wagner, rennie, abnett

[Ol^ Marbles]

Ah well I'm really enjoying 'Class War' so its good news that he's gonna write for the Meg.

I'm not complaining re the writing on 2000 or the Meg btw - its been better now than for a goodly while I reckon. Wagner & Rennie et al are up there cos they do a great job after all ! But still, I can't help feeling it would be nice to hear a few more different voices.

[Art]

"No, there have been quie a few people who have had future shocks published, that in itself seems to be most peoples goal, but I was talking about people who have ended up writing for 2000AD regularly, i.e. they've had a series."

Really? I would have thought that by the time any writer got published they would have written and submitted enough Future Shocks to get bored of them and want to move on to something meatier.

(Believe me, nothing shows up the constrictions of the Future Shock genre better than writing a dozen of the buggers)

[Art]

I suspect that luck does play a role in getting a 2000AD writing gig. However Scoje is only bitter because it seems that patience, people skills and writing ability are also nescesary.

[John Caliber]

The Future Shock screening method has flaws. Some writers (like myself) can spin out mega-epics but just can't grasp a five page one-shot. Conversely, some writers who can just about fill five pages are unsuited to writing longer stories. It's a real shame because I'm certain there are lots of potential major talents out there who have trouble with FS but who could offer 2000AD some great multi-parters. I don't see why script solicitations can't be, say, three or four parters in addition to one-shots... I don't believe that crap that editors don't have time to read them.

- TC Caliber

Link: http://www.jdrpg.com/jdss" target="_blank">THE JUDGE DREDD STREET SIM

[paulvonscott]

"I would have thought that by the time any writer got published they would have written and submitted enough Future Shocks to get bored of them and want to move on to something meatier."

I'm sure thats true arthur, but the thing is, they don't have that choice.  What I'm saying, and I'll try to be as clear as posible, is that wirters who have entered 2000AD through unsolicited future shocks, have failed to do anything more than at most a few more future shocks.  

One thing I've often wanted to know is when the last writer actually came through out of Future Shocks?  Ten years, or even fifteen wouldn't surprise me.  

[Art]

Surely that would be Spurrious, right now, with his Bec and Kawl strip? Or are we only talking about writers who got in via the submissions pile (ie not pitchfest).

[paulvonscott]

Hi Arthur

Well, not Si as he got through in a pitchfest.  Which isn't to say that he didn't have to work as hard, in fact a pitchfest sounds too much like those scary school presentations.  All cudos to him.

Just to see if it was true, I've looked up to see when new writers appeared from future shocks.  I've chosen about 400 for a cut of point.  And only writers whose earliest prog seems to involve a one-off filler.  

There were a few writers who arrived with series, some who started straight onto Dredd or another Major Character and of course quite a few editors who seem to have spent their time writing sub standard material instead instead of editing it.  

So here it is, I may have missed someone off, but it shows that writers rarely seem to make it from one-offs.

MACMANUS 84-519 (Editor and Writer - 11)
Grant Morrison 443
John Smith 473
Jamie Delano 501

BURTON 520-872 (Editor and Writer - 1)
Hilary Robinson 590
Stuart Edwards 592
Mark Millar 643

MCENZIE 873-914 (Editor and Writer - 82)
'Funting' Dan Abnett 895
Peter Hogan 862

TOMLINSON 914-977 (Editor and Writer - 27)
Jim Alexander 926
Robbie Morrison 927
Dave Stone 948
Nick Abadzis 953

BISHOP 978-1199 (Editor and Writer -13)
Gorden Rennie 987
Mike Carey 1145

DIGGLE 1200-1273 (Editor and Writer - 4)
-

If you could then take off people who knew the editor, people who knew other writers, writers contacted from other work they'd done, then I'd be surprised if many if them were unknown unpublished writers who sent in a future shock.

This modern myth that you can make it in comics with a bit of luck is in my mind dubious.  I think there may have been windows of opportunity in the past.

That isn't to say I believe in any Secret Writers club, that's all bullshit, in most industries people get along with a mix of luck, talent, hard work and contacts.  I don't see why AD is any different.

But if you were serious about comics, you should do something else as well, because if you sit down and write a hundred future shocks a year, there isn't really a hope in hell.  Of course, anyone probably CAN get a future shock published, which is a good thing at least in terms of variety.

Well, all interesting stuff.

