Messages

Lol!

The Cookie story was a pile of crap.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2229963614&category=903

DC Comics version of Dredd? Is this Dredd by American writers and artists? Or just British reprints?

"It still confuses me that you seem to equate 'dark' with adult/mature work"
 Well, the Beano doesn't have many "Dark" strips does it. I don't see what's confusing you. Generally, darker things are adult are they not?

As for Kurt Vonnegut, I don't know if I've ever read any of his stuff - I've read so many SF books over the years, mostly from the "Golden Age" from the 50's to the 70's. A lot of people find Asimov lacking somewhat, but I love his settings, while admitting his characters were not that great. Golden Age SF was, for me, about imagination - what would the galaxy be like in the future, rather than what would the PEOPLE be like in the future. If you see what I mean, and I'm not sure even I do! Check out "The Robots Of Dawn" or "Robots and Empire" to see what I'm on about.      :-/

You're actually pretty much correct. Fantastic situations with normal people is the kind of thing I'm looking for. "The Killing Joke" had an inherently silly character in the Joker, but the characters were treated in such a way that the story became more feasible, and less childish than the Batman stories of the 60's.

JimBob you may be pretty accurate about Asimov and Clarke but those guys were writing in the sixties so they don't have the cutting edge of todays stuff. However, they are still fantastically entertaining, without being either ludicrously silly or overly scientific. And what about Ben Bova? You don't mention him? Asimov and Clarke didn't need swearing or sex (or even women, like you mention!) to write a gripping story, but they were still, for the most part, serious, thought provoking, intelligent tales.
Some people still don't know what I'm looking for so here's some Dredd tales I thoroughly enjoyed last night (found them in the loft, forgot I had them) - "The Pit", "The Tale of the Dead Man", "Fetish" " and Slaine's "The Treasures of Britain". Dark without being overly so, with some humour but no stupid "zany" crap like robot Chef's on talk shows.

thrillpowerseeker you have hit the nail on the proverbial. I am a former reader, attracted back after 14 years or so out of simple nostalgia. But I find that while I've grown up over those years, Judge Dredd hasn't. So I'll not renew my subscription when it runs out. Fair enough you may all say - fuck off if you like, WE like the Meg. Well good for you, but Cookie was a pile of childish crap and Master Moves was just plain garbage with kiddies artwork. How is the reader base going to grow then? Old readers coming back will be disappointed with the same old crap they stopped buying the mags for in the first place and new readers aren't interested, too busy smashing my fucking car window and taking smack. I guess I'm a fan of Dredd's POTENTIAL, as I just feel let down by most of the stories I've read recently. I'm an adult, I want to read adult stories, be they books or comics. Not Cookie stories with stupid robots that unbelievably "Eat The Rich" (yes it's even been done before, just ask Lemmy or Aerosmith). Science Fiction isn't inherently childish - check out Ben Bova's "Mars", Arthur C Clarke's "A Fall Of Moondust" or Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series. None of these have graphic violence, swearing or sex, but they still manage to treat the reader like an adult, not a 10 year old and have a gripping, intelligent storyline.
I know I'm fighting a losing battle as you all love the Meg, that's why you post here after all, but who cares? I'm pissed, like a good Scotsman should be!
Cheers and c ye!
Stevie

I wouldn't mind a fucking shagfest - if it was integral to the story. Nothing wrong with a shagfest is there?

I think most of you are missing my point here - I'm not saying it should be darkness and violence ALL THE TIME. Just more often, with Dredd being treated as a PERSON rather than a 2D backdrop to set stories around. Didn't you all enjoy the Giant story with the snuff movie guys? That was pretty dark, just the sort of thing this issue of the Meg sorely lacked (yeah the organ harvest story was similar but more jokey). To be honest, I don't mind what happens with other stories or characters - I love Dredd and I'd love him even more if he was given more stories like The Dead Man where his character actually shines, rather than the old "I am the Law, creep!" every single issue. A bit of both worlds is all I'm saying, not constant doom and gloom, not constant hilarity and "zanyness".

To gauge opinion. You may have noticed some people actually agreed with me (to an extent!). I simply feel, good as it is, it could be better. The latest Meg, for me, was just TOO childish and wasn't balanced enough with a)darker DREDD stories, or b)quality Dredd stories.

I agree to an extent the stories shouldn't ALL be dark - it'd be like Eastenders and depress everyone. I enjoyed Dredd on the moon and the Walter the Wobot stories as much as anyone. What I'm saying is sometimes Dredd should be used as a CHARACTER, rather than just a backdrop for the stories. The Anderson story is what I'm talking about - couldn't we get a Dredd like that? Apparently Dredd was based on Clint Eastwood/ Dirty Harry - excellent idea, Dirty Harry was great. But if Dirty Harry had been full of zany humour and "Wobots" would it have been any good? I like Walter in some stories, but there should be more realistic characters as well - Batman had Ras Al Ghul, Dredd should have someone similar instead of constant fantasy figures like Death, Mean Machine, Cal ALL THE TIME (those three are also favourites of mine, but some dark villains AS WELL sould be great!).

"Well don't then. Piss off."

Why don't you make me? Here we see one of the big problems with internet message boards - peopole aren't allowed to have an opinion that disagrees with the majority, so they get told to "piss off". Shut your mouth in future if you've nothing constructive to say. IMO if 2000AD doesn't try to attract a more mature audience it'll be dead in a few short years.

I hadn't read 2000AD since I was 14, 12 years ago so when I subscribed recently to the Megazine I assumed it would have moved on somewhat in those 12 years. Last months Meg was promising but this months is very disappointing. The Anderson story was good, with excellent artwork, but the rest wasn't up to much. The chess story was just childish, with comic-like art, as was the Cookie story. 2000AD and the Meg aren't moving with the times, they are aiming the stories apparently at children rather than adults. Batman started to change years ago and got darker and more realistic - Dredd seems to have gone the other way. Has there ever been a Dredd graphic novel ONLY for adults, i.e. with an age rating? Isn't it about time Rebellion started to use the characters to try and reach the ADULT comic fans who enjoy the more realistic stories?
Am I the only one who thinks this? Do people over 25 really still enjoy reading things like Cookie and Master Moves? Wouldn't you rather see something even a little more mature like Batman's "Killing Joke"? Couldn't they aim 2000AD at adults and the Meg at kids/everyone? I don't want to subscribe to a magazine which I can only enjoy half of the stories, while feeling frankly embarrassed to be reading something like Cookie with it's Whizzer and Chips style art.

But there actually IS a BBC3 now....art predicting the future, a la Arthur C Clarke, or inevitable Beeb expansion....?

"Not really sure how anyone could mistake it for a Rogue Trooper collection."

Well have you seen the cover? I haven't read a RT story in over 12 years - it looked like Rogue to me!

Harry Twenty on the High Rock was genius - Invasion was just TOO ridiculous for me to enjoy it.