HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: CXMP@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CXMP)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: How I write stories for LNH
Date: 8 Jan 93 15:21:23 GMT
Organization: McGill University

I know, I know, I've never had a story published in my life (yet)
so you might not care and this might be the most egotistical thing
I've ever done but, hey, that's life.

First of all, I'm surprised by PAD's description of his writing.  I
don't think his stuff is formula at all (although I can identify the
three acts in _Q-in-Law_:) ).  I think he's being a bit modest here.

Anyway, about the way I write.

First there's Generic Man (tm).   With him, my approach is to think
of what people would find most familiar since he is, basically,
intended as a generic Hero (tm).  Once I have a story idea, I think
about what characters I want to use and, seeing as how Generic Man
(tm) has an ever-growing supporting cast, the stories have been getting
easier and easier to write.

Then there's the LNH.  I've found that the best approach here is, again,
to write stories then then decide what characters I should use.  In
fact, I tend to write the dialogue and *then* decide who should say what
-- an approach that works very well with the LNH I think.  I've found
that action based stories lend themselves to a handful of stories,
usually seven.  Character based stories can have as many as I feel I can
handle.  For THE LEADERSHIP CRISIS, I plan to use as many as 86
characters.

Yes that is a plug but seeing as how we had a ligitamate thread on comic
book writing going I don't feel I have anything to apologize for.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
!                               ! Address as above or use              !
! Martin Phipps (aka Deja Dude) ! LOULA@hep.physics.mcgill.ca or simply!
!                               ! MUHEP::LOULA if you're on a VAX      !
------------------------------------------------------------------------
!Read my stories on!Read what I have to say on!Not the Technical Manual!
!  alt.comics.lnh  !  rec.arts.comics.xbooks  ! rec.arts.startrek.tech !
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Also look for _The Definitive STAR TREK Parody_ on r.a.startrek.misc
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: jjfink@skcla.monsanto.com
Subject: Re: SANDMAN: Lucien's Library
Organization: Searle, Skokie, IL
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 08:52:42 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.001356.27659@lokkur.dexter.mi.us>, scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons) writes:
> sasha@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (David A. Tumarkin) writes:
> 
>>Neil Gaiman's "Superman Goes To Hell" Story
> 
> Wasn't this supposed to be titled "667: Neighbor of the Beast"?

Sorry, but 667 would be on the other side of the street from 666, and there
is already a book titled "668: The Neighbor of the Beast"

-- 
jjfink@skcla.monsanto.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I want peace on earth, and goodwill towards man."
"We don't do that kind of thing, we're the United States Government!"
  -- from _Sneakers_
From: slinkie@stein.u.washington.edu (Rob Bakie)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: SANDMAN:Lucien's Library
Date: 10 Jan 1993 22:49:42 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu

Andrew.Brooks@launchpad.unc.edu (Andrew Brooks) writes:

>In article <1993Jan8.165053.28995@Princeton.EDU> jacobw@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Jacob Solomon Weinstein) writes:
>>danm@sr.hp.com (Dan Merget) writes:
>>>Jacob Solomon Weinstein (jacobw@phoenix.Princeton.EDU) wrote:
>>>> Somewhere in Lucien's library is a multi-volume collection called "The
>>>> Set Of Books From Which Jacob S. Weinstein Would Derive The Most
>>>> Pleasure and Edification." It contains precisely the maximum number of
>>>                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>> such books that I'll be able to read in my lifetime. I'd love to get my
>>>  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>> hands on it.
>>>
>>>If I were you, I wouldn't be in a hurry to finish that last volume.
>>
>>I hadn't thought of that. Hmmm... It brings to mind Newcombe's paradox.
>>If I never read the last volume, would I be guaranteed to live forever?
>>If I wanted to kill myself, could I speed read the whole thing?

>Ah, but you specifically stated that it was the maximum number of
>such books that you would _be_able_to_ read in your lifetime.  So,
>speed-reading and doing nothing but read must already be factored
>in.  Realistically, then, it would still be a good idea to read
>them in order of preference :)

>Zoz

It'd be interesting to see if the last story was printed in braile or 
something.  Maybe not even the last story.  What if he glances through it 
at one point, expecting to never read fully through it, but the glancing 
through it counts.  Lots of interesting paradoxes and such.  How many of
you could hold an anthology in your hand and never galnce through all of 
the stories?

