Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

vivatifosi

zagubov wrote: »

Pretty much wish the news programmes would just report the incidents factually and move on. Not being cold-hearted, but the more you report this stuff, the more you encourage future events.

A very small percentage of any news is breaking news. An even smaller percentage is breaking news that the rest of the world finds interesting. As a result it will be on our front pages for a few days yet. It will go breaking news to news to analysis and will pop out the end sometime next week, after the weekly news magazines and Sunday papers have had their say. That's the nature of the (news) beast.

Look at what else is in the news today... it isn't a lot. I think George Osborne is number two. Sorry zag...

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

Er, what's that then?

Sorry Pastures. I have some fondness for the little Belgian and his faithful hound (and strangely I'm not discussing an NP here), so when I saw the image it resonated.

I was talking to a French library member last week and she was saying that in the UK we just don't have the same history of children's comic books as France and Belgium. They have Tintin, Asterix, Lucky Luke... The francophones practically own the older children's picture book market, well the ones with words and stories anyway. It's interesting what's popular in one market but less so another.

Generali

vivatifosi wrote: »

Sorry Pastures. I have some fondness for the little Belgian and his faithful hound (and strangely I'm not discussing an NP here), so when I saw the image it resonated.

I was talking to a French library member last week and she was saying that in the UK we just don't have the same history of children's comic books as France and Belgium. They have Tintin, Asterix, Lucky Luke... The francophones practically own the older children's picture book market, well the ones with words and stories anyway. It's interesting what's popular in one market but less so another.

Marvell and DC comics (American but drawn for by many Brits). 2000AD. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Brits do comics for older kids but they tend towards the Sci-Fi or quasi-Celt. I do have a fondness for the French comics, I haven't outgrown them in the way I did 2000AD for example. I had all the 2000ADs back to about Prog 134. My mate had all of them.

I hope they catch the murderers. What happened to the last bloke seems pretty good actually, shoot him and put him in prison.

vivatifosi

Marvel and DC are for an older audience, realistically teen and up. Beano is different again, in that it is a series of comics in one book. There is little competition to the francophones in the older children's market. In terms of picture books per se you have the likes of Where's Wally (Where's Waldo in USA) , and there are some beautifully illustrated older picture books from this country, but not drawn in cartoon format.

This may change though. They are quite old now and sometimes belong to a different time, as anyone who tries to borrow Tin Tin in the Congo will know... much requested but rarely in print because, quite frankly, it is racist.

My favourite Tintin is Destination Moon. As a kid growing up at the same time as the Apollo programme, that was epic.

Generali

Is there much age space between Marvell and the Beano? I don't think there was when I was a kid.

Asterix, of which I am a fan, must surely fit one age group or another...? (I would argue that it spans those ages).

vivatifosi

Generali wrote: »

Is there much age space between Marvell and the Beano? I don't think there was when I was a kid.

Asterix, of which I am a fan, must surely fit one age group or another...? (I would argue that it spans those ages).

I don't know about to Beano as it isn't published as a book, so it isn't something we see in libraries. I'm talking v much about the books rather than comics. Graphic novels if you like. Most Marvel and DC these days is aimed at adults and really isn't suitable for kids at all. There are even age restrictions on the lending of picture books in libraries as they can be graphically very violent. They have probably progressively become more violent since you were a kid.

If you look in a lot of graphic novels they have age guidance in, much like a video game or DVD. It's something that I think doesn't get on to a lot of parent's radars. DC and Marvel have moved with time, whereas Herge and Goscinny et al belong to a different time.

The Marvel thing may change now it is owned by Disney, but I think it is more likely that they will continues to produce adult graphic novels and brand extend down into younger children, which is already being done through the alliance with DK.

ETA... Asterix is shelved in the children's section of a library, though many adults try to borrow. DC and Marvel are shelved either in teen or adult section of most libraries, depending on content and recommended audience. Adults can still borrow Asterix though, no restriction there thank goodness.

ukmaggie45

Just a quick note to say they caught the 3rd bomber in a pizza restaurant.

PasturesNew

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

Just a quick note to say they caught the 3rd bomber in a pizza restaurant.

As you would, as a lot of their objection to us seems to be "western lifestyle". I bet he was on his way home from the pub.

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

As you would, as a lot of their objection to us seems to be "western lifestyle". I bet he was on his way home from the pub.

I didn't even pick up on that but you are totally right.

We want to turn you into part of the caliphate, while wearing Nike trainers, listening to rap and eating pizza. All a little odd.

I read an interesting book on ISIS by Abdel Bari Atwan, this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Islamic-State-Abdel-Bari-Atwan-ebook/dp/B00UAONO9K/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458731188&sr=1-1&keywords=abdel+bari+atwan

In it, he talks about how those who have gone to live in Syria tweet as part of their social media campaign. One woman, whose husband had just gone and blown himself up in a suicide attack, went on literally an hour or so later to post pics of the dessert she'd made with Nutella. It's as though they think they are living in a video game.

I just can't get my head round it.

ukmaggie45

Update - now they say it was a different person they arrested.