2000 AD Online Forum

Obviously this is just a bit of fun because John Wagner is the master when it comes to Dredd but I would love to see some Dredd stories from different time periods and not just the strict 122 years in the future chronological stories we're used to.

I love what he's doing in the strip at the moment,I've got a bad feeling about Dredd's ache in his left side,but I think it would be great to juxtapose this older 'pro mutant' Dredd with stories from his past. The arrogant Dredd from 2099, the toughest law man of all who is prepared to throw in his badge over every little sleight, the no doubts Dredd zipping half way across the galaxy on quests, the full of doubt Dredd struggling coming to terms with the bloodline and his time in the Cursed Earth pre Dead Man. You get my point.

It would be interesting to see fresh interpretations of the past based on what we know now happens.

Y'know, Field, I would find this appealing. Wagner's done such an amazing job NOT making quick transitions in Dredd's character that the changes that do happen seem that much more siginficant. Young Dredd would've kicked the mutants out  and high-exed Mandroid, in the first chapter, back to the stoneage without pause.

Another boarder suggested the early misadventures of Rico: The Decline and Fall of Rico. The big selling point of something like that would be seeing the as fresh-faced-as-he-is-brutal young Dredd.

This may sound like sacrilege, but I'm beginning to wonder if some sort of reboot is inevitable for Dredd. Having started reading a few weeks before Question of Judgment/Error of Judgment/Case for Treatment the issue of Dredd doubting his role as a judge and the system he served was always part of it, so when it eventually led to Dead Man/Necropolis I was actually disappointed that it ended with him becoming a judge again and everything going back to 'normal' (to the extent I stopped reading for a few years). So while I now realise that in concluding that arc it was not necessary to kill the prog's strongest character off, we're now nearing the point where Dredd is just too old to keep going on for another ten years or so, and any fountain-of-youth resolution to that would be a betrayal of the real-time ageing of the character that has been so important so far. How about a natural end to 'this' Dredd then, and, after a few weeks of mourning, a new, younger, hard-ass, willing-tool-of-the-fascist-police-state Dredd? It would have to be essentially the same character, not some Stallone/DC abomination, but the background and setting could do with some retooling, given Dredd's origins in the 70s (Sovs? No, not anymore, and Mega City One is still ridiculously large even after the Apocalypse War's destruction of the south sectors). I'm not suggesting Dredd needs to be updated to appeal to today's yoof (it didn''t work for Dennis the Menace, whom I believe took to wearing shades and skateboarding for a brief period some time ago) but restarting the character at an earlier point would allow some good old-fashioned ass-kickery and let a new generation of readers see the character progression that current old-timers have been fortunate to witness over the years.

hi pandy, i'm in the camp that think the new rico is being groomed to replace joe when he shuffles off. if he does a kraken and (re)adopts the dredd name as technically he is dredd. Reboot? spider-man did that and look where that ended up.
 the growth in his side could be his final "long walk" hes done it a couple of times or resigned and then not. maybe he'll take edgars way out and refuse treatment.
   I would however like to see a special like the elseworlds series dc did ,it was discussed on here ages ago  about a steampunk 2000ad . we could have a dredd in an alteernate universe or historical take. imagine a witchfinder judge .!

I think a more likely outcome is Rico ending up braindead and Dredd getting a full body transplant.

As for elseworlds Dredd, Andy Barnes did a  "Dredd of Drokk Green" in the 1996 JD Special, featuring Dredd as a British police constable in the 1960s.

brain dead rico's a good idea but it doesnt get rid of dredd's doubts unless he gets a new lease of life!!!

the dredd of drokk green was ace ! probably subconciously prompting me to think along those lines .

Quote from: "Richard"I think a more likely outcome is Rico ending up braindead and Dredd getting a full body transplant.

Nooooo. That's a fucking *terrible* idea, and I'll personally kick Wagner's dustbin over if he did that to us (although, tbh, I don't think he'd ever even consider it for a second).

During Bristol (and over beer), Satchmo and I came up with possibly the *only* decent way to close things: Joe takes the long walk, never to be seen again. End of. Rico changes his name back to his original, thus having a Dredd on the streets of Mega-City One, but this time with no underhandedness as with the Kraken episode. What we'd have in essence would be a young Dredd, with similar attitudes to the Joe of 2099, but more complicated, already having the whole bloodline thing on his shoulders together with relatives in the form of Vienna, Dolman etc, and of course, his amazing bionic jaw.

While we were discussing this, Malchi informs me that Satch and I were both "very excitable". Heh. :)

I wouldnt have any problem with JD taking the long walk.Not because i dont like the character but because its the logical conclusion and it happens with other Judges and it leaves you wondering what will happen to JD in the cursed earth.

