates on how all of Vex's clever plans have been accounted for to contrast the rather simple and robust action taken. The end is designed to feel like it is an end but everything else suggests there's more to come. Please there is more to come as this is epic high concept sci-fi at its best.
Another winning prog. We all get a breather next week as the first Regened of the year pops up, the line-up there doesn't thrill me as much as other Regene's but let's see how it lands. Nor does the Thrill of the Future with a clunky title and a writer whose Future Shocks (etc) haven't been well craft, maybe having more space will serve John Tomlinson well? Who knows, but rather than speculate in things I don't know, which could well be fine I should just revel in how good the now is. Great prog.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 22 March, 2023, 07:52:50 AM.........Nor does the Thrill of the Future with a clunky title and a writer whose Future Shocks (etc) haven't been well craft, maybe having more space will serve John Tomlinson well? Who knows, but rather than speculate in things I don't know, which could well be fine I should just revel in how good the now is. Great prog.
Well I think a lot of us is in agreement but that might be a 3riller as well
Quote from: broodblik on 22 March, 2023, 07:58:13 AMQuote from: Colin YNWA on 22 March, 2023, 07:52:50 AM.........Nor does the Thrill of the Future with a clunky title and a writer whose Future Shocks (etc) haven't been well craft, maybe having more space will serve John Tomlinson well? Who knows, but rather than speculate in things I don't know, which could well be fine I should just revel in how good the now is. Great prog.
Well I think a lot of us is in agreement but that might be a 3riller as well
We've not had a 3riller for a while have we... have we... they certainly don't seem as frequent as they used to be, which is a shame as I really like the format... or I could just be old and forgeting how many there's been recently???
Odd cover with illustrated damage. Dredd wraps up. It's fine. Niemand, as noted, mentioned on Twitter that this was a slog. The art still feels slightly alien to Dredd, like a take from an artist who isn't entirely familiar with the subject. The colouring was really good (although I now note that's Chris Blythe, so probably to be expected).
The Out does a rug-pull with Cheerio. And with a single leap, he was... killed off. The character was an arse, but felt real. And then it ends on that cliffhanger and the note that book III will continue soon. ARGH!
Another Future Shock, which I mostly liked right up until the last word balloon and a half, which felt really icky. I'm not sure what the insulation is with completing the mating process. Either way, I'm not sure it needed anything beyond "I am a horrible, horrible man, and tricked my wife into running off into the wilderness with a terrifying giant bird, so I don't have to pay out for a divorce". But there you go/
The Order kind of continues to exist for me. The stuff I was complaining about with Joe Pineapples is in somewhat similar territory here, in that it feels like stuff is just happening. The difference with The Order is that the threads likely mean something when you read it though. And, yeah, Burns is clearly not a fan of robots, which is a pity when he's tasked with illustrating one of the finest robot designs in 2000 AD's history. Still, the rest of his art is spot-on.
And then Vex wraps up. It does feel a like quick, but I reckon this will be a breezy and rollocking read when collected. As for the finality of the arc, it would surely be ludicrous to end the strip here. Vex feels like a strip that could run and run a la Rogue Trooper or Usage Yojimbo – or at least be mapped out to some kind of conclusion, in the same way Nikolai Dante was. I just hope that hasn't already happened.
In all, a kind of middling Prog for me. Nothing was outright bad, but only two of the five strips fully landed.
A rare week where I am caught up with the Prog! And it seems I'm at oddas with fellow boarders - I really enjoyed this latest Dredd. Hadn't occured to me while reading it but I can totally see that the character designs could've been more future-ish and less 'today', but the basic gist of the story falls right in that sweet spot of mid-80s Wagner/Grant lunacy. If Manco and Niemand had to force it into existence, it still came out well.
I can agree that The Order feels rushed but it's still the main event for me in terms of throwing out a mix of weird ideas I wouldn't ever dream up myself, coupled with outrageous imagery - and that's what I keep coming ot 2000AD for. That panel with our angry Black heroine holding up the decapitated head of villainous George Washington, while going on to (perhaps implausubly) unite races in an alternate history America, that's the stuff I want to read!
Proteus Vex continues to look gorgeous and Tsellest continues to be the cleverest villain name in all space opera, but I find it really hard to care about what's going on - to be fair to this final epsiode, it did generate some emotion in me but that's been a long time coming. I do miss the time when it was more about the personal, lower-stakes shenanigans of Proteus and his Citheronian buddy (whose name I can never remember).
