dogpoet

By "part of her function", I just meant the way she operated within the media conservative milieu, and the degree to which that milieu adapted to her and uses her to appear more reasonable. Though there isn't any reason that she and other conservatives might not be coordinating to some degree.

They don't need to cooperate any to do that, though: the woman is so barking mad and detached from reality that she makes a lot of the crap Cheney comes out with look vaguely reasonable by comparison. I think you're dead right about that being her function and the reason the GOP are encouraging her.

The interplay becomes more significant, and more interesting, as the series continues.

 

Personally, I loved both Zatanna and Guardian, but even if you didn't, I'd imagine you'll find something to like in most of the other minis.

I didn't say I disliked either, just that I was rather more impressed by Klarion and Shining Knight, which is probably as close to Morrison doing a full bore swords and sorcery story as we're likely to see. Klarion's definitely the stand out story there, imo. It's a bit annoying that's the one where only one issue is reprinted, not a couple...

So which creative team would you like to see taking a crack at Hellblazer, the pressures of reality and likelihood notwithstanding?

The Si Spencer notion is intriguing (and halfway plausible), but if I was editing the comic myself, I'd want to see it Milliganised, and ideally Tom Cocker or Kelley Jones on art.

The development of this thread suggests a conceit, now I think about it...

Just read the first Seven Soldiers bind up: some fine stuff in there (apart from Manhattan Guardian, the Zatanna miniseries, which was the only one I've so far bought, looks like being the weakest story there). I'll have to get the rest of these. I like the interplay between the stories a lot, it's subtle, but it's there.

No.

Just that Marvel doesn't have the same respect for Morrison as DC, they won't give Morrison the same freedom to go wild that DC trusts him with.

Morrison didn't explicitly state that. He was very professional when talking about Marvel. But, that's the decision I came to.

 

Wasn't Jemas already gone when Morrison left Marvel back for DC?

I'm not sure, but Jemas was still at Marvel in 2000, which was when Marvel Boy came out: he only got ousted when he made a complete tit of himself in the pissing contest he'd got into with Peter David, iirc. So if that was what Morrisson decided he'd had enough over, Jemas would still have been on hand.

We all write to our strengths and what we know.

It's why Isaac Asimov tried by all means to avoid ever writing women characters.

Hang on a minute, there's quite a few female characters in Asimov: Susan Calvin is probably the character he's best known for, come to that.

There's no earthly reason why they can't fit in the occasional story by somebody else around the regular writer: didn't do Delano or Ennis any harm, did it?

*cough*

Bloody hell: that one's spread quickly.

Dog-I forget the story about what happened with Marvel Boy. Morrison had the sequel all plotted out and then something happened with Marvel that the project ended up getting dropped. Morrison talked about in some interview what happened.

 

Bill Jemas wouldn't let him do it, basically. Apparently it was one of the factors which led to Morrison leaving Marvel...

It's a pity, but you can tell from the punchline that he was planning to seriously shake stuff up, and Jemas wasn't having anybody else come up with changes to the status quo, was he? It's probably as well peter David was able to call his bluff and hound him out of heavy handed editorialising (and indeed, Marvel's editorial staff).

Given that Millar was in with Jemas to almost the same extent as Brian Michael Bendis, did this have anything to do with the falling out between Millar and Morrisson that Mark mentioned?

course this is coming from someone who's idea of romantic is when edward norton and helena bonham carter hold hands and watch the buildings fall as pixies music comes screaming in.

You reckon it'd be more romantic if they started playing Motorhead instead?

I think I'd rather see a bit of a revolving door creative staff for a bit before the title settles down with another full-time writer. The prospect of being able to tell a one-, two-, or three-issue Hellblazer story without a regular commitment to the title might bring in some writers who would otherwise not bother with it. See if Paul Jenkins and Grant Morrison have any sort of Hellblazer stories left untold they'd like to get out of their system. Maybe try to find someone like China Mieville for a story (someone said something about 'proper' authors, right?).

If they are determined to bring in another "proper" writer, Kim Newman's probably the man for the job.

Ever thought about blogging, Mark? I could just see you riffing on a wide range of subjects. Blogs can be double-edged swords - they either add to, or take away from your writing momentum.