 Then clone JD and start again.

 but expanding the existing material is good to but please please please dont let JD just become ageless or whatever and just go on and on and on like some Marvel comics character who never dies or ages.

"but the background and setting could do with some retooling, given Dredd's origins in the 70s (Sovs? No, not anymore, "

 [Sovs? Yes they are back.

OK, given recent events you could say the Sovs are back, but it's not the Soviet Union, it's Russia, so I think the point still stands: the future as envisioned from now has to be different from the one that the writers of the 70s imagined. And as far as Dredd's departure is concerned, well he's already taken the long walk, and while he may deserve a herioc send off I think something a bit more tawdry would be truer to the way of life and death in Mega-City One, like the way Morphy was killed. I'd rather not see Rico take over because he isn't Dredd, nor would any other clone be, so that's why I see the reboot route as the only one that can keep the character going and still remain the same character, not some next generation stand-in.

If the following changes are not made to Dredd, 2000 AD will go out of print.

1. There needs to be at least 1 racial slur for every 3 panels. You could just have one panel that contains all of that week's words, or you could spread it out. It needs to happen.

2. Dredd needs to have a favourite sector house where he can visit at the end of every story so he can chill with all his favourite juves and they can have dance offs to rap music and we get a free CD of rap music every week. It needs to happen

3. Psi Judge Karyn needs to come out of being possessed so she can replace Anderson. We have to see the final disgrace of Anderson where everyone finds out she killed Hammy Blish and Karyn and Shakta who isn't blind anymore can call her a murdering whore. It needs to happen.

4. We need to bring back Max Normal so that he can be played by Snoop Dogg and he calls Joe "Jizzle Drizzle". This will cause Dredd to want to have sex with Galen DeMarco but Jack Point objects and we have a twelve month mega-epic of them fighting a violent war. It needs to happen.

5. Dredd has to go into PJ Maybe's office and confront him because he knows the truth. But then at the last second of the episode he says "...and I want in n*****". It needs to happen.

6. Dredd has to be killed after he cannot be on the streets anymore and he goes mad and he can't take the new liberal judges so he goes on a killing spree but then America Beeny kills her because the twist is that she has been turned into a fascist. It needs to happen.

Quotethen America Beeny kills her because the twist is that she has been turned into a fascist.

And the bigger twist is that Dredd was a woman all along.

Come to think of it, maybe Beeny should become brain-dead, then Dredd can have a full body transplant...

Quotebut it's not the Soviet Union, it's Russia, so I think the point still stands: the future as envisioned from now has to be different from the one that the writers of the 70s imagined.

There's no reason why there could not be a Second Soviet Union between now and 2104.

QuoteAnd as far as Dredd's departure is concerned, well he's already taken the long walk, and while he may deserve a herioc send off I think something a bit more tawdry would be truer to the way of life and death in Mega-City One, like the way Morphy was killed.

Absolutely agree, or maybe  even what happened to Minty, gives a perp the benefit of the doubt.  The die was cast along time ago when Dredd was encased in real time, and his eventual death has to follow as a consequence - although it doesn't have to be soon, or spectacular.   Something utterly prosaic would answer: intervenes in a juve rumble, stabbed in the back by a teenager he failed to disarm.  Or if it has to be heroic, just takes a bullet meant for a citizen in a bat-glider strafeing.  'Course it is possible that a judicial civil war is on the cards as Joe keeps pushing reform as per Fargo's request: Dredd, Hershey and the young 'uns versus the old guard while the city burns, it'd be a fun way to go if it has to be 'epic'.

If I was to look to the future, I'd like to see Beeny (the most intriguing character) and/or Dolman (an interesting 'version' of Fargo) step into the tight boots (not Rico or Giant, who despite promising origins frankly lack distinctive personalities), but still go under the Judge Dredd title, in a Taggart stylee.  It'd give the strip the integrity it thrives on.  Let an Ultimate Judge Dredd run concurrently that still stars a version of Joe to satisfy the marketing boys.

I'm all for mutant judges, especially from the Fargo clan.

Quote from: "Richard"

Quotebut it's not the Soviet Union, it's Russia, so I think the point still stands: the future as envisioned from now has to be different from the one that the writers of the 70s imagined.

There's no reason why there could not be a Second Soviet Union between now and 2104.

 Thats true in a sense but a lot of ex soviet block countries now want to join Nato if they havent done so already.Others that were not Soviet countries but were Communist have now joined the EU.