Midnight Indicating Shame!
Quote from: Richard on 23 March, 2023, 01:03:23 AMMidnight Indicating Shame!
You should have posted that 63 minutes earlier.
A great wrap for
Proteus Vex was this week's highlight, pulling the 'hero takes adversary with him into the abyss' trope with great aplomb. Though he gets a (virtual) reunion with Midnight Indicating Shame first, where the usual twist is that fate contrives to have the long-separated companions just miss each other before the protagonist's sacrifice.
Looking forward to the Midnight Indicating Shame mini-series (oh come on!)
Must admit I thought
'Succession' wrapped pretty well - at least, it wasn't obvious that it'd been curtailed. That's some pretty candid opinion on the Niemand droid's Twitter! Hoping Manco can continue in TMO's retinue, would be a shame to lose such a talent.
If ever a Future Shock deserved a big purple exclamation mark, it's
'Love Birds'. Not so much twist in the tale as
tryst in the tale. Shades of Gary Leach and Alan Davis in the art, I thought.
Quote from: AlexF on 22 March, 2023, 09:31:50 AMTsellest continues to be the cleverest villain name in all space opera
One for the 'over my head' thread, I'm afraid. It's a palindrome, but..?
Quote from: norton canes on 23 March, 2023, 09:49:40 AMHoping Manco can continue in TMO's retinue, would be a shame to lose such a talent.
Absolutely.
Manco is an Omega Level artist, who, as luck would have it, seems to be a fan of 2000AD.
TMO one should offer him a high tier project without time sensitivity.
The outcome would be worth it for all of us in a few years.
I'm not sure there are projects without time sensitivity. You just end up with projects that don't get completed and need someone else to take over – think about Joe Pineapples, or Die Laughing. And when you're presumably paying per episode, it's not great if your budget is sitting with content that might never see the light of day.
It sounds like Manco was having fun digging into the details. But when you're doing your debut Dredd and there are deadlines, you... probably don't need to redesign the Lawmaster for that first strip. But, yeah, maybe there are ways Tharg can figure out how to keep him around that don't negatively impact on the Prog's running.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 23 March, 2023, 10:50:01 AMI'm not sure there are projects without time sensitivity. You just end up with projects that don't get completed and need someone else to take over – think about Joe Pineapples, or Die Laughing. And when you're presumably paying per episode, it's not great if your budget is sitting with content that might never see the light of day.
It sounds like Manco was having fun digging into the details. But when you're doing your debut Dredd and there are deadlines, you... probably don't need to redesign the Lawmaster for that first strip. But, yeah, maybe there are ways Tharg can figure out how to keep him around that don't negatively impact on the Prog's running.
Maybe use him for one-shot stories that don't slot into any specific continuity?
I get "ken" was pissed off but to slag off an artist whilst the strip is being published is incredibly unprofessional.
Whilst I've enjoyed the Niemand branded work I found this one and the One Eyed Jack crossover quite boring. Manco's art was the best thing about it, like his Slaine work.
Mm. Not the best move to publicly berate someone on social media like that. Hopefully it won't happen again.
For time constrains Manco is not the right person even on Slaine he went back a redo a lot of his own work. If you do not have pateince then working with him will not yield good results. I actually loved his Dredd it was definitely something different.
Yes, that is a bit of an uneasy read. Manco's a really talented artist, I hope things can be sorted out and we haven't seen the last of him in 2000ad.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 23 March, 2023, 02:09:28 PMMm. Not the best move to publicly berate someone on social media like that. Hopefully it won't happen again.
If Niemand is who I think he is, it probably will.
Who do you think it is, then?
Several people seem to think Niemand is Gordon Rennie.
Quote from: Credo! on 23 March, 2023, 05:51:42 PMWho do you think it is, then?
I don't want to say. Partly because it'll be embarrassing if I'm wrong, and partly out of respect for his privacy. Presumably he has a reason for wanting to write under a pseudonym. But since I wrote that, he has mentioned the other person by name on his Twitter. So either I'm wrong, or he's showing admirable commitment to the bit.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 23 March, 2023, 08:25:44 PMSeveral people seem to think Niemand is Gordon Rennie.
