The Comics Thread

[MacNimon]

I’ve just realised that we haven’t had a comics thread around here since the ezboard days, so I think it’s about time to resurrect it.

So here we go…the place to discuss anything and everything, comic-related. What you like, what you don’t like; writers, artists, titles, characters, gossip…you name it, here’s the place to discuss it.

A question for comics fans, to kick things off….what would be your choice to recommend to an adult, someone who has never been a comics fan (even as a kid), in an attempt to show that comics aren’t simply ‘kids stuff’ and that they deserve to be recognised as a valid (and intelligent) form of literature? Bear in mind that I’m talking about people who have never been interested in comics, who have perhaps tended to look down their noses at what they perhaps regard as a juvenile form of entertainment, not to be taken seriously (rather than the adults who grew up with them and probably grew out of them - like yours truly - but who continued to have a soft spot for them, which will always be there and will be indulged occasionally)

And the same question goes for those who aren’t comics fans. What would you look for in a comic strip which would make you take them seriously? Is there anything out there which could make you change your views on the subject, or do you think that nothing would be able to convince you that comics could ever be anything other than ‘kid’s stuff’?

[Alex]

That's a difficult question as there are loads of comics that I love, but that wouldn't be the best introduction to such an adult.

V For Vendetta or From Hell would be tempting, as they're both very accessible but also really intelligent books, indeed most things by Alan Moore would be high up on my list as I'm such a huge fan of his.

I think I'd be tempted to suggest Grant Morrison's run on Animal Man too, as it takes a very human look at what it is to be a super hero, before quite cleverly deconstructing the DC comics universe in it's final issues. I also like Garth Ennis' first 6 issues of Hellblazer, where Constantine has to come to terms with suffering with cancer whilst trying to outwit the devil, the mix of horror, humanity and humour in those issues is fascinating, and Ennis really pulled it off effectively.

And once/if they decided they liked comics, then I'd unleash the weird and crazy stuff on them, like Morrison's run on Doom Patrol, Hewligan's Haircut, Shade The Changing Man, and some of Moore's most eccentric material...

[MacNimon]

I'd agree that it would be hard to pick something suitable to convert an adult. A lot would depend on whether they'd be willing to have an open mind to begin with, or if they have a built-in predudice against comics, which would make it near impossible. And it certainly would be a big help if they had read comics at some time in their life...

The reason why I asked the question to begin with was one of my workmates, a 66 year-old who doesn't want to retire. He was in my house a few weeks ago and he spotted my copy of the DC Showcase edition of Jonah Hex lying around. "Cowboys, eh? I haven't read a good cowboy book in ages" he said. He wasn't put off in the slightest when he saw that it was a book of comic strips, it was quite the opposite in fact...he "used to read those old Commando books all the time" and commented on how you can't get them these days (he's wrong there!) so he would look forward to reading this. Which he did...over one weekend! He returned it, and was disappointed that I didn't have a second volume

So it just shows, you're never too old to enjoy comics...all that's needed is an open mind and reading material geared for your tastes. I've got to admit though, I don't think that he would have appreciated a superhero title as a substitute for a second volume of Jonah Hex...

[Alex]

He may well be interested in my friend Chris's comic series, Massacre For Boys - http://www.massacreforboys.co.uk/ - it's an pastiche on old war comics where all the heroes are 'walking wounded', it's got a nice sense of humour about itself and gets better and better with each issue too.

I've just finished reading the first three issues of the new IDW Doctor Who comics series, it's a lot of fun but I just wish the art style wasn't so cartoony, whilst it captures Martha okay, the resemblence to DT is quite poor a lot of the time. It's a nice storyline though, from Gary Russell, with an interesting plot arc too so I think I'll carry on reading it for the time being.

[Rob McCow]

On an aside, there's a big interview with Alan Moore in this month's Death Ray magazine where he talks about everything from Captain Britain to 2000AD, Watchmen and his recent 'pornographic' novel. And how much he hates everyone!

[Alex]

Cool, I'll have to pick that up as Moore always gives an entertaining interview - have you heard the one he did for Radio 4 with Stewart Lee, Steve? Paul lent it to me and it's a really fun listen.

