Should Dredd ever be killed off?

[BPP]

It's a bit obvious and Wagner has always done the opposite to that, giving us what we least expect. There's also a bit of a fan's sense of let the original author finish off his creation rather than someone else which - due to the unique real-time aspect to Dredd- I think is the real impulse to find the solution to the problem.

GREETINGS EARTHLETS. WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL ISSUE OF 2000AD WHERE THE WAGNER DROID GETS TO DO WHAT HE WANTS TO END DREDD.

MEANWHILE JOE WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK IN THE GRENNIE 'THERES SOMETHING IN THE PARK (III)' AND WE'LL KEEP THE COMIC GOING AS WE HAVE THE PAST 30 YEARS.

If you read my posts you'll see I've all ready made that point as it has been made hundreds of time on this forum by us all so it's nothing we don't realise. We're in the realm of supposition here. Caps are so uncouth. There are others ways to solve this problem as I suggested without destroying the current strip or being obvious.

Get a sense of humour eh? Caps were 'the voice of Tharg' from en high. No need for your tone to me.

[JOE SOAP]

You'll never be Tharg with that attitude.

[Eric Plumrose]

Both 2000ad and the new Eagle, at their launches, made capital out of the fact that they would feature Dan Dare, so at some level they was aiming at an group of potential readers that did remember Dan Dare. I, as a 9 year old was quite aware of Dan Dare, and had grown up, albeit 2nd hand, reading the old comics,annuals etc. And im sure older people than me read 2000ad.

How typical, though, do you think your experience was? Yes, older people than your nine year-old self were reading 2000 AD but it wasn't them the comic was aimed at. Dan's inclusion in both line-ups was a gimmick to help boost sales, one that was hoped would entice newsagents to stock both comics and have dads buying it for their sprogs. Relaunching the EAGLE was itself a gimmick, one that lasted a year before it was downgraded to bog paper.

[JOE SOAP]

Bog-paper's a step up n my opinion.

[Eric Plumrose]

If it's your hand you're more used to using, then yes.

[Spikes]

Both 2000ad and the new Eagle, at their launches, made capital out of the fact that they would feature Dan Dare, so at some level they was aiming at an group of potential readers that did remember Dan Dare. I, as a 9 year old was quite aware of Dan Dare, and had grown up, albeit 2nd hand, reading the old comics,annuals etc. And im sure older people than me read 2000ad.

How typical, though, do you think your experience was? Yes, older people than your nine year-old self were reading 2000 AD but it wasn't them the comic was aimed at. Dan's inclusion in both line-ups was a gimmick to help boost sales, one that was hoped would entice newsagents to stock both comics and have dads buying it for their sprogs. Relaunching the EAGLE was itself a gimmick, one that lasted a year before it was downgraded to bog paper.

I doubt it was typical, but i wouldnt say it was unheard of, by any means.

Dan Dare, at that time, was arguably the most famous British comic character, and over the years, much of who, and what he was, would have seeped into the public's consciousness. And 2000ad and the re-launched Eagle, both aimed towards this recognition. Certainly he wasnt an unknown quantity, or some long forgotten minor character. and Dare annuals were still being produced through-out all the 70's, even though the Eagle had long since folded.

Just what age was 2000ad aimed at? Good question. 6? 8? 10? 12? or somewhere inbetween?
I take your point though, about 2000ad not being aimed at "older" people, but that wouldnt stop those people buying comics,as i certainly remember people who you would class as being of grandparents age, buying the numerous war titles around this period. Some adults as well.

[mark fazman]

I really do think his time is up. He's old and tired & since Day of Chaos hasn't recovered what dry wit he once had. TMO has just mentioned that Ezquerra will be back on Dredd in the summer ; i can't see anyone but Wagner scriping this. Do you remember when they killed Johnny Alpha. The biggest gripe wasn't that it happened; it was because the original creative team didn't get to do it. No big finale from Carlos!            With this latest news about an Ezquerra Dredd in the coming months , i think this is it for old Dreddy. They have the right to end it this way. In a sense, i'm quite excited about it.

