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[DavidXBrunt]

Very pleased to find the latest Meg in amongst all the threatening letters this morning. New Meg and the day off work? Nice. What with breaks only to make more cups of tea it's taken me two hours to get through the latest issue, and it was well worth it. Good issue.

Dredd - Nice to see more from your man Rennie. Another good script, one that we'll hopefully see elements of in future issues. And another reference to Gil Gerrard... Gordons interview was fun to read as well, especially his list of annoyances.

FireStarter - Not what I was expecting, and the art isn't as bad as the previews implied. Pleasantly surprised by this one. Nice vista of the Meg as well.

Devlin - Always a pleasure to see the Vaticans finest back in action. More set up but it looks like this one will be fun. Dev's rematch with the man who made him what he is should be interesting.

GOLD! Slaine - Not read this before, looks like it'll be good, but whether my interest will stretch 6 months is another matter...

Darkies Mob - Interesting stuff. This seems the best use of 'Gold' to me, stuff by familiar creators that won't be found in back issues.

T.P.O. - Covering a period that I've been waiting for, with some interesting stuff, particularly regarding Sin Dex.

Family - Good stuff, especially the art. Prefer this over Bendatti any day.

Black Sidhe - Perhaps too early to judge, but a nice opening episode (though proof positive that no-one can write about an asian family without mentioning arranged marriages). Nice art, I think with more episodes under its belt this could be good.

Sin Dex - They've finally made it into the Meg. Just what you were all waiting for. Well, I liked it.

[Leigh S]

Dredd - yeah, nice story from Gordon again - I loved Lenny Zero for expanding the details of the MC1 organised crime scene (but then I love the Mega Rackets as well). Colebys art - brrrr.  Always thought Colebys art was one of the worst things to happen to 2000 (too blocky, distorted and sparse and much too inconsistent to hold together in the way McMahons art did), and the recent Rogue stuff didn't do much to dispell it.   However, this was a definite improvement - more detail, more of a consistent style - still not my favourite artist, but moving in the right direction. My only fear is that more Carlito (yes please) might mean Lenny's not coming back - say it aint so!

Family: I hated Asylum, not a fan of superpowers, but theres a lot more interest in this - the explanation of the superpowers is a little flimsy to say the least, but the whole idea of superpowers is fairly flimsy anyway!

Black Siddha has a touch of the Toxics about it -  familiar themes from Pat - but the art is attractive (much more background detail than usual from SB) and there are signs this could be an interesting trip from Mr Mills - definitely a wait and see-er.

I'm assuming that the Sin Dex is an unused strip from Metal Hammer?  Are these ongoing or just a 'waste not want not' exercise?  If the latter, then once you've done with the Sin Dex strips, bring on the Daily Star Dredds darn you!

Overall, a huge read, helped by more revelations from TPO (only two more - thats a shame - Presumably, next weeks cover the MIB takeover and the sex prog to name just a few weird and sometimes wonderful things from back then - Interesting times!)

Overall - a top read - the mix of strips has never been wider, but theres a common sense of purpose that seems to be pushing the Meg, and it makes all the difference

[GordonR]

>>Gordons interview was fun to read as well, especially his list of annoyances.


Cheers, David.  Frankly, I thought it was bloody hilarious in places...  ;->

I don't like interviews, and used to turn them down most of the time - usually they're a po-faced exercise in self-love (ahem, mentioning no names, or last month's Meg...) - but this one was a good laugh to do.

And, talking of po-faced exercises in self-love, the powers-that-be now want me to write a monthly column for the Meg, based on my Interrogation Cube interview.  "More of that miserable, bitter, comedy self-loathing and jokes about John Wagner would be just the ticket, Gord", they told me.

After wrestling with my conscience for, oh, all of a couple of seconds ("Go on, said the evil demon lurking not-so-deep inside me.  "I know you profess to hate all those egotistical wankers who wank on about themselves and their work every week in their internet columns, but we all know you'd love to do it too.") I allowed myself to be persuaded to do it.

Apparently I'll be talking about comics.  Or something.  Possible topics for forthcoming columns include:  

'Shako - 10 Reasons Why It Should Be Brought Back.'

'Biotronic Stickers - The Places On Your Body Tharg *Didn't* Intend You To Put Them.'

'Ant Wars - A Neglected Classic?'

'Those Scotch Gits - Just What Is It With 2000AD And All The Scottish Droids?'

'Quentin Tarantino And His Influence On Comics - Thank God 'Kill Bill' Is Coming Out, Because We Ran Out Of Things To Steal From Pulp Fiction Years Ago Now'.

'Let's Be Honest Now, Some Of Those Great Old Strips In Action And Battle Were Really Quite Pish, Weren't They?'

It's going to be great, honest.

[paulvonscott]

Isn't the main difference that you'll be paid for this column?