There's a thread buried here somewhere where he denies that and calls us all pedants. Us! Pedants! The nerve etc.
Current Population of Mega City One...? (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=21095.0)
Why is the general consensus of opinion that Kenneth Niemand is a pseudonym and not exactly who he says he is? Where did this originate from?
I dunno. I vaguely recall Niemand saying somewhere that the reason he uses a pseudonym was because there are potential problems with something else he writes. And so, inevitably, people made instant assumptions that this was a terrible lie. Perhaps they were all ex-Newsfield readers, scarred from discovering that Lloyd Mangram and Paul Sumner never existed.
To me, Niemand's Dredd just doesn't feel like any other writer's. It feels closest to Al Ewing, but only because the voice and style is often bordering on Wagner. Maybe we'll find out one day. Personally, I'm not fussed either way – I just hope we continue to get high-quality Dredd strips from this writer and he doesn't bugger off to Marvel or DC.
Quote from: Max Headroom on 23 March, 2023, 10:08:33 PMWhy is the general consensus of opinion that Kenneth Niemand is a pseudonym and not exactly who he says he is? Where did this originate from?
Well, there was the Thrillcast interview where he explicitly said it was a pseudonym for the purposes of not confusing the Dredd-world comic work with other stuff he did... :)
(Worth noting that there is a lot of precedent for this tactic — the one that springs to mind is Iain (M or not M) Banks — book wholesalers are
very stupid and can't distinguish between different markets. If a hypothetical author has a runaway YA hit about, say, high school vampires and then publishes a work of 'literary' fiction then wholesalers will order the 'literary' book based on the sales of the YA hit... and, of course, the second book will sell a couple of orders of magnitude less than the first. The author then publishes a sequel to the YA hit and the wholesalers will downgrade their advance orders based on the sales of the 'literary' book costing the author many thousands of sales. That simple M-or-not-M ploy of Banks got him two separate columns on the wholesalers' spreadsheets and avoided that scenario.)
Using pseudonyms is weird.
It's not Rennie--here's Rennie speaking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGfBGP7ygD0), and here's Kenny speaking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGfBGP7ygD0).
I am with Indigo on this do not really care I just want more quality Dredd
Quote from: nxylas on 23 March, 2023, 08:56:28 PMhe's showing admirable commitment to the bit.
This 'debate' is what, four years old now?
There's commitment to the bit, and then there's leaving the MET and joining the hardcore fans of Shadwell FC.
Anyway, I echo the sentiment of not really caring at this stage - the Rennie Droid delivers the goods 9 times out of 10.
Quote from: norton canes on 23 March, 2023, 09:49:40 AMQuote from: AlexF on 22 March, 2023, 09:31:50 AMTsellest continues to be the cleverest villain name in all space opera
One for the 'over my head' thread, I'm afraid. It's a palindrome, but..?
Yeah I was wondering the same and hoping someone would post an explanation - AlexF really.
Based on what I've read here and elsewhere, my guess was definitely wrong. As you were, folks.
So many people convinced it's Rennie. I'm against that theory on the basis of two key objections:
1. I don't want old Frank to be right.
2. NiemandGPT doesn't like being compared to a fleshy.
Quote from: Credo! on 24 March, 2023, 05:57:22 PMSo many people convinced it's Rennie.
After a couple of abandoned theories, it eventually dawned on me who Neimand is. So many clues are sitting in plain sight! And it's totally understandable why the pseudonym is being used.
Quote from: A.Cow on 24 March, 2023, 10:05:23 PMSo many clues are sitting in plain sight! And it's totally understandable why the pseudonym is being used.
And people thought Alan Moore would never work for 2000AD again...!
Quote from: A.Cow on 24 March, 2023, 10:05:23 PMAfter a couple of abandoned theories, it eventually dawned on me who Neimand is. So many clues are sitting in plain sight! And it's totally understandable why the pseudonym is being used.
If you're thinking of the same person I was thinking of, it's not him.
Quote from: nxylas on 25 March, 2023, 02:44:20 PMQuote from: A.Cow on 24 March, 2023, 10:05:23 PMAfter a couple of abandoned theories, it eventually dawned on me who Neimand is. So many clues are sitting in plain sight! And it's totally understandable why the pseudonym is being used.
