Lew Stringer wrote:The way your character is represented here is entirely down to you Martin. I don't write your posts.
In this instance you appear to be confusing Phoenix's comments with my own. I knew you were only talking about the cover. However I still agree with Phoenix's general comment about your incessant criticisms. In fact Phoenix's comment could apply to many other "fans" on other forums and websites who seem to devote their online time to tearing down comics that aren't aimed at them.
The second paragraph is false; ergo, so is the first.
Of course I don't "devote my online time to tearing down comics". I repeat: I was only talking about the cover. I don't think I even mentioned any of the other 43 pages. How can you draw a conclusion about my view of the comic based on that, especially bearing in mind that one of my principal objections was precisely how much the cover
wasn't representative of the comic as a whole?
Your view of my posts doesn't apply to any other issues, either. If I don't like something, I'll post about it (if I remember), sure. If I do like something, usually I forget to write about it, unless it's in response to someone else posting about it. The reason for this is, apart from the obvious problems of holding up a placard reading "Keep things as they are!", is simply because the things I don't like are the
exception. If I was to write about all the things I approved of, every week, I'd probably overflow the forum database with 60000-character descriptions of 60-odd pages every week (more in school holidays). Even some things I don't like, I tend not to complain about because I can see they're necessary, or appreciate as a matter of taste, such as subscription ads, the type of humour in a particular strip or a given art style.
And bearing all this in mind, it's still not terribly difficult to find posts by me praising aspects of an issue. Admittedly you tend not to reply to those.
Now for the paragraph you always ignore: I honestly believe that both comics are measurably better than they were one year ago, and considerably so at that. The Dandy's obviously had its revamp, but even the Beano, which has been plodding uphill steadily, has reached the point where it can look down to the altitude it was at a year ago and get a sudden attack of vertigo. Incidentally, I said the same thing six months ago. But it's quite difficult to spot the small, incremental improvements at the time they're made, which is why I often miss them until a few weeks later when I suddenly realise something's missing. By that point it's generally too late to post without attracting puzzled looks. Dennis's stealth reversion is a neat example of this.
In summary, generally speaking I complain instantly, and praise in retrospect. You, on the other hand, tend to do the exact opposite (for example, spending three years defending Dandy Xtreme, but rightly heralding the revamp as a massive improvement), so perhaps it's no surprise we rarely agree.
Lew Stringer wrote:For what it's worth I preferred the previous cover design too, but they're trying something different now to try and attract new readers. (Almost like a junior Viz in some ways.) The next two issues have brighter images that look more fun. Let's see how it goes.
Viz was the first thing which struck me, too - mostly in the fonts used and position of the masthead.
For the record, the only staple-related complaint I've ever had was back in the Beano's toilet paper years, when one or both were frequently missing.
As for Phoenix, I'm just going to ignore him now. He can't still be drunk, but he's definitely acting out of character and seems immune to reason. In arguments with such people, everyone, especially the rest of the beleaguered users of this forum, can only lose.
I was doing the weeding, finishing off a Toxic job, then I watched a CSI episode. Now I've read it I not only support your view I applaud it. 
Halley's Comet must be turning round and coming back, or perhaps I'm in for an uncomfortable encounter with Bellatrix Lestrange in the next hour or so. If not, here's to the next 1400 posts, Lew. 