The Daily Dredds: 1983

The newspaper strips continue in to their third year (and were collected with those from 1981 to 1986 in a hardback edition a few years back). For the sake of logistics, I'm saving these up in to batches for coverage in this blog (it wouldn't exactly be practical to have one episode per day, interspersed …

Advertisement

2000AD Prog 355: Slough Throt summons… the birds!

2000AD Prog 355 cover, art by Cam Kennedy As a youngling I think I assumed this Sláine cover was drawn by Mike McMahon, but it is in fact by Cam Kennedy. Tharg's Nerve Centre. Cam Kennedy isn't just muscling in on Mike McMahon's characters as an earthlet points out that Skizz appeared in the corner …

2000AD Prog 351: Rogue Trooper Walking on the moon!

Cam Kennedy takes us to the moon (of Nu Earth) in this cover though I'm not sure if that's supposed to be Nu Earth in the background or a different moon? In fact, maybe that moon isn't actually orbiting Nu Earth itself and is revolving around another planet within sight of the black hole... Anyway, …

2000AD Prog 291: “Vigilante at work… that’s all this city needs!”

Another classic storyline begins, though strangely the cover is not by story artist Ezquerra but instead by Ian Gibson. Not that I'm complaining. Tharg's Nerve Centre contains a trailer for an "opportunity to own a scrotnig electronic game" - sounds like another partner offer... Harry Twenty on the High Rock by Gerry Finley-Day and Alan …

2000AD Prog 237: "One of you generals is a Nort spy… a man who caused a MASSACRE!"

Colin Wilson took over as artist on last prog's Rogue and also provides this week's cover as the blue boy accuses one of the assembled Souther generals of being a Nort spy - but which one? The Nerve Centre has a letter from an earthlet who claims to have been reading since Prog 1, but …

2000AD Prog 184: “No-one apes the law!”

We're certainly getting a good run of classic covers in 1980, with the latest being Mick McMahon's Monkey Business at the Charles Darwin Block image of Dredd on a lawmaster with one or two passengers. My count is nine apes Strontium Dog: The Schicklgruber Grab Part 3 by Alan Grant and Ezquerra. Wagner and Grant …

2000AD Prog 182: “These blocks are under arrest!”

One of Brian Bolland's most famous Judge Dredd covers, and that's no mean feat! the judge stands between two warring blocks, using nothing other than harsh words to quell the disturbance. After the last Strontium Dog story came to a slightly disatisfying conclusion, Alan Grant and Ezquerra are back with a bang on an as-yet-untitled …

2000AD and Tornado Prog 170: Dredd Meets – The Necromancer! “It is useless to resist, little man – you have been judged DEAD!”

A third week of cover's from Mike McMahon, this one introducing Murd the Oppressor - cover date 26 July 1980. Tharg's Nerve Centre explicitly promotes 178 as a special prog, so that must have been the 'judgement is coming' ad a few weeks ago. The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison, adapted by Kelvin Gosnell …

2000ad and Tornado Prog 160: “Shall I tell them, Pa?” “No, let me!” “I’ll do it, Pa!” “Judge Dredd is a dead man!” Dredd hits Texas City – and Texas City hits back!

A marvellous cover from Mike McMahon showing the four members of the Angel Gang (Link, Pa, Mean and Junior - Fink won't show up until much later). Interestingly, Junior's knife has an eagle adorning the pommel. As well as the numbers, this first cover image of Mean also has the settings (Surly, Mean, Vicious and …

2000ad and Tornado Prog 159: “Dredd to bike… Free me!” A judge’s bike is his best friend. See Dredd clean up in Tomb of the Garbage God!

Ron Smith puts in a great cover with the Lawmaster the star of the show (though Dredd is centre stage). Tharg's Nerve Centre has the usual mix of reader's art and letters (plus a short story). The spaceship at the bottom of the page looks a lot like a Chris Foss spaceship - though I …