If you're thinking of the same person I was thinking of, it's not him.
Usually I need a hefty dose of magic mushrooms to get this head-f*cked. So, one of you knows exactly who it (but won't say, naturally), and the other person knows that it's not him?
I'd like to set out my stall and confirm that I definitely know for sure who it is - and it's not either of the twelve people you're thinking of. However, if it turns out I'm wrong, I was actually right all along. I can't tell you who I'm thinking of, though, because I've been sworn to secrecy by the Illuminati.
I hope you're proud, NiemandGPT. The trouble you're causing etc.
Quote from: Credo! on 25 March, 2023, 04:30:58 PMUsually I need a hefty dose of magic mushrooms to get this head-f*cked. So, one of you knows exactly who it (but won't say, naturally), and the other person knows that it's not him?
If we were both thinking of the same person. It's been established on this forum that the Niemand droid is not a previous 2000AD writer, and the person I was thinking of was. It sort of sounded like A. Cow was thinking of the same person, but of course, I don't know that for sure.
If it turns out to be Mark Millar I'll have numerous questions regarding the nature of reality itself.
Quote from: nxylas on 25 March, 2023, 04:47:30 PMIf we were both thinking of the same person. It's been established on this forum that the Niemand droid is not a previous 2000AD writer, and the person I was thinking of was. It sort of sounded like A. Cow was thinking of the same person, but of course, I don't know that for sure.
If that was established then I must have missed the post. The recent Meg crossover was the clincher for me, and I'm still convinced.
Neimand appears to be of a certain age (see cultural references to things like Terry Nutkins), and was rather quickly permitted by Tharg to write multi-part Dredd stories (surely a pretty hard gig to land for a novice?) ... yet doesn't seem to write much non-Dreddverse material.
A suspicious mind might suggest that Neimand is an established writer who'd realised that this throwaway pseudonym (invented for the Starlord skit) could be a handy way to avoid prejudice from those who disliked his former Dredd work. And Neimand seemed to come to prominence just as a certain former writer started producing more (non-Dredd) stuff for Rebellion. Hmmm.
Okay, so I could be very wrong -- but I'd stake at least 45p Earth Money on my theory.
Quote from: A.Cow on 26 March, 2023, 02:35:34 AMQuote from: nxylas on 25 March, 2023, 04:47:30 PMIf we were both thinking of the same person. It's been established on this forum that the Niemand droid is not a previous 2000AD writer, and the person I was thinking of was. It sort of sounded like A. Cow was thinking of the same person, but of course, I don't know that for sure.
If that was established then I must have missed the post. The recent Meg crossover was the clincher for me, and I'm still convinced.
Neimand appears to be of a certain age (see cultural references to things like Terry Nutkins), and was rather quickly permitted by Tharg to write multi-part Dredd stories (surely a pretty hard gig to land for a novice?) ... yet doesn't seem to write much non-Dreddverse material.
A suspicious mind might suggest that Neimand is an established writer who'd realised that this throwaway pseudonym (invented for the Starlord skit) could be a handy way to avoid prejudice from those who disliked his former Dredd work. And Neimand seemed to come to prominence just as a certain former writer started producing more (non-Dredd) stuff for Rebellion. Hmmm.
Okay, so I could be very wrong -- but I'd stake at least 45p Earth Money on my theory.
Ah, I don't think we are thinking of the same person. I was thinking of a former script droid who quit writing under exceptionally trying circumstances, and who might therefore have valid personal reasons for wanting to keep his return to the prog on the down-low. But Grennie has said that he knows Niemand personally, and that he's a writer who works outside comics under his own name, and uses the pseudonym to distinguish his comics from his non-comics work. Kind of like JK Rowling using the name Robert Galbraith to distinguish her transphobic detective stories from her racist YA fantasy. Except that Niemand hasn't been forced to "accidentally" reveal his true identity because nobody was buying his pseudonymously-written stuff.
Why are so many people here dancing around a name? If you think it's person X, just say it.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 26 March, 2023, 09:55:18 AMWhy are so many people here dancing around a name? If you think it's person X, just say it.
Dunno really. Whilst most people will probably be able to guess who I'm talking about, actually saying the name feels like crossing a line. Especially as I've been told off for invading this person's privacy on here before.
who cares?
