Dreddverse Map

[Mike Carroll]

Excellent work, Funt!

(Although: Dreadnoughts is set mostly in Colorado, so that's in the middle of the Cursed Earth on your map...!)

[Funt Solo]

You probably don't need to, but you can right-click and open the image in a new tab to get a slightly larger version of it.

*Edit - oh, and the stories are presented in their lists in order of publication. In case anyone was wondering.

Responding to queries & notes:

 - The Dead Man, of course, should be listed in the grouping for The Cursed Earth.

 - I can shift Dreadnoughts into that listing as well.

 - Regarding Millsverse strips (Flesh, Ro-Busters, Savage et al), that opens up something of a can of worms (or "Wuurrrmms!" if we include Armoured Gideon and therefore The Order). My thought was to pretend none of that was really happening. I realize that means ignoring the Satanus through-line, but, well, let's say I was sticking more with obvious thematic continuity. My logic breaks down with the inclusion of Judge Planet and Pussyfoot 5, but if the writers can interconnect all of this disparate stuff just to have fun then I can have fun with diagrams, grudammit!

 - The Rogue Trooper crossover is a bit weak sauce - a one-off starring Fr1day and his knife. It *could* get added to the inter-dimensional box without anyone blushing, but then that opens up the entire Rogue-i-verse. As it was actually a Judge Dredd story we could just walk away whistling quietly and hope nobody notices.

 - Strontium Dog is an interesting one - the two timelines *could* fit, but it's tricky to marry the UK presented in Portrait of a Mutant as being the future of the UK presented as Brit-Cit. It's a weak link, and mentally I do what Jimbo does and pretend it's a mixture of dimensions and time. (Also, can of wuuurrmms! because SD spins into Durham Red, Dogs & Tales.)

 - Chopper mostly resides in Oz in his solo stories, in the same way as JD mostly resides in MC-1, so I just chose a location. Nobody gets to live in two places in this diagram. You don't get anything for a pair ... not in this game!

 - Satanus Unchained is a tricky one - it's definitely in the Dreddverse - probably need to add that. But then, Mills-verse! Aieee! Circles of continuity making my brain bleed!

Summary: maybe, we'll see.

[JayzusB.Christ]

(in much the same way Strontium Dog is Dredd’s future)

More accurately, Dredd is Strontium Dog's past. The way time has been demonstrated to work in Dredd continuity means that although Dredd exists in SD's past timeline, it doesn't automatically follow that SD is the future of Dredd's timeline. The timelines can diverge at any point post-Judgement Day, setting Dredd's future on a different path from the one that results in the SD universe.

Aye, you've put me straight on this before - though Johnny and Dredd met again a few years ago, so maybe it's after that point rather than Judgement Day that the timestream separated into the SD trouserleg and the Dreddworld one (though it's a bit of a stretch to imagine Britain would revert to the far-less-futuristic version than the one that Johnny comes from).

Funt - amazing work.  It's something I've wanted for years.  I've always thought there should be a section like this in the Megazine - an atlas of sorts, with the main events of Dreddworld history summarised for each place, illustrated with reprinted panels as required.  I'd take that as a Megazine floppy over reprinted strips any day.  Look and learn, Meg-Tharg.

[Funt Solo]

Still resisting the inclusion of Flesh, Strontium Dog & Fr1day because "tra la la I can't hear you", but The Cursed Earth zone got some additions and I fixed the background colour problem in the bottom half:




*This is really nerd-heaven for old timers, but I think for newer readers it doesn't offer much - many of these stories are obscure one-offs. Reason for creation: I was just curious about how many spin-offs Judge Dredd had created, and needed some way to organize the list beyond it just being a really long list.

[Professor Bear]

Helter Skelter's ending cut Dreddworld off from the alternate realities of other 2000ad stories - at least until End of Days decided that no longer applied - and I assumed the intent was to avoid this kind of nitpicking so Dreddworld didn't have to tie itself in continuity knots explaining something minor.  If something from another 2000ad story happened in Dreddworld's past (IE: in stories already published), then that's fine, because those realities/stories still existed as possibilities at that point in the past, but not anymore because of the events of Helter Skelter.  Except End Of Days said that doesn't count anymore, so whatever, I guess.

Quantum Wave Theory Time travel wibble-wobble posits that no future is set in stone because that future doesn't actually exist and is merely a possible outcome of all events that are currently in motion, and even if you collapse the waveforms into a singular observable point go into the future, it doesn't mean the future you observe will definitely exist, because once you travel back to the past, the waveforms are un-collapsed everything is in motion again and events can turn out differently.

In other words: Dredd and Anderson went to the City Of The Damned, but that wasn't how their future turned out.

[Andrew_J]

Brilliant work Funt.

[Robin Low]

- Regarding Millsverse strips (Flesh, Ro-Busters, Savage et al), that opens up something of a can of worms (or "Wuurrrmms!" if we include Armoured Gideon and therefore The Order). My thought was to pretend none of that was really happening. I realize that means ignoring the Satanus through-line, but, well, let's say I was sticking more with obvious thematic continuity. My logic breaks down with the inclusion of Judge Planet and Pussyfoot 5, but if the writers can interconnect all of this disparate stuff just to have fun then I can have fun with diagrams, grudammit!

