JUDGE DREDD: will the colour weeklies ever be reprinted?

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 25 Oct 2007, 11:32

SCI-FI staple '2000 A.D.' [founded 1977, and still going strong] was an essential purchase for me in the first 10 years of it's existence, in which it resembled a traditional paper [mostly b/w strips, colour centrespread]. The title yielded many wonders to behold, the lynch-pin being the ongoing saga of 'JUDGE DREDD', the grimly dour fascistic lawman, who dispensed instant justice, with the gusto of a relentless Nazi stormtrooper, onto the varied lowlife of his native stomping-ground: the aptly-named MEGA-CITY ONE. ...............

This was a brilliantly-thought-out world, teeming with futuristic incident [the timeline:early 22ND CENTURY]------so richly-detailed that it made the much more widely-known world of 'BATMAN'S' GOTHAM CITY appear almost a sketched-in afterthought in comparison.------------------DREDD'S world alternated between soaring luxury cityblocks and the radioactive hellholes of the city off-limits,--- and beyond,---- and the strip's ongoing success lay in the fact that it grafted traditional human trials and tribulations onto an elaborate framework of radically-advanced futuristic hardware and outrageous fads favoured by much of MEGA-CITY'S demented populace. -------------------added to the mix was a bewidering array of marauding mutants and renegade 'droids.

-----------------------------------------------------in 1987, the comic underwent a major overhaul, introducing improved paper stock and lavishly-improved colour printing techniques, which was somewhat of a return to 'TV 21' production values. However, i felt that they lost much of their most impressive talent pool in this era, [a subject for another time]--------and this is the main reason i stopped getting the 'GALAX'Y'S GRATEST COMIC'. ------------------------------------as a result of this, i am overly-familiar with the first decade of DREDD'S antics, and my knowledge of the strip from this point on remains sketchy. if current copyright-holders REBELLION were to lauch ongoing colour DREDD strips from '87 onwards in chronical order at a reasonable price, you can bet your bottom mega-cred that i would be interested..............

the 'compete reprint' b/w collections currently stands at around 1985, does anyone reading this have any knowledge of the possibilty of the complete colour DREDD saga ever being likely to be fully reprinted? I seem to remember reading somewhere that the color '2000 AD' strips were returned to the artists after publication, so maybe it's just not possible, by drokk.

felneymike · Post by **felneymike** » 25 Oct 2007, 12:05

I should expect the reprint collections that have been going to continue... but i would expect the colour stories to be either greyscale (some of the colour centrespreads have been) or else the original lineart before colour, rather than reproduced in colour.

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 13 Dec 2007, 08:28

------I have just had a look at VOL.9 in REBELLION'S 'DREDD' ongoing reprint series........there is an increased level in b/w 'photographed' reproductions of originally-colour centrespreads-------this stuff is readable, but I'd prefer standard b/w artwork---------this scanning of printed comics suggests that the original artwork [in many cases] is no longer available.

------I personally prefer reading the 'DREDD ' saga in this chronological book form, but the inconsistensies in quality of printing spoil it a bit.--------------RON SMITH'S artwork, in particular, has a high page-count of repros that are noticably inferior to the standard of the original 2000 A.D. comics--------perhaps his stuff has sold well to collectors.....?

--------the stories are now into the '86 era of archives.......not long now 'til we see what happens when DREDD went 'all-colour' in 1987-------I 'dread' [groan!] the prospect that they will simply stop abruptly at the colour cut-off point.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 13 Dec 2007, 10:37

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:------I have just had a look at VOL.9 in REBELLION'S 'DREDD' ongoing reprint series........there is an increased level in b/w 'photographed' reproductions of originally-colour centrespreads-------this stuff is readable, but I'd prefer standard b/w artwork---------this scanning of printed comics suggests that the original artwork [in many cases] is no longer available.

The artists had the option of having their artwork back about 20 years ago, so if the film copy of art isn't still around those books have to be scanned from the actual comics. Unfortunately scanning old comics often means cleaning up the art for reproduction, and fine lines may be lost in the process.

