To Dredd or No, that is the question…..

[broodblik]

I was thinking that with all our tournaments we having is that we are actually ignoring one of the main reasons why we still have a comic called 2000AD and that is Joe Dredd, I am the Law man.

So, I was thinking what about a tournament to celebrate the mega epics and long stories in the world of the toughest lawman around Judge Dredd.

Now the idea is to have a tournament where we choose our favourite epic or long-running story. The qualification criteria must be 4 or more episodes.  I will set up a list and only the stories in the list qualifies. The other criteria are only Dredd stories in the prog and no spin-offs (only Judge Dredd stories)

So, what do you think is it something that you guys would like be part of and if so do you agree on the qualification criteria? Last question a top 10 or 20 tournament?   

[Richard]

I'm not sure that a four episode minimum will filter out enough stories. I'd go with ten.

[broodblik]

I think you will sit with at least with 150 stories up too prog 1349 it looks like 90. So maybe ten is a good cut-off point

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah I've got a couple on my list to address this imbalance as well. Let's see what happens here a d what you do and we can see what feels right to back this up.

[broodblik]

I my original thinking was more at a cut-off off 8 episodes this will include John Wagner's brilliant Machine Law and a few others.

[MumboJimbo]

8 is still a high bar, imo. You've excluded, for example, The Graveyard Shift which clocks in at 7 episodes.

[broodblik]

I will do a grouping and see how the totals look. I do not want to sit with a 100 stories plus.

[Funt Solo]

Just to put the math cat among the data pigeons, episode count is one way, but another is page count.

The Graveyard Shift is 7 parts at 45pp.
Mechanismo is 6 parts at 54pp.

Or are you excluding the meg? Anyway, I'm happy with whatever you decide.

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On a side note, it's odd how large some stories are in my memory even though they don't have a high episode count: Starborn Thing (2), Cry of the Werewolf (3) & Shanty Town (4) are examples. They felt HUGE.

[broodblik]

I am going to exclude the meg. I will most likely make a decision based upon total  episodes rather than page count.  The only story that I will include that not only includes episodes from Dredd is Trifecta since it I see it as one big story-line. But I open to any suggestions currently.

[broodblik]

If the entry criteria is firstly episodes and higher the totals are as follows:

1. 4 episodes and higher 169 stories
2. 5 episodes and higher 113 stories
3. 6 episodes and higher 77 stories
4. 7 episodes and higher 59 stories
5. 8 episodes and higher 48 stories
6. 9 episodes and higher 31 stories
7. 10 episodes and higher 28 stories 

So what are we comfortable with, I am thinking of 8 episodes and including Trifecta

[Colin YNWA]

I was going to say 7 or more as I always think anything over 6 feels atypical. I'm surprised the numbers are this low and 8 is just as good really.

One question that needs to address is when thinking about the odd story that cross into The Meg, but don't think it'd affect things too much but there are at least three significent stories that we'd need to consider if we're thinking about just the Prog stories or the stories as a whole across both comics.

[Funt Solo]

Regarding crossovers, it'd feel odd not to include Wilderlands, Judgement Day or that one about the robots.

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I vote for 7 episodes or higher. And a top fifteen.

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Just realized I was looking in the wrong column of my table earlier: The Starborn Thing is 6 episodes and Cry of the Werewolf is 7. (I'd been looking at covers.)

[broodblik]

Ok I think 7 is fine I will go for that. Interesting a top 15 odd but both these numbers resonates with me.

If no one has a super-dooper cool counter argument this is the number game:
1. 7 episodes or more
2. a top 15

[AlexF]

So for the last few months, while I've been shirking my duties on Heroes of 2000AD, I've been doing a massive re-read of, and ranking of, Dredd epics (and writing far too many words about them along the way). Was waiting to start posting after the current 'End of Days' has finished, but I guess i might get in early on the back of this thread!

For what it's worth, I've counted Megazine-based stories as well as Prog based ones (and a handful of other bits), using the rule of thumb of 10 episodes minimum / 60 pages minimum, making for a total of 50 stories.

Suffice to say, I'm into this!
7 episodes or more seems a good way to go to add in a few of those extra stories that felt bigger than they actually were, page-count wise.

[broodblik]

Suffice to say, I'm into this!
7 episodes or more seems a good way to go to add in a few of those extra stories that felt bigger than they actually were, page-count wise.

I will add Trifecta to the selection but what others can we add as well ?