Cheers

paul

[Wood]

Out of interest, what is the procedure re. going from FS writer to a writer of a series?

[paulvonscott]

No idea Wood, but going through the list there were a lot of people who'd done future shocks (sometimes 5 or 6 and never gone onto anything else).  Not always a sign of the end of their short career, Neil Gaimen only ever did 4 Future Shocks in 2000AD!

The truth is the only people who can explain why how and where are probably the editors.  I don't think hiring and developing of writers is really a feature of the megazine articles, so any ideas into the mysteries of the command module anyone?

[Thread Zero]

I agree with you PVS.

With wishing to sound arrogant (What me!) I think I could write for 2k. I really mean that.

My two Dredd screenplays prove I can write. You lot will see my Possession one is really good, I promise you that.

(Calm down scojo)

But they won't employ me. No way Mexican Jose!

I will have to go the 5 page future shock route. And to be honest once you've written over 200 pages of Dredd scripts, I can't be bothered.:)

It's like the movie biz. It's who you know as much as what you er...write.

scojo





 

[Art]

"Well, not Si as he got through in a pitchfest. Which isn't to say that he didn't have to work as hard, in fact a pitchfest sounds too much like those scary school presentations. All cudos to him. "

Yes. Damn scary. I was in the same one as Andrew Lewis, and I had so much adrenaline pumping through my system I barely knew I was in the room. The pitch I had was a bit too clever for it's own good, and because I was so hyped I fucked up the presentation, and so that was me out of the running... It doesn't really matter of course, Andrew of course had utterly perfect presentation and a concept that was perfectly suited for the occasion, any other winner would have been pretty unlikely.

Would I do it again this year? Sure. I'd do it better though.

As for your list, well, AFAIK Grant Morrison started on Zoids, Nick Abadzis did some indy stuff, Gordon rennie wrote for (I think) Antarctica, etc... etc... I'm sure with research secret origins could be drawn up for a lot of those writers that don't include having tens of FSs rotting in the submissions pile, so you do have a point. That doesn't mean its impossible though.

One thing that would matter is what happened after the FS was accepted. The submission guidelines suggest you need a body of 5 page works before they'd even consider a pitch for some larger. If landing a FS lead to some kind of direct line of communication then follow on work could eventually lead to a new series, ala Spurious. If after landing an FS lead to submitting more scripts to the submissions pile, then, well, forget it, never going to happen, there'd be an iceage before you built up a body of work large enough to start pitching larger stuff.

I've not got to that stage yet, so I can't say for sure what would happen, but I'm going to continue desperately submitting scripts in an effort to find out. At least until I come up with a better plan.

-ART

[paulvonscott]

Yeah Arthur, I thought Morrison and Abadzis at least had other stuff under their belt, and I'm sure many others did.  I imagine an editor may take someone straight off the back of another project and place them onto a series if they think they are the right stuff.  Maybe they'll give them a future shock first to see if the are AD material.  Getting established writers is a perfectly reasonable idea.

Of course I'm not trying to say its impossible for someone to make it with future shocks, or try and depress those trying even more, I just thought a realistic look at it might put things in perspective.  For anyone who wants to do it, do it!  Hey, I do.  Who knows, new company, new editor, anything could happen, watch the skies etc.

No Scojo, I wasn't saying you could write 2000AD.  Nor was I saying I could write 2000AD.  From some of the future shocks I have seen floating about, I know that there are plenty of people who could have a good stab at it. But it would be crazy to say they'd neccesarily be better than any current writers, the prrofs in the pudding, anyway, thats a different discussion.

[Thread Zero]

Lets face it most future shocks are crap anyway.

Just have some silly twist at the end.

If Steve Moore can write em and get away with it, there's hope for us all!

And remember folks,

Dont forget to feed the cat!

Ha ha ha

I'll go now.

scojo

[Art]

I'd be much more impressed by Scojo if he wrote 5 pages of profesional quality Future Shock, rather than 200+ of fanfic gibberish thats got no hope of going anywhere.

[Thread Zero]

I'd be much more impressed by Scojo if he wrote 5 pages of profesional quality Future Shock, rather than 200+ of fanfic gibberish thats got no hope of going anywhere.

My screenplays are NOT fan gibberish. They may not get me anywhere but they are not gibberish.

You will see Mr Pfft, you will see.

scojo fighting pffts everywhere

I said pffts not poofs, oh never mind....