- @parsnipnose3000 @Glinner is the man behind Father Ted, Big Train, Black Books (1st season?) & The IT Crowd… all classics. in reply to parsnipnose3000 #
- @parsnipnose3000 Oh my gosh… Black Books is especially good first series. IT Crowd is broad as it is deep… in reply to parsnipnose3000 #
- @parsnipnose3000 …Big Train is a sketch show: as such quite variable, but the high points are sublime. Features Pegg, Heap, Eldon, Morris. in reply to parsnipnose3000 #
- @parsnipnose3000 & THEN SOME. We haven't even started on Armando… in reply to parsnipnose3000 #
- @RivkaJacobs S'good innit? in reply to RivkaJacobs #
- @parsnipnose3000 Oh, gosh… well, he's been a top rank comedy producer for years – far as DVD goes, tho, look for Day Today on… in reply to parsnipnose3000 #
- @parsnipnose3000 …so I'm Alan Partridge, The Armando Iannucci Show, The Thick Of It, Time Trumpet…his name is a mark of surreal quality. in reply to parsnipnose3000 #
- @parsnipnose3000 …Then Chris Morris, who is a collaborator of both, who followed his work on Day Today with Brass Eye, which was great… in reply to parsnipnose3000 #
- Some key Armando moments from his own show: Happiness – http://twurl.nl/mlh4ec, Imagination – http://twurl.nl/ekg4bk for @parsnipnose3000 #
- God, I love Peter O'Hanra-Hanrahan. http://twurl.nl/hrqvhl http://twurl.nl/rcrh61 http://twurl.nl/yqx8i5 #
- Like a sort of hard-core Benny Hill – http://twurl.nl/ybr3a7 #
- @RedMummy Had you heard that September 11th WTC thing before? in reply to RedMummy #
- Way overdue, but now that it's finally done, maybe I can get back to posting! Bristol Con Small Press haul review: http://is.gd/1lRaQ #
- @RedMummy If he has any questions, feel free to pass them on, or if you like you can give him my e-mail addy. I promise not to swear. in reply to RedMummy #
- @williehewes I have written up, among other things, Leek & Sushi. It is here: http://is.gd/1lRaQ. Thought you'd like to know! #
- @caitlinmoran Not TOO pretentious. Under the circumstances – massively covered celeb death, I mean – pretty good read! in reply to caitlinmoran #
- "It's cool to dance, but what about the groove that soothes that moves romance" It's a classic @thepetshopboy. Fairplay to accidental props. #
- Yes… yes I am, @thepetshopboy. No, hang on… I'm the motherfucking Brit fresh prince, dog. #
- @thoughtmecca Isn't it oddly infectious? in reply to thoughtmecca #
- Nice choice @thepetshopboy: "my all-time fave JOY DIVISION cover: JOSE GONZALEZ's haunting version of "love wil… ♫ http://blip.fm/~9avd6 #
- @thepetshopboy But I'm the BRIT Fresh Prince. WE keep it gangster thin. in reply to thepetshopboy #
- @thepetshopboy I do enjoy his work! Tho I don't know that much. An artist I wouldn't have heard without Girl One's influence, I suspect. in reply to thepetshopboy #
- There are 417 accounts following me. Most of you are probably bots/marketers & some of you I already talk to, but who are the rest? TELL ME! #
- (& yes, 417 isn't that many, I know. I am just curious, is all!) #
- @purseonality I would delete MY bots, but I have a suspicion I'd have very few people left! in reply to purseonality #
- RT @shockozulu: there are now MJ death channels – they seem to even threaten he will keep dying somehow & the show will never end. #
- @DimitriMOMB MOST of the people I follow Tweet, but yeah, some activity has kind of died off somewhat. in reply to DimitriMOMB #
- @belle_lulu Huh. That's LOADS! in reply to belle_lulu #
- Ambulance helicopter just landed on putting green in Soton centre. Taxi driver hit a cyclist in the bus lane. Oh dear. #
- Still, HELICOPTER! #
- @_arien Whoops. Tweets crossing over there. in reply to _arien #
- Excitement over… helicopter did not crash on the cafe. Not sure how the patient is, though. #
- Ha! Perfect! RT @Sulman: On a lighter note http://bit.ly/2uNt4 #
- @Sulman You disappeared like a ninja. Sorry I went mercenary for a better vantage point of the helicopter. HELICOPTER! in reply to Sulman #