I've just read the first three issues of the new IDW US Doctor Who comic, written by Gary Russell, and it's not bad at all. It's a bit broad, and the art's a bit too cartoony for my liking (Martha comes across well, but their version of Tennant's weak in places), but it's been enjoyable so far and there's hints of a series arc involving a giant cat that's intriguing too.

[Rob McCow]

I bought Watchmen this weekend, so I've been reading a bit of that. The use of short-story / biography extracts to add depth to the main story is a wonderful idea. I've got as far as Dr.Manhattan's TV interview where he wants everyone to 'leave him alone!' Brilliant stuff so far, atmospheric and disturbing. Some great twisted humour too.

For my money it's already far better than V for Vendetta - and I enjoyed that loads.

[Alex]

I love Watchmen, like you I'm a big fan of V for Vendetta but I think it's the best thing Moore's ever done - though League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comes a close second just becase you can see how much fun Moore's having with the whole idea.

I've just read of all 60 issues of Brian K. Vaughan's Y The Last Man, which is a great series exploring what would happen if all the men in the world (bar one, Yorick Brown) all suddenly died at exactly the same moment, and how things would develop in that light.

It's shocking, funny, bizarre and very very well written, and takes the reader to places you might have thought you'd never visit, and I'd definitely recommend it.

I'm going to make a start on Preacher next, I've read the first two graphic novels, but none of the others, and I'm really looking forward to it as when Garth Ennis is on top form he's one of the best writer's in the business imo.

[Paul Monk]

I've started reading the Essential Hulk Vol 1. Its interesting to the first few issues. Banner initially turns into to the Hulk at night time then back to Banner at dawn which is quite different from whats become established now.
Its also quite interesting to see how soon he gets involved in alien invasions and being blasted out into space.

[MacNimon]

I've got the colour version of the original six issues from Panini's Pocket Book range. It might be my imagination, but the colouring/shading in issue 2 is interesting...although the Hulk is green for the entire story, in certain scenes the colouring hints at a grey Hulk. I assume that this is new colouring designed to add a bit of continuity to the sories, to give the impression of a gradual change from the grey Hulk of issue one into the green one we all know today.

It would be interesting to compare this to the original colour version...

[Rob McCow]

Its also quite interesting to see how soon he gets involved in alien invasions and being blasted out into space.

I think that's a basic problem with the more accepted format of the Hulk. He can stop alien invasions and battle with demon hounds, but only if they make him angry and keep him angry. An alien invasion by cute teddy bears for example would go right under his radar.

Did he used to be grey specifically because it was in black and white?

[WhiteCrow]

Gotta love the Watchmen.

I came to the Watchmen kind of late on in the late 80s. The problem was by that time, every comic had gone for that kind of dark story.

As I've said the sheer depth to the story is what keeps bringing me back - there's a lot going on and a lot of perspectives (including one which is kind of alien in Doctor Manhattan). I think that's what keeps it fresh every time you read it. Like I've said I change and grow up, and so identify differently with the characters each time - I think I might be tending to the Comedian in my old age, already been a Rorsharch angry young man, a Veidt visionary and a Night Owl mid-life crisis-er.

[WhiteCrow]

Echoing Pauls post - I've got some of the first Hulk/Spider-Man issues in a hardcover format.

There's something just fascinating in those early pages, elementary but effective.

One problem with comics I found and the reason I don't tend to collect any more (although I'm always prowling the graphic novel area in the library) is that it can be a very expensive hobby, often a single issue is quite annoyingly sparse on story and post-Watchmen a lot of comics are so dark that they have forgotten how to be escapist fun.

[MacNimon]

Did he used to be grey specifically because it was in black and white?

The character was originally grey (in the first ever issue) but due to a colouring error he appeared green in issue 2 and the colour stuck...apparently in those days using the colouring processes of the time it was easier to colour something green than grey!

I've never read Watchmen, though. I've heard a lot of good things about it over the years, and I've usually enjoyed Alan Moore's work, so I really should try it out sometime.

