Wednesday 12 October 2011

Sugar Glider: the X-men may be uncanny, but this is proper canny!



Two of my fellow PaperJam Comics Collective members Gary Bainbridge and Daniel Clifford created a comic series called Sugar Glider, 2 issues and an extra comic of short stories from the Sugar Glider world.


So why did I choose to make a blog entry about Sugar Glider?


1. It's a very good comic.


2. Seldom do I have the chance as GEORDIE Green Lantern to share my enthusiasm for a comic set in NEWCASTLE, so it is an honour for me to do so.


Now I'm going to list what makes Sugar Glider a very comic.


1. The setting of Newcastle gives the story a good sense of realism. The bonus for Geordies is that they will have walked through various locations in the comic.


2. The idiosyncratic nature of the art.


3. The clarity of the writing and use of the Geordie accent/dialect.


4. A balanced mixture of daily life concerns and extraordinary situations.


5. A strong and engaging female protagonist.


6. The facial expressions of the characters convey a wide variety of emotions.


7. A great concept: a Geordie superhero.


8. A story filled with suspense, comedy, intrigue, family life, variety, detail and secret identities!


9. Issue 1 contains a newspaper article from the Sugar Glider universe!


10. Issue 2 comes with bonus fan art!




It's an impressive comic like. Divn't you agree man?




Aye it's proper mint leek. Alreet here's me approval. The day am ganna approve of Sugar Glider comics.











Thursday 15 September 2011

2000 AD Prog 1751 (Wednesday 14th September 2011)

I haven't blogged for a while but I was finishing my third novella. I still have about 16,000 words to type (the writing is completely finished) but that's boring technical stuff.


Anyway I'm going to say what I thought about issue (prog) 1751 of the 2000 AD comic (or as they say, magazine).


In the order they were printed:


1. Judge Dredd: Day of Chaos Part 2: I hate not starting a story arc at the first chapter, episode etc but the last line of the "In this prog" inner cover page the last line sums it up well: "Now, East-Meg agents are plotting a strike against the city..."




"You're nicked sonny Jim"



As for the installment itself, I enjoyed it and plotwise the arc as a whole has potential. It's pretty much a Judge Dredd cold war analogy with intrigue, terrorism and possibly espionage along the line. Good stuff.



2. Ampney Crucis Investigates: The English Assassin Part 2: I really liked this story, it really appealed to me. It was very sci-fi in my opinion i.e. verging on a threat from the cosmos and the colour was striking in the right places.


"What do you mean I have to have a permit to do some sleuthing on a tentacled monstrosity?"



3. Indigo Prime: Everything and More Part 2: This one reminded me of my friend Paul's comic work as found here http://talesofthehollowearth.blogspot.com/ which has wonderful art but also lots of interesting descriptions of things.

"I didn't mean to do it, it was an accident!"

In Indigo Prime, I particularly liked the following usages of language.




  • "He has the delusion we're all fictional characters in a penny dreadful written by some mad demiurge from a higher dimension."



  • "Entropy reefs", "timelocked in stasis gel", "global sporewar", and "dreamfever decontamination".



  • "The summer of love gatecrashes the Winter Palace."


This week's Indigo Prime deserved the sole double paged spread in the issue of 2000 AD. Not only was it vivid but it really was a depiction of the cosmos, it had what I call beautiful chaos.



4. Angel Zero Part 1: To my relief, this is the first installment of Angel Zero. Watch out pardners there's a new backwater planet heroine who has entered the comic world, backstory dangerously approaching her.



"My good lady, do you know any decent local hunting spots?"


5. Low Life: The Deal Part 2: One of the things I like about the Judges of Megacity is their near omniprescence. Equally from this story I enjoyed the "trying to blend in with society" (and possibly the dregs/ underdogs of the Judges) as I shall describe it, of the so called "Wally Squad".




"Arrr! Thar be fish fingers! Or I may have found the One Piece"







And now over to Norman Osborn for his approval!







"Cheers Geordie Green Lantern. Whey today am ganna' approve of summat, but before that, the bloke above looks a bit shifty like. Before I continue I need to ensure our protection by summoning a special force. Whey aye it's the Uncanny X-men! There said it."


Hang on a minute Norms, have you been absorbing some of me geet mint Geordie accent like?


"Aye Geordie Green Lantern, an it might carry on if I am to make an approval for Sugar Glider Issues 1 and 2 soon, ye knaa."


Areet, but for now get on with your approvals will you?


"Aye. Theday I approve of two things, the proper class 2000 AD comic and the reet canny Tales of the Hollow Earth comic."











