Main Menu

Texas City

Started by Sandman1, 06 September, 2017, 05:38:31 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Sandman1

I'm looking for an overall, thorough conception of Texas City and its judicial officials. Can you suggest some excellent examples? I prefer stories/comics in color.
Error...

Greg M.

Though the place is often referred to, I'm not sure there are that many definitive Texas City stories. It's normally depicted as, at best, a self-interested and independent city-state, and at worst, flat-out obstructive to MC-1 efforts. You'll probably want to read its first (?) appearance in 'The Judge Child' Eps 5&6 (Case Files 4) as well as 'Texas City Sting' (CF17). Though most 'Missionary Man' stories don't take place in Texas City itself, Preacher Cain is an ex-judge of that parish, so that series is probably a good source of info.

TordelBack

#2
The back half of the Every Empire Falls collection probably contains more detail on Texas City Justice Dept than any other story. The story with the first Paradox Vega appearance (forgot the name!) was also set there, and features two Texas City judges extensively.

Frank

Quote from: TordelBack on 06 September, 2017, 06:12:41 PM
The back half of the Every Empire Falls collection probably contains more detail on Texas City Justice Dept than any other story. The story with the first Paradox Vega appearance (forgot the name!) was also set there, and features two Texas City judges extensively.

Deep In The Heart (2016-2019), although it's neither overall nor thorough. Sorry, Sandman - the story/stories you're looking for do not exist.

John Wagner isn't the kind of writer to fill in detail unless he needs to, and the longest he's spent in TC was the Megazine story Texas City Sting (2.01-2.03), and all we really learn there is that TCJD conform to stereotypes of Southern law enforcement officials common in cinema of the sixties and seventies.

Judge Anderson takes a trip to TC in IDW's Anderson series, where she teams up with a TC psi judge. I wouldn't say we learn any more in that story than in those cited above, though. Sorry.



Proudhuff

Just read the US Presidential tweets that should give you a rough idea of the TC way of thinking. :thumbsup:
DDT did a job on me

Sandman1

Quote from: TordelBack on 06 September, 2017, 06:12:41 PM
The back half of the Every Empire Falls collection probably contains more detail on Texas City Justice Dept than any other story.

Quote from: Greg M. on 06 September, 2017, 06:09:37 PMYou'll probably want to read its first (?) appearance in 'The Judge Child' Eps 5&6 (Case Files 4) as well as 'Texas City Sting' (CF17). Though most 'Missionary Man' stories don't take place in Texas City itself, Preacher Cain is an ex-judge of that parish, so that series is probably a good source of info.

Will look up and sift through all these examples.

Quote from: Frank on 06 September, 2017, 06:32:40 PMDeep In The Heart (2016-2019), although it's neither overall nor thorough. Sorry, Sandman - the story/stories you're looking for do not exist.

It's a real pity, but then there is at least some room to fill. 
Error...

TordelBack

Quote from: Sandman1 on 06 September, 2017, 11:51:24 PM
It's a real pity...

Is it, though? Assuming your interest stems from one of your writing projects, you have a huge amount of freedom to work with, but enough differences from MC-1 to suggest a flavour.

glassstanley

I think it was first mentioned in the first Luna-1 story, in which it was a signitory to the Luna-1 treaty under the name of Mega-City Three. The retcon to the name only appeared in an annual text feature I *think* and so has never made it into the actual strip.

sheridan

Quote from: glassstanley on 07 September, 2017, 11:42:57 AM
I think it was first mentioned in the first Luna-1 story, in which it was a signitory to the Luna-1 treaty under the name of Mega-City Three. The retcon to the name only appeared in an annual text feature I *think* and so has never made it into the actual strip.


Sure I've read (possibly in an annual feature) that it was planned to be called Mega-City Three, but there was resistance.  There's also that McMahon gatefold cover, 'a scene from the civil war' (paraphrasing the title slightly).

sheridan

Quote from: sheridan on 07 September, 2017, 01:12:56 PM
Quote from: glassstanley on 07 September, 2017, 11:42:57 AM
I think it was first mentioned in the first Luna-1 story, in which it was a signitory to the Luna-1 treaty under the name of Mega-City Three. The retcon to the name only appeared in an annual text feature I *think* and so has never made it into the actual strip.


Sure I've read (possibly in an annual feature) that it was planned to be called Mega-City Three, but there was resistance.  There's also that McMahon gatefold cover, 'a scene from the civil war' (paraphrasing the title slightly).

...or I could look it up on Barney, which only took a minute or two:


Prog 169




A scene from the civil war in post-atomic America.





I had the impression the war was between TC and MC1, but there's nothing conclusive in that picture.

Dandontdare

A reader wrote a letter in prog 198* asking where mega city 3 was as an artist had included the name on the side of a mo-pad, but was confused as the map in the 81 Dredd annual only showed MC1 & 2 plus TC. Tharg's answer was :

"Texas City is commonly regarded  as Mega City 3. It just lacks official status as a mega-city. Certain population and area quotas have to be reached before such status is given"

This idea that some organisation decides if it's big enough was never mentioned again however. I think someone mentions in a later strip that it was just Texan pride and stubbornness that they kept the name rather than being #3


* Impressed? Well no, I've not had memory-implants - this prog is due to come up in Mondays Space-spinner 2000 ep and I'm reading along!

Sandman1

Quote from: TordelBack on 07 September, 2017, 05:39:33 AMIs it, though? Assuming your interest stems from one of your writing projects, you have a huge amount of freedom to work with, but enough differences from MC-1 to suggest a flavour.

Maybe, maybe not. I'll need to read through the source material before I make up my mind. I revere the source material, so I don't want to veer off the course too much.
Error...

Frank

Quote from: glassstanley on 07 September, 2017, 11:42:57 AM
I think it was first mentioned in the first Luna-1 story, in which it was a signitory to the Luna-1 treaty under the name of Mega-City Three. The retcon to the name only appeared in an annual text feature I *think* and so has never made it into the actual strip.

The 1984 Judge Dredd Annual contained a reader's attempt* to create a timeline of Megacity history -
clearly branded UNOFFICIAL VERSION - interpolating facts mentioned in the strip and events of their own invention.

Events mentioned in the strip are printed in bold text; reader Talbot's inventions are reproduced in italic script. The heading Civil war breaks out between Megacities One and Three is written in bold**, but Megacity Three wishes to obtain independence (and) adopts the official name Texas City is reader Talbot's fan fiction.


* "John Talbot of Littlehampton, Sussex"

** Although I really don't know where that information comes from. It can't just be based on that McMahon cover Sheridan reproduced above, can it?

Robin Low

Quote from: Frank on 07 September, 2017, 06:11:02 PM** Although I really don't know where that information comes from. It can't just be based on that McMahon cover Sheridan reproduced above, can it?[/i]

Well, we have Tharg's response (which is pretty official even if it's not in an actual story) that Dandontdare quotes, plus the civil war poster. In that picture there is a Judge carrying a judgyfied version of the third national flag of the Confederate States of America - I can't see anyone apart from TC flying a flag like that. It's reasonable to say that Texas City is MC3 and the Civil War (technically Mega Civil War, because everything's Mega) was between Texas City and MC1 and possibly MC2.

Regards,

Robin

Frank

Quote from: Robin Low on 08 September, 2017, 08:02:03 AM
It's reasonable to say that Texas City is MC3 and the Civil War (technically Mega Civil War, because everything's Mega) was between Texas City and MC1 and possibly MC2.

Origins makes no mention of any civil war. I'm pretty sure war between the US megacities has stopped having happened.