Bearded Dredd!

[Geoff]

I've been reading the latest Complete Case Files 25, which contains stories I've not read before. I was on a long break from 2000ad during this period. I've been pleasantly surprised by some of them and 'Death of a Legend' was very moving.

Anyway, there's a one-part story called 'Question of Sport' where Dredd clearly has a beard!  Not general stubble growth which is quite common for him, he's old, grizzled and very busy, but some sort of deliberate hipster type beard. What is that all about?

This is probably very old news to most of you, but was this commented on at the time?

I may be wrong but I can't think of any other Dredd story where he's on routine patrol and he's got a beard..

[Dandontdare]

I don't remember Dredd being bearded - any scans available? (You're right about Death of a Legend though - a classic!)

[Jim_Campbell]

Bafflingly off-model Dredd strip from Tom Carney. Either he was doing a weird thing with the way he drew chins, or all the judges have goatees, because neither of the two judges in the big final panel are meant to be Dredd.



Cheers

Jim

[Geoff]

Thanks for the scan, and yes, it's not just Dredd they all seem to have goatees don't they!

What's that sound..? Judge Lopez turning in his grave..

[Proudhuff]

I'd vote for the weird drawn chin thing, I think we all know what Dredd things of facial hair. Lopez and all that.

[GordonR]

That Frank Miller Megazine cover that never was had Dredd with a beard.

(Mind you, it also had him with a wooden plank for one of his legs.)

[Jim_Campbell]

That Frank Miller Megazine cover that never was had Dredd with a beard.

(Mind you, it also had him with a wooden plank for one of his legs.)

Just because I never get tired of this...



Although, just for good measure, we should probably add Sam Kieth's efforts in the "What the FUCK were they thinking?!" category...



Cheers!

Jim

[IndigoPrime]

Oh good grief. I remember that Sam Keith thing. As a relative youngling, I wasn't overly familiar with his work, but I remember his doing some fairly bad Nemesis covers for QC (although the people who took over then did an even worse job), then reading that Dredd/Turtles... thing.

As for the Miller Dredd, it looks like he just got bored part-way through, or was going for something a bit like what Mick McMahon did infinitely more successfully with oddball sizing and perspectives. Just urgh.

[Link Prime]

Oh good grief. I remember that Sam Keith thing. As a relative youngling, I wasn't overly familiar with his work, but I remember his doing some fairly bad Nemesis covers for QC (although the people who took over then did an even worse job), then reading that Dredd/Turtles... thing.

We'll have to agree to disagree- I loved Keith's Nemesis covers, particularly the humorous cover to issue 3.
You can view his 12 covers on Barney; http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=covers&page=character&choice=NEMESIS&Comic=usreprints

His art is very stylized and exaggerated, but it's something I've always personally enjoyed.

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah Sam Keith's work has become increasingly stylised, so while its not at all on model it does kinda fall in to the "Well want did you expect' wheelhouse.

Full disclosure big fan of his Maxx work (currently reading in in reprint), so not unbiased on this front.

[Hawkmumbler]

Going out on a limb here and admitting I actualy quite like Keiths Judge Dredd tale. The diamond in the wrath, so to speak, in and amongst the wave of post Necropolis guff that it was served up alongside.

Sure, I can see why it's viewed as....an oddity, to be polite, but at least Sam wasn't trying to be another Bisley clone. But, like Colin, i'm somewhat biased. Love the mans work.

[hippynumber1]

Another big fan of Sam Keith here and I loved what he did with Dredd.

[James Stacey]

Not a fan of Keiths crazy Dredd but loved his Nemesis covers. They were pretty much my first 2000ad collections.

[Jim_Campbell]

Full disclosure big fan of his Maxx work (currently reading in in reprint), so not unbiased on this front.

I am, generally speaking, an appreciator of Keith's work. Just not this, which I thought was terrible.

Cheers

Jim

[Steven Denton]

I really Like Sam Keith's Nemesis covers (and a lot of his other work). He could have drawn a cracking Dredd, but he didn't, he turned in something that looked like a RAW magazine satire of Dredd.