 So the whole Communist call it what you like ethos is becoming archaic.

 Russia is becoming more and more archaic and isolated unless you count their allies like Syria and Iran and not forgetting China.Russia hasnt moved with the times.

 I cant ever see Russia merging with the West anytime soon so its possible that Russia as we know it will exist in a 100 years or so but really anything can happen.

 Its also interesting how China has adopted Capitalism to survive in the 21st century so what you have there is Capitalism and Communism both at the same time :Communo-Capitalism otherwise China would be where Russia is now economically.

 The EU is Socialist and i will tell you now that plans are afoot to merge the US with the EU in the long term [2014 -15] if they get their way.

 Thats just more NWO/Globalist/One World Government bullshit that i dont think any of the writers would have imagined happening but there is a lot of similarities between the politics in MC1 and Socialism/Communism and the left in general.

I forgot to say that when i was referring to the US that the US will include Canada and Mexico as all 3 will be one and the same and not seperate nations by that point.America and Europe becomes one homogenized land mass but with 2000 miles of water inbetween.Perhaps by 2104 they will be connected physically.

There's lots of ways to get out of the Dredd aging thing, and I'm sure Wagner has thought of this and has a few (well, a few more, as we've already had a few) ways up his sleeve. Maybe he's already worked it out and decided how it will end.

In general of course, there's only two ways Dredd would go - dying on the streets or the Long Walk (I can't see him teaching at the academy!).  My only problem with the Long Walk is that, a bit like with soap operas, I'd always want to know what happened next. What's more, with him being alive, there's always the chance of a comeback or recovery ("back from the dead") for the character once again, which of course isn't then a definative end.

Dredd kicking the bucket and his name living on by bloodline (whoever) appeals to a degree, especially as (as has been noted) the 'new' Dredd, being younger, would have a different and/or 'earlier' outlook on life and the city. That could be quite interesting.  However, it's still a bit of a "reset" - all that history that Dredd knows still happens, but the character doesn't really know it. I think I can cope with that, but I'm not really sure. OK, the stories would still be "Dredd" but, well, it wouldn't be, would it?  (I reserve my judgement until I see how it would play out... :-).

So maybe a "regenerated" Dredd, once settled in a younger body, might end up taking a slightly more "youthful" approach to things, no longer burdened with an old body?

As for brain transplant into Rico/Dolman/Other clone.  Nope.  My vote goes with one word deep from Dredd's past (and purloined for another very popular Tooth character) :  Biochips.  They already do cloning, but why waste time training up new clones? Surely Justice Department have had the foresight to backup Dredd's mind (and experience) just in case the worst happens... !?  

S.

This is interesting, and it does get me thinking.

A definitive end for Dredd could be memorable and amazing, especially in an industry where comic heroes live on forever. On one hand, I'd rather see Dredd end in top form then lost his edge. On the other hand, we need Dredd, he's the best comic icon around today.

I'm a big fan of the Metal Gear Solid series of games, and there's one series that has the balls to age our hero and end the story. If Dredd had a ending similar to that, I couldn't complain. [spoiler]In other words, completing one last spectacular epic mission, pushing your aging body to the limit. The ending hints that he may only have months to a year to live, but he finally lives those final undetermined amount of day in peace.[/spoiler] Bittersweet, touching, epic ending, I loved that.

In other words, an appropriate ending for Dredd would be he's alive at the end, but we don't know for how long, something like that. An ending that lets you know nobody will make a sequel, but the hero gets to go out on his own terms, and we don't have to see him die.

Personally, I think Dredd could go on for another 10 to 20 years before something like this needs to be considered. I'd love it if Dredd continues through 2027, his 50th Anniversary.

Quote from: "psychogoatee"Personally, I think Dredd could go on for another 10 to 20 years before something like this needs to be considered. I'd love it if Dredd continues through 2027, his 50th Anniversary.

I agree with this. There's a long way to go yet before you have to actually think about these changes.

Quote from: "alpha2167"Dredd kicking the bucket and his name living on by bloodline (whoever) appeals to a degree, especially as (as has been noted) the 'new' Dredd, being younger, would have a different and/or 'earlier' outlook on life and the city. That could be quite interesting.  However, it's still a bit of a "reset" - all that history that Dredd knows still happens, but the character doesn't really know it. I think I can cope with that, but I'm not really sure. OK, the stories would still be "Dredd" but, well, it wouldn't be, would it?  (I reserve my judgement until I see how it would play out...

