Messages

I've just won a 'copy' of this in a competition on IGN! They asked for my address so I assume they're sending me an actual paper comic.

I'm a right spawny get, me. First the Dredd showing in London, now this.

24 hours to go, creeps!

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I'm getting butterflies in my stomach thinking about it...

I'm going to bring my Origins trade and see if Karl (*swoon* he's so dreamy...) will sign it.

I'll be getting into Lahndan at about 4.30pm and will then make my way to The Ship in the manner of a confused bumpkin.

I'm so excited, I don't even mind the prospect of the 5 hour journey. The 5 hour journey home at 11.30pm on the other hand...

I'm going to the Dredd screening in London on Thursday! But, what if the other boarders don't like me? What if they won't talk to me?

I'd better dress like a total slut to ensure I get their attention.

I'll be there and looking forward to meeting you all. I'm off on Thursday (and Friday) so I'll try to get to that London at about 4 ish.

Do we know what time the film is yet?

GRUD ON A GREENIE! I WON!

I can't believe it!

*deep breath* Right, I'm driving down from Keighley (think Mordor) in the northern wastes so I'm ideally going to want to be staying over. Anyone else in the same boat?

Thanks Dan Dontdare. I think it's a random selection though so my extremely witty entry may not count for much.

Of course, if SBT wins he will be donating his ticket to another boarder as he has said he has no interest in seeing the film until it's in the bargain bin at his local supermarket. ;p

"I'm with Robert Bloch Block, who you fighting with?"

I mentioned this in the Film section but I love repeating myself.

Following the tremendous success of the Q&A session with Alex Garland, I began thinking that it would be good if it became a semi-regular board feature where we can put questions to 2000 AD script and art droids and have them answer on this very board.

Is this a realistic prospect?

(this is a bit like writing to Jim'll Fix It but instead of a wizened old man wearing a tracksuit and sporting a mullet, the 'fixer' is a seven foot tall man dressed as a bloody roundhead or summat.)

However, I too am concerned about the Garland quotes pointed out by Lee Bates, and their possible implications.

I wouldn't read too much into anything just yet. So far, I think the people behind the film are just being realistic: Dredd is an unknown quantity. It could easily enough become a lowish-budget hit, but it could also be a film that's highly regarded and gets a low box-office take. (Also, you never know what'll happen closer to release—it has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes now, but that could all change if critics start going nuts.) I love their enthusiasm for the material, but also respect Urban and Garland saying that if they just end up with one great film, that'll be good enough for them.

As for variables, that can mean anything, but it's not like Garland's the kind of person to swan off for a decade after writing a script. Just writing more scripts alone (and his point about returning next to a slower paced feature) could be what he meant. Regardless, I'm thoroughly looking forward to this film, more so as time goes on. And if this alone turns out to be this film generation's Dredd, so be it. At least the strip will have been properly on the big screen, rather than only having a terrible 1990s piece of garbage to its name.

Yeah, you're probably right. I'm just so desperate to see that Dredd trilogy happen. Even if it doesn't, everything points to us having a fucking blinder of a film to look forward to.

Roll on September 7th!

We got turned away from the cinema when we tried to get in to see Aliens in 1986 at the age of 15, because my thick mate turned up with a pathetic, whispy, 3 day old cobweb of a moustache which actually made him look younger, AND the dumb bastard had a SHIRT AND TIE ON to make himself look grown up, BUT IT WAS HIS SCHOOL SHIRT AND TIE.

I was so mad at him as I'd been looking forward to seeing it for months and we'd have got in without his ridiculous shenanegans.

Silly bastard.

[relax, because it'll never happen.]

That was amazing. Thanks to Mike for arranging it, and a massive thank you to Alex for indulging us old fan-boys.

Congratulations to Goaty, Joe Soap, Radiator, Commando Forces and all the other boarders who will be immortalised on screen. We salute you.

