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Couple more Dredd questions

Started by glassstanley, 11 April, 2012, 09:03:33 PM

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glassstanley

At the end of The Brotherhood of Darkness (Prog 4), and at the end of the second episode of The Cursed Earth, we see Mega City One covered by a dome. We also get a glimpse of a dome on the 'Exodus to Mutant Land' page of The Day The Law Died. By the time of The Apoclaypse War, the dome is gone. Is it ever seen again, or an explanation given for it's disappearance?

Also, do we know at what point Dredd is referred to as a Senior Judge?

Cheers,

Simon

TordelBack

#1
Quote from: glassstanley on 11 April, 2012, 09:03:33 PMBy the time of The Apoclaypse War, the dome is gone. Is it ever seen again, or an explanation given for it's disappearance?

No explanation given, but given the size of MC-1 a 'dome' would be insane.  At a height half the width of MC-1, it'd surely protrude into outer space (>100km).  Best to rationalise it as some kind of a 'positive pressure' atmospheric screen thrown up by weather control, to keep out the more aggressive aspects of the Cursed Earth in the era of the Death Belt.   It's visible because of the sharp contrast between the 'clean' air over MC-1 and the radioactive dust-laden air of the desert outside.  See, all better now.

Similarly Dredd & Co can't land anywhere near MC-2 because the 2T(Fru)T victims have taken over the city's missile defense system (as well as the spaceport).

Spikes

....or they just told Mick to stop drawing it.

Syne

Quote from: Judge Jack on 11 April, 2012, 09:35:06 PM
....or they just told Mick to stop drawing it.

:D

I'm guessing it'd be pretty much impossible to reconcile a lot of the stuff in the early strips with the Dredd we know now. Maria the Housekeeper? Walter the Robot? Judge Cal, the goofiest villain ever, with his goldfish deputy and his habit of pickling people in vinegar? I can just imagine some hoary old judge now, telling a cadet:

"You think this 'Day of Chaos' thing is bad? I remember when people got pickled. . . in vinegar!"

Dandontdare

#4
Quote from: TordelBack on 11 April, 2012, 09:29:44 PM
Best to rationalise it as some kind of a 'positive pressure' atmospheric screen thrown up by weather control, to keep out the more aggressive aspects of the Cursed Earth in the era of the Death Belt.   It's visible because of the sharp contrast between the 'clean' air over MC-1 and the radioactive dust-laden air of the desert outside.  See, all better now.

I like this explanation. Dome? What dome? You didn't see a dome. There was no dome. All is well.

Quote from: glassstanley on 11 April, 2012, 09:03:33 PM
Also, do we know at what point Dredd is referred to as a Senior Judge?

I think it was when writers realised that they'd created a system of many thousands of judges with no apparent rank system, which can be so useful as a narrative tool. Hence the increased references to "senior" judges.



Syne

Quote from: Dandontdare on 11 April, 2012, 11:38:59 PM

I think it was when writers realised that they'd created a system of many thousands of judges with no apparent rank system, which can be so useful as a narrative tool. Hence the increased references to "senior" judges.

There's a jokey scene in a story set in a Cursed Earth shantytown - I think it's just called "Shantytown" - where Dredd pulls rank on Hershey and another judge in allocating some tedious chore. Hershey then turns to the second judge and says something like "and as senior judge of this duo, I'm ordering you to do it."

Anyone know what prog that would have been in? I could look it up, but I'm too lazy.

a chosen rider

Quote from: Syne on 12 April, 2012, 01:09:35 AM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 11 April, 2012, 11:38:59 PM

I think it was when writers realised that they'd created a system of many thousands of judges with no apparent rank system, which can be so useful as a narrative tool. Hence the increased references to "senior" judges.

There's a jokey scene in a story set in a Cursed Earth shantytown - I think it's just called "Shantytown" - where Dredd pulls rank on Hershey and another judge in allocating some tedious chore. Hershey then turns to the second judge and says something like "and as senior judge of this duo, I'm ordering you to do it."

Anyone know what prog that would have been in? I could look it up, but I'm too lazy.

I think you might be mixing up two scenes there.  The moment you're thinking of is actually after the bite fight in Graveyard Shift (somewhere in case files 7, not sure of the exact prog number).  Dredd uses his seniority to dump the post-fight paperwork on Hershey and Laval, and then she turns round and does the same to Laval.  Learning from the best!
On Twitter @devilsfootsteps

Syne

Quote from: a chosen rider on 12 April, 2012, 09:53:39 AM

I think you might be mixing up two scenes there.  The moment you're thinking of is actually after the bite fight in Graveyard Shift (somewhere in case files 7, not sure of the exact prog number).  Dredd uses his seniority to dump the post-fight paperwork on Hershey and Laval, and then she turns round and does the same to Laval.  Learning from the best!

You're right! It must have been because both stories were drawn by Ron Smith. I was confusing Laval with another semi-comical judge, the one who gets his arm lazered off in "Shanty Town."

Anyway, bringing things back to glassstanley's original question, we've established that there was a clearly defined pecking order amongst judges from early on (I'm estimating the "Graveyard Shift" story to be somewhere in the 200s, could be wrong though). And Dredd seems to have held a high rank from prog 2 onwards.