I have no worries at all on that score - after the sublime Sector House, which was, in effect, The Rico Show, I'm entirely confident that the strip can still feel every bit like 'Dredd' without the titular character being involved. Another, more recent example, is The Monsterous Machinations of PJ Maybe (hope I've namechecked the right one there) which was virtually all PJ, Beeny and another judge, but again couldn't have felt more 'Dredd.'
This does all depend on Wagner being involved, of course - he was the one that brought the consistent Mega-City One voice to those tales, and if we're honest the only reason this issue is ever really going to come up is if Wagner himself ever takes the Long Walk, one way or another (God forbid) - so it's all rendered a bit redundant anyway.

One thing that Rico's taking over might do is put an end to the excesses of the fill-in script-droids. Because Rico seems to be generally a more thoughtful, taciturn judge than Joe, we might see an end to those awful stories that have Dredd running around snarling and shouting and generally playing up to his own legend too much.

My two penn'orth:

A normal day in the Big Meg. Weather Control is on the fritz again and ice is in the air.

Wilbur Footle, ordinary cit, puts on his winter woolies and leaves his apartment at the Mark Chapman Block, intending to visit his favourite bar.

Passing a darkened alleyway, Wilbur hears the sounds of a struggle from the darkness. A gun skitters out of the shadows and lands at his feet. Shocked, he picks it up just as a battered, scary perp erupts from the shadows. Panicked, Wilbur empties the gun into the dark, killing the perp. He drops the gun and flees.

Judges arrive.

In the alleyway, five perps and a judge lie dead or terminal.

The judge is turned onto his back, it's Dredd. Not quite dead.

Med Div. Dredd's spine is shattered and his body is unsalvageable. He never regains consciousness, so they put him on ice until medical science advances to the stage where he can be repaired.

What does Hershey do? Announce Dredd's death or quietly replace him? Fabricate a cover story for his absence? How does the city react? Does the Justice Department make a big thing of honouring Dredd, or treat him as just another Judge fallen in the line of duty? Big "funeral" or terse announcement on a news channel?

Rico becomes the focus of the story, struggling with the responsibility of being Dredd's replacement. But there must be other good judges who now want the top spot. Street Division may start to lose its way. Has the heart gone out of the Justice Department?

If the experiment replacing Dredd with Rico doesn't work, Dredd could be thawed out and fixed - his very presence being required to stabilise both the Meg and the Justice Dept (and Twothy/Meg sales). And while Dredd's on ice, maybe Rico can ask his advice via Anderson, Tek Div can experiment with his dna and brain patterns, maybe even toying with the idea of a Dredd Biochipped clone/mandroid/mechanismo hybrid. Lotsa' possibilities. If the scenario works, Dredd can just be left on ice indefinitely, maybe to be revived at some far future time when Rico is old... but will all those years in cryo lead to the thawed Dredd becoming unstable or, Grud forbid, just like his brother? Anyhoo, it might be an idea to kill Dredd off for at least a year, just to see what might happen. (And Wilbur Footle, the man who killed Judge Dredd? Will he ever be found out? What will become of the slob who killed a legend?)

Ahem. Pointless waffle over

How effective is the re-juve treatment that Judges undergo?   What does it actually do? I.e. does it simply have a regenerative effect giving judges the vitality of people younger, or does it physically actually slow or even reverse the aging process (to a degree.) I.e. Making a 60 year old the physical age of a 40 year old for example.

Depending on the answers to those questions, the old boy could have plenty of life in him yet. (Although I don't think we have much doubt of that.)

That being said, if Dredd took more of a supervisory role as he gets older, allowing younger judges (clones and otherwise) to do the legwork, I think that's quite a logical way to go. (Although I doubt he'd be able to prevent himself getting out there and getting his hand bloody from time to time.)

Solon The Athenian has said thousands of years before a phrase, that in English has a meaning like "Don't ever say that a man has a good life before you see his and".

And i have to say that he was right. Even the toughest Hero can break and corrupt, even the best King can be bad and hard with his people, even the most loyal warrior can be traitor. But one is dead, he has to acts left and we can say if was good or not.

For me is acceptable to see Dredd having a heroes ending.
But, i believe it will not be too good for the comic. Also the generations who will come will not have Dredd's stories as we heaved, and i cant see a way that Judge Dredd Magazine can continue with Dredd dead.
Its like Superman Comic without superman. By the way Superman has died once, but they have to bring him back to life.
"The people dosen't like to see their Gods and Heroes dead". I believe that something like that will happen with Dredd.

There is always the option to stop the time in Comic like American do, so time is mo matter anymore. But it will not be to nice. Dredd is grow with the people. And this is good.