 - Strontium Dog is an interesting one - the two timelines *could* fit, but it's tricky to marry the UK presented in Portrait of a Mutant as being the future of the UK presented as Brit-Cit. It's a weak link, and mentally I do what Jimbo does and pretend it's a mixture of dimensions and time. (Also, can of wuuurrmms! because SD spins into Durham Red, Dogs & Tales.)

The sad thing is, I figured and argued all this out into a coherent picture years ago... and now I find I just don't care any more. There's little or no more meaningful Strontium Dog to be had now that we've lost Carlos and John W has all but retired. Dredd is either drifting or being pulled in different directions by different writers. It seems unlikely that we'll get anymore Savage out of Mills (except savage swipes at anyone who looks at him funny).

Very nice map though - respect the work put into it. Don't let my disillusionment distract from that.

Regards,

Robin

[Funt Solo]

Hi Robin,

There was a timeline I saw, years ago now - I think it was in the Games Workshop Judge Dredd RPG, and it tied in information from Flesh, and also from Strontium Dog. Or maybe my old brain is mashing together bits of that and other lists from the board - probably yours if you published it here.

One thing I get about being a mad collector is that it doesn't matter much to the job of publishing 2000 AD every week - their concern is always going to be focused on the here and now - what are stories doing now, are they popular now and can we sell a collected edition?

Whether Top Dogs or Casualties of War or Pat's tendency to tie everything together (although the link between Slaine and Ro-Busters has yet to be explored) means anything is a bit irrelevant, I suppose, in the grand scheme of things. It's all just something that was published in the past.

It is sad, of course, that so many of our favorite creators are no longer able to thrill us in the pages of the comic - whether they've shuffled off the mortal coil or retired or drifted into pastures new - but I'm still keen to see what the new generation does with the thing that was never meant to last this long in the first place.

Dredd has shifted away from being this core driven mostly by a single writer into a milieu in which many writers weave their own visions - and it is weird, as a long-timer, to try to understand whether Dredd is a character or a narrative vessel.

The stories that have really gripped me recently are newer concerns, and if Dredd exists as the tent-pole that holds up the entire circus then ... okay. A tent-pole covered in old flyers that cover up the chips and dents. We lean against it, taking it for granted as we watch the new acts take to the floor.

All the best,

Linton

[JayzusB.Christ]

Well, I must say that brought a tear to my eye.  Thanks, Funt... or Linton?  I like to think that it's your surname, and your first name is Geoff.

[JOE SOAP]

Thanks, Funt... or Linton?  I like to think that it's your surname, and your first name is Geoff.

The Geoff Linton?

[JayzusB.Christ]

Yah, yah, yah, yah. 

[Funt Solo]

Thanks, Funt... or Linton?  I like to think that it's your surname, and your first name is Geoff.

The Geoff Linton?

Had to look that up - had no idea Bob Mortimer was in the city now, yah?

But I'm like Mr. Kwesi Johnson in terms of the placement.

[Colin YNWA]

Hi Robin,

There was a timeline I saw, years ago now - I think it was in the Games Workshop Judge Dredd RPG, and it tied in information from Flesh, and also from Strontium Dog. Or maybe my old brain is mashing together bits of that and other lists from the board - probably yours if you published it here.

One thing I get about being a mad collector is that it doesn't matter much to the job of publishing 2000 AD every week - their concern is always going to be focused on the here and now - what are stories doing now, are they popular now and can we sell a collected edition?

Whether Top Dogs or Casualties of War or Pat's tendency to tie everything together (although the link between Slaine and Ro-Busters has yet to be explored) means anything is a bit irrelevant, I suppose, in the grand scheme of things. It's all just something that was published in the past.

It is sad, of course, that so many of our favorite creators are no longer able to thrill us in the pages of the comic - whether they've shuffled off the mortal coil or retired or drifted into pastures new - but I'm still keen to see what the new generation does with the thing that was never meant to last this long in the first place.

Dredd has shifted away from being this core driven mostly by a single writer into a milieu in which many writers weave their own visions - and it is weird, as a long-timer, to try to understand whether Dredd is a character or a narrative vessel.

The stories that have really gripped me recently are newer concerns, and if Dredd exists as the tent-pole that holds up the entire circus then ... okay. A tent-pole covered in old flyers that cover up the chips and dents. We lean against it, taking it for granted as we watch the new acts take to the floor.

All the best,

Linton

Funt Solo that is a glorious sentiment that I share so much of. You are a magnificent man of both data and words.

[TordelBack]

Thanks, Funt... or Linton?  I like to think that it's your surname, and your first name is Geoff.

The Geoff Linton?

Had to look that up - had no idea Bob Mortimer was in the city now, yah?

But I'm like Mr. Kwesi Johnson in terms of the placement.

How did I never realise that you're not only the legendary Funt Solo, but also the fabled Linton Porteous of Dundee. Tiny mind blown.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Yes, it just occurred to me too who Funt is. Some people's names stick in your head forever. But as always, TB was quicker on the draw than me.