The 1995 Mangafication of Judge Dredd

[JOE SOAP]

As a follow-up to this ancient forum thread, a long scavenge of Japanese sites and vendors turned-up an elusive copy of the Shonen Jump AutumnSpecial – it features a promotional comic tie-in to the release of the 1995 Judge Dredd film.



It's unbelievable I know, but I can't read Japanese, so on a very superficial reading of panels, the 45 page story by Hitoshi Matsumoto & Mitsuyoshi Takasu looks like another re-imagining of the Rico yarn but in this version 'Rico' – I presume it's still Joe & Rico – seems to be a good 'un who gets cut down in the line of duty and 'Joe' must avenge him – both Judges are identified by the initials JD printed on their helmet badges.

The beloved hue and texture of bog-paper remains in the scanned and untouched pages bleow. For the unManga'd of us, read the panels from top right to left working downwards – the first 11 are sequential.

[JOE SOAP]

Tackling a perp in a hostage situation JD puts the infamous Double-Whammy to better use by properly blowing both arms off at once –

[JOE SOAP]

Looks like Judge Minty and Judge Giant make cameos – bottom left panel – meanwhile Joe & Rico change into their civvies and go for sushi.



JD apparently has a teaching job – training cadets in elementary school? Fuck knows.



Hall of Justice and Chief Judge Tom of Finland –



There's another 30 or so pages of this curio.

[TordelBack]

You've outdone yourself this time, Soap-sama. We do have Japanese speakers on the forum somewhere, and surely Hawkmumbler must have picked up *something* from all that ... stuff... he watches.

[Jim_Campbell]

That's amazing. Top work, sir.

[maryanddavid]

Wow, you got it!  What a find!

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

What the fu...

[JOE SOAP]

Domo arigatou, Squaxx, but I only found it.

On another earth there's a Super Sentai Dredd with a warbling theme tune just like Supaidaman.

[JOE SOAP]

Correction: the artist and writer are more likely Matsumoto Taiyō & Mitsuyoshi Kenji, not Hitoshi Matsumoto & Mitsuyoshi Takasu...I think.

[Steven Sterlacchini]

Superb!

[Taryn Tailz]

Interesting. Makes me wonder if an original Manga-style strip set in Hondo-City could ever be viable for the Megazine.

[Frank]

surely Hawkmumbler must have picked up *something* from all that ... stuff... he watches.

He and Pro Bear probably have a fair idea how to say they've come to take a look at your plumbing, but a lot of the dialogue is drowned out by wah-wah guitar.

Given how they've redesigned almost every element of the uniform, it's interesting that the eagle still looks pish. 40 years, dozens of artists, and only McMahon can make it look any good.

Was this produced during the brief period when Pat Sharp was cast as Dredd?

[Zarjazzer]

What an amazing find and great piece of work.

[JOE SOAP]

Given how they've redesigned almost every element of the uniform, it's interesting that the eagle still looks pish.

The jelly-mould has long been a symbol of fascism.

[Woolly]

One to tick off the list of things I never thought I'd see 
Sterling find!