I wonder if we had a forum back in the 80s when 2000ad and eagle were almost exclusively written by the wagner/grant grouping would we be having the same discussion then? its all very silly imho
the niemand droid whoever they may be is a great writer and has written some of my fave dredds in recent memory and tbh thats all i care about
Quote from: The Monarch on 26 March, 2023, 04:58:14 PMthe niemand droid whoever they may be is a great writer and has written some of my fave dredds in recent memory and tbh thats all i care about
Yeah complete agree with that. I haven't got a clue who it is, and I suspect when/ if name is ever revealed, there is going to be a big chance I haven't actually heard of them anyway.
So on that basis it's they're just Ken Neimand to me.
It's not as if I know any of the creators beyond their work for Tharg anyway.
Quote from: nxylas on 26 March, 2023, 09:02:31 AMKind of like JK Rowling using the name Robert Galbraith to distinguish her transphobic detective stories from her racist YA fantasy.
Once again I'm going to be
that guy and point out that publicly opposing a misogynist cult whose goals include giving male sex offenders unfettered access to women's prisons and girls' changing rooms doesn't make one "transphobic". And the attempts to find examples of racism in the works of an author who dared to speak out against an atrociously antisemitic politician (who has since been kicked out of his former party in disgrace) is a really embarrassing case of sour grapes.
But back to the actual Prog... I really can't see this is the end for Proteus Vex as there's clearly a lot more story to tell, not least about the Flesh Pilots.
Plus we were promised "wars to come" - plural - back in the very first episode. It's not over by a long chalk.
Quote from: Magnetica on 26 March, 2023, 06:04:58 PMQuote from: The Monarch on 26 March, 2023, 04:58:14 PMthe niemand droid whoever they may be is a great writer and has written some of my fave dredds in recent memory and tbh thats all i care about
Yeah complete agree with that. I haven't got a clue who it is, and I suspect when/ if name is ever revealed, there is going to be a big chance I haven't actually heard of them anyway.
So on that basis it's they're just Ken Neimand to me.
It's not as if I know any of the creators beyond their work for Tharg anyway.
Yes, I agree, believe it or not. Wish I hadn't said anything now. It's quite likely that I won't have heard of him either, particularly as Gordon appears to know him via his gaming work. Other than Solitaire, I don't think I've played a video game in about 30 years. So unless he wrote
Atic Atac or
Jet Set Willy, his name is unlikely to mean anything to me.
Quote from: The Corinthian on 26 March, 2023, 08:00:26 PMOnce again I'm going to be that guy and point out that publicly opposing a misogynist cult whose goals include giving male sex offenders unfettered access to women's prisons and girls' changing rooms doesn't make one "transphobic".
And, once again, I'm going to point out that Rowling's score card on this matter is a
lot more complex than that, including retweeting links to a site containing openly transphobic material and also defining "women" as "people who menstruate"... which isn't even true of cisgender women.
I would also respectfully suggest that describing the trans rights movement as "a misogynist cult" betrays a certain amount of...
bias in your position.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 26 March, 2023, 10:52:43 PMQuote from: The Corinthian on 26 March, 2023, 08:00:26 PMOnce again I'm going to be that guy and point out that publicly opposing a misogynist cult whose goals include giving male sex offenders unfettered access to women's prisons and girls' changing rooms doesn't make one "transphobic".
And, once again, I'm going to point out that Rowling's score card on this matter is a lot more complex than that, including retweeting links to a site containing openly transphobic material and also defining "women" as "people who menstruate"... which isn't even true of cisgender women.
I would also respectfully suggest that describing the trans rights movement as "a misogynist cult" betrays a certain amount of... bias in your position.
You all have every right to derail this thread (it's everyone's forum after all), but there's already a thread up and running that seems to have adopted discussion of "culture war related issues". It's the non-confrontationally monikered Thought Police: Are we allowed to query 'woke'? (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=46939.0)
(Don't get me wrong - I was nearly baited by Nxylas' casual Rowling bashing and the slinging of terms, but I managed to restrain myself.)
Anyway - we've already derailed into the "Who's Niemand?" game - let's try to maintain one derailment at a time. Carry on!