 

One of my favorite things you do is write very intelligently and at length about something and then sum it all up with a caustic, gutteral remark like, "And that is why Shakespeare scholarship between 1700 and the early- to mid-19th century was absolute shit" or something.

 

BOLSOK! That is such a very apt description of the way Mark tends to write (or talk/rant) about things. He'll go on at greath length, being very verbose and long-winded, and sum it all up at the end with something glib and slightly patronising.

That's the English university system for you: you're expected to tie arguments up with a tidy resolution and a crap punchline.

A minor, I think.

My mistake. It's years since I've played the guitar.

Agreed, but it was also a long time ago now.

"But it was in another company, and besides the wenchMillar is dead..."?

Giant Keef is, presumably, falling out of a giant coconut tree?

Wrestling erotica. Wrestling horror erotica. Dude, you know it makes sense.

Erotica is bloody hard to get anywhere with. Mind you it, was fetish erotica I failed miserably at, not wrestling erotica, so who knows?

 

What exactly is in this image, above?

It looks like he's fretting an E chord. Beyond that, I wouldn't like to speculate.

What with the hot weather I've been partial recently to that crappy oirish cider they've been peddling here, with ice.

And two large gins?

He also shouldn't be allowed within a dozen fucking miles of Hellblazer.

It is a case where I have no objection to DC blacklisting him myself, to be honest. That said, his run on Swamp Thing is definitely one of his better moments.

Ever thought about blogging, Mark? I could just see you riffing on a wide range of subjects. Blogs can be double-edged swords - they either add to, or take away from your writing momentum.

That could be a problem with the notion, particularly if he's trying to muster the zeal to write something else.

One of my favorite things you do is write very intelligently and at length about something and then sum it all up with a caustic, gutteral remark like, "And that is why Shakespeare scholarship between 1700 and the early- to mid-19th century was absolute shit" or something.

"And then the renaissance came along and ruined everything."

Hope that wasn't too sunshiney-uppy-assy but it's the truth!

 

Thanks, fella.

 

I'm pretty sure that there's a damn good book sitting inside me - false modesty aside, I know I've got a thoroughly tolerable way with words, and that my knowledge on a fair range of subjects is more than sufficient to get me started on a book - but I really do need to give myself the boot up the arse required to actually start writing the bastard.

 

Also, to figure out which book it actually is, of course. Dylan is pretty much taken (damn you, Charles Michael Gray!), but I'm sure that there must be a gap in the market relating to at least one of my pet subjects...

Is there a decent biography of King Crimson? (I know there's one of Fripp, but that isn't quite the same thing...)

Now I think about it, the VDGG book I've seen (which seems to be the only one extant) while excellent has a few gaps in it. One gets the impression that the authors, while conscientious, don't much like that late '70s Jackson and Banton free proto post punk album.

There's another good book to be had from Black metal as well, now I think about it: Lords of Chaos is good, but it's dating badly. Don't I recall you saying you were well up on that stuff?

Excellent! Malin, get home with the camera - we. Need. Those. Pics!!!

Cool your jets, Charlie: he hasn't passed out drunk yet.

 

 

I'm slightly disturbed by Charlie's apparently-fervent desire to see me unconscious and naked.

 

As to the refridgeration debate - bitters should never be refridgerated (slight chilling is permissible if room temperature is unseasonably high, but the bottle shouldn't be cold to the touch), while lagers should be (in fact, most of them are barely-drinkable otherwise). That's my approach, anyway. Some very hoppy/fizzy light ales benefit from chilling too, to be fair (German weissbier) - but if it's remotely dark or bitter, it really needs to be served at room temperature to be appreciated at its best.

I'd go along with that myself: I'm not drinking lukewarm lager, and IPA is a lot better cold.

On the other hand I have been known to chill stout on occasion, if only because that stops the draught cans spraying down half of the kitchen when you open them on a hot day.

What was I meant is that the actual sitting down and writing part. I'v spoken to a few writers and most have said that they HATE the writing. Brian K Vaughan specially said that he hates it, but once he finishs it and sees the final product it's like "Holy shit, that is awesome!". I forget who said it, But I remember reading that one writer would basically sit down, lock himself in the room and tell himself to he doesnt WANT to write, but HAS to.

That's precisely why a lot of people don't get any further than false starts, sadly: there are always a lot more reasons why you can't write than there are reasons why you can.