Beau Peep Notice Board
Beau Peep Notice Board => Outpourings => Topic started by: Malc on January 18, 2010, 06:56:55 AM
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Seeing as we have our own Diamond Lil, I thought the news that Creators Syndicate will launch a new comic by Brett Koth entitled Diamond Lil on March 1 would be interesting.
The lad who draws it is obviously very good. He works for the Paws studio (where Garfield is produced in a factory-like atmosphere) and he's obviously worked very hard refining the drawing.
Unfortunately, great writers are mostly born, not made, and the writing is quite lame, as is the premise - a feisty old lady, of whom there are a number adorning the syndicate lists, notably the lame Momma, and the very funny Maxine, who we sometimes get through as email specials.
I'm back to my old hobby horse issue again - the influence of syndicates in the downward spiral that is comic strippery in the States. Two or three large syndicates are the ones calling the shots for the whole of the USA (and therefore much of overseas), and they're deciding what gets developed.
I'm sick of hearing that the syndicates DON'T want 'same old same old' when they frequently commission exactly that.
I wish they and the so-called experts who stand up and bray about comic strip issues on their behalf would just accept there are no new ideas, just entertaining twists on old ones. An old lady strip (or an old man strip like the very good 'Pickles') is not undesirable just because it's another old person strip, but it may be undesirable because it's written badly.
Anyway, take a look for yourself.
http://www.creators.com/comics/diamond-lil/53381.html (http://www.creators.com/comics/diamond-lil/53381.html)
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Hmmmm... maybe I'm too old.... or just haven't got a sense of humour... ???
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Hmmmm... maybe I'm too old.... or just haven't got a sense of humour... ???
It's okay, Vulch - you can be both.
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I don't mind this strip at all. Like you say, Malc, it's nicely drawn and, while I didn't laugh out loud at any of them, a couple of the gags were quite good. There's nothing earth-shattering about it but I've certainly seen a lot worse. I suppose that's exactly the point you're trying to make, Malc---there's nothing original coming through the syndications these days.
I'm always uncomfortable about making comments about other strips---I'm acutely aware of the thin ice beneath my feet.
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Actually, I rather enjoyed it, writing and all. I couldn't find one gag I'd feel qualified to call lame among the two week's worth on show (also aware of my own very thin ice).
I'm no expert on strips, just an occasional fan. I get a daily delivery of five from comics.com, including (of course) Andy Capp. Initially, I had no idea which were the good ones, Andy Capp aside, and so I decided to take the first five on the list, and review them after a while, keeping the ones I liked and replacing those I didn't. That was a couple of years ago, and I'm still on the original five. BUT - I only read Andy Capp now, and the only reason I haven't changed the others is that they've kinda put me off reading any other strips for the time being, so woeful have they become. I should and will update them soon, especially since I'm paying money for them, but it's such a low priority that I just can't be bothered chasing up my forgotten password.
However, I think I'd give this one a chance - it's certainly a lot funnier than the four that pad out my Andy Capp email. I can see the coffin theme becoming a tad iconic. And what did please me enormously, and it's a major bugbear for me these days, is that although the first five pictures of the Sunday coffin strip were essentially the same, he took the time to trace each one separately (although you do need to look pretty close to be sure). Proper artist, that is!
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Stating the obvious, I know, but I see Andy Capp is still being credited to Reg Smythe, while all the strips are yours Rog.
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I only really see Andy Capp in The Mirror where Roger Mahoney and myself are both credited. I think the syndication strips still carry Reg's name, which is absolutely fine by me. If I remain anonymous, they won't know who to blame!
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Bad news, Roger - the web version credits both of you and Reg Smythe. At least they can't get at Reg.
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I have read all the posts by the experts - no doubt all the comments are perfectly valid in the light of fact that you all know what you're talking about...BUT as an end user, I didn't find the cartoons funny; well drawn, possibly, but the humour may be a bit on the transatlantic side for this 'old and humourless' Brit, Peeps!
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I don't think age or nationality has anything to do with it, Vult. I'm a Brit, no spring chicken, and have often been accused of being humourless. Nor do I look at these from any 'expert' point of view (other than the final comment in my earlier post, which was more from a professional perspective than an expert one). I just liked them, and essentially, that is the only way to judge them. The beauty of humour is that different things appeal to different people, and although its possible to bridge a lot of gaps in trying to create a broadly popular entertainment, you can never please all of the people all of the time. And that very reason ensures variety and experimentation, and therefore should be celebrated.
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I thought they were good. I just don't want to get involved with another strip - this one takes up too much of my time as it is what with the daily quiz and the xmas panto.
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I thought they were good. I just don't want to get involved with another strip - this one takes up too much of my time as it is what with the daily quiz and the xmas panto.