Quote from: Credo! on 27 March, 2023, 05:26:46 AMYou all have every right to derail this thread
I'm not really sure I did — the derail of the derail was already underway, I just couldn't let "misogynist cult" slide. You'll note, I hope, that I managed to resist the double bait of "it's all the Corbynistas" and "antisemitism" smears in a single sentence.
I will now return you to your original derail.
One final thing I will say before we return to 'Who's-That-Really?' (with £5000 still on the board, join us after these messages) it would be remis of me to point out Rowling took her pseudonym from a prominent quake psychiatrist and advocate for gay conversion therapy Robert Galbraith (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Galbraith_Heath) in case her red-tory queer scaremongering wasn't self evident enough, she really just had to make it that obvious.
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the paper used for the Prog now seems to have a strange waxy quality?
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 27 March, 2023, 06:44:11 AMI just couldn't let "misogynist cult" slide
Don't forget "giving male sex offenders unfettered access to women's prisons", as if they're handed keys to all the cells
Millar? Definitely not, I can spot his speech work from thirty paces and am a huge fan.
Ennis (as hinted above)? I don't think so, again doesn't feel like him and I can't see him being as rude and arrogant as "Ken" is online.
I offered Tharg a loan of my party ring and he confirmed Nieman is the sex mad, virulent corpse of Tom Tully.
So there.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 27 March, 2023, 06:44:11 AMQuote from: Credo! on 27 March, 2023, 05:26:46 AMYou all have every right to derail this thread
I'm not really sure I did — the derail of the derail was already underway, I just couldn't let "misogynist cult" slide. You'll note, I hope, that I managed to resist the double bait of "it's all the Corbynistas" and "antisemitism" smears in a single sentence.
I will now return you to your original derail.
I *did* note that. And I only pasted you in as the most recent poster - first shot across the bows goes to Nxylas for "chucking in a casual Rowling". As with Godwin's Law, there must be a Rowling-equivalent term for polarizing an online community? Most folk managed to ignore the Rowling-bait, but then The Corinthian took off his sunglasses and went into FOG* mode.
Anyway - we could combine derailments. Do I have any money on either Corbyn or Rowlbraith being Niemand?
*Fully Outraged Gammon
Quote from: Hawkmumbler on 27 March, 2023, 02:23:00 PMI offered Tharg a loan of my party ring and he confirmed Nieman is the sex mad, virulent corpse of Tom Tully.
So there.
well, duh - obviously
Rowling? Zero chance, she is not a good enough writer, simple as.
Massive apologies for piquing peoples' curiosity!
'Tsellest', as far as I am aware, is nothing more than a palindrome. I happen to rather like palindromes and find this one especially beautiful in its construction, but didn't mean to suggest there was anythihng more going on with the name...
...but, if you're looking for extra layers of meaning, why don't we all agree that the name was inspired by glasses lens company 'Stellest' (https://global.essilor.com/uk/products/stellest), and then further agree that the similarly-monikered Proteus Vex villain is, shall we shy, short-sighted in his view of how his tactics will play out in the theatre of interstellar war.
On reflection, let's just leave it as 'palindromes are cool, what more do you want??'
Meanwhile, I for one hope we continue to get more Ken Niemand and more Leonard O'Manco in the Prog, yes?
Quote from: AlexF on 27 March, 2023, 04:13:11 PMMassive apologies for piquing peoples' curiosity!
'Tsellest', as far as I am aware, is nothing more than a palindrome. I happen to rather like palindromes and find this one especially beautiful in its construction, but didn't mean to suggest there was anythihng more going on with the name...
Tsellest is indeed a palindrome, but that's not the only reason I invented it...
The first T is silent so it's pronounced "Celest" as in "Celestial" ("of the heavens" or "star-like").
The "Ts" at the start is suggestive of "Tsar" (itself an anagram of "star") which is the Russian imperial title (derived from "Caesar" meaning ruler or king: alternate spelling is "Czar").
okay guys i admit it I am ken niemand
(i mean other than the fact i cannot write for toffee and i actually follow the dude on twitter)
yup totally me :)
Quote from: Mike Carroll on 27 March, 2023, 04:32:26 PMQuote from: AlexF on 27 March, 2023, 04:13:11 PMMassive apologies for piquing peoples' curiosity!
'Tsellest', as far as I am aware, is nothing more than a palindrome. I happen to rather like palindromes and find this one especially beautiful in its construction, but didn't mean to suggest there was anythihng more going on with the name...