So soon or later Death will come for Dredd.
But why it must the death of a hero to be the and and no a new beginning ?
I have think of it, and i believe that is possible for Dredd to die but the same time continue too.

But i will not say more. I respect the really Greatest Comic, and Dredd's creators and i will not post anything without a permission.

Post whatever you like Spartan, that's the beauty of it. Everyone has a valid opinion. Express yours.

Quote from: "Spartan375"By the way Superman has died once, but they have to bring him back to life.

I hope they never even consider this!

The fact that Dredd's world progresses in real-time is it's greatest strength and should not be abandoned, which means Dredd can't go on forever. i don't like the idea of a body transplant or any other kind of miraculous rejuvenation. He should take the long walk with at least a 5 or 10 year moratorium on ANY stories showing where he ends up - just leave it that he's gone, and never heard of again.

So, Dredd's world would continue with Rico & Dolman as the main focus, but this would leave the world jonesing for, and lots of writers wanting to write about, that old-school Judge Dredd action. So howzabout "Dredd: Year One"? Remember Dredd had been on the streets over 20 years when the progs started, so if we started where Origins left off - Dredd and Rico finish off their interrupted training, graduate and hit the streets, there's loads of material. We'd see his rookieship under Morph, the fall of Rico and witness the growing development of Justice Department in rebuilding a shattered city. The options for mega-epics and character development may be limited because we know where Dredd and the city end up by 2099, so writers would be shackled somewhat, but if the real-time chronology continues, that's 20 years of perp-pounding action right there!

Along with these two main story threads, there's lots of scope for unusual one-offs - untold stories based on previous epics (along the lines of 'Tales of Necropolis'); and I like that idea of more 'elseworlds' type alternate Dredds, more of the "whatever happened to..." stories that we saw not so long ago, and 'What If' type stories (such as "What if Dredd had brought the Judge Child back?"). If you add in stories about Hershey, Anderson, Giant etc, there's more than enough potential to keep the prog and Meg going for decades.

Finally I'd give John Wagner some kind of lifetime editorship over the character so that quality control is maintained and to ensure everyone is writing 'proper' Dredd!

Quote from: "peterwolf"Its also interesting how China has adopted Capitalism to survive in the 21st century so what you have there is Capitalism and Communism both at the same time :Communo-Capitalism.

That would be 'State-Capitalist' or 'Social- Imperialist'

Quote from: "peterwolf"The EU is Socialist and i will tell you now that plans are afoot to merge the US with the EU in the long term [2014 -15] if they get their way.

I don't think I would describe the EU as Socialist. Certainly, parts of the rest of Europe are less right wing than Britain (that's not hard though)- but there are some right wing hot spots in the EU too (notably Spain, who are only a couple of years off condemning the atrocities of Franco's rule.)

Quote from: "dandontdare"He should take the long walk with at least a 5 or 10 year moratorium on ANY stories showing where he ends up - just leave it that he's gone, and never heard of again.

This will be a nice ending. Not very heroic but good.
And i agree in this point that he takes the long walk and no one hear of him again. This will give the liberty to every fun to make his own ending.

And also Dredd Year will be very nice. I want to see every step of Dredd's life after the Origins Storyline and i believe many others will.

But i like much the stories of Fargo, the man who made the Judge System come to life, from a idea on his mind.
I want to see more of Fargo's life and how he created the new justice system fighting against politicians, criminals and other creeps of his time. Fargo's stories  will be nice because is closer to our age and the conditions are similar.

So 20 years of untold Dredd's stories plus another 20 for Fargo's are 40 years more. (In this time i will have the same age as the now Dredd...)  

I have to admit that this solves many Problems that may created with the departure of Dredd.
I have no problem with this ending. If they choose it, it will be nice.

But, if they are going to show the Dredd's years after the Origins, why not to show a new world, and offer the same time a  heroes ending to Dredd? I think he deserved it.

P.s.
Anything we say here is really has only a tiny possibility of being real. The makers of Dredd will find a "solution" and we must respect it because if they haven't create Dredd, it will not be Dredd.

So i hope to exchange opinions friendly.

I will write all this details of the ending i thing and i will post it.
I think i will need a brain implant soon...

I was thinking alternatives last night about Dredd.

1) Takes the long walk.
2) Killed in action.
3) Saves the world and is killed.
4) Dredd's mind is transplanted to another body.
5) Scientists find a way to produce in lab legal Stookie pills.
6) A miracle rejuvenation therapy makes Dredd young again.
7) The aging stops, and the storyline continues without time and aging.  
8) Dredd left the street and he becomes an academy Tutor.
9) The storyline stops without anyone dying and continues with untold stories about Fargo, Goodman and Dredd before 2099.