- RT @empiremagazine: The A-Z Of Michael Mann. It took us ages, so do check it out and tell all your friends. http://bit.ly/j1C2Z #
- @Sulman How come? Is it in the print version, or do you mean you're going to have to go DVD shopping? in reply to Sulman #
- @Sulman Actually, yeah… the book with the gorgeous dark blue cover, of the guy in silhouette? in reply to Sulman #
- Aw, thanks, @thepetshopboy. If I did followfriday, I would totally suggest @thepetshopboy… #
- …Because, well – he's a ruggedly attractive, bronzed American & yet he chose the name @thepetshopboy. This tells you all you need to know. #
- … And your morning refreshment, and your nightly salve, @philkirby? #
- @thepetshopboy … Ok, that might be the first Follow Friday I actually respond to! in reply to thepetshopboy #
- Our office actually overlooks the cafe/green – I have never seen a helicopter up that close! @DimitriMOMB #
- …Girl One lived on the isles of Scilly, so helicopters are like busses to her. Sigh. #
- Though I think that @thepetshopboy's way of doing FolFri makes more sense than some. But needn't be limited to Friday, @philkirby #
- Incidentally, I try to flesh out my conflicted feelings about Western Manga Style comics in yesterday's post: http://is.gd/1mh6D #
- Possibly least helpful insight into MJ's life: He had a stand-up of little boy anakin peeking out from folds of Darth Maul's cape. @Glinner #
- @Glinner … All I could think when I read it was: Oh dear. Uri, you're not helping, not EVEN yourself! in reply to Glinner #
- @philkirby V.true indeed. in reply to philkirby #
- Reminds me of a guy I once knew, who would loudly bring up his cock piercing then complain about people hassling him to see it. @DaveGorman #
- …Then KEEP bringing it up, until someone eventually relented, at which point he would expose himself, with fake impatience.@DaveGorman #
- RT:@Sulman View from @nixsight 's office. Note yellow helicopter ambulance excitement. http://yfrog.com/0h79925158j #
- It was amazing, how quickly colleagues from elsewhere in the building rushed over with vid camera & tripod – OPPORTUNISTS! @Sulman #
- Isn't it funny how the word "documentary", now that it's been said so many times in the schedules, now has no meaning, @steevbishop? #
- @Sulman Oh, yeah, I know… it's a bit grotesque, isn't it? in reply to Sulman #
- Oh, he'll LOVE that!: RT @thepetshopboy: #followfriday @sulman cuz he's the straight gilbert to @nixsight 's straight george…lol #
- Tweeted without comment: Uri Geller Meets Daredevil – http://is.gd/1mkNq – (Ta @douglasnoble) #
- @ronskanky I've been trying to find a routine on the changing shape of innuendo, that referred to Mrs Slocombe's pussy. That WAS you, right? in reply to ronskanky #
- Had all but disengaged from the story, but: Michael Jackson? Danny Baker? Compulsive reading? REALLY? – http://is.gd/1mlzH – THANKS, @rhodri #
- @SamShepherd That's abusive language, & as such should remove them from the discussion, I'd say. Boundaries need to be set for these idiots! in reply to SamShepherd #
- Jeez, Wolfman wrote some tripe – "…After you're behind bars… PRISON bars, that is." YEAH THANKS FOR X'SPLAININ! – http://is.gd/1mlJt #
- @ronskanky THAT'S the one… what was that for? Not as far back as Mary Whitehouse or Newman & Baddiel, was it? in reply to ronskanky #
- @douglasnoble Can't take a man to task for something he wrote decades ago! Why on earth would you have had to say that before? in reply to douglasnoble #
- This is old, but my sister showed us it at the weekend, & it's become an instant hit in our house: He can't say blood – http://is.gd/1mm21 #
- Jeez… this Wedding Etiquette site is like the Marriage equivalent of those fake abortion clinics run by pro-lifers: http://is.gd/1mmQt #
- @Glinner Is it a picture or Uri Geller? in reply to Glinner #
