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Post by Purpleweasel on Jun 11, 2004 14:47:16 GMT
If you could have changed anything about the STC comics, be it characters or storylines, what would it have been?
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Post by Yunni on Jun 11, 2004 14:56:52 GMT
wow..... that's a good question... possibly repeating strips as they did at one point near the end -_- its good for people who havent read the old strips before but for ol'fans like me - it was slightly anoying
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Post by Omega Wants Cake on Jun 11, 2004 15:15:52 GMT
If you could have changed anything about the STC comics, be it characters or storylines, what would it have been? Erased Fabian vane!
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JJ
Script Hume
Bit of a hack, really.
Posts: 4,902
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Post by JJ on Jun 11, 2004 15:19:08 GMT
1. Get rid of Lew Stringer's 'Earth Attacks' stories...anything to do with Earth or Colonel Granite. 2. Let Nigel finish off Shanazar arc, the way it should've been. 3. Delete Windy Wallis from the face of the earth. 4. Had Nigel continue with his ideas for Hobson and Choy, and DeathTrap. 5. No Mick Mcahon. 6. No 'Bravehog' and 'Amy's Secret Past'. 7. Make Tekno a deeper character. Nice thread.
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Post by Purpleweasel on Jun 11, 2004 15:30:58 GMT
2. Let Nigel finish off Shanazar arc, the way it should've been. What would that be? Personally, I thought the teaming of Grimer and Nack could've caused more trouble for Sonic beyond the Shanazar stories. *sigh*
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JJ
Script Hume
Bit of a hack, really.
Posts: 4,902
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Post by JJ on Jun 11, 2004 15:39:31 GMT
Lew Stringer finished off the arc with his 'Worlds Collide' story. I don't know what Nigel had planned beyond the idea that Shanazar was the name of the zone, NOT the entire planet. I don't have a problem with World's Collide per se, I'd just have liked to see what Nigel wanted to do with it instead.
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Post by mobiusman on Jun 11, 2004 17:06:07 GMT
*finger hovers over delete button* delete... tyson dense! *deletes* *is deleted*
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Tom
Ex-Hume
Hume-who-used-to-think-he-was-in-charge
Posts: 3,786
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Post by Tom on Jun 11, 2004 17:21:25 GMT
Nigel had a "Planet of the Apes" type thing in mind, although he didn't think he'd ever be allowed to do it by his editor at the time. (Some of the ideas found their way into #179-182.)
Things I'd have changed about STC:
- Given Nigel Kitching full editorial control over the comic - Ceased the budget cuts - Cut the reprints and give them their own title (or repackage everything in paperback) - Fought to have STC published internationally as the be-all and end-all of Sonic comics ;D - NOT CANCELLED THE BLOODY THING
In all honesty, there isn't really much I would have realistically changed about STC, beyond Egmont's continued interference and slow, painful asassination of the title. The characters and stories told (apart from a FEW of Lew Stringer's lesser efforts) were pretty much perfect, in my view. I know some people complain about the stories being "too short" and "simplistic", but honestly, it really was a children's comic. That said, if you take it for what it is and not what it "could" be, it's excellent stuff that can appeal to readers of all ages. Hopefully it will find its way back into print at some stage to entertain generations to come (as well as those poor fools who missed it first time round!).
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Post by Admin Droid on Jun 11, 2004 17:44:50 GMT
Yeah, I'd have had it change publishers. I had problems with Deborah Tate's editorial direction (which I believe was behind a lot of the short stories, and the focus on Earth). And, for that matter, I'm sure Deborah would have been a lot happier on the comic if not for that.
Having said that, I would have liked to see more editorial control for Nigel. And I would have liked to have seen Nigel and Mick McMahon work on a Sonic-world strip together. I think Nigel would have written more to his strengths.
I would have liked to see Lew continue the religious themes he began exploring, and especially his concept of humans (and Earth) being a test species.
