2000ADHD – A Prog a Day – Prog 421

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Welcome to my personal Prog slog through 2000AD. Here, I post daily about my favourite story from each Prog. I started doing this as a means of focusing my attention on something. A hobby, if you will. Something that will bring joy and fond memories for fans as well as draw attention to and hopefully bring in new readers to The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic. I have never read these Progs before. I recall reading some of Flesh at some point in my childhood, knew of Judge Dredd from a PlayStation One game and then the 1995 Movie, Rogue Trooper from the PlayStation 2 Game and had heard of other stories and seen other characters from seeing posts online. So I’m pretty much experiencing most of these stories as an intergalactic virgin. Or something. So if you are an established reader whose loyalty to Tharg has been unwavering, or if you’ve dropped off reading 2000AD, lie somewhere in between or if you are a newcomer to The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic then please let me know via the comments or hit me up on my socials!

I’ve recently started working on a Letterboxd list, compiling movies that have/may have influenced strips within 2000 AD and adjacent titles such as Misty and Scream! Feel free to check it out here, drop me a follow and let me know of any other titles I should add.

Without further ado…

Welcome to Prog 421 featuring ‘Anderson Psi Division‘, ‘Sláine‘, ‘Strontium Dog‘ and ‘Judge Dredd‘, published on 8 June 1985.

Cover Art Robot: Ron Smith

Judge Dredd is right in the middle of a juve gang brawl on this weeks cover!

My pick of the Prog is: Judge Dredd

Script Robot: T B Grover

Art Robot: Ron Smith

Lettering Robot: T Frame

This Dredd story is great. It provides further insight into the training of a Judge and kinda reminded me of Knightmare (a youth giving directions to someone else in a big helmet to complete a quest – if you know, you know). Usually we see Dredd as being quite tough on cadets and cynical but here we see a supportive side to him and I don’t know how I feel about that as it makes me feel like I like him and that’s not how things should be at all. In an uncanny turn of events, the main perpetrator turns out to be the cadet’s mother who feels the full extent of the law as her son Harold shows her no leniency. As a result, Dredd is coloured uber-impressed and declares he is a pass with distinction and the line “Any cadet that can put his mother away for eighteen has got the makings of a damned fine Judge” is just classic Dredd work at play here.

Prog 421 arrests its own mother! Join me on the next one to see who/what grabs the pick of Prog 422.

Florix Grabundae!

Have you read this Prog? If so, what was your favourite strip? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!