[Zarjazzer]

Yes. No. I don't know.

[Andy Lambert]

Have Dredd on one of his more 'out there' sci-fi adventures where he encounters something or someone with rejuvenatory powers. Sure, it's a McGuffin cop-out, but it means we get a younger Dredd again, who is in his own body and with the memories and experiences intact.
The guys died already a number of times, and he's encountered everything from giant spiders to werewolves, so the fantastical isn't beyond the scope of the strip itself.
Just make it a good story.

[Banners]

I think Dredd's demise and age are a bit like the renaming (or not) of "2000 AD" post the millennium. It's just not something Rebellion, Tharg or the writers feel needs to be directly addressed.

[IndigoPrime]

It's also not something that's likely to happen unless the management and owners of 2000 AD lose their minds. You don't kill off your most popular IP — and in 2000 AD's case, probably the only very widely known character across the world. (I know Sláine goes down well in Europe, too, but Dredd clearly has a lot more clout.)

Dredd also acts as an anchor. In most anthologies, having that one staple is extremely useful, not least from a quality control standpoint. It makes experimentation easier if there's something familiar lurking elsewhere in the magazine.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Dredd also acts as an anchor. In most anthologies, having that one staple is extremely useful, not least from a quality control standpoint. It makes experimentation easier if there's something familiar lurking elsewhere in the magazine.

Precisely.  I remember one creator (can't for the life of me remember who; Garth Ennis maybe?) saying something like 'If the Dredd's good, the prog's good.'

Grant Morrison during hs brief Dredd tenure described Dredd as being 'like the sofa' - always there, and pretty much essential.  (Pity he seemed to like his sofas like I like my analogies  - garish, shallow, over-the-top, and increasingly inappropriate).

Something I've wondered before - before this kind-of-death, was it official policy to have Dredd, or a clone thereof, appear personally in every prog (bar the Sin/Dex and Sláine prog-length stories)?  Apart from one Wilderlands segment in the Megazine, I can't remember a single Dredd episode without at least one appearance of the man himself, or at least someone with identical genes.

[Dark Jimbo]

Something I've wondered before - before this kind-of-death, was it official policy to have Dredd, or a clone thereof, appear personally in every prog (bar the Sin/Dex and Sláine prog-length stories)?  Apart from one Wilderlands segment in the Megazine, I can't remember a single Dredd episode without at least one appearance of the man himself, or at least someone with identical genes.

Can't recall them off-hand, but there have been more Dredd-free episodes than you might think - particularly in more recent years, with Wagner's long-form, large cast thrillers.

[Leigh S]

Not that I'm suggesting this is somehting I'd like to see, but given Dredd does age "real time", it isnt something that can be put off indefiinitely without removing that aspect of the strip, which in some ways would be just as potentially dangerous as killing him off.

But we now have a City on it's knees - are they going to allow any Judge to just grow old gracefully, particulalrly when the Cadets took such a hammering in DoC?  Rather than just Dredd being re-juced, what if the Council decided all Judges had to be?  And what would be the implications psychologically and politically - maybe the Cits would start demanding the same Rejuve rights and maybe tehy might ahve to roll out some kind of limited programme to assuage the unrest - some kind of life lottery? - could be another cause for Dredd clashage with the CJ!

[Leigh S]

Dredd also acts as an anchor. In most anthologies, having that one staple is extremely useful, not least from a quality control standpoint. It makes experimentation easier if there's something familiar lurking elsewhere in the magazine.

Something I've wondered before - before this kind-of-death, was it official policy to have Dredd, or a clone thereof, appear personally in every prog (bar the Sin/Dex and Sláine prog-length stories)?  Apart from one Wilderlands segment in the Megazine, I can't remember a single Dredd episode without at least one appearance of the man himself, or at least someone with identical genes.

There is a bit on one of the Titan intros that talks about this iirc - they comment on how one dredd story (Citizen Snork?) only features Dredd in a final "what has this got to do with Dredd?" panel that may or may not ahve been included just to make sure he appeared?