And more Decap, Kid Chameleon, Shinobi and (Kitching) Streets of Rage.
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Post by ChaosX3 on Jun 11, 2004 18:11:52 GMT
1) Sack Stringer
Well, that's my list.
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Post by Admin Droid on Jun 11, 2004 18:20:10 GMT
Lew's a splendid writer. The only reason he gets so much flak, it seems to me, is that he actually paid attention to what the editors of the day wanted to see, while Nigel basically did whatever he wanted (and got fired). But Lew came up with some of the most iconic and memorable characters, and some of the most powerful and subtle moments in the whole comic.
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Post by Zerolus on Jun 11, 2004 18:33:29 GMT
Nigel got fired just because he did what he wanted to with HIS stories...?
*Bursts a vein*
DAMNYOUEGMONT! YOUDESERVETOBURN!
*Dies from the fact he's losing blood from the burst vein*
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Tom
Ex-Hume
Hume-who-used-to-think-he-was-in-charge
Posts: 3,786
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Post by Tom on Jun 11, 2004 18:36:12 GMT
Yeah. I emphasised the word few for a reason. I went back and had a look at some of those stories recently, and they're not bad in hindsight - they're rather good actually. A lot of them were totally at odds with the mood Kitching set, but read independently, for the most part, they stand up well.
Of course, there are a few nasty clunkers in there (particularly the later part of "Time Zone"), but I understand that some of his stories were strung (ahem) together by the editor when he couldn't meet a deadline.
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Tom
Ex-Hume
Hume-who-used-to-think-he-was-in-charge
Posts: 3,786
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Post by Tom on Jun 11, 2004 18:45:53 GMT
Nigel got fired just because he did what he wanted to with HIS stories...? Well, to be fair, it wasn't HIS comic, and if Egmont didn't want to buy stories from him, they were completely entitled to do that. What they weren't entitled to do was run his stories a second time without his full permission. It is a pity he never sought action over that, but hey, it's his life as well, with which he can do whatever he likes. I understand that the reason he was only fired in Tate's later years as editor is that she doesn't like recruiting new talent (notice how through the vast majority of her run there were hardly any new artists or strips - McMahon and Dobbyn took a lot of persuasion by Nigel K - and only one new writer who apparently was forced upon her by Egmont). If, hypothetically, STC were still going and she were still editor today, I suspect that the entire comic would be written by Robbie Morrison.
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JJ
Script Hume
Bit of a hack, really.
Posts: 4,902
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Post by JJ on Jun 11, 2004 23:10:37 GMT
Hopefully it will find its way back into print at some stage to entertain generations to come (as well as those poor fools who missed it first time round!). You mean like graphic novels? Because that would be the coolest thing to ever happen, ever. In the history of the world. Who has the rights now, anyway? Is it Egmont, or the writers themselves?
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Post by ChaosX3 on Jun 11, 2004 23:16:01 GMT
Tom: Please do not double post. This is a warning...
*Busts a gut from laughing*
Sorry, bud, joke...
Anyway, who cares if Nigel got sacked? Didn't stop him drawing, and drawing darn well, as seen in A.H.A.B.
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Post by mobiusman on Jun 12, 2004 10:29:41 GMT
*cries* Poor Nigel...
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Tom
Ex-Hume
Hume-who-used-to-think-he-was-in-charge
Posts: 3,786
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Post by Tom on Jun 12, 2004 11:44:33 GMT
You mean like graphic novels? Because that would be the coolest thing to ever happen, ever. In the history of the world. If done right. It is my intention to see it happen during my lifetime. Well the right to sell anything on a consumer level with Sonic on it belongs to Sega, but the material itself belongs to the people who worked on it (the writers and artists), as do the unique characters and concepts created for the series (such as Grimer, Plunder, Tekno etc). However, the physical films are in Egmont's possession. Ed reckons they've probably destroyed them, but I'm not so sure - from what I understand, their film library is huge and an absolute tip; things go missing, things get found. There was an entire 2000AD collection in there until Rebellion collected it last month. I would not be surprised if all the Sonic stuff was there also (although the earliest strips also went missing, apparently. Egmont aren't sure what happened to them but I reckon they went to Ravette Books, and I'm not sure if they exist any more).