Slinkie

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: pduggan@world.std.com (Paul C Duggan)
Subject: Re: Cerebus.txt
Keywords: Dworkin
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 13:04:26 GMT

In article <11JAN199322345910@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu> dlove@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu (DAVID LOVE) writes:
>  While I was flipping through the pages of Cerebus 165, I thought that this  
>was just another cerebus comic book with ten pages of plot and twenty pages of
>letters and mini-strips.  This is why I am saving my money and planing to buy 
>the Mothers and daughters phonebook. 
>
>
>Anyway, as I got to the last two pages of Cerebus, I notice the name "Dworkin". 
>I jump up and down with gee. After reading all these phonebooks, I finally see
>a plot twist.  Ok, I think I got a spoiler here.  Maybe it just me being 
>whimsyical, with this being my first post.  However, after waiting for about
>two days and nobody sees the connection between Dworkin and Cerebus,
>I felt I had to post.
>
>Anyway, the rest might be a minor spoiler for anybody who cares.
>Sorry for the spelling errors.
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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>
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>
>That should be enough.  I remember Dworkin from the Amber series by Roger
>Zeleny. (<-this is misspelled.)   However, I just figure that Sim was just
>using the name, not the character.  Then somebody post the question about might 
>be the endless, since all the major players seemed to be more like pawns.
>
>  Then my brain made the clicking noises and I thought, "Hey, this fits right 
>
>Has anyone every heard of Greer before reading Cerevus 165? Please post it or
>email me.  If anyone want a semi-complete history on Dworkin in the context of
>the role he played in the Amber stories, email me.

Others have answered the Dwoking reference. Just for completeness. Greer
is Germaine Greer, another militant feminist. I read a rather interesting
quote from her:

"Mother Theresa is not content with running a convent; she runs an order
of Mother Theresa clones, which operates wold-wide. In anyone less holy
this would be seen as an obscene ego-trip...[She] epitomizes for me the
blinkered charitableness upon which we pride ourselves and for which we
expect reward in this world and the next. There is very little on earth
that I hate more than I hate that" [The Independant, Sep. 1990]

paul duggan
From: fau@po.CWRU.Edu (Francis A. Uy)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: VERTIGO: How much should we buy?
Date: 8 Jan 1993 14:15:49 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: fau@po.CWRU.Edu (Francis A. Uy)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


As fans of "well-written" comics, I suppose a strong
 initial buying of Vertigo titles would be a good 
 idea.  The industry is generally skittish about 
 comics for adults, and they need a big push to keep
 going in this direction.

On the other hand, we can't just buy everything with
 a Vertigo imprint, because then they'll start
 throwing any old crap into the line.  So what to buy?

Enigma + Mercy look a bit too pretensious.  Death HCL
 + Sebastian O are safe bets, but they're 3 issues each.
 The Previews of Animal Man + Swamp Thing were just
 superheros + angst.  

Suggestions?
From: jrd@frame.com (James Drew)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: CEREBUS: the Starters?
Date: 7 Jan 1993 13:32:13 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Enrique Conty (conty@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (E. Kontei)) writes:

>	Slobber, and her twin sister Sulk

*It's* twin sister, which means that Slobber must be...

Fred 'n' Ethel 'n' The Little Guy with the Hair!

------------------------------
                             |     "What's that noise?" I asked Val.  "Sounds
Jim Drew                     | like an electric razor."
jrd@frame.com                |     "Ron's shaving," I was told.
(Furry: Randy Puritan)       |     "Shaving?  Ron?  The guy who thinks everyone
"Innocent, but not naive."   | would look better with a beard, even Madonna?"
B(2)h t c k s g+(p) rv p e   |     "Who said anything about shaving his
S8/5 g l+ y+ o+ a+ u++- j++  | *beard?*" Val said, and scratched idly at his
{opinions: mine != frame's}  | chest.
                             |		- Marc Lynx, "Awl's Fare"
From: silbrmnd@acf3.nyu.edu (Darkmage)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: re: Cerebus
Date: 10 Jan 93 01:22:39 GMT
Organization: New York University

Hey, guyz.  Ok, I just read Cerebus for the first time (I heard they
did a pretty good parody of Morph); I've read 164 & 165, don't have 
a clue as to what's going on, but I liked what I grokked.  
So here's a couple of questions:

	1. What's going on???
	2. Besides trying to find the first 13 issues of Mothers and
	   Daughters, what other Cerebus stuff should I read?
	3. *What* are the phonebooks???

