Democracy (Judge Dredd storyline)
Encyclopedia
Democracy in the fictional future city of Mega-City One
has been a significant recurring theme in the Judge Dredd
comic strip in 2000 AD. In particular, a number of stories published since 1986 have addressed the issue of the Judges'
dictatorial system of government, and efforts by the citizens to re-establish democracy
. Besides being a notable story arc in itself, the "Democracy" stories also had wider repercussions which led directly to the events depicted in the story "Necropolis
".
The stories include "America
," which is regularly voted by fans in polls as the best Dredd story ever written, and is Dredd creator John Wagner
's favourite Judge Dredd story. Editor David Bishop
called it "the best Judge Dredd story ever written." The first Democracy story, "Letter From a Democrat," is co-writer Alan Grant's favourite Dredd story.
All of the stories in the "Democracy" arc were written by Wagner or under his direction.
in the 22nd century, on the east coast of the former United States. When President Robert L. Booth
started the Third World War in 2070 (see Atomic Wars
), the Judge
s – until then no more than a police force with extraordinary powers – deposed Booth, overthrew the Constitution
and seized control of all institutions of government. Disillusioned with the elected politicians who had caused so much destruction to their country, much of the American public supported this move at the time. For the next four decades America was a dictatorship. (Mega-City One and the other American mega-cities became sovereign city-states early during this period, and the USA ceased to exist.) Although the Judges were initially popular, the citizens soon grew to resent their new leaders as much as they had the old, until activists began calling for a return to democratic government.
Although the events of 2070 were established early in the Judge Dredd strip (in 1978), the issue of the Justice Department's position in society was largely ignored for the first nine years of the strip's history. The only other references to the political relationship between the Judges and the citizens were the occasional brief appearances of the elected mayor of Mega-City One
, who was shown to be subordinate to the unelected head of state: the chief judge
. However in 1986 and 1987 co-writers John Wagner
and Alan Grant finally addressed this topic seriously in two stories set in 2108 and 2109. As Wagner later explained:
Grant recalls a more random genesis:
, as the new chief judge, who proved to be more hardline and right-wing than his predecessor (and who played a very significant role in the Democracy- and Necropolis-related stories which were to follow).
The story was told in the form of a letter from a wife and mother to her husband. The writer, Hester Hyman, had written the letter to explain why she had decided to sacrifice her life for the cause of democracy. While the text of the letter was shown in captions, the pictures first illustrated events described in the early part of the letter, and then showed the circumstances of her death at the hands of a squad of judges led by Judge Dredd.
The letter begins by describing how Hester and her family (who in the story represent all citizens) live in fear of the Judges, and have virtually no say over their lives. Even on a family picnic in the park they are threatened and intimidated by a judge when their young son accidentally throws a ball at him. Finally deciding that enough is enough, Hester reveals that she has decided to join a terrorist group and take over a television studio at gunpoint to announce their manifesto for reform to the whole city.
Surrounded by judges, the group refuses to surrender, reasoning that they will only be remembered if they are killed. Dredd duly obliges them.
The story ends with Dredd's stern warning: "Democracy's not for the people."
: "Letter From A Democrat actually moistened my eyes and, maybe because of that, John and Alan wrote Revolution for me to draw. For me this story is fully effective political satire."
Revolution, published a year later, told of how Hester Hyman's sacrifice had inspired millions to demonstrate for democracy. Political campaign groups, including Hester's husband Gort Hyman, organised a massive protest march through the streets which would end at the Grand Hall of Justice
. Chief Judge Silver did not want to ban the "Democratic March" outright, as such overt action would only play into the Democrats' hands. Instead he ordered Dredd to undermine the March by covert action. When Dredd asked if his orders included breaking the law, Silver replied: "on this one you write the law." This moment was itself a turning point in the history of the strip, as a fundamental feature of Dredd's character had always been his utmost regard for, and obedience to, the law. His subsequent actions within the strip can be explained if Silver is regarded as invoking the fictional Security of the City Act, which had been mentioned in earlier stories and which allows judges to act outside the law if necessary to protect national security. Nevertheless, later stories would depict Dredd's profound regret for the actions he took to thwart the March, and his disillusionment with the Judge System would have very significant consequences for the strip.
Dredd used various "dirty tricks
" to undermine the March. He blackmailed the organisers by fabricating evidence against them and threatening to leak it to the press. He told Gort Hyman that if he did not withdraw he would conscript his children into the Academy of Law
to be trained as cadet judges (the Academy does not require parental consent). He arrested an elderly leader on a trumped-up charge and made him stand all night without sleep or food, before releasing him minutes before the March was due to start, so that he would collapse from exhaustion along the way, undermining morale. Dredd ordered Weather Control to produce rain to reduce attendance. By the time the March started, numbers were well below the expected turnout. Undercover judges planted as agitators in the crowd first undermined morale by defeatist talk, and then incited violence by throwing things at uniformed judges, giving Dredd the excuse he needed to send in riot squads to break up the March and make arrests. The organisers were sentenced to significant terms of incarceration. Yet publicly, the Judges appeared to have the moral high ground.
" (which was not a Democracy story). Grant later explained:
Grant stopped writing Dredd stories when "Oz" ended in 1988 (in 2000 AD #570).
Now the strip's sole writer, Wagner was free to return to the Democracy theme, this time with a more sympathetic depiction of Dredd's character in which Dredd began to have misgivings about his role in suppressing the Democratic March. Dredd's qualms would become the catalyst to take the whole Judge Dredd strip in a new direction.
Wagner used the Democracy theme to add depth to a separate story arc that he had already begun to develop in two sequels to "Oz," which had introduced the character Judge Kraken
. Tying together the hitherto unrelated Democracy and Kraken storylines in "Tale of the Dead Man" (1990), Wagner laid the foundations for another 26-part epic, "Necropolis
," which in turn would reciprocate by changing the direction of the Democracy stories.
Interviewed in 2005, Grant observed: "I rather think that stories like "Dead Man" ... could never have been written by the two of us together."
"A Letter to Judge Dredd" was a significant story in its own right, as it brought Dredd's doubts about his role to a head. But its main significance is as the prologue to the seven-part story which immediately followed, "Tale of the Dead Man."
was a clone who shared Dredd's DNA. He had been created by rogue judge Morton Judd
as part of a clone army to overthrow the judges and conquer Mega-City One (though not to restore democracy). Of the survivors, Kraken alone was spared and was rehabilitated at the Academy of Law
, with a view to having him one day replace Dredd when Dredd finally retired or died. Having graduated from the Academy, Kraken was due to take his Final Assessment, the test which cadets take to prove they are fit to become a full judge. Dredd was assigned as Kraken's examiner.
In the course of the assessment (which takes the form of the cadet performing the role of a street judge with full powers), Kraken killed a group of Democracy terrorists who had taken hostages. Shortly afterwards Judge Morphy, Dredd's best friend and mentor (who had supervised Dredd on his own Final Assessment), was killed on a routine vehicle stop. Furious, Dredd almost murdered one of the perpetrators, pulling back at the last moment when Kraken urged him to control himself. Despite Kraken's impeccable performance, Dredd's unappealable decision was to fail him, believing that "a leopard can't change its spots. Not this one, anyway." At the moment of announcing his verdict, Dredd tendered his resignation and requested permission to take the Long Walk
, leaving the city forever.
During his preparations to leave the city, Dredd released every prisoner still in custody from the Democratic March.
(besides being inherently momentous in its own right). Chief Judge Silver ordered a news blackout on Dredd's resignation and then faked Kraken
's execution after reimposing sentence of death for Kraken's crimes in the service of Judd. Reviving Kraken in secret, Silver overturned Dredd's verdict on him and made him a full judge, but on the condition that he impersonated Dredd, so that nobody would know that Dredd had left. Silver believed that Dredd had become such a symbol of law and order to the citizens that news of his departure would provoke a crimewave.
Consequently when the Sisters of Death
arrived in Mega-City One, they found Kraken there instead of Dredd. Finding Kraken to be vulnerable to manipulation by their psychic powers, as he was still torn by latent subconscious loyalty to his late master Judd, they were able to use him as their agent to free Judge Death
from captivity and begin their conquest of the city. Had Dredd not resigned, they might not have found their task so easy. Dredd eventually returned to the city and defeated them.
As a result of the Necropolis disaster, Dredd realised that running away from his problems was no answer to them, and he rejoined the force. This time he confronted his doubts about the Judge System head on.
to permit the citizens to vote in a referendum
on whether democratic government should be restored, or the existing Judge System should be retained. McGruder agreed because the Judges had lost much of their credibility in failing to protect the citizens from the Dark Judges
during Necropolis: since the Judges' argument in favour of their dictatorial rule rested largely on their allegedly unique ability to protect the city and preserve order (which the last elected government had conspicuously failed to do), the Democrats' calls for reform were consequently more compelling than ever. The Democracy Referendum was scheduled for 2113, and was not popular among the rank-and-file judges, or even the senior ranks, since almost everybody predicted that the unpopular Judges would lose the vote by a landslide. So much did the Referendum depend on Dredd's personal support that Judge Grice
and other judges even tried to assassinate him to prevent the vote from going ahead.
Dredd himself had few doubts of the outcome. In an interview he pointed out that although there was room for reform, the basic idea of the Judge System was still for the best: "better the devil you know," as the interviewer summarised it. Dredd's ultimate argument was that the people had to decide whether, while being mugged, they would rather rely on him or on their elected representative.
In spite of Grice's efforts the vote was held as planned, and to the surprise of everyone except Dredd, the Democrats actually lost. Democratic government had not existed for over forty years, and most citizens could not remember it. Most did not even bother to vote at all, and of those who did, the majority decided to retain the status quo. A two-million strong mass of democrats marched on the Grand Hall
, believing this to be a fix, but Dredd was able to both convince Blondel Dupre that the result was accurate and break her will in front of the others, pressuring her to state in public "you are the law." Discredited and disheartened, mainstream support for democracy faded away.
First, various circumstances originating in "Necropolis" eventually led to the resignation of Chief Judge McGruder, whose rule had been marked by an unprecedented concentration of political power in her own hands. Responding to concerns about the way Mega-City One was governed, new chief judge Volt
instituted constitutional reforms in 2117 designed to restore a limited measure of democracy to Mega-City politics. The Justice Department still retained supreme overall control, but some say over decisions at the municipal
level was delegated to a new elected mayor
and City Council.
Secondly, a trilogy published in 2001–2003 featured an assassin known as the "Chief Judge's Man
," who murdered leading democracy activists, allegedly on the orders of Chief Judge Hershey.
Thirdly, although mainstream public support for popular sovereignty had dissipated, there were still diehard extremist groups who were willing to fight for the abolition of the Judge System. The most notorious of these was terrorist group Total War.
(before the Referendum story). Their methods involved assassinating judges in the street and other violent tactics. They attempted to blow up the Statue of Liberty
, to draw attention to the fact that the concept of liberty had already been destroyed by the Judges. They failed to do so in that story, but succeeded later (which was referred to in "America II").
Total War has not been used often in the strip, but made a reappearance in two stories in 2004, including a 12-part story of the same name, set in 2126. In "Total War" the terrorists tried to blackmail the Judges into relinquishing power by detonating nuclear bombs in random locations around the city at regular intervals. Three bombs exploded, killing millions, before Dredd stopped them. The attempt was counter-productive, since the public was appalled at the enormous loss of life which was supposedly caused for their benefit, and any remaining mainstream support for democracy dwindled still further. Also, once Total War's leaders were apprehended, Dredd was able to identify its members by working from the top down, by arresting group leaders, then cell leaders, and finally foot soldiers. Any hope of restoring democratic government was most likely obliterated.
Dredd's crackdown on the terrorist group was used as an opportunity in a later story, "Caught in the Act," to satirise real-life anti-terrorist policies in Britain and America, such as incarceration without trial and withholding evidence from prisoners.
The Referendum was depicted in "Twilight's Last Gleaming" (1991), written by Garth Ennis
. One reviewer credited this story with having "a brilliant understanding of society," while another described it as "One of the darkest
and most political of all Judge Dredd stories ... This is a chilling reminder of how we can easily lose our rights if we don’t stand up for them."
Political cartoonist and writer Martin Rowson
wrote:
"Revolution," the story featuring the Democratic March, was reviewed as follows:
Mega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
has been a significant recurring theme in the Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic strip in 2000 AD. In particular, a number of stories published since 1986 have addressed the issue of the Judges'
Judge (2000 AD)
Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
dictatorial system of government, and efforts by the citizens to re-establish democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. Besides being a notable story arc in itself, the "Democracy" stories also had wider repercussions which led directly to the events depicted in the story "Necropolis
Necropolis (Judge Dredd story)
Necropolis is a 26-part Judge Dredd epic by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, published in 1990 in 2000 AD progs 674–699. The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man , followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" , and finally three stories collectively...
".
The stories include "America
America (Judge Dredd story)
America was a Judge Dredd story published in the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1990. Told in flashbacks, the story concerns the character America Jara, her friend Bennett Beeny and their tragic encounters with the Justice Department. As Bennett Beeny grows up to reap the benefits of Mega City One,...
," which is regularly voted by fans in polls as the best Dredd story ever written, and is Dredd creator John Wagner
John Wagner
John Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since.He is best known for his work on...
's favourite Judge Dredd story. Editor David Bishop
David Bishop
David Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....
called it "the best Judge Dredd story ever written." The first Democracy story, "Letter From a Democrat," is co-writer Alan Grant's favourite Dredd story.
All of the stories in the "Democracy" arc were written by Wagner or under his direction.
Backstory
The Judge Dredd comic strip is mostly set in Mega-City OneMega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
in the 22nd century, on the east coast of the former United States. When President Robert L. Booth
President Robert L. Booth
Robert Linus Booth is a fictional character from the British comic strip Judge Dredd in 2000 AD. He was the last President of the United States and the man who initiated the Atomic Wars.-Fictional character biography:...
started the Third World War in 2070 (see Atomic Wars
Atomic Wars
The Atomic Wars or Great Atom War is a fictional event in the Judge Dredd universe.In 2070, the possibly psychotic President Robert L. Booth started World War III by starting a nuclear war which dragged in all the major superpowers....
), the Judge
Judge (2000 AD)
Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
s – until then no more than a police force with extraordinary powers – deposed Booth, overthrew the Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and seized control of all institutions of government. Disillusioned with the elected politicians who had caused so much destruction to their country, much of the American public supported this move at the time. For the next four decades America was a dictatorship. (Mega-City One and the other American mega-cities became sovereign city-states early during this period, and the USA ceased to exist.) Although the Judges were initially popular, the citizens soon grew to resent their new leaders as much as they had the old, until activists began calling for a return to democratic government.
Although the events of 2070 were established early in the Judge Dredd strip (in 1978), the issue of the Justice Department's position in society was largely ignored for the first nine years of the strip's history. The only other references to the political relationship between the Judges and the citizens were the occasional brief appearances of the elected mayor of Mega-City One
Mayor of Mega-City One
Mayor of Mega-City One is a fictional office in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. The most significant mayor to appear in the comic was serial killer PJ Maybe, in disguise as Byron Ambrose....
, who was shown to be subordinate to the unelected head of state: the chief judge
Chief Judge of Mega-City One
Chief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America...
. However in 1986 and 1987 co-writers John Wagner
John Wagner
John Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since.He is best known for his work on...
and Alan Grant finally addressed this topic seriously in two stories set in 2108 and 2109. As Wagner later explained:
Grant recalls a more random genesis:
"Letter From a Democrat": The martyrdom of Hester Hyman
A seven-page story in 2000 AD #460 called "Letter From a Democrat" (1986) was the first story to show readers what life under the oppressive rule of the Judges actually meant. David Bishop has since described it as "a crucial story − the politicising of Dredd." It was notable not only for that, but also for marking the beginning of a darker, more mature tone in the strip generally, and a tendency to show the character of Dredd in a harsher light than before. Although light-hearted and humorous stories still continued unabated, "Letter" was followed by several other stories in a similar vein, more and more illustrating Dredd's role as the agent of a fascist system. Only three weeks earlier the writers had introduced a new character, Judge SilverJudge Silver
Chief Judge Thomas Silver was chief judge of the fictional city of Mega-City One in the Judge Dredd comic strip.-Fictional character biography:...
, as the new chief judge, who proved to be more hardline and right-wing than his predecessor (and who played a very significant role in the Democracy- and Necropolis-related stories which were to follow).
The story was told in the form of a letter from a wife and mother to her husband. The writer, Hester Hyman, had written the letter to explain why she had decided to sacrifice her life for the cause of democracy. While the text of the letter was shown in captions, the pictures first illustrated events described in the early part of the letter, and then showed the circumstances of her death at the hands of a squad of judges led by Judge Dredd.
The letter begins by describing how Hester and her family (who in the story represent all citizens) live in fear of the Judges, and have virtually no say over their lives. Even on a family picnic in the park they are threatened and intimidated by a judge when their young son accidentally throws a ball at him. Finally deciding that enough is enough, Hester reveals that she has decided to join a terrorist group and take over a television studio at gunpoint to announce their manifesto for reform to the whole city.
Surrounded by judges, the group refuses to surrender, reasoning that they will only be remembered if they are killed. Dredd duly obliges them.
The story ends with Dredd's stern warning: "Democracy's not for the people."
- The story is also (less) notable for the first appearance of the recurring comedy character Bishop Desmond Snodgrass in a cameo role.
The Democratic March
According to series artist John HigginsJohn Higgins (comics)
John Higgins is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colourist for Watchmen.-Biography:...
: "Letter From A Democrat actually moistened my eyes and, maybe because of that, John and Alan wrote Revolution for me to draw. For me this story is fully effective political satire."
Revolution, published a year later, told of how Hester Hyman's sacrifice had inspired millions to demonstrate for democracy. Political campaign groups, including Hester's husband Gort Hyman, organised a massive protest march through the streets which would end at the Grand Hall of Justice
Grand Hall of Justice
The Grand Hall of Justice of Mega-City One is a fictional building in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. It actually refers to three different buildings which existed at different times...
. Chief Judge Silver did not want to ban the "Democratic March" outright, as such overt action would only play into the Democrats' hands. Instead he ordered Dredd to undermine the March by covert action. When Dredd asked if his orders included breaking the law, Silver replied: "on this one you write the law." This moment was itself a turning point in the history of the strip, as a fundamental feature of Dredd's character had always been his utmost regard for, and obedience to, the law. His subsequent actions within the strip can be explained if Silver is regarded as invoking the fictional Security of the City Act, which had been mentioned in earlier stories and which allows judges to act outside the law if necessary to protect national security. Nevertheless, later stories would depict Dredd's profound regret for the actions he took to thwart the March, and his disillusionment with the Judge System would have very significant consequences for the strip.
Dredd used various "dirty tricks
Dirty tricks
Dirty tricks are unethical, duplicitous, slanderous or illegal tactics employed to destroy or diminish the effectiveness of political or business opponents...
" to undermine the March. He blackmailed the organisers by fabricating evidence against them and threatening to leak it to the press. He told Gort Hyman that if he did not withdraw he would conscript his children into the Academy of Law
Academy of Law
The Academy of Law is a fictional place of learning appearing in the Judge Dredd series that appears in the British comic 2000 AD.-Fictional history:The Academy of Law is where the Judges of Mega-City One are trained...
to be trained as cadet judges (the Academy does not require parental consent). He arrested an elderly leader on a trumped-up charge and made him stand all night without sleep or food, before releasing him minutes before the March was due to start, so that he would collapse from exhaustion along the way, undermining morale. Dredd ordered Weather Control to produce rain to reduce attendance. By the time the March started, numbers were well below the expected turnout. Undercover judges planted as agitators in the crowd first undermined morale by defeatist talk, and then incited violence by throwing things at uniformed judges, giving Dredd the excuse he needed to send in riot squads to break up the March and make arrests. The organisers were sentenced to significant terms of incarceration. Yet publicly, the Judges appeared to have the moral high ground.
Departure of Alan Grant
Although no more Democracy stories were published for another three years, Judge Dredd continued to be portrayed more and more as an uncompromising fascist, to a large extent due to the influence of co-writer Alan Grant, who felt that "any attempt to soften Dredd destroys the character." However John Wagner preferred a more human approach to Dredd's character, and their creative differences finally came to a head in the 26-part story "OzOz (Judge Dredd story)
Oz is a mini-series featured in the comic 2000 AD, running for 26 episodes from 24 October, 1987 to 16 April, 1988....
" (which was not a Democracy story). Grant later explained:
Grant stopped writing Dredd stories when "Oz" ended in 1988 (in 2000 AD #570).
Now the strip's sole writer, Wagner was free to return to the Democracy theme, this time with a more sympathetic depiction of Dredd's character in which Dredd began to have misgivings about his role in suppressing the Democratic March. Dredd's qualms would become the catalyst to take the whole Judge Dredd strip in a new direction.
Wagner used the Democracy theme to add depth to a separate story arc that he had already begun to develop in two sequels to "Oz," which had introduced the character Judge Kraken
Judge Kraken
Judge Kraken is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip featured in the long-running British comic 2000 AD. Although he only appeared in a few episodes, he was nonetheless a very important character in Tale of the Dead Man, in which he was given almost equal billing with Dredd, and in...
