Refining the Dredd timeline

[2000AD Online]

Methinks it time someone acknowledge the debt Dredd continuity owes to John Talbot. Who? Check out 'A History of Mega-City One (Unofficial Version)' in your moth-eaten copies of the 1984 Judge Dredd Annual:

'Using dates mentioned in 2000 AD as a framework, John has filled in the gaps with his own interpretation of Mega-City One's origins and history.'

The Dredd RPG relied heavily on John's account of events and, if the Dredd timeline on this site is anything to go by, John's interpretation has now become the 'official' version. So a challenge, if you will, to verify certain assumptions re: Dredd continuity. And no doubt create some of our own in the process.

For example, dating the pre-'Inferno' 'Harlem Heroes' stories. Contrary to popular belief, the series is apparently not set in 2050. Prog 1 merely states Aeroball became a worldwide sport in 2050, nothing more. 'Inferno' (Prog 72) depicts a fake meorial of john Clay, stating his date of birth as being 2150 and his anticipated death as being 2179, presumably when 'Inferno' is supposed to be set. Assuming these dates are typos and are, in fact, supposed to be 2050 - 2079, then it ties in with the senior Judge Giant's graduation, at twenty, from the Academy of Law in 2099. I would then presume that Cindy Lamont, a former Harlem Hellcat, is the senior Judge Giant's mother (Prog 73).

I'll get my anorak.

[Leigh S]

Your assumptions make sense Mr Whit - however, Giant Senior looks at least 60 in the Dredd tale set in 2099 (and that's being generous) whereas the dates above would make him only 49 in that story - Aeroball must have taken a lot out of him!

[John Caliber]

The new Judge Dredd RPG by Mongoose Publishing has an updated timeline, which I created. However, though I did fill in details concerning the years prior to 2070, Revelliun have nixed all the material, stating that those early years remain the province of future 2000AD writers. Frustrating, but true. The timeline from one of the early Dredd annuals is no more official than the Mongoose effort.