DC's Judge Dredd

[Kara Zor El]

Did anyone buy the short lived DC monthly version of Judge Dredd back in the 90's. There was also Legends of Judge Dredd.
I got both until they stopped. The Legends was kinda okay. But the ongoing series was awful. They went back to the begining and started up a whole new continuity which jarred with the British continuity. That's okay for those who hadn't read the british stuff but for the fans it was dire.
Anyone out there remember it and like it?

[Rik Levins]

I drew a couple of issues.

http://www.riverwalk.netfirms.com/IMAGES/DREDD.jpg

Didn't much care for the stories, though.

[DWEarhart]

I bought the first few, and I went back to them and found out that the ones I have were drawn by Michael Avon Oeming. His style has changed a bit since then.

[The Joker]

I remember the series. Never picked up the Legends series, but I did pick up the ongoing title. Not really that impressive, but this was at a time where I thought Judge Dredd was pretty cool, despite the lackluster Stallone film.

Thankfully, I was lucky enough to run up on some reprints of the british series. Which was way better than what DC was doing with Dredd.

[Paul Newell]

I drew a couple of issues.

http://www.riverwalk.netfirms.com/IMAGES/DREDD.jpg

Didn't much care for the stories, though.
Nice work Rik. :)

How did you find doing the costume. And did you have to reference a lot of 2000AD stuff?

[Ripper]

DC didnt get Dredd at all. They always portrayed him as another hero when he was far from it. The reason why the UK stuff is so much better is because it continues to be one some of the best satire of Britain and America's social and political landscape to date, more so when it came out, both countries where suffering leaders such as Reagan and Thatcher and the restrictive society within Mega City 1 really reflected a possible future. My advice for any American Dredd fans is to import some of the 'Complete Case Files' that Rebellion have recently released.

[Babylon23]

Yeah, DC really missed the boat with this one. I'm not sure the writers really understood the elements that make Dredd unique. As a longtime 2000ad reader, I just couldn't get into their version of Dredd.

I've always wondered why DC didn't call on Alan Grant to write the series.

[Magneto_X]

I drew a couple of issues.

http://www.riverwalk.netfirms.com/IMAGES/DREDD.jpg

Didn't much care for the stories, though.

You drew that?!?

That's awesome.

[Kara Zor El]

Nice work Rik. :)

How did you find doing the costume. And did you have to reference a lot of 2000AD stuff?
I didn't mention the art did I? That was the best thing about it. The art was top notch in both series. It was as you say the stories and the new concept that didn't work. Going back to the begining was a bad idea. Even the origional Brit comics didn;t start at the begining. Best to go back and tell of the past in bits as you go.
I agree with everyone here.
It was such a missed opportunity for DC to really kick ass and do something different.
I remember that there were also Movie continuity cfomics but they weren't DC, don't know who did them but I never picked one up that's for sure.

And I would also like to know how you found drawing such a difficult costume pease?

Your art on the book was fantastic up there with Ron Smith, Bollond, Mills.

[Lonewalker]

Dredd had a title in DC? In the '90s? Wow, I never knew...

[Kara Zor El]

Dredd had a title in DC? In the '90s? Wow, I never knew...

2 titles. Jugde Dredd and Legends of Judge Dredd. The latter being like Legends of the Dark Night.

[dancj]

I've always wondered why DC didn't call on Alan Grant to write the series.

Alan Grant and John Wagner co-wrote an arc for Legends of Judge Dredd.

Personally I liked the stories. It was completely different to the English stuff, but it was still enjoyable in its own right.

[The Batman]

those books were alright, the art was pretty good while the stories were servicable, but they couldn't really compete with the best of the Dredd stuff the Brits were putting out there.

it always seemed that DC was playing it too safe with Dredd, not going too far out on a limb with him in order to keep him safe and conventional.

[Kara Zor El]

It must have been a big blow to the British publishers when it didn't work at DC. I wonder what kind of deal was brokered. Did DC lose a bundle I wonder? What kind of deal did DC do with the Brits?
I hope a movie is made one day that is true to the character and comics. As what we aleady had was complete garbage.

[Rik Levins]

Nice work Rik. :)

How did you find doing the costume. And did you have to reference a lot of 2000AD stuff?

I had a copy of the Judge Death trade, with mostly Brian Bolland artwork. Excellent reference for the costume, but Bolland is a VERY intimidating act to follow. I hope I managed to draw the character even one-tenth as well as he did.
The secret of the costume is that it couldn't possibly work that way in real life, you just have to sort of fake it so that it LOOKS right from whichever angle the character is facing. I have no idea how they managed to make it look like it worked in the movie (possibly different versions of the outfit for different camera shots).

Judge Death contains my alltime favorite panel, arguably the greatest "comeback" line ever to appear in a comic book. You all know which one I mean...

And thanks for the kind words, Magneto, Kara and Paul!

[Babylon23]

Alan Grant and John Wagner co-wrote an arc for Legends of Judge Dredd.

Personally I liked the stories. It was completely different to the English stuff, but it was still enjoyable in its own right.

Maybe the problem was that I was too immersed in British Dredd to appreciate DC's version of the character.

[Economist]

The reason why the UK stuff is so much better is because it continues to be one some of the best satire of Britain and America's social and political landscape to date, more so when it came out, both countries where suffering leaders such as Reagan and Thatcher and the restrictive society within Mega City 1 really reflected a possible future.

Which makes the series more funny because they couldn't have been more wrong.

[Lonewalker]

2 titles. Jugde Dredd and Legends of Judge Dredd. The latter being like Legends of the Dark Night.

I see. Thanks. :)

[Kara Zor El]

And thanks for the kind words, Magneto, Kara and Paul!
Your very welcome.
I see. Thanks. :)
And so are you.

I'm going to have to dig out my issues now. No not my issues with Powergirl breasts. My back issues of DC Judge Dredd.

[dancj]

The reason why the UK stuff is so much better is because it continues to be one some of the best satire of Britain and America's social and political landscape to date, more so when it came out, both countries where suffering leaders such as Reagan and Thatcher and the restrictive society within Mega City 1 really reflected a possible future.

Which makes the series more funny because they couldn't have been more wrong.

Is this sarcasm? I can't tell.

[Kara Zor El]

Here's the cover of Issue 1

[thehod]

Judge Death contains my alltime favorite panel, arguably the greatest "comeback" line ever to appear in a comic book. You all know which one I mean...

This one? :D
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Gazeintofist.jpg

Jeez, it seems like I'm posting this piccie all over the place at the moment.

[Kara Zor El]

This one? :D
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Gazeintofist.jpg

Jeez, it seems like I'm posting this piccie all over the place at the moment.

It can't be that beacuse that's from the sequal to Judge Death. The other Dark Judges didn't appear in the first story. That's Judge Fear. Great panel though isn't it?
I jumped out of my chair back in the day when I saw that.

[Rik Levins]

That's the one. I had the trade of Judge Death, which contained the followup stories including Judge Fear, and of course the Judge Anderson arc.
I, too, about fell out of the chair at that panel. "Gaze into the fist of Dredd!" Priceless!

[Kara Zor El]

That's the one. I had the trade of Judge Death, which contained the followup stories including Judge Fear, and of course the Judge Anderson arc.
I, too, about fell out of the chair at that panel. "Gaze into the fist of Dredd!" Priceless!
Cool, I was trying to think what it was from the first story. I got them when they came out at the time, in the weekly 2000AD. The second story which the panel is of and the classic quote you mention is from was the best by far of all the Dark Judges stories. I was hoping for the Dark Judges in a Dredd Movie. Looks like it will never be.