Lew

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 13 Dec 2007, 19:51

This is the comics version of the 'LOST STEPTOES', LEW!------most of the colour 1970 BBC 'STEPTOES' were wiped, and all we have now are grainy b/w programme transfers!----Granted, the 'DREDD' reproduction problems aren't as acute as that, and slightly-blurred DREDD is a lot better than NO DREDD.

-------incidentally, the '2000 AD' site has a facility in which every single [well over 1000 ] comics cover [and all DREDD-related offshoots] are available in good-resolution format------I have transferred a lot of the best ones onto shiny disc, tho' unfortunately I am new to this computer lark, and they are mixed up with a selection [of equally good] 'MAD' covers!-----ah well, there hasn't been a lot worth watching on telly this last decade or two.........

-----it's a shame you can't do this sort of thing on this site [i.e. good scans of every 1969 'BEANO' cover, or every 1970 'COR!!' cover]....I know it won't happen, D.C.T homson especially would never agree to this........

Kashgar · Post by **Kashgar** » 14 Dec 2007, 14:31

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:This is the comics version of the 'LOST STEPTOES', LEW!------most of the colour 1970 BBC 'STEPTOES' were wiped, and all we have now are grainy b/w programme transfers!----Granted, the 'DREDD' reproduction problems aren't as acute as that, and slightly-blurred DREDD is a lot better than NO DREDD.

-------incidentally, the '2000 AD' site has a facility in which every single [well over 1000 ] comics cover [and all DREDD-related offshoots] are available in good-resolution format------I have transferred a lot of the best ones onto shiny disc, tho' unfortunately I am new to this computer lark, and they are mixed up with a selection [of equally good] 'MAD' covers!-----ah well, there hasn't been a lot worth watching on telly this last decade or two.........

-----it's a shame you can't do this sort of thing on this site [i.e. good scans of every 1969 'BEANO' cover, or every 1970 'COR!!' cover]....I know it won't happen, D.C.T homson especially would never agree to this........

And the 'lost Steptoes' we do have are only thanks to the fact that Ray Galton made his own seperate grainy bw copies at the time of production.
Similarly now that the original artwork for many comics has either been sold on or destroyed maybe we comic collectors are holding on to the only viable record of what was produced in many instances.

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 14 Dec 2007, 20:40

that's right, kashgar-----those early 'STEPTOES' were recorded on a very early, almost-prototype version of mechanical video recording, but at least it worked-----you will doubtless be aware that the early 70s heralded in a terrifying age in which much televisual material was junked or taped over...........

[over 100 vintage 'DR. WHOS', most 'Z-CARS', nearly all PETER COOK/DUDLEY MOORE 60s satire, even extended coverage of the first MOON LANDING in 1969 are all gone, apparantly forever......]

------on the other hand, the complete 'CROSSROADS ' on 150-disc DVD boxset will hopefully be an impossibility........

----our old comics from the 60s or earlier might be yellowing, but they are a vital, symbolic link to all our yesterdays.........[PRETENTIOUS STATEMENT number 463 in a fairly frequent series......]

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 15 Dec 2007, 00:36

.......looking at the content of this site, ----it strikes me that such a high-profile character as JUDGE DREDD is woefully under-represented on these cyberpages..........yes, I am well aware that there is a very good '2000 A.D.' site a mere mouse-click away that contains all the info any comics fan ever is likely to require,------ however 30 YEARS of sustained DREDD is not to be sniffed at, -------in ' BEANO' terms, this is almost equivalent to their '1969'-----around the time they lost DUDLEY WATKINS!

--------the main hurdle latter-day' 2000 A.D'. has in terms of securing some place in immortality, comics-wise, is in the ever-changing influx of creative personnel who have graced it's pages............even the most gifted contributers don't seem to stick around long enough to register in comic-buff's collective consciousness, let alone for the GENERAL PUBLIC at large...........

