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I'm sure an official thread will along in a bit, but until then, I thought I'd start one that serves as a place people can make their suggestions/ pleas/ knee-bent tearful begging for items of loveliness.

Here's mine, as I mentioned. Picture of how if could turn out is attached.

Do I have to actually, physically, beg, or will this do?

SBT

Got this the other day, and read it yesterday... so please forgive my ageing memory of it's contents. It's at home now, and I'm at work, but-

On the whole, and fighting against the obvious problem of being made up of bits from some of the, er, dodgier end of the 2000AD spectrum (Specials and annuals, etc, from the 1990s), it's not bad at all. Obviously, the Stront/ Dredd team-up by Wagner and Colin Macneil stands head and shoulders above everything else, but there's also a fair number of strips that I have no memory of, that turn out to be at the very least pretty readable. Personal favourites: Carry On Judging (if ever a strip was buggered by its title, it's this. That's the punchline, for Grud's sakes! Couldn't they have called it something- anything!- else?), that Brett Ewins one about the alt.Universe Judda judges, and Dan Abnett's Dog Vulture story.

It also has Judge Planet in it.

I skipped one strip- the name or content of which escapes me- but that just reinforces the sort-of hit-rate of the thing. Yes, it's an odd collection, and yes, nobody really has much nice to say about the publications these strips come from... but do you know, divorced from all that 90s guff that surrounded them, they do show that even when Dredd as a strip is going through problems, it's still strong enough to be incredibly readable all by itself.

Oh, and it has the Wagner/ Staples poster magazine strip about Dredd interrogating a class of primary school kids, and Love Story II, with Bella Bagley (sp?)- so it's worth anyone's hard-earned groats.

SBT

Right. Im setting up a new system for two disabled people i work with. Connected up the tower, the keyboard, the mouse, and the monitor, but the monitor is just saying 'out of range'. It's connected to the tower as it should be. What does this mean, and how can i fix it?
SBT

Nothing to do with me, or my wife, but i know some board members and/or their other halves and family members have an interest in the wonderful wacky world of burlesque. With that in mind, a headsup that the first issue of 'buelesque bible' is in shops now (i found it in wh smith, hidden deep in the 'womens interest' section). It's 116 pages, squarebound, full colour, and features a history of the artform, interviews with burly personalities including the obligatory dita von teese, reviews, burly-interest films, corsets, hair, and of course lots of puctures of naughty ladies. £6.99- but be warned it's scanning as £7.99 at whs tills.

Ive had a reasonably prolonged flick (steady...) and it's pretty good!

SBT

This is one for the likes of Ush and LeggyShark etc, I believe. Now- I have a good friend who lives in London, who's Italian. Her mum is staying with her at the moment, and my friend has (at great expense) rebooked her flight home to Rome entirely because of Raffaele Bendandi's prediction of a devastating earthquake on May 11th. I knew nothing of him until she FB'd about this earlier- and from what I can find, it all appears to be a doomsday cult, who "believe" a rogue "evil" planet is heading for our solar system, destined to cause epidemics and wipe us out, as it once wiped out the Atlanteans... Yes, well, ignoring that- what thoughts do yous guys have about Raffaele Bendandi? I tried to find evidence (or even opinion) that he didn't predict sod all, but it was hard to locate. So- thoughts?

SBT

...is out. Picked it up today- comes with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1969 fridge magnets, the usual sampler comic (with Slaine: Name of the Sword pages inside) and a poster.

Of special interest to 2000AD/British comics fans are features on BAD Company, Battle and a short interview with Pat Mills about his recent Professorship and what it means. And a feature on how to ink comics.

Much of the rest is taken up with fluffery about XMEN: FIRST CLASS (nothing about THOR, oddly), what's happening this Summer in Marvel and DC comics (Big crossover shenanigans) and suchlike.

Oh, and the tease that the issue contains 'The Walking Dead', turns out to be a review of the boxset DVDs, nothing about the comic at all.

Still no letterspage, and this may be my last one. I can no longer justify £8 for effectively a £4 magazine, a carboard sleeve that gets immediately recycled, an  advertising pamphlet, a poster that gets immediately recycled and a random other gift.

SBT

EDIT: Oh, meant to say- the actual cover of the magzine (ie not the sleeve) is the most hideous piece of comics "art" I've seen in an age. A godawful painting of The Scarlet Witch, with a comedy alcoholic-red nose and brushwork that looks like it's literally painted with the brush up the artist's bottom. I skipped the feature on the artist inside, as I was too busy laughing, but I gather he draws pictures of Marvel heroes for a living, whoever he is.

Anyone who's been dithering over buying the collected editions of the greatest comic in the history of American comics, is advised to get along to HMV sharpish: volumes one to eight (at least) going for £6 -£8 each in store now.
SBT

I was a long time reader of Fango- between about '84 and '93. Most of them are up in the attic these days, but whenever I see an issue, I tend to pick it up. Last year, my local WHSmith started selling them for a few months... but then just as suddenly stopped. Every now and again, I get the inclination to pick up a few, or even subscribe. Few magazines (2000AD excepted) engender in me the kind of happy feelings Fango does.