Any answers to any questions (asked and unasked) would be appreciated.

Fnord.

	-DM

--
    "Welcome to Heisenberg Airlines.  We have no idea where we
	are, but we're making damn good time."
			-Visual Mark,  _Synners_
		
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: mkelly@bronte.helios.nd.edu (michael kelly)
Subject: Re: Cerebus #165, dig out the chess match stuff, guys.
Reply-To: mkelly@bronte.helios.nd.edu (michael kelly)
Organization: University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 16:20:23 GMT


 ae505@yfn.ysu.edu (Frank Krygowski) writes:
|> 
|> re: CEREBUS 165: So. "Swoon" is going to feel "sorry" for himself?
|> Wouldn't "SORRY" be another of the CerebEndless [maybe the re-coiffed
|> Judge]?
|> Thanx, Frank&Co[borrowed time]   

Hmmm...don't know if anyone else thought of this, but is it possible that 
Swoon has a 'prodigal' brother?



Spawn?

-- 
+               Mike Kelly, Notre Dame Department of Physics                +
+                                                                           +
+ mkelly@doc.helios.nd.edu          "The more you drive,                    + 
+ mkelly@undhe5.hep.nd.edu                 the less intelligent you are."   +
From: w95_cook@wums.wustl.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: RE: VG: unmentioned new Vertigo titles
Date: 6 JAN 93 08:50:52 GMT
Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER
NNTP-Posting-Host: msnews.wustl.edu

In a previous article, pautler@ils.nwu.edu (David Pautler) wrote:
>In the issue of _Previews_ devoted to Vertigo, there's a bound card insert
>between pages 48 and 49 that has a list of Vertigo titles on the back.
>We've heard a lot about many of them, but there are some I've not heard
>of anywhere else:
>	American Freak
>	A Tale of Un-Men
>	Infernal Machine: A Love Story
>	Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo
>	Shadows Fall
>	Skin Graft
>	Tattered Banners
>	The Last One
>	The Phantom Stranger Special
>	The Witching Hour
> 
>Has anyone heard anything about these?
Well, I haven't heard anything about these books, but I can
tell you that the Witching Hour was quite a fun 70's
horror anthology.  I'd very much look forward to seeing the
book make a return.
>
From: conty@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (E. Kontei)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Constantine's Drinking Buddy
Date: 10 Jan 93 01:50:43 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories

In article <890661b.80.726534553@axe.acadiau.ca>, 890661b@axe.acadiau.ca (MATTHEW EARL KEITH BALL) writes:
> Just a question on the blurb in the Vertigo Preview.
> 
> Who is the man/ghost/god/whatever drinking with Constantine?

The Lord of the Dance.  Hadn't seen the chap since last Winter Equinox
(he'd rather not hear the *-mas word...)
-- 
			    E n r i q u e  C o n t y
			       Master of Science!
			      jester@ihlpm.att.com
		    Disclaimer: You're not dealing with AT&T
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig)
Subject: Justice Society #7
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 22:27:57 GMT

The letters page finally addresses the cancellation of JSA after issue 10.
At the center of the explanation is the statement that "although the first
book did considerably well, sales of subsequent issues began to fall
substantially."  Word on the net was that the title was cancelled before
anyone ever saw sales figures for the first issue.  If that is the case,
then either the title was cancelled because dealers ordered fewer copies
of issues two and three than they did of issue one, when the orders were
solicited -- or the implication that the cancellation was motivated by
poor sales is dishonest.

I'd certainly keep reading this title...

Next issue the Halls make a strange discovery in an Egyptian tomb.  What
I'd like it to be is a picture of their grandson consorting with gargoyles.