--------however, DREDD as an entity deserves half-decent analysis on 'COMICS UK', and, -as we speak-------I am currently in the process of cobbling together a half-hearted, ill-concieved tiresome tirade, of which the opening SALVO will be launched [in this 30th year] shortly...........on this very page.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 16 Dec 2007, 19:08

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:.......looking at the content of this site, ----it strikes me that such a high-profile character as JUDGE DREDD is woefully under-represented on these cyberpages..........

British comics fandom seems divided. Most people here prefer the "traditional" British comics, but 2000AD receives huge attention in the comics fan press alongside American comics. I've never quite understood why some of the traditionalists never warmed to 2000AD. It's one of the biggest success stories of British comics, was created by people who were passionate about comics, and has its own unique identity. Yet even some of the IPC management hated it when it started out.

Lew

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 16 Dec 2007, 19:33

I am a bit like yourself, LEW, in the fact that I loved traditional DCT/IPC/ODHAMS output at a young age [and still appreciate them now]------but I was still able to change my comics-reading tastes when '2000 AD 'came along..........for me,---- in it's early inception,------ this title positively bristled with imagination and invention.

-------I can understand that a lot of people who love 'BEANO/W+Chips' style humour can't be annoyed with '2000 A.D.'------but I hope to at least give an outline of the DREDD phenomenon on these pages........but, I intend building it up gradually.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 16 Dec 2007, 23:15

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:I am a bit like yourself, LEW, in the fact that I loved traditional DCT/IPC/ODHAMS output at a young age [and still appreciate them now]------but I was still able to change my comics-reading tastes when '2000 AD 'came along..........for me,---- in it's early inception,------ this title positively bristled with imagination and invention.

-------I can understand that a lot of people who love 'BEANO/W+Chips' style humour can't be annoyed with '2000 A.D.'------but I hope to at least give an outline of the DREDD phenomenon on these pages........but, I intend building it up gradually.

For me, comics are comics whatever their style. One can get a equal enjoyment out of The Dandy as 2000AD, Vault of Horror, Nemi, TV21 or Modesty Blaise if they're all on form. In the same way that music or movies from any genre can be enjoyable.

Of course, getting the time to read as many comics as we'd like to is another matter.

Lew

Post by **AndyB** » 19 Dec 2007, 22:55

There's little enough traffic in the 2000AD forum to handle Dredd I think...

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 23 Dec 2007, 11:32

DAWN of the DREDD: COMICS WORLD 75-77

------before I delve into the bewildering [and entertaining] world of JOE DREDD, it is necessary to outline the state of the comics industry around the time the 22nd-Century lawman came into being.....

--------like 'SUPERMAN' and, indeed. 'BUGS BUNNY' [!] before him, DREDD did not step into our world magically fully-formed, and was borne of the changing comics landscape that spawned him.

-------around 1974, the 'adventure' style paper for boys had apparently ceased to evolve; this stuff [best typified by 'VICTOR, ''HOTSPUR' et al] had long since settled[mostly] into a too-safe format of reheated WWII high-jinks peppered with dialogue along the lines of: 'cop THIS, Fritz!'------ 'Jerry at 4-o-clock!' and other jingoistic lines. Always proficient, and entertaining to a degree,--this material was no doubt fresh and invigorating at some point in comics history, ------but, by the time I arrived on the comics-reading scene, this stuff was as over-familiar as the screeching tyres from the melted-down tincan cars on imported US TV shows.......

------------WORLD WAR 2, in particular, was a shattering, complex chapter in human history, so surely there must be other directions to explore than the strictly 'BOY'S OWN' fare foisted onto the market in this period?

--------clearly, those running the comics industry felt the same way, and it was D.C. THOMSON who launched the opening offensive, in the shape of their all-out combat title, 'WARLORD'.[1974] This title upped the reality of violence of war somewhat,and featured a sort of BOND-like hero in the form of Lord Peter Flint, a sort of SAS-hero before his time ,and a glossy concept for it's day, that nonetheless contained lashings of ultra-violence.....

