Readers of The Lost Art

Discussion Questions 3: Post-Apocalyptic Comics

February 8th, 2012
  1. Atomic BombHow exactly do we define “post-apocalyptic”? What gets included, and what gets left out?  (Alien invasions, zombies, plague, nuclear holocausts, climate change?) 
  2. What’s the best example of a post-apocalyptic comic people have read? 
  3. And the worst?   
  4. What makes a good post-apocalyptic comic? 
  5. What is it that appeals to humankind about tales of the end of the world?  
  6. “If you want to get teenagers’ attention, start by saying “The world is f***ed up”. Kenny Baraka, performing “The Rememberers”. Do post-apocalyptic tales appeal especially to teenagers? 
  7. Is “Freakangels” post-apocalyptic? How about “The Crossed?” 
  8. Would the end of the world as we know it be a good thing, a bad thing, or would we just feel fine?[1]  

 


[1] With sincere apologies to Michael Stipe.

The By-Now Traditional ROTLA Christmas Quiz 2011

February 8th, 2012

rotla_logo_newPlease find below the questions for the Readers of the Lost Art Christmas Quiz 2011.  There are no answers, since the purpose of this exercise is to provoke debate (because we always need help doing that).  Please write in below what you think and we will debate / argue about it before going for pizza! 

  1. Best Comic Book You Have Read This Year 
  2. Worst Comic Book You Have Read This Year 
  3. Most “Meh” Comic Book You Have Read This Year  
  4. Comic Book You Read This Year That You Didn’t Expect to Find Interesting But Did 
  5. Comic Book You Read This Year That You Think Did Something New With The Medium 
  6. Best and Worst Writer 2011 
  7. Best and Worst Artist 2011 
  8. Best and Worst Comics-Related Film 2011 
  9. Which comics-related film did the Readers of the Lost Art vote as “So bad, it’s actually just bad?” 
  10. Which comics character did we think had the worst costume ever? 
  11. (For drinkers) Most Amusingly-Named Beer You Have Drunk This Year  
  12. Question You Think I Should Have Included On This Quiz  
  13. Quote of the Year (please write your favourite quote of the year below).

It may be from comics, it may be from the media, it may be from a member of the group… whatever, please share!

The ROTLA Christmas Quiz 2010

February 8th, 2012

Please find below the questions for the Readers of the Lost Art Christmas ROTLA LogoQuiz 2010.  There are no answers, since the purpose of this exercise is to provoke debate (because we always need help doing that).  

  1. Best Comic Book You Have Read This Year 
  2. Worst Comic Book You Have Read This Year 
  3. Most “Meh” Comic Book You Have Read This Year 
  4. Comic Book You Read This Year That You Didn’t Expect to Find Interesting  But Did 
  5. Comic Book You Read This Year That You Think Did Something New With The Medium 
  6. Best and Worst Writer 2010 
  7. Best and Worst Artist 2010 
  8. Best and Worst Film 2010 
  9. Best and Worst TV Series 2010 
  10. (For drinkers) Most Amusingly-Named Beer You Have Drunk This Year  
  11. (For non-drinkers) Most Amusing Thing You Have Seen Whilst Watching Others Imbibe 
  12. Question You Think I Should Have Included On This Quiz 
  13. Quote of the Year (please write your favourite quote of the year below).

It may be from comics, it may be from the media, it may be from a member of the group… whatever, please share!

Discussion Questions 2: X-Men

February 8th, 2012

Here’s some X-Men comics we’ve read: New X-Men

E is for Extinction 

Scarlet in Glory 

Imperial 

Sisterhood 

Astonishing X-Men 

and others we’ve no doubt forgotten… 

 

Questions

  1. What’s the best X-Men comic you’ve read?
  2. And the worst?[1] 
  3. And the weirdest?
  4. Any ideas on the following: 
    1. Best X-Man ever (other than Wolverine) Worst X-Man ever
    2. Worst X-Costume ever
  5. Did Garth Ennis’s take on the X-Men in “The Boys” (the ‘G-Men’) have any valid points to make?
  6. Did Grant Morrison and Joss Whedon really revitalise the series?
  7. Did anyone see the TV cartoon adaptation, and what did they think?
  8. Do TV cartoon adaptations ever persuade people to read comics?
  9. Does anyone disagree with the following statement about the films: “X-Men 1 was quite good, X-Men 2 was the best, X-Men: Last Stand was best forgotten about, the less said about X-Men Origins: Wolverine the better, X-Men: First Class divides opinion”?[2]
  10. “X-Men” has been going – in its various incarnations – for a long time now; what is it about them that appeals?
  11. What’s the best X-Men graphic novel?
  12. “God Loves, Man Kills” often takes this slot, but should it?

 

 


[1] This may be a hotly-contested slot. 

[2] Largely, it must be said, between Louise and Dave.

Discussion Questions: Crime-Related Comics

February 8th, 2012

Crime Related Comics: Questions for Discussion 

 (September 2011)

Some crime-themed comics we’ve read: 

  • 100 Bullets
  • Agatha Christie: Ordeal by Innocence
  • Black Diamond Detective AgencyCrime
  • Britten and Brülightly
  • Criminal
  • CSI
  • Iron Wagon
  • Johnny Double
  • Kane: Greetings from New Eden
  • Nobody
  • OCI (Occult Crime Investigation)
  • Sentences
  • Seven Brothers
  • Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet
  • Top 10 book 1 
  • From Hell (does this count…?)
  • The Simping Detective (ditto) 

and others we’ve forgotten… 

 

Questions 

  1. What’s the best crime-related comic you’ve read?
  2. And the worst?
  3. And the weirdest?
  4. Can TV adaptations (comic adaptations of TV shows) ever be any good, or are they doomed to be low-quality cash-ins? 
  5. Crime and the supernatural: we’ve read a few comics like this, but did we think they were any good?
  6. Does the graphic novel / comic form add anything to crime stories that novels, film and TV do not already have?