[Paul Monk]

and post-Watchmen a lot of comics are so dark that they have forgotten how to be escapist fun.

I think that's why I'm enjoying the Essentials so much. They're all so daft and silly yet great fun. Its also fascinating to see the obvious anti-commie stance that Stan Lee puts in a lot of the early stuff as well as all the 60's groovy talk.
I can also recommend the new Captain Britain issues by Paul Cornell. They definitely capture some of that escapist fun and are a great celebration of all the Brit Marvel heroes.

[MacNimon]

Talking of Essentials, I picked up The Essential Rampaging Hulk at the weekend. Is anyone else familiar with this series? I remember reading it way back in 1978 when Marvel's weekly 'Rampage' title went monthly, this was the title's lead-off strip with The Defenders being the back-up. But in a nut-shell, this was the B&W magazine-format version of the Hulk, with an epic period-piece storyline set in the earliest days of the Marvel universe (1963, to be exact) set immediately after the 6 issues of the original Hulk title published in 1962/63, and featured guest-stars such as the Sub-Mariner and the original (pre-Avengers) Avengers - Iron Man in his early gold armour, etc.

I haven't actually read this yet, I can't get past drooling over the fantastic artwork by the likes of Walt Simonson, Herb Trimpe and Sal Buscema...but for me it's the inking of Alfredo Alcala which sets this head and shoulders above anything that ever appeared in the 'real' Hulk colour series. But the scripting is by Doug Moench, an old favourite of mine, so I don't expect to be disappointed (in fact, I picked up another of his Essential titles at the same time...Moon Knight, another strip I was really fond of, particularly the Bill Symkiewicz drawn stuff)

[Alex]

I finished the full run of Preacher and quite enjoyed it, you can sense the amount of fun that Garth Ennis had playing with established concepts of religion (it features God abandoning heaven / humanity, and the Rev Jesse Custer tracking him down, y'see) as well as various controversial subjects.

Character wise it's a little simplistic - Jesse's all but John Wayne (who pops up himself in the series, oddly enough), with Tulip being a massive wank fantasy as she sticks by her man no matter how he treats her, but there's a lot of fun to be had with sidekick vampire Cassidy, and the various supporting cast like Arseface (it's a long story), and Custer's various foes, one of whom suffers so many terrible events that it's impossible not to feel a bit sorry for him, despite him being an evil so and so.

I wouldn't say it's worth buying the graphic novels at comic shop prices, but if you can get them in charity shops or via ebay (where they seem reasonably cheap) I'd say it's a series worth getting in to.

I'm still reading the Buffy and Angel comics too. Buffy finally has gotten a lot better, and feels suitably epic right now, whilst Angel is top stuff, I really wish there had been a sixth series as this would have been wonderful to see on tv.

[MacNimon]

As an excuse to move this thread back up the page a bit I’ve got a few questions regarding comics in general to pose to you. Just to get an idea of what people here like and appreciate…and to get into topics not covered in the more general ‘What are you reading…' thread. I’ll come back soon with some more in-depth questions on various topics, dependant on the answers given here.

When did you start reading comics? What are your earliest comic memories?

Which do you prefer, British or American comics? Or something else entirely?

Do you have a favourite genre ? Do you like superhero stuff best, or are you a fan of other genres such as sci-fi, horror, fantasy, western, war, crime, romance etc?

Who do you rate among your favourite artists and writers?

Do you think that comics are purely kids stuff (which many adults like anyway), or do you think that they have a much wider appeal than they used to? Take superhero titles, for instance. Are they written with kids in mind or adults? Or is there some middle ground which which they aim for?

Do you think there is a future for the British comic industry?

Do you read daily newspaper comic strips? Would you regard these as ‘real’ comics (as opposed to something which you have to specifically buy in its own right if you want to read it)? What sort of newspaper strips do you feel work best?

Marvel or DC?

[Alex]

As an excuse to move this thread back up the page a bit I’ve got a few questions regarding comics in general to pose to you. Just to get an idea of what people here like and appreciate…and to get into topics not covered in the more general ‘What are you reading…' thread. I’ll come back soon with some more in-depth questions on various topics, dependant on the answers given here.