Tsellest is indeed a palindrome, but that's not the only reason I invented it...
The first T is silent so it's pronounced "Celest" as in "Celestial" ("of the heavens" or "star-like").
The "Ts" at the start is suggestive of "Tsar" (itself an anagram of "star") which is the Russian imperial title (derived from "Caesar" meaning ruler or king: alternate spelling is "Czar").
Thanks for that Mike but should you not be busy writing book 5 and 6 - just wondering :D
Quote from: Bad City Blue on 27 March, 2023, 01:58:04 PMEnnis (as hinted above)? I don't think so, again doesn't feel like him and I can't see him being as rude and arrogant as "Ken" is online.
Plus, doesn't he stay off social media? Anyway, once again, we've been told that it's not someone who has ever written for 2000AD under their own name, so I'm going to assume that's the truth.
Quote from: Mike Carroll on 27 March, 2023, 04:32:26 PMQuote from: AlexF on 27 March, 2023, 04:13:11 PMMassive apologies for piquing peoples' curiosity!
'Tsellest', as far as I am aware, is nothing more than a palindrome. I happen to rather like palindromes and find this one especially beautiful in its construction, but didn't mean to suggest there was anythihng more going on with the name...
Tsellest is indeed a palindrome, but that's not the only reason I invented it...
The first T is silent so it's pronounced "Celest" as in "Celestial" ("of the heavens" or "star-like").
The "Ts" at the start is suggestive of "Tsar" (itself an anagram of "star") which is the Russian imperial title (derived from "Caesar" meaning ruler or king: alternate spelling is "Czar").
Its great when the creators come on here to answer questions...so whilst we have got your attention, I didn't understand what the last panel two panels on page two are showing - where is Tsellest and what has crashed into what? Nor did I understand the last panel on page 3 - where is Vex, what's that brown thing he is he's on top of? Is he outside of the ship he was on?
And sorry guess these are probably more questions for Jake Lynch. And sorry for being thick and not able to read comic after 45 years of trying to do so 😉.
Quote from: Hawkmumbler on 27 March, 2023, 02:23:00 PMI offered Tharg a loan of my party ring [...]
I thought you meant some kind of swingers' sex toy until I looked it up on Google. The biscuit aisle in Tesco will never quite feel the same again. :o
(P.S. No, "biscuit aisle" is not meant to be a euphemism. I feel like I've wandered into a Carry On film.)
Quote from: Magnetica on 27 March, 2023, 07:44:39 PMI didn't understand what the last panel two panels on page two are showing - where is Tsellest and what has crashed into what? Nor did I understand the last panel on page 3 - where is Vex, what's that brown thing he is he's on top of? Is he outside of the ship he was on?
Page 2: Tsellest is zooming up into the atmosphere on one of the Scorchers' floating stone slabs that they sometimes use for getting around, and then crashing into the front of the stolen Scorcher ship that Vex is flying.
Page 3: The brown thing from which Vex is leaping is part of the Scorcher ship's flight deck, albeit damaged and warped from all the explosions caused by Tsellest tearing their way through the hull: we saw in episodes 11 and 12 that when Vex and his crew were flying this ship -- which was designed for beings much, much bigger than they are -- that they have to sit on top of the control stations. Picture a bunch of action figures on the bridge of the USS Enterprise trying to control the ship!
Hope that clears things up a little!
-- Mike
Quote from: A.Cow on 27 March, 2023, 10:30:11 PMQuote from: Hawkmumbler on 27 March, 2023, 02:23:00 PMI offered Tharg a loan of my party ring [...]
I thought you meant some kind of swingers' sex toy until I looked it up on Google. The biscuit aisle in Tesco will never quite feel the same again. :o
(P.S. No, "biscuit aisle" is not meant to be a euphemism. I feel like I've wandered into a Carry On film.)
What happens in the Lawless Hot Tub Party, stays in the Lawless Hot Tub Party.
Let the record stand, shortbread crumbles, CRUMBLES, under the slightest water pressure. I expected better of such a culinary staple.
Well what do you know, Tsellest really IS the cleverst name in Sci Fi!
Thanks for the background info Mr Carroll, looking forward to seeing you find new ways to vex Proteus and co next year...
Very cool insight from creators and biscuit innuendos all in one thread ftw