2000ADHD – A Prog a Day – Prog 450

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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 450 featuring ‘Strontium Dog‘, ‘Sláine‘ and ‘Judge Dredd‘, published on 28 December 1985.

Cover Art Robot: Alan Davis

D.R. & Quinch bring festive cheer at gunpoint on this absolute lie of a cover as they don’t actually feature in this Prog!

My pick of the Prog is: Judge Dredd

Script Robot: TB Grover

Art Robot: Steve Dillon

Lettering Robot: T Frame

It’s Christmas in Mega-City One and we see a reformed (?) Mean Machine Angel getting to spend time with Mr & Mrs Puddock. It’s like a foster family but just for Christmas.  He looks calm and speaks quite well. He truly is a changed man. Well… Meanwhile, a terrorist attack is underway by a lone man strapped with explosive at the Dramarena. All we can gather is the perp has something against Christmas. Dredd gets to the scene and the coverage is on the news. Mean Machine recognises Dredd on TV but can’t workout how or why and then the Puddocks give him his gift. A fucking Judge-in-a-box bearing a likeness to Dredd and it keeps twatting him in the head with its daystick until he blows a fuse and we see the Mean Machine we all know and love go on a BOK spree to make it to a showdown with Dredd at the Dramarena. It’s daft, it’s fun and it ties up the tale with a neat little bow at the end. Only, we never find out why Ed Flymo (the bomber) did what he did…

 

Prog 450 goes the way of the humbug! Join me on the next one to see who/what grabs the pick of Prog 451.

Florix Grabundae!

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