- This won't interest many people, but my sister has posted some pics of me & Girl One with my nephew Logan, over at Facebook. He is cute! #
- @Glinner Is it "Infinite Hasselhoff"? in reply to Glinner #
- @Glinner Goddamit! So CLOSE! in reply to Glinner #
- @Velvet_Whip Isn't that the same of all of us? in reply to Velvet_Whip #
- @SorenLorensen Horrid. I don't know whether I can find a decent rationale for using that picture. It's emotive, but ultimately irrelevant… in reply to SorenLorensen #
- @SorenLorensen Oh, certainly, but that's what I mean – it's a fairly potent emotional story all by itself. in reply to SorenLorensen #
- http://is.gd/1mowz Royal Guard do Thriller. Not tribute. Oh, Sun. Great moment caught on film, but hilarious? Awesome, maybe, but hilarious? #
- Also, anybody else feel like they might be having some sort of synaptic breakdown at the end, when the quote repeated? http://is.gd/1mowz #
- … Must be a glitch in the Matrix. #
- The BBC! Reporting on Solent University! And it's positive news! http://is.gd/1moIV – Students cleaning up after themselves… #
- Oh, sorry, apparently somebody in the office had heard about it already – it was obviously too trivial for me to mention out loud. #
- @Sulman Aren't that, and a glitch in the Matrix, compatible theories…
in reply to Sulman # - Oh, yeah, I was going to look up @caitlinmoran… she makes me laugh on Twitter, but apparently I should know her from before… #
- I KNOW, @davidwynne, I AM SUCH A POINTLESS FUCKER! #
- @acheverton Teehee… in reply to acheverton #
- @DimitriMOMB I think those kids done a good job! in reply to DimitriMOMB #
- @Sulman I… oh my god, no. I've looked all over YT for @caitlinmoran back in the day & honestly I don't recognise her. SO out of touch, me! in reply to Sulman #
- You shared giggles with Bjork,@caitlinmoran! That's good enough for me. But yes, we're all older now, aren't we? Not ALWAYS a bad thing… #
- @SorenLorensen NO! WHY? in reply to SorenLorensen #
- @caitlinmoran I love that you didn't make the obvious comment when she said: If you drink every day, you know, you're kind of an alcoholic. in reply to caitlinmoran #
- By the way, everybody who hasn't already seen it should TOTALLY go check out @Sulman's current profile pic. He was straight up the cutest… #
- @SorenLorensen What man where? in reply to SorenLorensen #
- @Sulman OH I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT LOLZ. in reply to Sulman #
- I am going to go to Walkabout fairly soon. I will be in good company, but bad surroundings. Anyone else in Southampton Walkabout tonight? #
- @DimitriMOMB Will exfil before combat starts. Got a loyalty keyfob so will be drinking mostly red bull and vodka, I think. in reply to DimitriMOMB #
- @RedMummy I've just been reliably informed that there will probably be fighting. I will try to escape beforehand! in reply to RedMummy #
- @Sulman has gone #followfriday on my ass. I REFUSE TO PLAY HIS GAME! I mention him enough peeps following me must already know my love… #
- @caitlinmoran I think there was giggling. Hang on. in reply to caitlinmoran #
- @RedMummy Ah, but you know I'm badass, yes? Actually, just too little to bother with in a scrap! in reply to RedMummy #
- @caitlinmoran But that just makes it more fun! Ah yes, you gave Bjork a Pot Noodle, then provoked her to talk sex while high on additives… in reply to caitlinmoran #
- http://is.gd/1msiQ – I kind of agree with Bjork's point on drinking to excess… If you're going to do it, blumming DO it. #
- @caitlinmoran It is all @Sulman's fault. I was plodding along, thinking you were born on Twitter. The Mark E Smith interview was harsh… in reply to caitlinmoran #
- @caitlinmoran … was he joking, or just being a knob with you because you were a girl? in reply to caitlinmoran #
- @caitlinmoran Hah… I suspect you'd deal with him easily now. But I may just have been blinded by your Tweeting competence…! in reply to caitlinmoran #
