Dredd: The Complete Case Files

[Arkady]

Greetings

I've started to collect the Complete Case Files, and lovely things they are. I was wondering whether there is a thread/blog/other resource where I could find out more about the publishing history of these collections.

I'm curious about the decision-making behind some of the content choices. For instance, how come Vol 3 is so much smaller than Vol 1, 2 & 4? I note that there is a big variation in size across the volumes. Why not include the same number of progs per volume? Is this in order to keep the epics and other big stories within single volumes?

One day someone should create a range of dust covers for them to stop people like me from freaking out about the spines not matching.

I'm aware that the later volumes are in colour. I assume that this coincides with the prog going full colour? Because prior to that the strip often had at least some colour pages I think? Shame not to see those as they were originally printed.

Is there a reason why the volumes (at least 1-4, which is as far as I have got) don't have an index page? Seems like an odd omission.

I'd be grateful for any tips.

[IndigoPrime]

From what I recall in speaking to those involved at the time, Volume 3 was indeed skinny in order to not split epics. The colour issue was, as far as I understand it, down to a combination of then-current technology and outlay. There was a tipping point where it finally became affordable to do the thinner full-colour volumes with better paper (even if the majority of stories were in black and white), thereby enabling a price-point that enough punters would swallow. (Even so, I recall people getting narked at the price rises for the colour Case Files.) I recall this happened around the time Nemesis 3 was being compiled.

I've no idea about the lack of index pages in early editions. Probably just an oversight at the time, or not realising readers would want one. Bear in mind that these series evolved over time, taking on board feedback.

[Arkady]

No doubt once the series has caught up there will be a fancy re-release dealing with any quibbles.

Then again, with the newer volumes containing, what 20 progs worth as opposed to c.60 in the earlier big volumes, and only a couple of volumes coming out per year... I'm not good with numbers but I think the Case Files is now falling behind rather than catching up?

[Dark Jimbo]

I'm curious about the decision-making behind some of the content choices. For instance, how come Vol 3 is so much smaller than Vol 1, 2 & 4?

Open up CF4 and the very first story is the start of The Judge Child epic. The only alternatives were splitting the epic in half (very glad they didn't do that) or having one ma-hoo-sive third volume with equivalent big price tag.

I'm aware that the later volumes are in colour. I assume that this coincides with the prog going full colour?

Yep.

Is there a reason why the volumes (at least 1-4, which is as far as I have got) don't have an index page? Seems like an odd omission.

It only really became a problem when the Megazine stuff started. At least the prog stories have the logo, titles and credit boxes on the first or second page - for some odd reason the early Megs didn't have that, and it's often a case of guesswork as to who wrote a particular story! The credit pages started with CF20, but to be honest they should have started in CF16.

...with the newer volumes containing, what 20 progs worth as opposed to c.60 in the earlier big volumes, and only a couple of volumes coming out per year... I'm not good with numbers but I think the Case Files is now falling behind rather than catching up?

They do slow down a bit as you have a roughly 50-50 split with the Megazine stories from CF16 onwards. The series is also currently at a point (22-25ish) where multiple Dredd stories were running in each prog (and some Megs) to cash in on the Stallone film, so yeah, you've got two or three books covering the same period that a single book used to.

[James Stacey]

It only really became a problem when the Megazine stuff started. At least the prog stories have the logo, titles and credit boxes on the first or second page - for some odd reason the early Megs didn't have that, and it's often a case of guesswork as to who wrote a particular story! The credit pages started with CF20, but to be honest they should have started in CF16.

Didn't the Meg have full page intros/recaps to its stories when it launched which served the same purpose as the credit boxes? (I may be misremembering here)

[Dark Jimbo]

No idea - I didn't start reading the Meg until just before the 'volume 4' relaunch after the Rebellion takeover. That would explain it though!

[IndigoPrime]

Yep—the Meg quite often had full-page recaps, which have mercifully been cut from the collected editions, but made some of them read a bit oddly.

[credo]

Then again, with the newer volumes containing, what 20 progs worth as opposed to c.60 in the earlier big volumes, and only a couple of volumes coming out per year... I'm not good with numbers but I think the Case Files is now falling behind rather than catching up?

My quick search on the last 2 case files shows that we're still going through about 16 months of stories every year. That might be a little generous, as that's counting progs, not megs, which have got a little out of whack in CF25. CF24 and 25 take us from Sept 1995 to Feb 1997. Don't think we're quite falling behind, but I'd definitely take a couple of slightly beefier Case Files (assuming there won't be 3 a year again) to get us gaining a bit more ground.

Will this get slightly better once we're past the post-Stallone story glut?

[I, Cosh]

I think the current three volumes per year schedule still represents a gradual acceleration towards the present (~18 months of stories per year.)

Will this get slightly better once we're past the post-Stallone story glut?

Could do. We're past the point where two Dredds per Prog was a regular occurrence and the Prog/Meg imbalance is presumably because we're just hitting a six month period where the lead strip from the Meg wont appear in the Case Files (Fading of the Light; Predator) and they need to make sure it's aligned again for Doomsday.

[credo]

I think the current three volumes per year schedule still represents a gradual acceleration towards the present (~18 months of stories per year.)

I'd like to see us back at 3 a year. We've only had 2 this year (CF24 and 25, with 26 due in January). We only had 2 in 2014 too (although we also got the Daily Dredd collection). You have to go back to 2009 before we had 3 case files in a year.

Seems I'm a moon on stick type though!

[Richard]

There's no reason to leave out Fading of the Light and I really hope they don't. The prog and meg stories aren't too out of kilter to make Doomsday work when they get to it -- it's still a few volumes away.

[Skullmo]

Its in the america book - leave it out!

[Richard]

That's like saying The Apocalypse War, The Judge Child and The Cursed Earth are in other books -- leave them out!

It's The Complete Case Files.

[Skullmo]

It's not really though is it, and anyway that has been the policy in the past - no america or any of the crossover stories like aliens, judgment in gotham etc.

Buy the America book. The Mega Collection one is great.

[Richard]

Well it would be if they hadn't left the first one out (and the Kenny Who? sequel).

America II isn't a crossover. They're only leaving those out because of the shared copyright, and there's a collection of all of those.

I also have the America collection, so it's not that I'm missing out. It's just that given how important the America stories are in the Judge Dredd series, it seems like a baffling decision to leave them out of a series which purports to be a complete series.