There was a lot of talk of possible sequels and some of the ideas that Alex mentioned were mind blowing. For instance -

If I was involved in a second movie, it would be about origins and subversion, and Chopper would feature.  In fact, I think Chopper would start and end the story.  Apart from him, my rough plan involves Fargo, Giant, Angel Gang, and a version of Satanus.  For a trilogy, add Cal and the dark judges.  And Anderson would be in all three.

My grud, just imagine that...

I also think this would be fantastic -

But by the way, just so it has been said, I actually think that maybe the best way forward for Dredd is television.  American TV has completely rewritten the rule book where filmed drama is concerned.  Game Of Thrones/The Wire/Breaking Bad... An equivalent version of Dredd would be fucking great.  Imagine the epics...

Alex's version of the Dark Judges sounds brilliant and I really hope we get to the stage where we see them on the screen -

The existential side to the Dark Judges is that they don't see a point to life.  If my film-trilogy daydream was to play out, I would completely rewrite my original script for the Dark Judges - because it was junk - and start again.  And I'd make them deeply fucking weird and spooky, and sort of philosophical. So, very broadly, Death would be in an actual judge's uniform that get progressively fucked up, rather than starting with a portcullis helmet.

- although this set my 'over-worried geek' circuits off -

And if everyone hates that idea, relax, because it'll never happen.

As did this -

But again, if you hate this idea, relax, because it will almost certainly never happen.

AND this -

Q:  If the studio commissions a sequel, would you definitely do it? Or have we assumed too much?

A:  There are some variables which would rule me out immediately.

...I hope there hasn't been a decision made already that would sink any possible sequels or keep Alex from working on them. That would be a massive shame.

Obviously that's just my over-active imagination reading things into some potentially innocent comments but it did make me feel a bit dis-heartened about the future of the Dredd film franchise.

Anyway, focusing on the positives, THIS Dredd film has been in very safe hands from the beginning and this Q&A session has only made me feel more confident that it will be the Dredd film we've all been waiting for. YAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!

One final thought, Mike, would you consider possibly repeating this Q&A format with a few select 2000 AD art and script droids? I reckon that would be fantastic.

I entered, and I also entered my wife.

...on an unrelated note.

[cover]

Still really enjoying my super, soaraway prog.

The cover is beautiful. Leigh Gallagher is one of my most favouritest art droids and this cover is very cinematic and lovely.

I'm afraid I'll have to agree with those who've said they found Dredd a bit confusing. The bits that made me go 'huh?' were the first few panels with the talking brown boxes and the Judge who finds himself suddenly dangling off the other side of a staircase for no apparent reason.

Once I'd more or less figured out what was going on, it was an ok story. Not fantastic or rubbish.

Aquila is my favourite new strip since Zombo. I love everything about it. Leigh Gallagher's art, the character designs, Gordon Rennie's script and dialogue, the *HUUUUUURRGHH* violence. It's just perfect 2000 AD. I hope we get plenty more of this.

Ichabod Azrael is sort of stuck in limbo appropriately enough. We seem to have been in the same situation since the first episode with a few scene changes. I suspect it'll read better in one go, rather than waiting a week between episodes. I'll be getting the trade of this one.

3Rillers is back and this time it's '2000 AD does Evangelion'. From the design of the giant robots to the 'shady commanders in a bunker' and the ticking time limit and giant alien enemy remeniscent of the 'Angels', this is Evangelion in all but name. I enjoyed it despite the sense of deja vu and eagerly await the next episode. It may have a similar set up to Evangelion but it could go anywhere from here (for two more episodes at least).

I can see where criticisms regarding the checking off of Dredd-world tropes comes from but I'm just really loving Lenny Zero. I can't see the heist going off without a hitch, nor can I see Lenny getting busted by the Judges, so I'm left wondering what the outcome will be. I'd be happy to see more but would rather it ran in the Megazine in future.

All good stuff and the promise of a big Thrill Explosion in two weeks.

NO, YOU ARE BALLS.

That was unnecessarily --ahem-- terse on my part. Apologies. It was early, and I was tetchy, and there was no need for it.

Cheers

Jim

No bother.