-----
Dani Zweig
dani@netcom.com

   God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endless traine  -- Edmund Spenser
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: vanyel@camelot.bradley.edu (Alan Williams)
Subject: Re: When was the destruction of Daxam?
Organization: Bradley University
Distribution: usa
Date: 12 Jan 93 22:34:59 GMT

albert@chain.ssctr.bcm.tmc.edu (Rick Jones) writes:
>In article <1993Jan12.200941.25172@pbhyc.PacBell.COM> djdaneh@PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes) writes:
>>In article <C0pM1x.5vp@HQ.Ileaf.COM> tyg@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Tom Galloway) writes:
>>>You have to destroy it at *LEAST* twice to get rid of it for good.
>>That's why Earth is still around in the 64th century after being
>>"irrevocably" destroyed in the 30th. . .
>	Nah.  R.J. Brande is going to build Earth-2  ;-).  It may take 
>a long time, but eventually, he'll build it.  (Or his heirs)  
>Not a problem.

Will he put the Justice Society of Legionnaires on it, too?  8-)

--

 _______________ Alan Williams | vanyel@camelot.bradley.edu _________________
 \/ KIRA: Red alert!  Raise shields!                                       \/
    O'BRIEN: What shields?
                                --"Emissary," _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: stailey@bugs.comm.mot.com (Mike Stailey)
Subject: Re: Superclones
Reply-To: stailey@comm.mot.com
Organization: Motorola LMPS Research, Schaumburg, IL
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 12:45:41 GMT


*According to a report in New York Newsday this morning, "Superman...
*will return sometime in April....And, according to one executive,
*Superman will return not as one Man of Steel - but as four.  Martin
*Stever, advertising and promotion manager for Capital City
*Distribution, said he has learned that there will be four Superman
*clones - an African-American, an Asian, a Caucasian and a Hispanic - 
*and that each will have his own book.  "DC Comics will bring Superman
*back to life in four separate comic books, one for each week of April,"
*says Stever.  A DC spokeswoman denied the reports of 4 Superman clones,
*and said that there would be an announcement soon "about developments
*in the Superman storyline."

*Is this accurate?  My guess, knowing the news media, is that it's
*about 50% accurate.  But who knows?

 This sounds somewhat like what Roger Stern was talking about in
 CBG #1000. He stated there will be four new books with the same
 creative teams as the current Superman titles. Each book will
 focus on a "new" superhero with powers in the range of the late
 Superman. But they will in no way be able to replace the Man of
 Steel.

 I guess you could interpret these "new" heros as clones, but 
 not in the literal sense. There may have been some extrapolation
 done by NY Newsday in this respect.

 --
 Michael                      
 stailey@comm.mot.com
From: xyzzy@imagen.com (Xyzzy)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Vertigo Preview
Date: 6 Jan 93 14:59:51 GMT
Organization: IMAGEN

In article <1993Jan4.225429.1005@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> praxis@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Laura L Perkinson) writes:
>	Someone PLEASE tell me that the guy who did the art in the Sandman
>story won't be drawing the comic ever ever again! Lord that was wretched
>looking stuff.

It was definately, well, different.  It may take some serious getting-used-to.
Dream seems to have aged a few years.  I like the current representation
of him as a younger man.  Just remember, though, that the Endless appear
different ways to different people.
-- 
My opinions do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
..I'm not nearly as think as confused you am.
xyzzy@imagen.com
From: v129j6ed@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (This is F.U.N.)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: New Titans #94
Date: 9 Jan 93 04:45:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1993Jan8.223034.8368@netcom.com>, dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) writes...
>Why am I still reading this trash?  Is it because this many years of loyalty
>can't be shrugged off easily, or is it because #100 is a nice round number?
>This issue is trash, with little or nothing to recommend it.

For the past year or so, I have been wondering about this same thing.
I am keeping the book till #100 also.  If it doesn't get any improvement,
out it goes.  I would drop it now, but since Weezie is writing it for three
issues, I can't blame Wolfman for it.

*******************************************************************************
"If you love your foot, dive for it!" - The Power of Lard - Lard
*******************************************************************************
Jef Kolodziej                    Cliche Dude                    The KaTeFan(tm)
v129j6ed@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu           State University of New York at Buffalo
History Major                                                  611 LaSalle Ave.
(716) 834-2606                                                Buffalo, NY 14215
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: lsmith@deci.cs.umn.edu (Lance "Squiddie" Smith)
Subject: Re: Why Vertigo? 
Summary: Why not? 
Organization: Dizzy Squids of the Poor
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 21:29:08 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.172404.18430@schbbs.mot.com> Chagnon_A@msm.cdx.mot.com (Andrew Chagnon) writes:

>No question....but this newsgroup is by no means a representative part of the
>comic reading population. 