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Tom
Ex-Hume
Hume-who-used-to-think-he-was-in-charge
Posts: 3,786
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Post by Tom on Jun 12, 2004 11:50:57 GMT
Anyway, who cares if Nigel got sacked? Didn't stop him drawing, and drawing darn well, as seen in A.H.A.B. It's 51 pages in the past four years against a minimum of 7 pages in an ongoing fortnightly (which totals to 1456 pages in the past four years, by the way). I care. As much as I like to see him writing something other than Sonic, there aren't really enough appropriate venues for him to do that right now.
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Post by Admin Droid on Jun 12, 2004 21:40:01 GMT
Anyway, who cares if Nigel got sacked? Didn't stop him drawing, and drawing darn well, as seen in A.H.A.B. Errr... Nigel *wrote* AHAB. Elson drew it. Personally, I would have rather seen what Nigel was building to in the Shanazar arc play out (I reckon that it would have been the best arc of the lot if he'd have had the creative freedom of the Diggle era) than the Time Zone material.
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Post by ChaosX3 on Jun 12, 2004 22:22:13 GMT
*Bashes head on table* That's the third time this week I've got thems too confused!
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JK Whitaker
Boomer
My pens are mightier than the sword... untill they run out of ink! Damn!
Posts: 72
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Post by JK Whitaker on Jun 13, 2004 13:49:08 GMT
Things I'd have changed... emm...
kill jhonny earlier than they did.
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Post by Dragonsteincole on Jun 13, 2004 14:23:46 GMT
Heh, good thread this! Pin it? 1) Let Kitching and Stringer have more power within the comic. 2) re-hired Burton 3) let the comic cary on in some form (even just as one new strip and the rest as re-prints)... there are a whole generation of Archie Sonic fans who need to be showed a few things about good storytelling XD 4) Allowed more development of characters (Tekno being an obvious example) 5) Created less drat , one-off villans, and developed 3 or 4 'serious' villans. remember, for every Lord Sidewinder, you have 6 Windy Wallis' and The Leafs. 5) Finished off the Nameless Zone stories 6) Allowed the 2nd Sparkster story to be printed darn you Konami!! EDIT: lol, 150th post!
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JJ
Script Hume
Bit of a hack, really.
Posts: 4,902
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Post by JJ on Jun 13, 2004 14:39:05 GMT
If done right. It is my intention to see it happen during my lifetime. But what can humble fans like us do about it? Maybe some kind of Mission: Impossible-style endeavour is in order here, to infiltrate the Egmont complex and retrieve the original STC films undamaged. We're gonna need a crack team of commandos, an explosives expert, a computer whiz who can get blueprints of the building, and a stealth master! Positions available, applications wanted. Previous experience necessary. Some of you will not come back alive, so make peace with your old life and settle old issues before applying. I'll be giving job interviews every Tuesday in Burger King. Viva la resistance! Well, at at least we've still got the scans available on the net, anyway.
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Tom
Ex-Hume
Hume-who-used-to-think-he-was-in-charge
Posts: 3,786
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Post by Tom on Jun 13, 2004 14:46:57 GMT
But what can humble fans like us do about it? Actually buy the things if and when they eventually come about. With regards to setting it up, I am convinced I could eventually do it, with sufficient publishing knowledge and capital behind me. Or you could just ask them for the films. Nowhere near the same experience as actually having the comics on paper. That's one of the greatest things about comics as a medium: they offer a visual experience that does not require any sort of instrument (ie TV screen, video plater etc) to enjoy it. You can read a comic absolutely anywhere. Unless, of course, it's on the net, in all its pixellated glory...
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