- @GeekSyndicate The draft post at blog isn't ripe for posting – will finish it when I get home. SORRY! #
- @GeekSyndicate Ah, balls… doing my research (hitting search on the blog!) I get the feeling my post is redundant… in reply to GeekSyndicate #
- @GeekSyndicate Nuge et al already got a hands on on Batman: Arkham Asylum? I just saw the developer diary today! May scrap the post. Blah! in reply to GeekSyndicate #
- @davidwynne I struggled with the movie a bit – though it should have been up my alley. in reply to davidwynne #
- RIGHT! PUB! #
-
Found Objects
We need comics. We don’t need the comic mainstream – certainly not as much as it needs us. And we wouldn’t even be having this argument about Watchmen if that book wasn’t part of that industry. It couldn’t have existed without it, it wouldn’t have been relevant without it, and most of us wouldn’t have even had the chance to read it without it.
We don’t have to give a shit about Watchmen, or Before Watchmen. We choose to.
We don’t have to fight about issues that we really have no skin in. We choose to.
We should really grow out of it.
Last Friday I wrote a really long post over at my site about Before Watchmen. It was probably too long, fence-sitting and unstructured to get as much widespread attention as some of the more aggressive pieces out there, but I still feel everything in it.
This is the tiniest part of it - a sentiment that I feel is pretty important - you can read the whole thing here.
I AM IN CONTROL OF MY EMOTIONS!
The Newly Announced Before Watchmen Is a Prime Example of What's Killing Mainstream Comics
“I have no idea whether this project will be any good or not. But it sits as a shining example of the fundamental flaw that exists in the comic industry, especially within DC Comics. They spend most of their time chasing the readers that grew up with their iconic characters rather than attempting to attract new readers who are growing up right now.”
Totally agree with this - though I think DC52, being a company-wide initiative, was more indicative of it, and I said as much at the time.
However, that backward looking trait in comics isn’t unique to publishers. Comic readers - many of whom are also comic retailers, which is a bigger issue - run wild with entitlement on either side of any comic-related debate, and stand ready to jump on anything that they perceive as a deviation or affront to comic texts or characters that they feel shouldn’t be touched. It all adds to the stupidly binary way any comic-related issue is handled.
The huge amount of brilliant work that goes un-discussed, unsupported and unbought in-between those two dominant cultures is the only genuine ongoing tragedy in comics today, I reckon. The rest is just semantics and negotiation of contracts.
Yup, yup, yup…the fact that people are wasting their time arguing about the merits of Before Watchmen while amazing books like The Interactives go largely ignored is, quite frankly, criminal.
Not least because it means that yet again we’re all having a conversation about Watchmen. I came to Watchmen a little bit late - like, a year after publication - and loved it at the time. It encouraged me to go on and read so many more other books, to read them critically, and work out why they work and don’t work etc etc etc. But the more people hold it to this impossible standard in such a hyperbolic and aggressive way, the more I find reasons to chip away at it.
If you love Watchmen that much, write about how good Watchmen is in it’s own right. Don’t use it as a stick to bash everything that’s come since. Don’t use it as a way to try and win an argument about whatever your pet comic issue is that week. I think Alan Moore’s biggest issue is that his book isn’t regarded enough in it’s own right, and it’s an important enough work to be handled without gossip-context and all the other bollocks that passes for adults-who-read-comics-talking-about-comics.