An Internet Twat

[GordonR]

I'd be very surprised if some of the people I'm thinking of didn't get paid for writing their internet columns for the big comic web-sites. I'm not talking about Joey Small Press and the blog he does on his own personal site here...

Imagine, getting paid to wank on about yourself and your work - it's like the ultimate scam, or soemthing.

Anyway, that's enough from me.  I'm not giving my best material away for free anymore!

[paulvonscott]

I just thought that the ol' galactic groats may have changed you from disliking doing this sort of stuff to liking it ;), rather than it allegedly being a hoot.  

If you did a column, I would of course expect you to get paid for it Gorgon.  I never for one moment thought that columnists like Richard littejohn or Gary Bushell did it as part of their community service.

I was going to follow up with the fact that you'd better keep all of your posts very sparse and dreary and save all of your best stuff for the column, but you beat me too it.

[Mangamax]

That big shot of the Meg in Firestarter - is that Timothy Spall in the bottom right-hand corner?

[Mangamax]

That big shot of the Meg in Firestarter - is that Timothy Spall in the bottom left-hand corner?

[Queen Firey-Bou]

Ahh happy mega days... I hate to say it but am more exited about the meg these days than the prog, & thats a first , the necropolis days i struggled to read it... now you know that from a cheery 'non-moaner' like me thats saying somthing.

COVER= great brill...bows to S. Davis.

Dreddlines, = more boob pics ? don't be having us on with that trash, musta been 1 letter to 1500 against. our jason gets a mention too huh.

DRedd= great writting, art enjoyeable too. look forward to more of this guy, shall watch more de movies to get with the slang.

Juliet November= yeah surprisingly good, we'll wait n see, nice touches, 'the vom room'

Devlin= Mcneil great...scary creepy yucky dudes !

Family= nice developments, nice art, enjoying .(superpowers are usually naff aren't they)

Black Siddha= GREAT !!!!! art work WOW, & lots of groovy stuff, much underused cultural juicy stuff, shall go dig out the vig-reda for backround. ACE.

Interegation Cube= Mr Rennie, any internet twats in particular ? (boudicca pouts) look forward to the weekly wankery, even if you are one of the very few mere males to frighten this ultra-fierce cyborg-momma.  so what is yur top ten then ...?

[Trout]

"I allowed myself to be persuaded to do it"

Which is just laziness, I believe. Must try harder.

I shall look forward to it with interest, and hope it's as bitchy and fun as Bish-Op's stuff in Comic International.

Finally, a message for Rebellion:

Please ensure the Meg always arrives on a Saturday. It was great timing.

- Trout

[Marbles]

Dredd - good story from Gordo, shame about the art which I wasnt keen on at all.

Juliet November - sorry thought this was pants but maybe it wil get better?

Devlin - top stuff, lovely art. Shame its only 5 pages long!

Family - enjoying this one very much.

Black Siddha - seems like usual Millsy fare with an Eastern twist. Love the art but wasnt impressed with the 3 pages of 'talking panels'. Plenty of potential anyway.

Slaine - first time I've read this. Seems to have a hell of a lot going on, so thatits difficult to keep up with who's who (well it is for me)...

I won't comment on DM since I've pretty much said my piece on that subject!  

[Slippery PD]

Heres my two cents
Dredd - Liked it, but it seemed like the introduction of a seedy reoccuring character.  Which is good.  Art wasnt brill and I wasnt overly impressed.  Nice
Juliet November - Not good.  Not bad either.  This was the worst thing in the meg.  Passable
Devlin - after the prologue last month were BANG right in the middle of the action.  Liked it a lot and the art is sumptious.
Family - Im liking this.  I like Si Frasers art and Its very nice in B&W.  Some good ideas.  Did anyone else tho think of the authority when he spoke about sicilian true bloods?!?!  Didnt edginton write something in that universe?!  Having said that it didnt spoil my enjoyment one little bit!
Black Sidha - good start and Davis's art is good.  Well we are on rather Millsian teritory, but its definately peaked my interest more than the new Slaine.
Slaine - Please Pat have a look at this....  This is how we like it and remember it.  More like this please.
Darkies Mob - Wow!  Im impressed.  This is new to me.  Considering it was written before Bad Company (which obviously owes everything to it), its superb.  Also top marks to the colonel for the intro.....

The megazine is just the business at the moment...

Yer Slippo

[Mangamax]

Some scary mothers in Slaine alright. But the Langley droid - is his art fully painted or does he tweak it on the computer?
That last shot of Slaine looks like its been pulled around in Photoshop.

[Wake]

I noticed that the creators were John Wagner and Arthur Ranson, so had a search for the original story. Did you know that they are only credited together for a single Judge Dredd story in 2000AD.

Wake

[jock]

It's all done in photoshop...he scans in a pencil drawing and then goes off!! Some of it looks like there's some photo work under the manipulation, but Clint swears that there's not.



Jock