I am sure that every one can make at least one alternative.

But who the 2000 AD Comic and Judge Dredd Magazine will continue without Dredd?
Other Judges like Rico have the same DNA, but hey are not Dredd.
I wounder what solution they find to keep the readers pleased and no harm the Comic and Magazine...

Good list, Spartan, even if I like none of the options.  I imagine it pinned over John's writing desk, oppressing him daily.  But Logan will be along in a minute to tell is that Wagner has the whole thing worked out and never let it stress him in the first place.

Thanks TordelBack.
Those are only some alternatives i thought last night.

I want tell to any one who has a idea to post it.
Lets gather any possible option here.
At least we can help giving a tiny idea or inspiration.

But i give to anyone one suggestion, take drawing block, and some 2000AD or Judge Dredd Magazine comics, learn how to drawn and make the basic model sheets. Then make your own story if you don't like the ending.
At least this is what i will do...

Quote from: "TordelBack"Good list, Spartan, even if I like none of the options.  I imagine it pinned over John's writing desk, oppressing him daily.  But Logan will be along in a minute to tell is that Wagner has the whole thing worked out and never let it stress him in the first place.

Wagner has the whole thing worked out and never let it stress him in the first place.

Ach!  Where did he spring from!?!  Welcome back, Logan.

See, there's one avenue explored - no Long Walk is a one-way trip.

Quote from: "TordelBack"Ach!  Where did he spring from!?!  Welcome back, Logan.
See, there's one avenue explored - no Long Walk is a one-way trip.

Yup, 100 days in the widerness and I'm back, still dont like the new board but I guess were stuck with it now.

Although I may not be as grumpy as I used to be. In order to get rid of the old grumpy Logan and inject something new in to my posts I've gone for the full body transplant route, so its the old brain in a nice new younger body, just one complaint, I'm now Mrs Logan.

Hello, Mr Slogan...

I actually believe that John Wagner has a final story ready for the time we saw Judge Dredd for the first time in Prog 2.

In the end, Dredd is hanging Judge Alvin's Badge in with other badges of those who fell defending the law.

Goodman says: "Some times i think we're all going to die like Alvin Dredd"
And Dredd answers: "Maybe, but in my book, that's the only way to go. In defense of the Law!"

I sit and wrote the story i have in my mind.
I don't know how, but the i write it in a way i didn't knew i can.
I think i must take it to my English professor back at school. He never give me a good degree...

This is only a personal story, i don't want to force any one.
I deeply respect the Dredd's creators and their work all this years.
And as i say before, i think they have already a ending story.
So please accept that as my personal opinion.

The story was too large to copy paste it and post it. So i uploaded it as .txt
Here are the links for anyone who wants to download it:

1) http://www.fileshost.com/en/file/63386/ ... d-txt.html (http://www.fileshost.com/en/file/63386/A-Story-About-Dredd-txt.html)
2) http://rapidshare.com/files/151747579/A ... _Dredd.txt (http://rapidshare.com/files/151747579/A_Story_About_Dredd.txt)

Just for sure, i keep the delete links. So if anything happens, i can delete it.

QuoteAnd as i say before, i think they have already a ending story.

I doubt if John knows what he's going to write after he's finished writing the script he's doing.

So what are you saying? That Wagner is retiring/writing his final Dredd script/killing off/retiring Dredd Senior?

Quote from: "radiator"So what are you saying? That Wagner is retiring/writing his final Dredd script/killing off/retiring Dredd Senior?

I don't think anyone is saying that right now. Maybe in five or ten years, who knows... I hope Wagner never retires!  

I think I misinterpreted Logan's post.

Quote from: "radiator"I think I misinterpreted Logan's post.

back a day and im being misinterpreted already

A more in depth account of the backstory of Dredd and Rico would be great. I remember reading the story of Rico's return in the first case book and it always struck me as rather sparse.

Of course they might have already written the odd nugget here and there which fills us in on this (there is a lot of backstory stuff I haven't read) but a story that is more complete and adult would be welcome.

Mardroid,

If you don't mind reading a text novel rather than a comic, you should read "Dredd Dominion" by Stephen Marley, which goes into this in more detail than any other story. At the time it was written (1994) it was completely consistent with established continuity, until Rico's story was retconned a little bit by Wagner in 2000. (Also it's a good read in its own right.)

//http://www.amazon.co.uk/Judge-Dredd-Dread-Dominion-Dredd/dp/0352329297/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223837973&sr=8-1

Quote from: "Mardroid"A more in depth account of the backstory of Dredd and Rico would be great. I remember reading the story of Rico's return in the first case book and it always struck me as rather sparse.