----clearly a success with readers, IPC responded a a mere 4 months later, with their well-remembered 'BATTLE'---again, a lot of the stories contained herein added new depth and direction into the universal theme of WAR, helping to rescue this genre from it's previous 'warhorse' status......one strip 'MAJOR EASY' was penned by future DREDD artist CARLOS ESQUERRA, who was depicted along the lines of CLINT EASTWOOD in his 'MAN with no NAME' persona. Beyond the lurid 'blood-n-guts' imagery contained within BATTLE'S pages, the morality of warfare was [ironically] questioned by some characters dishing out the mayhem.

---------next up. 'BULLET' [1976-78, DCT]--continued the rejuvenation of adventure-comics with an infusion of fantasy: 'SMASHER' [no, NOT the 'DANDY' humour strip!] depicted the devastation wreaked by a vast, all-out war robot, and no less than PETER FLINT'S nephew entered the forum with his own weekly dose of stylish quasi-heroics.

--------however, if one title from this era sums up the upheavel that typifies the resurgence of the adventure paper in this period, it is doubtless in the shape of ''ACTION' [IPC 1976-77]---quite possibly the most controversial mainstream comic of the entire decade, and one that has inspired it's own book-length analysis, and hyper-dedicated website.

-----'ACTION' it must be said, ripped off much of contemporary successes ;[for 'HOOKJAW', read a more schlocky 'JAWS', and 'DEATHGAME 1999, read a virtual carboncopy of 'ROLLERBALL] and added to the mix a level of boundary-pushing graphic violence that disturbed the 'BOY'S OWN' set to the point in which something had to be done.......

-----the 'SUN' newspaper in particular had it in for 'ACTION', who depicted this comic as the blueprint for the deterioration of Western civilization, and SOMEBODY high up at IPC must have been taking stock, for the comic was withdrawn in OCT 77,----only to return 2 months later as a gutted shell of it's former notoriety.....

------the story of 'ACTION', and indeed 'WARLORD, 'BATTLE', and 'BULLET' deserve detailed, in-depth analysis in their own right, and if 1976-77 saw a revolution in terms of the music industry, these adventure-action titles ushered in a similar revolution into this once-staid genre.

-------here, at last, was an environment in which a 22ND-CENTURY lawman could function...............

TO BE CONTINUED.

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 23 Dec 2007, 20:06

To continue ISPY's discussion of the Dawn Of Dredd it should be noted that ACTION not only courted the ire of the Sun, but also that of the Daily Mail, Nationwide and was even discussed in Westminster. It was also an off-shoot of the attempt by the big 2 (DCT & IPC) to regenerate the weekly comics market.

First came WARLORD in Sep 1974 and was followed up by BATTLE in Feb 1975 as a direct fight-back by IPC. ACTION and BULLET both hit the news-stands on 14 Feb 1976. ACTION was IPC's attempt to push the envelope while BULLET was DCT's fight-back against BATLLE.

From the in-fighting at IPC, due to the fall of ACTION in Oct 76, Dredd originally came out as a character for authority, but an ultra right-wing authority. However as the years progressed, we have seen Dredd evolve into what he is today.

But back to ISPY's original point, the weeklies will eventually be reprinted as we have seen several of them appear in the Megazine.

ISPYSHHHGUY · Post by **ISPYSHHHGUY** » 23 Dec 2007, 20:54

ANDY......I don't mind having a crack at DREDD....I know there isn't too much interest in '2000 a.d. ' overall on this site, but even if hardly anyone reads it, it is a brilliant change for me after writing about 'SPARKY' or 'OOR WULLIE'.---I intend this as more of an occassional sideline, more than anything else.

cocool------yes, the story of 'ACTION' is a landmark in UK comics history----again, I haven't yet noticed a great deal on this title on this forum, either----though I will check on this, later...

----if this 'DREDD' theme works out to be worthwhile, I may well get round to 'ACTION' eventually.

Comics UK