And running the library...
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Didn't much care for them myself.
And while it's undoubtedly a deliberate style choice, and far better than I could ever do, it's not my preferred style of art either. Too many lines on/around the faces for my liking, I prefer something more like Beau/Horace, where you can tell a lot just from the characters' expressions.
But as I say, that's personal taste, and I can't draw for toffee myself. Look, here's proof:
(http://i49.tinypic.com/2lldrt2.jpg)
I wouldn't mind, but it was supposed to be a picture of the Eiffel Tower.
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Nope! Didn't do it for me either, Vulture...give me Maxine any day
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Didn't much care for them myself.
And while it's undoubtedly a deliberate style choice, and far better than I could ever do, it's not my preferred style of art either. Too many lines on/around the faces for my liking, I prefer something more like Beau/Horace, where you can tell a lot just from the characters' expressions.
But as I say, that's personal taste, and I can't draw for toffee myself. Look, here's proof:
(http://i49.tinypic.com/2lldrt2.jpg)
I wouldn't mind, but it was supposed to be a picture of the Eiffel Tower.
Heh! Heh! (MY smilies still aren't working).
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Good for you Malc,
It's nice to to see someone still pursuing the comic strip standard argument. I first came across it with Bill Watterson's excellent articles on the subject and his stand to maintain his works' integrity and the integrity of all strips as an art form. ( I see there's a Calvin and Hobbes postage stamp coming out in the US this year by the way)
It's nothing new to those of you in the "biz" I suppose, I suspect that most of you feel the same way.
As for "Diamond Lil", I actually liked the writing, I just couldn't get that connection to the characters and the expressions that makes the whole thing work,for all it was decently drawn.
I have personally always been a huge fan of the comic strip/ single panel cartoon medium and it's sad to see that downward spiral as you say. I know the Toronto Sun over here had a comics section that could get a smile or a laugh out of me in the mornings (Baby Blues and Foxtrot usually) and then one day it just changed, now it's just bland, cookie cutter comic strips that barely raise a twitch.
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Baby Blues and Foxtrot are the high end of the market, but that's not really praise in a market so weighed down with dross.
It's odd to see fellow cartoonists (naming no names) who were once critical of the system over there become corporate shills once they get a strip accepted.
It's obviously much harder to maintain that revolutionary fervour once you've met all the good folks in the syndicate office, all pulling a daily wage, all striving for the same things you do.
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The first country Beau Peep was syndicated to was, bizarrely, Sarawak. I guess this was nearly thirty years ago and it was enough for Andrew and I to spend the day celebrating. It's doubtful if the £7.50 monthly payment was enough enough to cover the cost of our first hour in the pub but it was a good day! Over the years, we picked up a few more countries like Italy, Holland, India and Australia but the strip has never been widely syndicated. (Malc, I don't even know if Beau still appears in Australia).
A Man Called Horace has never been syndicated in its 21 years of existence---at least, as far as I know---but I've long understood that my style is both dated and parochial.
The syndication that Andy Capp enjoys is, of course, nothing to do with me. It's global success was down, solely, to Reg Smythe and there is a great deal of nostalgia attached to its continuing appeal. When political correctness was at its peak, American syndication, in particular, dipped considerably but I'm led to believe that this is picking up again. (Again, nothing to do with me---this is due to a combination of several factors).
The strip that influenced me more than anything was Peanuts---and its astonishing, but deserved, global appeal will, I believe, never be repeated because the media has changed dramatically since its heyday.
As I've said before, I'm MUCH nearer the end of my career than the beginning and I'm really glad that I'm not trying to make the breakthrough now.
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Until three minutes ago, I'd never even heard of Sarawak, never mind knowing where on Earth it was. Now I'm a minor expert on the state (strictly speaking, it's not actually a country, Roger, and belongs to Malaysia). Ain't Google grand?
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A huge part of the hits this site gets are from India. Yet we don't get contributions from fans in India. It's a mystery. I'd love to hear from those that appreciate Beau Peep and realise it's top-notch.
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I loved my short stays in Malaysia last year. (One on the way to Manila, and the again on the way back). Kuala Lumpur is a fabulous city.
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Until three minutes ago, I'd never even heard of Sarawak, never mind knowing where on Earth it was. Now I'm a minor expert on the state (strictly speaking, it's not actually a country, Roger, and belongs to Malaysia). Ain't Google grand?
I hope this comes up on the quiz tomorrow.
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I would not continue bothering after reading those.
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I would not continue bothering after reading those.
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Mince - you're in Peter-mode by mistake. ..0
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I would not continue bothering after reading those.
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Mince - you're in Peter-mode by mistake. ..0
Nope. You're just dopey.
"I would not continue bothering to read the strip after reading those."