That's all it needs. There was more in "Blood Cadets" in the "Brothers of the Blood" collection.

Rebooting Dredd's a bit problamatic as Red Razor's gave some major hints to Dredds future which either includes rejuve treatments or the creation of more Dredd clones. Personally I'm all for the clones option as I dont think this has been fully explored yet and lets face it the huge question mark over their moral allignment is going to make for some tense and exciting reading, espeshially when you consider that Dredds just going to be appossed to whole plan.

Quote from: "Subsplot"Rebooting Dredd's a bit problamatic as Red Razor's gave some major hints to Dredds future which either includes rejuve treatments or the creation of more Dredd clones. Personally I'm all for the clones option as I dont think this has been fully explored yet and lets face it the huge question mark over their moral allignment is going to make for some tense and exciting reading, espeshially when you consider that Dredds just going to be appossed to whole plan.

...and of course John Wagner loves Red Razors and considers it canon.

Why not to create, not a clone, but a body, form Dredd's DNA and transplant Dredd's brain in?

I thing is possible, someone in the Dredd's world to create a machine that can make the people young again.

And what about time machines and time traveling? We see it many times on the comic and there are many options, simple or complicated, to choose from.

But there is always the solution, if a day Dreed hits bad to put him in suspended animation as they do to Fargo, and continue the story line with other Judges, but there where always a hope that Dredd will call again to action someday.

Quote from: "Spartan375"Why not to create, not a clone, but a body, form Dredd's DNA and transplant Dredd's brain in?

I thing is possible, someone in the Dredd's world to create a machine that can make the people young again.

because they are dull undramatic ideas.

They should transplant Dredd into a woman's body, and then it'll be like Bison 2!

Quote from: "Godpleton"They should transplant Dredd into a woman's body, and then it'll be like Bison 2!

I haven't read Bison 2, but that's a GREAT idea. Heh.  You never got to have one Dredd, but never mind. Now you get to BE one. Enjoy.

A female Dredd?
I believe that Chief Judge Hersey is more close to that.
Anyway, i don't like much the idea. Dredd is male and i think is going to be a little funny no transplant his mind into a woman's body.

Maybe in future they allow Judge to have wifes and children and we see Dredd pregnant!

I think they should transplant his mind into a Klegg and clone another Cal.

Yeah! They have keep Cal's Brains in Black Museum!

But Dredd can be something like his self in the City of the Damned!
He can be a zombie, and dispense Justice for all the Eternity!
He can also fight the Dark Judges without help from Psi-Division! Just with is hands.

Zombie Dredd firing a Lawgiver with a setting for 'Dinosaurs'.

My life is now complete.

-Bouwel-

Zombie Dredd has of course been done, twice (City of the Damned; Dark Side).  He was pretty cool both times.  But no 'Dinosaur' setting - yet.

I'm not sure Dredd will be passing the baton to Rico. Didn't Rico have a cup of tea in Vienna's house? Dolman pointed out the dangers of the stimulant for a man in uniform doing his duty but Rico was very dismissive. He may not have been on duty right there and then, but a cup of tea!! Even the older self-questioning Dredd would skip the tea. I don't think this bit of dialogue was in there for no reason and I reckon when it comes to Rico it might be deja vu all over again.

In the new dredd film coming out tharg should put in the four dark judges they are true baddass dudes  

Quote from: "tommymacuk"In the new dredd film coming out tharg should put in the four dark judges they are true baddass dudes  

Tharg is not a film director, he's also not real.

Quote from: "garageman"Tharg is ...not real.

 

What's he mean "not real". I saw video of him at Bristol, talking to real people.

Well, droids anyway.

Incidentally, why does Tony Lee dress like a detective sergeant from "The Rockford Files"?

Tharg is real.

Puts fingers in ears, closes eyes and shouts LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA

If Tharg isn't real then who edits 2000ad?

Quote from: "Gavin_Leahy"If Tharg isn't real then who edits 2000ad?

Starlord & Max the Computer.

if dredd is close to dying maybe they'll make him a stooky user!

Quote from: "tommymacuk"Tharg is not a film director, he's also not real.

Prove that Tharg is not real

Quote from: "hlm2"if dredd is close to dying maybe they'll make him a stooky user!

Can't remember which story it was but there was a rumour in the Justice Department that certain senior judges were permitted Stooky. The general consensus was that Dredd would never take it though.

Quote from: "James S"Can't remember which story it was but there was a rumour in the Justice Department that certain senior judges were permitted Stooky. The general consensus was that Dredd would never take it though.