However, I've just looked up the price of current ones- and can it REALLY be $10 an issue now? TEN DOLLARS?? Is that a standard US newsstand price these days for a magazine? Is Fango even sold on newsstands any more?

SBT

Header says all. PM me if you want them.

vol 1, #1
vol 1, #7
meg 210
meg 215
meg 217

SBT

Okay, right, i know this is one of those things one isnt supposed to admit to here on the forum, but ive just reread blood of satanus 2, and grud help me i love it!

Predicting a fairly dull evening at work, i grabbed a couple of inches of old megs to bring with me, and b.o.s2 just happened to be in there. First up, pat really doesnt give a toss about how youre 'supposed' to do things, does he? Everyone else who writes dredd from time to time seems to adopt wagner's 'voice' to some degree. Not our pat, by crikey no. It's utterly, gloriously mad, as far removed from the gritty almost-reality of wagner's dredd as is possible to get. This is probably why my reading of that film script upset me so much, as i think i want a dredd full of mentalisms and madcap ideas thrown at the audience. I'm just not intersted in drug dealers; men turning into dinosaurs is so much more fun!

Duke mighten's art is magnificent. I love his layouts, and even his stubbly karl urban-alike dredd looks right. The dialogue is arch, melodramatic and hilarious. It's pure pat mills; always far more clever than it first appears. "I get my fun cleaning my gun" is completely brilliant, and used in a great close two-shot to show dredd brusquely shutting up yabbering judges, it becomes an absolute killer put-down. Genius.

I cant remember from b.o.s3, but is dredd ever revealed to be one of these 'ancient elder' humans- the 'black nobles', as the three panel close-up of his boot seems to suggest?

Im looking out book 3 as soon as i get home. Why cant pat write dredd more often?

SBT

"Fans who hitched (sp) and moaned about every little alteration made to Dredd's uniform, weapons and vehicles really needed to get out more- production designer nigel phelps and resident genius chris cunningham were largely responsible for bringing the key elements of the comic book to life, but i would also praise the much-maligned director Danny cannon and set-upon star sylvester stallone for the care they took in bringing dredd to the screen, only to be mocked, pilloried and vilified by so-called fans acting more like a hunch (sp) of crazed muties from the cursed earth. There ought to be a law against it."

That's us told. Discuss.

SBT

Now then, i hope that with the release of the new 3D version, somebody somewhere will know of someone who's selling a couple of the old ones for a 'reasonable price'. I have two boys who have been exceptionally good of late, and who desperately want them, but sadly i have empty pockets. Before i go to ebay and start that spiral into wanky hell, i thought i'd try here.
SBT

Very chuffed about this- edited by me, featuring herself. Go take a look. Probably not safe for work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ee4wnRqbM8

SBT

Help! I have a disc full of AVCHD files that I need to convert to MPEG4, so they can be played on a Mac. Can you point me in the direction of a free downloadable converter?

SBT

Im a bit confused as to whether this should be in here, or in 'classifieds'. Mods please move it if appropriate.

Sorting through a mountain of comics yesterday, a stack of largely forgotten marvel dr who weeklies and monthlies fell on me, briefly causing me to flounder, trapped, on my bedroom floor like a fat, old, upturned turtle and pondering my epitaph.

I got out, and inevitably started looking through them. While i have loads, i'm missing loads too. If any of you out there want to offload an unwanted collection, i'm yer man. No idea what i need, but they'll all be between 1980 and 1996.
Any help gratefully received. Cash paid, obviously.

SBT

[He's a bipedal black spaceman with a werewolf-type head]

One for all you Hasbro/ kenner collectors- My boy picked up a Star Wars figure in our local second hand shop the other month, and I'm at a loss as to what he's supposed to be. He's definately a Star Wars figure, as he has an LFL stanp on his foot. He's a bipedal black spaceman with a werewolf-type head. I had "Lak Sivrak" in my head when I bought him, but I really don't think it's him.

I would post a picture, but he's buried in my youngest's toy box, and the little man is asleep.

Any ideas?

SBT

...So it says on facebook. Wishing the big man many happy returns! The sun seems to have come out, at least down here, in celebration too, so raise a cold one to the founding father of thrill power!
SBT

... Because over the past few days i've been reading Alfred Bester's 'The Stars My Destination', in the lovely Gollancz 'sf masterworks' paperback edition. All this time, i've been looking at the cover, and waiting for the OTHER big, scary-looking bald guy with facial tiger stripes, you know; the one who has 'Gambia' on his forehead.

Today, i realised, it's actually a reversed illustration of Gully Foyle, and his tattoo says 'Nomad'.

I hereby invite the entire board to stick their tongues under their bottom lips, waggle their hands, and make 'hnnnnnnn!' noises at me.

SBT

Yes, I know. But follow the link and scroll down to see!

http://itcamefromdarkmoor.blogspot.com/

A 'new costume' Cap action figure (with massive gun)

And, even more excitingly, an original costume Cap action figure in a two-pack with Spidey!

Sod Mongrol, this I'm having!

SBT

One day early, but I wanted to bag the thread. Thirty-four years ago tomorrow 2000AD hit the stands for the first time. Or at least, prog 1 came cover-dated 26th Feb 1977, which is much the same.

Happy birthday lovely comic- here's to many more.

SBT