In Defense of Radio Drama

Radio Dramas are possibly the best form of media there is. There, I said it. I know those are fighting words in todays world and certainly a lot of people outside the UK (or even in the UK) would barely even know what a radio drama, audio drama, radio play or some such actually is. Well, let me tell you.

A radio drama is pretty much like a television show or film, except without the visuals. That is to say it's a scripted story with actors, music and special effects. Often the writing has to be more creative in order to accommodate the format and explain to the listener what is going on. Despite these limitations I feel that this format is truly wonderful. The budget is almost limitless; you can go anywhere and do just about anything. You still have actors giving performances and bringing the characters to life. You still have a musical score. However the information isn't quite so spoon fed. Instead of sitting in front of a screen and being force fed all the information visually, you become engaged in the story. By listening to the dialogue, FX and so forth and filling in the blanks with your own mind you become submersed into the world more completely.

One thing a radio drama is NOT is an audio book. An audio book is as far removed from a radio drama as a politicians speech is from a television drama. Audio books are usually just an actor reading words from a book. Sometimes there's a bit of music or effects, but mostly it's just the story being read. It annoys me when people lump radio dramas in the same category. Or can't tell the difference. Once is a full production with a huge amount of effort and design and the other is a bedtime story.

Here's some great examples of radio drama:

1. Fatherland

John Dryden's adaptation from the Robert Harris book of the same name is one of the best examples I can give. The story is set in a version of history where the Nazi's won the second world war. Dryden's recording style sounds as though somebody really is standing in the room and recording the events as they unfold. Very little music but lot's of ambience in this production. Drawn out and subtle performances from the actors help create a truly chilling environment. A great book and memorable radio experience.

2. The Hobbit

This 1960s Adaptation doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the modern radio drama but it still holds up today. The script was masterfully written to work for the format, although it does occasionally suffer from the cast members having to explain what they are doing. The drama really sucks you in and the end of each episode really leaves you wanting more. This is one of the plays which got me completely addicted to radio drama. It's just a shame that the 1980s version of "Lord of the Rings" turned out to be utterly average.

3. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

In many ways this was the play which changed the landscape for radio drama forever more. When Douglas Adams was commissioned to write his science fiction comedy series he started asking questions. Why couldn't radio drama sound as slick and polished as a Rock n Roll record? And so he set to work, not only on the script, but worked heavily with Paddy Kingsland and spent hours at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, developing an incredible series. Of course he would later adapt the series into a highly successful series of novels, but the radio plays came first. It's just a shame the second series wasn't quite as good and ended on a climax which more or less remained forever unresolved. (Although Dirk Maggs did try to explain this away when he adapted the last three books for radio a few years ago.)

4. The Goon Show

Every once in a while a group of people come together and create magic. This is certainly what happened when Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe. (Michael Bentine left well before its peak.) This is a series which included insane scripts that seem to go nowhere, memorable characters and hilarious sketches. Forget Monty Python, these guys were the real trailblazers. But their use of narration and sound effects often works into the comedy just as well as the actors themselves. Simply put, this show is a classic and one of the best things you'll ever hear.

How to make a good Judge Dredd movie

Vantage Point director Pete Travis has signed on to direct a new 3D Judge Dredd movie reboot. As exciting as this news is, I can't but be a little apprehensive. I really feel like he's not a character that is ever going to work in a Hollywood feature. At least not in the traditional manner in which I'm sure this film is going to attempt.

See, I've got an interesting take on how to make a really good "Dredd," movie. The problem is that Dredd just isn't going to work for most audiences. You're going to have to try to humanise him too much, which takes away from the potency of the character. He's kind of like a exaggeration. His skill, attitude and abilities make him difficult to relate to. Heck, in the comics he doesn't even take off his helmet. I'm fairly certain you never see his face.

The Judge Dredd movie in 1995 tried to make him more human, give him a traditional action hero kind of story line and it turned into a joke. So how can you make a really great judge Dredd movie? Simple. Don't make it a Judge Dredd movie. Make it a 2000 AD

movie. Do it the same way Sin City was made. Several different little short stories. Set in Mega City one, many of these tales will feature Dredd and end up tangling together into a climax in the end. One of the best features of the 2000 AD comics is these little one off tales they have inside. These original, short stories have served to paint the picture of a fascinating view of the city. By following the Sin City movie formula you get to showcase this incredible landscape while still retaining the potency of the Dredd character. Smaller doses, highly stylised. Hell, you'd probably want to film it all on green screen too.

You want the film to have this over hyped style, so that these extreme characters and bizarre future settings work together. The funny thing is that by making a 2000 AD movie instead of Judge Dredd, the character is probably more likely to be preserved. Remember how badass Marv was in Sin City? Now imagine a Judge Dredd presented the same way. That's how it oughta be, kids!

Top 5 must read online comics

One of the great things about the internet is the ability for talented artists and writers to freelance and produce some really great material online. These ideas might have never seen the light of day in the past but thanks to the internet are able to slowly build up an audience and develop in popularity.

I've been following many web comics for a number of years and these are my personal favorites. I highly recommend checking these out.

1. Diesel Sweeties

This pixelated web wonder has been updated every weekday since back in 2000. Richard Stevens is a master of tapping into the nostalgic niche of classic pixel artwork which has since exploded all over the web. However what sets this apart from the others is his ability to continually surprise us with masterfully worded puns and some really cool characters. Despite the very geeky content and drawing style, he's also very much in tune with female readers which can be difficult to achieve. This makes this comic enjoyable to almost anybody. The strip was actually syndicated in newspapers for a period of time, but rstevens has since gone back to the web only model of which he seems mostly comfortable. His talent for memorable one liners and catch phrases has also weaved into the online store with some wonderful merchandise available for sale. His shirts have featured on "The Big Bang Theory" and "The IT Crowd." But perhaps it's rstevens laid back, casual and friendly manner towards his fans which keeps me coming back for more.

2. Pokey the Penguin

This gem has truly awful style of artwork and often incomprehensible plots and dialogue. And yet I consider these comics to be some of the best I've seen online. These are understandably very difficult to get into and you need a really offbeat sense of humour. Often the downright absurdity of the dialogue or situations is the basis of the humour. I love the way that the characters seem to revere Pokey in many of the issues. They often do and believe what he says even if it makes little sense or is frankly dangerous. This isn't one to read too much into. Just enjoy the flow of dialogue and abrupt endings. Thanks to these comics, when asked a question I often respond with the cumbersome reply "The answer is no."

3. Boy on a Stick and Slither

The artwork on this series really stands out to me. The comic looks cute and colourful, however the humour is very dark and frequently twisted. Each of the strips involves Boy on a Stick discussing a topic with his pessimistic and selfish friend Slither. Often the settings are bizarre and interesting. The use of colour alone makes this artwork a joy to look at and the writing is snappy and memorable.

4. Ornery Boy

Ornery Boy is an angry goth who finds himself in all kinds of bizarre predicaments. Again, the content here is quite dark and the humour often involves horror. But the drawings themselves are extremely adorable. I find myself wishing that this was picked up as an animated series. Sadly the strip updates quite infrequently however the quality of the work is well worth the wait.

5. Joe Loves Crappy Movies

This is a movie themed comic which should appeal mostly to movie buffs and nerds. It's a great comic with some excellent interaction between the main characters. I also really love some of the expressions on the characters faces. They're just so well done. If you're into movies and just a little bit pedantic I think you'll enjoy reading these.