Maybe they give him secret injections during his medicals...

Quote from: "the_legendary_shark"

Quote from: "James S"Can't remember which story it was but there was a rumour in the Justice Department that certain senior judges were permitted Stooky. The general consensus was that Dredd would never take it though.

Maybe they give him secret injections during his medicals...

This was an option I always thought they had open to them as a get out. Drop him into vat of special Stooky juice and see how he comes out. I don't think they'll have the Justice Department inject him which I think they would try if it wasn't an impractical solution. As soon as Dredd found out he'd want it stopping as stooky glanding is illegal and its a hard thing to mask and would therefore only be a short term solution at best.

Its all a bit like when Russel T Davis dismissed the worries and specualation from fans about what happens to Doctor Who after this 12 regeneration when he said something along the lines of 'He'll find the crystal of zarg and that'll give him 12 more. In sic fi this sort of thing isn't really a problem.

That said a bit of me thinks they might 'kill off' the original Dredd as and when Wagner retires and introduce a new clone or some such?

Quote from: "TordelBack"'Course it is possible that a judicial civil war is on the cards as Joe keeps pushing reform as per Fargo's request: Dredd, Hershey and the young 'uns versus the old guard while the city burns, it'd be a fun way to go if it has to be 'epic'.

CIVIL WAR! CIVIL WAR! CIVIL WAR!

This needs to happen. Best. Epic. Ever.

Quote from: "mygrimmbrother"

Quote from: "TordelBack"'Course it is possible that a judicial civil war is on the cards as Joe keeps pushing reform as per Fargo's request: Dredd, Hershey and the young 'uns versus the old guard while the city burns, it'd be a fun way to go if it has to be 'epic'.

CIVIL WAR! CIVIL WAR! CIVIL WAR!

This needs to happen. Best. Epic. Ever.

& the ultimate logical extrapolation of the events set in motion in Insurrection.

Gwan Thargbebe, you know it makes sense.

Don't get me wrong, I love Joe Dredd.  I don't want him to die.  But since we're doing the whole "ageing in real time" thingy then it sort of stands to reason that he will.  Eventually.

Before that happens though, what with it being the uberfuture, there's nothing to say that drugs and rejuve treatments can't mean another 5-10 years of service, albeit in a less active role.  Then he should be killed.  Outright and irrevocably.  My personal choice would be a heroic death - not saving the world from the latest comedy alien nemesis or Judge Death's mum, but taking a bullet intended for a citizen or a colleague.  That would be entirely in character and not diminish him in the slightest.

Then Rico, Giant and all the others continue in a Taggart way.  Rico obviously taking the lead and, maybe, the badge.  If it's done by a writer/writers who know the character (i.e. not Millar) and can write him in their sleep (the OBVIOUS choice would be Wagner, maybe as his swansong?) then I've every confidence Joe's last tale could be his best.

Why not just pause the year - or at least never refer to it again, is there really any need for the entire thing to run in "real" time ? That way you never have to worry about Dredd and you can still tap into that continuity if you want to...

-pj

Wouldn't be up for that myself - the real-time thing is part of what makes Dredd unique.  Tharg and John will sort it out. They just will.

That would be one way of dealing with it but I think you'd lose more than you gained.

How about extending the lifespan of the strip by adopting decompressed storytelling? That way we could get a mega-epic out of Dredd extricating a wedgie.

Make that a hyper sentient wedgie from the planet Kraaak; the advance scout of a race who have been slumbering in the Earth's core since they were incarcatered there four billion years ago.

The story would be entitled The Kraaak-In Wakes.

Quote from: steven lenfant terrible on 01 July, 2009, 04:12:04 AM
The story would be entitled The Kraaak-In Wakes.

I think you ought to put together a proposal.  That might work.

QuoteWhy not just pause the year - or at least never refer to it again, is there really any need for the entire thing to run in "real" time ? That way you never have to worry about Dredd and you can still tap into that continuity if you want to...

Patrick O'Brian did just this in the Aubrey/Maturin novels.  After following our heroes through 'historical time' for a dozen years and a dozen novels, O'Brian realised that he'd run out of Napoleonic Wars.  So he froze time, explained his reasons in a wistful author's note, and the adventures continued in "the Long Year of 1812".  Disconcertingly the seasons pass, characters get promoted, get pregnant, give birth and their childen age, but it's always 1812. 

I know Dredd isn't exactly an historical novel, but I'd be lying if I said that I enjoyed the '1812' novels as much as the ones where the characters actually moved in sync with the flow of time - and I'm sure the same would apply.