2000 AD Online Forum

2000 AD => General => Topic started by: JimBob on 13 May, 2002, 04:50:38 PM

Title: In defence of Dan Abnett
Post by: JimBob on 13 May, 2002, 04:50:38 PM
 I know it's not a popular view but here goes; Dan Abnett isn't crap. Comparing his Flesh story to the Legend of Shanara(?) he's written a tight little thriller whilst the latter story is a sprawling mess. Sinister Dexter combined with Dante and the Pit were the first shoots of spring after the mag had been dire for the best part of 5 years and his Legion for DC is great. And whilst I -shudder- agree with scojo about some of the dialogue in Sinister Dexter it's still a quality strip. And at least we don't have to put up with paranoid ramblings from Abnett when he gets stick.  
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett...
Post by: Rambo on 13 May, 2002, 04:59:31 PM
Scoje is the last one to complain about clunky dialogue. Dredd would never say that. In fact, no-one would say some of those things!

At least Finny's tongue-twisters are amusing.
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett...
Post by: unclebacon on 13 May, 2002, 05:01:54 PM
Dan Abnett can write some fantastic stuff - some of the Sinister Dexter episodes are among the best things i've read in 2000ad, and his old Lords of Misrule comic was a cracker.
He can also write quite alarming crap, however. How about letting someone else have a crack at writing sinister dexter? (Has this ever happened before? can't remember).

Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett...
Post by: paulvonscott on 13 May, 2002, 05:08:33 PM
Well, his stuffs okay, not my thing really, but I loathe sin dex and find it incomprehensible that it has any kind of following.  It's a pulp fiction parody and... well, that's it.  I just don't get it, how did it every become more than a one off?  Obviously I'm in the minority because it seems to be in 2000AD as much as Judge Dredd.

"Sinister Dexter combined with Dante and the Pit were the first shoots of spring after the mag had been dire for the best part of 5 years"

Ah... but if a man survives by clinging to a piece of driftwood... does he still carry the wood that saved his life when he is back on the land?

Sensei PVS

p,s, Apart from a bit of bluster and gibbering on my behalf while drunk, I wouldn't call him crap.  He can obviously write.  I would however say Sin Dex was crap.  Purely a personal opinion, taste has no boundaries...

Oh hell, I shouldn't have watched all those Karate Kid movies in one go.

Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett......
Post by: JimBob on 13 May, 2002, 05:09:46 PM
Rambo, couldn't agree more about Mr. S's screenplay. I've only being using this site for a fortnight and it seems to dominate here. The dialogue is clunky as hell but I think I have a solution. If we can persuade Glen Larson or Irwin Allen to remake some of their TV "classics" then theres a ready made staff writing job for Scojo.
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett......
Post by: JimBob on 13 May, 2002, 05:13:24 PM
No, he drys the wood lights it and burns every issue containing Wireheads.
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Rambo on 15 May, 2002, 12:04:29 AM
Having had a dig at Scoje, his stuff isn't any worse than a certain Mr Lucas who has made gazillions from his own terrible, clunky dialogue...
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: O Lucky Stevie! on 15 May, 2002, 03:51:16 AM
>a certain Mr Lucas who has made gazillions from his own terrible, clunky dialogue...

...none of which possessed a modicum of wit... (forgive me episodes 1 & 2 contradict my argument, but i gave up on sending any of my money directly in mr lucas's direction years ago after the new hope became the first film i ever wanted to walk out of; the anniversary rerelease was only the second time i had seen it--i had previously only watched once it on the telly back when i was 13-- but it left me just so frightfully bored!)

i've wet my knickers!
steven l'enfant terrible
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Thread Zero on 15 May, 2002, 04:38:41 AM
Clunky or not, at least my dialogue has a modicum of wit.

See my crime swoop scene, air tax gags, futsie scene, perp with offensive shirt on scene, first action scene etc...


Oh yeah...
My dialogue aint clunky!!!!!!!!

scojo declunked

Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Rambo on 15 May, 2002, 03:15:48 PM
When you can't read a speech bubble without pausing for breath, then it's clunky, m8! :)
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Thread Zero on 15 May, 2002, 03:57:43 PM
When you can't read a speech bubble without pausing for breath, then it's clunky, m8! :)


If you knew what you were talking about, I might agree.


scojo



Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Rambo on 15 May, 2002, 04:01:30 PM
If your script hadn't been such a pile of shit, I might have read more than half a page.
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Thread Zero on 15 May, 2002, 04:07:34 PM
But Rambo, there is no dialogue on the first half page.

So how you know my dialgoue is so s***?

scojo
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Thread Zero on 15 May, 2002, 04:13:02 PM
Hmmm, Dialogue I mean. Typos already.

Actually Rambo I made a mistake.

The line was:

If I knew what you were talking about, I might agree.

I didn't mean to say if YOU knew what...

It came out sounding like an insult.

Wasn't meant to.

Honest.

scojo

Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Thread Zero on 15 May, 2002, 04:15:04 PM
But seeing as you call my script shit, I am gonna insult you back:

Rambo, you are a flower that has lost all its petals.

So there.

scojo
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Rambo on 15 May, 2002, 04:21:14 PM
At least I've still got all my marbles!

"You have been having a relationship, sexual in nature, with Judge Mario Hortez. And please don't waste our time any further by denying this fact. Perjury is all too common an offence."

Try it out loud. You have to take a breath. You can just about get to the end, sounding like an asthmatic pensioner after running a marathon!

Nobody would say that, except perhaps a QC in a shite TV courtroom drama. Even then, he'd have trouble keeping a straight face, and he'd need more than one breath!!
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: Thread Zero on 15 May, 2002, 04:30:45 PM
"You have been having a relationship, sexual in nature, with Judge Mario Hortez. And please don't waste our time any further by denying this fact. Perjury is all too common an offence."

Try it out loud. You have to take a breath!

Nobody would say that, except perhaps a QC in a shite TV courtroom drama. Even then, he'd have trouble keeping a straight face, and he'd need more than one breath!!

Rambo, er... I know this might comes as a shock to you but ACTORS don't say all their lines at once.

THEY SOMETIMES PAUSE. THAT IS WHY THEY ARE ACTORS.

The lines you quote can have pauses. You know, to convey emotion?

What's with all this "Have to take a breath" stuff you're on about?

Not every line is one sentence long you know!

Also a film editor will cut the film in such a way that he may cut to the other people in the room after Hades says:

You have been having a relationship, sexual in nature, with Judge Mario Hortez.
Cut to woman then back to Hades as he continues.

scojo
Title: Re: In defence of Dan Abnett.........
Post by: paulvonscott on 15 May, 2002, 04:37:18 PM
This thread is tainted, it must burn!