Show Alan Moore and Watchmen a bit of respect, and don’t try and impose your fucking context on it. It’s a work of art. It genuinely can’t be ruined by any art that follows, but it can be ruined by every third word spoken about it being bleaty, entitled shite.
Sorry, you said something? The Interactives? What’s that? I have never heard of it, therefore it must not be worth bothering with.
Yep, I completely agree with you here. As great as Watchmen was it has been a big part of what has utterly ruined comics (and I know that Moore agrees with this himself) as so many people have spent the years since using it as a template for what comic should be. It was a work of satire! It was never intended to be a “How To” guide for aspiring comic creators.
And The Interactives is this - http://theinteractives.com/
Huh. That looks ace, actually.
The Newly Announced Before Watchmen Is a Prime Example of What's Killing Mainstream Comics
“I have no idea whether this project will be any good or not. But it sits as a shining example of the fundamental flaw that exists in the comic industry, especially within DC Comics. They spend most of their time chasing the readers that grew up with their iconic characters rather than attempting to attract new readers who are growing up right now.”
Totally agree with this - though I think DC52, being a company-wide initiative, was more indicative of it, and I said as much at the time.
However, that backward looking trait in comics isn’t unique to publishers. Comic readers - many of whom are also comic retailers, which is a bigger issue - run wild with entitlement on either side of any comic-related debate, and stand ready to jump on anything that they perceive as a deviation or affront to comic texts or characters that they feel shouldn’t be touched. It all adds to the stupidly binary way any comic-related issue is handled.
The huge amount of brilliant work that goes un-discussed, unsupported and unbought in-between those two dominant cultures is the only genuine ongoing tragedy in comics today, I reckon. The rest is just semantics and negotiation of contracts.
Yup, yup, yup…the fact that people are wasting their time arguing about the merits of Before Watchmen while amazing books like The Interactives go largely ignored is, quite frankly, criminal.
Not least because it means that yet again we’re all having a conversation about Watchmen. I came to Watchmen a little bit late - like, a year after publication - and loved it at the time. It encouraged me to go on and read so many more other books, to read them critically, and work out why they work and don’t work etc etc etc. But the more people hold it to this impossible standard in such a hyperbolic and aggressive way, the more I find reasons to chip away at it.
If you love Watchmen that much, write about how good Watchmen is in it’s own right. Don’t use it as a stick to bash everything that’s come since. Don’t use it as a way to try and win an argument about whatever your pet comic issue is that week. I think Alan Moore’s biggest issue is that his book isn’t regarded enough in it’s own right, and it’s an important enough work to be handled without gossip-context and all the other bollocks that passes for adults-who-read-comics-talking-about-comics.
Show Alan Moore and Watchmen a bit of respect, and don’t try and impose your fucking context on it. It’s a work of art. It genuinely can’t be ruined by any art that follows, but it can be ruined by every third word spoken about it being bleaty, entitled shite.
Sorry, you said something? The Interactives? What’s that? I have never heard of it, therefore it must not be worth bothering with.
The Newly Announced Before Watchmen Is a Prime Example of What's Killing Mainstream Comics
“I have no idea whether this project will be any good or not. But it sits as a shining example of the fundamental flaw that exists in the comic industry, especially within DC Comics. They spend most of their time chasing the readers that grew up with their iconic characters rather than attempting to attract new readers who are growing up right now.”
Totally agree with this - though I think DC52, being a company-wide initiative, was more indicative of it, and I said as much at the time.
However, that backward looking trait in comics isn’t unique to publishers. Comic readers - many of whom are also comic retailers, which is a bigger issue - run wild with entitlement on either side of any comic-related debate, and stand ready to jump on anything that they perceive as a deviation or affront to comic texts or characters that they feel shouldn’t be touched. It all adds to the stupidly binary way any comic-related issue is handled.
The huge amount of brilliant work that goes un-discussed, unsupported and unbought in-between those two dominant cultures is the only genuine ongoing tragedy in comics today, I reckon. The rest is just semantics and negotiation of contracts.
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