Thursday 26 May 2011

My ideal White Lantern Team

This post is the final post in my Colour Colour/ Serious Lantern Corps series of blogs. I am glad to finally reach the end of it since it meant having to finding a lot of pictures but it was a fun experience (even if I am the only person who has read it if any have not :p). This final post in the series is about the White Lantern Corps Team I would build, based on characters who essentually represent life, in it's colourful glory!









Where Venom (right of image) represents death and decay, Anti-Venom (left of image) represents life and healing. He is not about the celebratory aspects of life but survival. He would make a good White Lantern for this trait.






Discworld's Nanny Ogg has more life and vitality to her than any other character I have ever encountered in anything, she is a marvellous character indeed. She is the spirit of the party, filled with kindness and energy.







Jiraiya- Naruto's sensei, what can I say? He writes, he fights, he drinks, he lusts, he lives! Jiraiyaseems to get the most out of life and is a character with more personality than most in the series. He's a hero too, but most remember him as a loveable goofball, filled with eccentric life!






A man of many lives The Doctor has therefore lived a lot. He must have experienced so much in his 900 odd years it's hard to comprehend how much memory capacity he must have. He goes through all the emotions humans go through, has suffered far more than we could possibly have because he has lived so much longer, yet the important part he has lived and enjoyed life for a long time so he would make a superb White Lantern. Also he has a scientific enthusiam and loveable eccentricity rarely held by many other characters.











I now pass this recording of life to you Norman Osborn!






My thanks to you Geordie Green Lantern! Today I approve of: life!









White White Lanterns

This is the post about a team of White Lanterns I would buld based on characters who wear white.

Gandalf the White!



Glinda the Good!








Zelda the Pure!





Dagger the Dangerous!







Approvals with Norman!




Thanks Geordie Green Lantern. Today I approve of White White Lanterns!















My ideal Black Lantern (Nekron Corps) Team

This post is about the team I would assemble if I could make my own Black Lantern Corps, the corps of death.


Skeletor- because he has a skull for a head.








Cervantes from Soul Calibur is the coolest zombie pirate if you were to ask me.




Kenpachi- Bleach's most deadly Death god.



Pein from Naruto not only can take life away but he can also ressurect himself.












Time for you Mr. Osborn!



Many thanks Geordie Green Lantern. Today I approve of: death.






Black Black Lanterns

This post is about Black Lanterns I would choose to form a team based on characters who wear the colour black.




The Black Ranger!











Cloak (as in the team Cloak and Dagger).










Ghost Rider!




The last word goes to Norman Osborn.


Thanks Geordie Green Lantern. Today I approve of Black Black Lanterns!










My ideal Pink Lantern (Star Sapphires) Team

This is the team I think would be best suited to be wearers of the pink rings of love.










Sailor Moon is an embodiment of love. Love of her friends, love of food and sleeping in and being a bit of a brat, love of Tuxedo Kamen and so on. She is not afraid to sacrifice herself in the name of love.







Hinata is the most underrated character in Naruto, and I would say the most loving.


Maes Hughes: easily the best dad in Fullmetal Alchemist and a good husband.



Now for you Norman!
Thank you very much Geordie Green Lantern. Today I approve of: love.


Pink Pink Lanterns

These are the Pink Lanterns I choose based off characters associated with the colour pink.









The Pink Panther!









Chibi Sailor Moon!



Majin Buu!


















Pink Ranger go!










The ultimate ladies' man in Bleach: Shunsui Kyoraku!














Never underestimate Kirby!



Now over to you Osborn!

My thanks Geordie Green Lantern. Today I approve of Pink Pink Lanterns!








My ideal Red Lantern Team

This is the actual team I would have of Red Lanterns, the Lanterns of Rage.






Grimmjow from Bleach is nearly always pissed off and wanting to fight something so he would make a good Red Lantern if you ask me.








Ganondorf usually looks calm, even cocky until he snaps and goes in a furious rage. Then he will try to crush his enemy with full fury.










Yeah I would move away from She-Hulk right now, she's pissed off.




Guts from the Berserk manga isn't very reasonable when he is in a berserker mood.







If Wolverine ever says to you "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough", gods hope you are hard enough.


So, now for our regular guest: Norman Osborn!




Thank you Geordie Green Lantern. Today I approve of: rage.










Red Red Lanterns

This post is about the Red Lantern team I would make based off characters linked to the colour red.





I am Iron Man!







Darth Maul- the most awesome Star Wars villain this side of Vadar.






Don't mess with Alucard, or he will down your rich red blood.




The leader of the Power Rangers, the Red Ranger is entitled to a pose.




Leave Hellboy's Pamcakes and he will leave you alone.










Your time to speak Norman!





Mmm Pamcakes. Sorry I got distracted there. Today I approve of Red Red Lanterns!