When did you start reading comics? What are your earliest comic memories?

I think, as with most people my age, it started with the Beano (or any of the other similar kids titles like The Dandy, Whizzer and Chips, Buster, etc) which I always enjoyed, but it became something I really loved when the Eagle was relaunched in 1982. I loved Doomlord in it, and one of my earliest memories was his ruthless killings, and the way he used his ring to evaporate the dead bodies.

Which do you prefer, British or American comics? Or something else entirely?

It varies, I have to say overall that it's American comics, but a lot of the time it's titles by British authors - mainly because 2000AD / Judge Dredd the Megazine are the only serious comics on the market, but also because once a writer shows how good he is he's often snapped up by DC / Marvel / Dark Horse. A friend who's just started publishing his own comics has gotten me in to the Small Press industry though, and there's a lot of interesting stuff going on there too.

Do you have a favourite genre ? Do you like superhero stuff best, or are you a fan of other genres such as sci-fi, horror, fantasy, western, war, crime, romance etc?

Again, it varies, but I guess my main area is sci-fi/fantasy, though I do love some superhero comics, and some horror ones too. I can't say the western
and war genres do it for me (and I don't think I've ever read a romance, though I've seen them out there), but as long as it's good I don't mind what genre it is really.

Who do you rate among your favourite artists and writers?

The obvious ones for me are Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Wagner and Grant, Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis, Peter Milligan, Brian K. Vaughan, Warren Ellis (Planetary is especially superb and should be sought out if anyone hasn't read it), but Robert Kirkman's a fairly new name for me who I'm really liking - he does two comics at the moment that I love, Invincible, a fresh and fun take on what it's like to be a teenage superhero, and The Walking Dead, a gritty and quite disturbing zombie horror comic.

Artists wise, I love Brian Bolland, Simon Bisley, Adam Hughes, Kevin O'Neil, Dave McKean, Kelly Jones, and Darick Robertson, but as with the list of writers, I'm probably missing out loads who I really like too.

Do you think that comics are purely kids stuff (which many adults like anyway), or do you think that they have a much wider appeal than they used to? Take superhero titles, for instance. Are they written with kids in mind or adults? Or is there some middle ground which which they aim for?

I think they're largely for both - titles often have themes which are as interesting to kids as they are to adults, and of course there's a whole batch of comics (like DC's Vertigo line) that are for adults only, and I'd be horrified to see them in the hands of a child!

Do you think there is a future for the British comic industry?

Hmmm. That's a difficult one. Whilst 2000AD still maintains okay sales figures, as do a few of the children's titles, in general it's a fairly difficult period for the industry. The main problem is, as I mentioned above, is that as soon as someone becomes popular they're lured over to the US and the British industry can't afford to keep them. But I imagine they'll always be some kind of 2000AD anthology-esque title around, and the small press industry should carry on being interesting too - but I do feel that the glory days are sadly probably over.

Do you read daily newspaper comic strips? Would you regard these as ‘real’ comics (as opposed to something which you have to specifically buy in its own right if you want to read it)? What sort of newspaper strips do you feel work best?

I'm afraid I don't really read them, and when I have done in the past I've never been that impressed by them. The short and funny strips (like, say, Garfield) can be fun, but the more serious ones have never done it for me.

Marvel or DC?

I'm a DC Kid all the way! I've time for a few Marvel superheroes (Spidey, She Hulk) but most of the ones I really like are DC Universe based.

[MacNimon]

When did you start reading comics? What are your earliest comic memories?
I'm like you, Alex...it started with the likes of the Dandy, Beano, Topper etc but one of my earliest regular titles was Disney's 'Donald & Mickey' title, way back in the very early 70s

Which do you prefer, British or American comics? Or something else entirely?
British comics were very much a part of my childhood, titles such as Bullet, Warlord, Starlord and many others but it was the more in-depth epic stories told in American ones which really made an impact on me.

