The Dredd Phenomenon (1999)

[JohnW]

I found this curiosity posted online just now.
A search of the dustier part of the forum revealed only one ancient reference to a vanished review. If this made any waves in its day then they subsided a long time before I ever got here.
I've only given it the briefest once-over (and I suspect I'll never do more) but here are a couple of things that took my notice.

This is how the introduction starts.

It continues thus for four pages before something other than New Labour gets a mention. Then it brings in 2000AD, briefly says something about B.L.A.I.R.1, and that's your introduction. Joe Dredd, the man on the cover, gets nary a namecheck that I can see.
As I say, I didn't really read it, nor am I going to. The state of UK politics had little to do with me in the later nineties. Uniquely, the Galaxy's Greatest was even less my concern in those years.

The other thing: in the chapter 'Thrillpower – the Best of 2000AD', many of the greatest hits are listed but only four are singled out for special mention. These are ABC Warriors, Zenith (fair enough), Finn (why not? it's a free country) and – that's right – Big Dave.
I understand these four are chosen for their political dimension, but I also gather that the author likes them lots.

The name of the author rings no bells with me but I see he is also responsible for (among others) Feminism In Mid-Victorian Britain and Dangerous Men: The SAS And Popular Culture. Now there's a man with wide interests.

As I say, it's a curiosity – a distant voice from the nineties.
Have a read. I'm not going to.

[karlos]

A lot of that introduction could be copied and pasted into 2024.

[IndigoPrime]

Would be interesting to see how this compares against Molcher's contemporary book.

[JohnW]

My very thoughts, IP.
Seeing as you were the first to mention it, you can read your essay on the subject in front of Tuesday's class.
Good man.