Yeah, but we're the only group that matters... (Hmmm, where did I put my
London Calling tape?)

>But what if the experiment fails? What if the sales numbers for Sandman don't
>cross-over to Shade, Hellblazer, etc.? Do we really believe that DC, which
>seems to be coming under increasing pressure to gain market share, is
>benevolent enough to keep the Vertigo line alive for our 'brain food.'

I don't think DC is as likely to can its establish titles. Most of the 
series they've been putting to sleep have been new titles that didn't 
grab the market quickly enough. All of the present Vertigo titles, with 
the exception of Shade, are actually older than Sandman and Shade is
into the 30s already.

It makes little or no sense to kill off established comics unless the 
numbers drop badly. Swamp Thing has seen better days, but if DC/Vertigo
were to kill the series, there would be a cadre of loyal fans who would
really be angry. With an established book there is always hope that even
if the numbers are bad, some changes might bring back the faithful. Unless
they have a sure replacement or are really losing money on a book, DC is
unlikely to just kill titles if the Vertigo move doesn't increase the 
number of copies sold.

Vertigo can also get away with lower unit sales by charging more per title.
Starting in March, most of the titles jump to $1.95, a move that I'm not 
happy with. (In a sick way, increased price often increase sales. An older
consumer will often perceive that the higher priced titles are of better 
quality than the lower priced titles.) So you're paying 70 cents more than
the Standard Format DC titles.

If the experiment really does fail, I don't expect DC to give Vertigo the
axe. The number of new titles that Vertigo puts out may drop, but there's
no reason to kill the imprint. Vertigo, as a unit within DC, costs the 
company little extra. Piranha Presss still exists, even though the number
of books it puts out is close to zero. I think 1993 will see the most 
activity out of Vertigo, but I expect it will continue to exist, at least
for awhile. 

----------------------------
  Lance "Cr2O3.2H2O" Smith | "Don't think I'll ever get used to your strange
    (lsmith@cs.umn.edu)    |  clothes or that upper class, public school accent,
 Using up all that promise |  but you're all right. Let's go to the pub. Your
   I showed in my youth.   |  treat."      _Mr Peanut meets John Constantine_
From: Peter_A_David@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Did Ya' Notice in Future Imperfect
Date: Fri,  8 Jan 93 06:23:53 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: world

My description of the trophy room was very succinct:

"Double paged spread of the trophy room.  It is crammed with tons of
memorabilia--various props, gadgets and costumes from throughout the
Marvel Universe.  Cap's shield, the Surfer's Board, Thor's Hammer, and
anything else you want to toss in."

"And hanging over in a case is Wolverine's skeleton."


That was it.  I mentioned specific items which I intended to use as story
elements in Part 2.  The rest of it was all George.  I did mention later
in the plot that there was a shelf with urns over in a corner, but George
managed to fit the urn shelf into the double-paged splash.  He has such a
phoenomenal sense of environment that, no matter which angle you're watching
a scene from, you'll notice that everything remains consistent.  You
know where you are in the trophy room if you compare it back with the splash
intro.

So who noticed the Thing's rocky hide on top of the Sentinel's head?

PAD
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: How does PAD write scripts for Marvel?
From: Ernie Oporto <EAO102@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 09:40:15 EST
Distribution: world
Organization: The Pennylvania State University

In article <72917@cup.portal.com>, Peter_A_David@cup.portal.com says:
>
>What was the original question?  I don't recall seeing it.

The original poster was looking for some insight into how you write
your plots and scripts as opposed to formula stories made of one
part setup, two parts chase scene, and 17 parts fight scene.

---
"See how I LOVE to clean FEEEELTHY CATBOXES!!!!"  -- Ren
  _____)           ______        _)       _)  EAO102@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
                               __       __    OPORTO@CORVETTE.ECE.PSU.EDU
______    ______            ___      ___      Ernie "SHOKK" Oporto
                               __       __    Computer Lab Attendant
(_______ _      _ ________ _     _) _     _)  for PSU's CAC Department
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc