2000ADHD – A Prog a Day – Prog 459

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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 459 featuring ‘Ace Trucking‘, ‘The Ballad of Halo Jones‘, ‘Strontium Dog‘, ‘Sláine‘ and ‘Judge Dredd‘, published on 1 March 1986.

Cover Art Robot: Brett Ewins

Judge Dredd and a captured perp observe The Flying Dutchman cruise into Mega-City One on this weeks cover.

My pick of the Prog is: Judge Dredd

Script Robot: TB Grover

Art Robot: Bryan Talbot

Lettering Robot: T Frame

The opening double page in glorious blazing colour is phenomenal. The Flying Dutchman has been commandeered by some mutant terrorists who plan to crash the vessel into the Hall of Justice. Dredd, mid-arrest, spots the ship and senses something is wrong and leaps to intervene. Talbot’s artwork is truly outstanding here as we see the shop crash and burn but the Hall of Justice remains undamaged thanks to major reinforcement after the original building was destroyed in the Apocalypse War. And we get a brilliant one-liner from Dredd as the tale closes out: “Crime is never plain sailing!”

 

Prog 459 goes up in smoke! Join me on the next one to see who/what grabs the pick of Prog 460.

Florix Grabundae!

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