. Tying together the hitherto unrelated Democracy and Kraken storylines in "Tale of the Dead Man" (1990), Wagner laid the foundations for another 26-part epic, "Necropolis
Necropolis (Judge Dredd story)
Necropolis is a 26-part Judge Dredd epic by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, published in 1990 in 2000 AD progs 674–699. The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man , followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" , and finally three stories collectively...
," which in turn would reciprocate by changing the direction of the Democracy stories.
Interviewed in 2005, Grant observed: "I rather think that stories like "Dead Man" ... could never have been written by the two of us together."
"A Letter to Judge Dredd"
"A Letter to Judge Dredd" (1990) was a six-page story written in the same style as "Letter From a Democrat," which had begun the Democracy story arc four years earlier. Set in 2112, the story was written from the perspective of a schoolboy writing a letter to Dredd as part of a school project about the Judge System. Despite his youthful naivety, the boy identified a multitude of problems with the dysfunctional system that Dredd stands for. Dredd was no doubt already aware of these problems to some extent, but the letter succinctly and starkly listed them at a time when Dredd was already growing disillusioned with the system due to his feelings of guilt in respect of the dubious and underhand methods he had used to subdue the Democratic March in 2109. The boy also described a neighbour who had been struck on the head by a judge on the March, receiving permanent brain damage as a result, which caused him to have violent mood swings and hallucinations. On the way to post his letter, the boy was murdered by the neighbour during one of his violent episodes. Attending the crime scene, Dredd read the letter and felt indirectly responsible for the boy's death."A Letter to Judge Dredd" was a significant story in its own right, as it brought Dredd's doubts about his role to a head. But its main significance is as the prologue to the seven-part story which immediately followed, "Tale of the Dead Man."
"Tale of the Dead Man"
KrakenJudge Kraken
Judge Kraken is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip featured in the long-running British comic 2000 AD. Although he only appeared in a few episodes, he was nonetheless a very important character in Tale of the Dead Man, in which he was given almost equal billing with Dredd, and in...
was a clone who shared Dredd's DNA. He had been created by rogue judge Morton Judd
Morton Judd
Morton Judd is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip and appears in progs 559-563 of the British comic 2000 AD, in the story "Oz"....
as part of a clone army to overthrow the judges and conquer Mega-City One (though not to restore democracy). Of the survivors, Kraken alone was spared and was rehabilitated at the Academy of Law
Academy of Law
The Academy of Law is a fictional place of learning appearing in the Judge Dredd series that appears in the British comic 2000 AD.-Fictional history:The Academy of Law is where the Judges of Mega-City One are trained...
, with a view to having him one day replace Dredd when Dredd finally retired or died. Having graduated from the Academy, Kraken was due to take his Final Assessment, the test which cadets take to prove they are fit to become a full judge. Dredd was assigned as Kraken's examiner.
In the course of the assessment (which takes the form of the cadet performing the role of a street judge with full powers), Kraken killed a group of Democracy terrorists who had taken hostages. Shortly afterwards Judge Morphy, Dredd's best friend and mentor (who had supervised Dredd on his own Final Assessment), was killed on a routine vehicle stop. Furious, Dredd almost murdered one of the perpetrators, pulling back at the last moment when Kraken urged him to control himself. Despite Kraken's impeccable performance, Dredd's unappealable decision was to fail him, believing that "a leopard can't change its spots. Not this one, anyway." At the moment of announcing his verdict, Dredd tendered his resignation and requested permission to take the Long Walk
The Long Walk (Judge Dredd)
The Long Walk is an event occasionally depicted in the long-running British comic strip Judge Dredd, which appears in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine. It also featured in the 1995 film starring Sylvester Stallone....
, leaving the city forever.
During his preparations to leave the city, Dredd released every prisoner still in custody from the Democratic March.
"Necropolis"
Dredd's resignation was a significant event in the build-up to "Necropolis"Necropolis (Judge Dredd story)
Necropolis is a 26-part Judge Dredd epic by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, published in 1990 in 2000 AD progs 674–699. The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man , followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" , and finally three stories collectively...