Do you have a favourite genre ? Do you like superhero stuff best, or are you a fan of other genres such as sci-fi, horror, fantasy, western, war, crime, romance etc?
Again, I grew up with the Marvel UK range in the 70s so I'll always have a soft spot for superheroes. But nowadays I'm happier reading fantasy stuff such as Conan, or westerns such as Jonah Hex (the original 70s series was excellent)

Who do you rate among your favourite artists and writers?
I can't really comment on modern day guys, not having read much of their stuff, but some of the older guys such as Alan Moore, John Byrne, Frank Miller did some excellent stuff back in the 80s. I'm a big fan of Steve Ditko and John Buscema as well.

Do you think that comics are purely kids stuff (which many adults like anyway), or do you think that they have a much wider appeal than they used to? Take superhero titles, for instance. Are they written with kids in mind or adults? Or is there some middle ground which which they aim for?
I think that originally they were aimed at kids but that they probably started growing up along with their readers during the 70s. The Marvel range of b&w magazines, along with Warren who gave us Creepy and Eerie, for instance, was free of the restrictios of the Comics Code Authority, and offered us slightly more intelligently written, mature stories (by that, I mean aimed at older readers....often sold by having more scantily clad women in them than their colour counterparts. Still, it was a start...) It wasn't until the early 80s though when John Byrne took over the reins of the Fantastic Four, and Frank Miller's Daredevil, that we really saw a great improvement in the regular ongoing titles though.

Do you think there is a future for the British comic industry?
I hope so, but it's hard to see exactly how at the moment.

Do you read daily newspaper comic strips? Would you regard these as ‘real’ comics (as opposed to something which you have to specifically buy in its own right if you want to read it)? What sort of newspaper strips do you feel work best?
The only ones I really enjoy are the funnies such as Beau Peep and Shuggie & Duggie. Serious strips can be hard to follow unless you read the same newspaper religiously every day.

Marvel or DC?
Marvel, without a doubt. I grew up with these during the seventies when DC titles were very hard to get around here, but I've a soft spot for many early 80s DC titles which I read once our local newsagents started getting regular supplies of them.

[Alex]

[B]British comics were very much a part of my childhood, titles such as Bullet, Warlord, Starlord and many others but it was the more in-depth epic stories told in American ones which really made an impact on me.

I think that's why I got in to US comics too, as much fun as the UK ones were, only having 5 pages a week could be frustrating, especially when a series might only last 10 episodes or so. Whereas with US comics you could have story arcs that could go on for years in some titles.

Again, I grew up with the Marvel UK range in the 70s so I'll always have a soft spot for superheroes. But nowadays I'm happier reading fantasy stuff such as Conan, or westerns such as Jonah Hex (the original 70s series was excellent)

I've never read any Jonah Hex, so I might have to get my hands on some as I've heard it's good. And I forgot that one of my favourite recent titles, Preacher, is a mix of western and fantasy, and I'd recommend that, it's unusual but very enjoyable stuff. Apparently there's a movie version in development, which should be interesting, especially considering the comic's take on religion.

I can't really comment on modern day guys, not having read much of their stuff, but some of the older guys such as Alan Moore, John Byrne, Frank Miller did some excellent stuff back in the 80s. I'm a big fan of Steve Ditko and John Buscema as well.

I forgot about John Byrne, I think he's a great writer too, and really enjoyed his run on She Hulk when he handled both writing and pencilling duties.

Do you think there is a future for the British comic industry?

I hope so, but it's hard to see exactly how at the moment.

Yeah, it's a bit dispiriting at the moment, even US comics aren't selling that well, and they've lost their image of being 'cool' again, apparently (or so I read on the internet). It's odd really, considering how big comic book movies are, though considering how much they cost I suppose I can understand it a bit. I'd be happy to a return to crappier paper, and not having all the strips in colour, if it meant a decent price reduction, but I can't see that happening alas.

[MacNimon]

I think that's why I got in to US comics too, as much fun as the UK ones were, only having 5 pages a week could be frustrating, especially when a series might only last 10 episodes or so. Whereas with US comics you could have story arcs that could go on for years in some titles.

