Anally Retentive Pursuits: Dredd Universe

[Wood]

I was wading through my old heap of comics recently (I do that. It means I don't have to work on the book) and it occurred to me that a large number of earlier strips in 2000AD (let's say before #700ish - this means we can safely leave out things like Purgatory, The Corps, and Pussyfoot 5) tied in in some way to Dredd continuity.

In the 2000AD universe we have...

(before Judge Dredd)
Flesh (Satanus)
Harlem Heroes I (Giant)
Inferno (Giant)
Invasion!/Disaster 1990 (Volgs)
First Series ABC Warriors (Volgs/Hammerstein/Son of Satanus)
Ro-Busters (Hammerstein)

(about the same time as Judge Dredd)
Anderson (obviously)
Ace Trucking Co. (Kleggs)

(after Judge Dredd)
Strontium Dog
Original Robo-Hunter (?Brit-Cit)

(a long, long time after Judge Dredd)
Nemesis (Satanus, ABC Warriors, cameo from a judge)
ABC Warriors/Black Hole Mission

Have I missed anything? Or am I being too inclusive?

Or am I but a very sad man?

[McNulty]

Actually Wood, this very thing was the subject of a thread which came up a while back. Most of those strips which you've mentioned came up with the exception of Rogue Trooper, who made an appearence with some Southers to Mega City One and met up with Dredd. One of the most difficult things we have to consider when linking strips is the "Parralel Universe" factor. When the stories get too complicated and the dates start not to match, it's all too easy to start invoking this factor. It was hinted when Johnny Alpha made a return trip to Mega City One:
"He comes from a different time, maybe a different dimension."
Alien races are another thing: the Kleggs showed up in Judge Dredd and Ace Trucking, but that doesn't neccesarily mean they are connected. The smiling Chuckwalla appeared in Blackhawk, Strontium Dog and also made a cameo in Dredd's Helter Skelter (a story all about different dimensions)!
As for Robohunter: the two Brit Cits are different. Sam's Brit Cit is run by Robots while the Humes are on permenant holiday. Dredd's Brit Cit is different (actually 2000ad's Brit Cit is very different from the Megazine's Brit Cit).
Apart from "Helter Skelter", there also was a story in the Armoured Gideon strip which also used Alternate Dimensions to link 2000ad charcters together. But I hated that story and try to forget it.
Or I am an even sadder man?

[JJP]

Also the far future Durham Red universe (Strontium Dog).  I've tried to make sense of the timeline if you include all these tie-ins, and honestly can't.

[2000AD Online]

I'm thinking tenuous, I'm thinking 'Dan Dare' and 'Tyranny Rex'. But how so?

Well, let's see you work that out for yourselves.

[Leigh S]

You could link Dan Dare through the same swear words....

[Leigh S]

And would the link between Tyranny Rex and Dredd be via Pussyfoot 5 - the torturer guy in the hat?

[2000AD Online]

If I had a coconut, it would be yours. In fact, I probably owe you the entire shy as 'Pussyfoot 5' is a little after my time. But yes, the futuristic profanity was what I had in mind, 'Tyranny Rex' sharing the same cusses as John Smith's Nu Earth flashback, 'Rogue Trooper' apparently linked somehow to Dredd.

[2000AD Online]

Just had a thought. What with the 'Dredd / Batman' crossovers, there must be hundreds of DC and Marvel titles that can be linked to. . .

Ouch. Brain collapse.