The American ones were simply more satisfying, imo. Especially when it came to Marvel's B&W range...for example, Savage Sword of Conan (even though I mostly read the UK reprints) would regularly have stories around the 50-page mark, something you would never get in a British comic. This allowed for better plotting and character development, which appealed to me at the time.

I've never read any Jonah Hex, so I might have to get my hands on some as I've heard it's good. And I forgot that one of my favourite recent titles, Preacher, is a mix of western and fantasy, and I'd recommend that, it's unusual but very enjoyable stuff. Apparently there's a movie version in development, which should be interesting, especially considering the comic's take on religion.

I'd recommend the DC Showcase volume, the early strips in particular. This was in the days when it was a straight western strip, mind...before they started introducing fantasy elements. I forget who wrote the series originally, but even though they tended to be a series of individual stories they were well written, with some excellent art by Dick Giordano. When Micheal Fleisher took over the scripting reins, he introduced an ongoing storyline which was good and added background to the character, but in the process made Hex more of a wise-cracking character which I didn't feel was quite in keeping with the guy we'd seen up till that point.
I'll have to check out the recent stuff about the character, I've heard that it's pretty good stuff as well. And Preacher sounds pretty much up my street as well, Alex, I'll watch out for that once I've caught up with what I've already got waiting to be read. I assume there's a 'graphic novel' trade paperback version of it? There's not much that doesn't get re-released in that format these days.

I forgot about John Byrne, I think he's a great writer too, and really enjoyed his run on She Hulk when he handled both writing and pencilling duties.

I loved Byrne's take on the Fantastic Four back in the early 80s, it really breathed new life into that title when it was flagging a bit. That run was one of my all-time favourites of any title, ever.

Yeah, it's a bit dispiriting at the moment, even US comics aren't selling that well, and they've lost their image of being 'cool' again, apparently (or so I read on the internet). It's odd really, considering how big comic book movies are, though considering how much they cost I suppose I can understand it a bit. I'd be happy to a return to crappier paper, and not having all the strips in colour, if it meant a decent price reduction, but I can't see that happening alas.

American comics are very expensive these days, aren't they? Long gone are the days of buying piles of them at a time in your local newsagents. I'm like you, I'd rather see a return to cheaper paper and prices, but I can't see that either.

[cullsoft]

When did you start reading comics? What are your earliest comic memories?

Think I was around 6 when I started reading comics - Phillip would get the Beano, and I would get the Dandy; even though which one we'd each get was more or less set in stone, we'd often read the other (well, I'd read both at least :P ).

On top of this, we were both very much into the Supermarionation (i.e Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet, etc.) comics when they were about in the 90's. I remember winning a competition in the Stingray comics to win a toy Stingray and set of figures... which I barely remember entering, and while I was living overseas!


Which do you prefer, British or American comics? Or something else entirely?

I tend to find myself going for the comics that use something a bit more... "unique" to their drawing styles. Rather than choosing between British and American comics, I'd probably find myself going for more of the Continental styles, such as the Tintin and Asterix comic books.

Funnily enough, even though I'm a big fan of the Japanese Manga drawing style (and a lot of my drawing style is influenced by it as well as Continental styles), I read very few Manga comics if any. I'm not hugely aware of what stories are currently on the market, and those I do know of don't really appeal to me.

If there's something that particularly appeals to me in comics and artwork, it'd be anthropomorphic characters, notably those presented as animals/animal-people (or "Furries"). It's an odd thing, but it's always been something that could draw me in like a moth to a lamp.


Do you have a favourite genre ? Do you like superhero stuff best, or are you a fan of other genres such as sci-fi, horror, fantasy, western, war, crime, romance etc?

Going back to the Tintin stories, I'd say that "adventure" would best describe the stories I like; a fair mixture of action and comedy also help make a story work for me. The setting for the story isn't of huge importance to me - fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, historic... if it's got a good and enjoyable story to tell, and at least does a fair job with using it's setting, it'd probably do well for me.


Who do you rate among your favourite artists and writers?

I'll admit, it's sometimes hard to think of names... or at times I'm sorry, I haven't a clue who the artist is!

A couple of names that do spring to mind are...
- Hergé
- Uderzo (from the Asterix series)
- Steve Kite (did some of the Thunderbirds comics)


Do you think that comics are purely kids stuff (which many adults like anyway), or do you think that they have a much wider appeal than they used to? Take superhero titles, for instance. Are they written with kids in mind or adults? Or is there some middle ground which which they aim for?

I think it's naive to presume that comics are purely for kids - IMO it's another media for presenting a story in a visual manner, and gets a bad rap because it's automatically linked to children's comics.

There've been a few comics I've read that I would certainly think are of a more grown-up nature...
- While at uni, I would flip through a few of my housemate's copies of Lobo - let's say that the level of violence, gore, language and biker-style humour were not for the lil'uns. I also read through his copies of Transmetropolitan (a series I keep meaning to get back into), and I'd have said the stories, themes and concepts (not to mention the language) were geared far more for adults.
- The surreal comedy of the Sam & Max series would go over many a youngster's head.
- The Usagi Yojimbo series is one that springs to mind that young and old can enjoy (and one I've recently rediscovered about and want to look for). Whilst the anthropomorphic characters would make one assume it to be purely geared at children, the stories actually paint a very good image of the life and times of feudal Japan that all ages can appreciate.


Do you think there is a future for the British comic industry?

Sadly, I really don't know enough about the British comic industry to say one way or the other.


Do you read daily newspaper comic strips? Would you regard these as ‘real’ comics (as opposed to something which you have to specifically buy in its own right if you want to read it)? What sort of newspaper strips do you feel work best?

I'll admit that when I sometimes pick up a newspaper or magazine I'll end up "flipping to the funnies". In these cases, I find that the one (or very few) panel stories that tell a joke or bit of satire work the best for me (Gary Larson's The Far Side cartoons spring to mind), and sadly the multi-part ones don't often work as I'd need to read the whole series to get what's happening (and inevitably I'd have missed the most important bits)... ironically, I'm aware this is exactly what the Tintin series was!

[Si Hunt]

Herge was just amazing on so many levels. I find it incredible you can read the books he made thirty years apart and not be able to tell which came first, he's so consistent.

Si.

[Alex]

I'll have to check out the recent stuff about the character, I've heard that it's pretty good stuff as well. And Preacher sounds pretty much up my street as well, Alex, I'll watch out for that once I've caught up with what I've already got waiting to be read. I assume there's a 'graphic novel' trade paperback version of it? There's not much that doesn't get re-released in that format these days.

Yeah, I think the whole thing's been released in graphic novel format, the early issues definitely have. It's a little extreme in places, but I do think there's a lot to like about it.

I loved Byrne's take on the Fantastic Four back in the early 80s, it really breathed new life into that title when it was flagging a bit. That run was one of my all-time favourites of any title, ever.

I've never read those, being more of a DC kid, but I should track them down as I like Byrne a lot, and the FF are one of the Marvel teams that appeal a lot to me, hell, I even liked both of the recent movies!

American comics are very expensive these days, aren't they? Long gone are the days of buying piles of them at a time in your local newsagents. I'm like you, I'd rather see a return to cheaper paper and prices, but I can't see that either.

Yeah, the price has just gone up to $3.99 per issue for DC and Marvel comics, which is ridiculously high, especially as it'll probably make them about £3 each over here. That's why I stick to buying graphic novels from charity shops or car boot sales, or get hold of them over the net.

- While at uni, I would flip through a few of my housemate's copies of Lobo - let's say that the level of violence, gore, language and biker-style humour were not for the lil'uns. I also read through his copies of Transmetropolitan (a series I keep meaning to get back into), and I'd have said the stories, themes and concepts (not to mention the language) were geared far more for adults.

I was a big fan of Lobo before it went too far, and a lot of the humour became repetitive. Transmetropolitan's great too, it's Warren Ellis having a lot of fun and ripping in to all of the things that he hates, whilst maintaining a sense of humour about itself too.

The surreal comedy of the Sam & Max series would go over many a youngster's head.

I'll have to check those out as I really liked the original Sam and Max PC game, and have heard other good things about them too.