(besides being inherently momentous in its own right). Chief Judge Silver ordered a news blackout on Dredd's resignation and then faked Kraken
Judge Kraken
Judge Kraken is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip featured in the long-running British comic 2000 AD. Although he only appeared in a few episodes, he was nonetheless a very important character in Tale of the Dead Man, in which he was given almost equal billing with Dredd, and in...
's execution after reimposing sentence of death for Kraken's crimes in the service of Judd. Reviving Kraken in secret, Silver overturned Dredd's verdict on him and made him a full judge, but on the condition that he impersonated Dredd, so that nobody would know that Dredd had left. Silver believed that Dredd had become such a symbol of law and order to the citizens that news of his departure would provoke a crimewave.
Consequently when the Sisters of Death
Dark Judges
The Dark Judges are recurring villains in the fictional Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. They are Judge Death, Judge Fire, Judge Fear and Judge Mortis. Later storylines added the "Sisters of Death" , to their ranks...
arrived in Mega-City One, they found Kraken there instead of Dredd. Finding Kraken to be vulnerable to manipulation by their psychic powers, as he was still torn by latent subconscious loyalty to his late master Judd, they were able to use him as their agent to free Judge Death
Judge Death
Judge Death is a fictional character of the Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. He is the leader of the Dark Judges, a sinister group of undead law enforcers from the alternate dimension of Deadworld, where all life has been declared a crime since only the living commit crimes...
from captivity and begin their conquest of the city. Had Dredd not resigned, they might not have found their task so easy. Dredd eventually returned to the city and defeated them.
As a result of the Necropolis disaster, Dredd realised that running away from his problems was no answer to them, and he rejoined the force. This time he confronted his doubts about the Judge System head on.
Democracy Referendum
Dredd persuaded new chief judge McGruderJudge McGruder
Chief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice...
to permit the citizens to vote in a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on whether democratic government should be restored, or the existing Judge System should be retained. McGruder agreed because the Judges had lost much of their credibility in failing to protect the citizens from the Dark Judges
Dark Judges
The Dark Judges are recurring villains in the fictional Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. They are Judge Death, Judge Fire, Judge Fear and Judge Mortis. Later storylines added the "Sisters of Death" , to their ranks...
during Necropolis: since the Judges' argument in favour of their dictatorial rule rested largely on their allegedly unique ability to protect the city and preserve order (which the last elected government had conspicuously failed to do), the Democrats' calls for reform were consequently more compelling than ever. The Democracy Referendum was scheduled for 2113, and was not popular among the rank-and-file judges, or even the senior ranks, since almost everybody predicted that the unpopular Judges would lose the vote by a landslide. So much did the Referendum depend on Dredd's personal support that Judge Grice
Judge Grice
Judge Grice was a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. Created in 1990 by John Wagner and Steve Dillon, Grice later had his own spin-off series, Purgatory by Mark Millar and Carlos Ezquerra...
and other judges even tried to assassinate him to prevent the vote from going ahead.
Dredd himself had few doubts of the outcome. In an interview he pointed out that although there was room for reform, the basic idea of the Judge System was still for the best: "better the devil you know," as the interviewer summarised it. Dredd's ultimate argument was that the people had to decide whether, while being mugged, they would rather rely on him or on their elected representative.
In spite of Grice's efforts the vote was held as planned, and to the surprise of everyone except Dredd, the Democrats actually lost. Democratic government had not existed for over forty years, and most citizens could not remember it. Most did not even bother to vote at all, and of those who did, the majority decided to retain the status quo. A two-million strong mass of democrats marched on the Grand Hall
Grand Hall of Justice
The Grand Hall of Justice of Mega-City One is a fictional building in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. It actually refers to three different buildings which existed at different times...
, believing this to be a fix, but Dredd was able to both convince Blondel Dupre that the result was accurate and break her will in front of the others, pressuring her to state in public "you are the law." Discredited and disheartened, mainstream support for democracy faded away.
After the Referendum
The Democracy storyline is generally regarded as having concluded with the Referendum story, which was published in 1991. However although the main Democracy campaign had indeed ended, repercussions continued in the strip until 2004. This took three forms.First, various circumstances originating in "Necropolis" eventually led to the resignation of Chief Judge McGruder, whose rule had been marked by an unprecedented concentration of political power in her own hands. Responding to concerns about the way Mega-City One was governed, new chief judge Volt
Judge Volt
Chief Judge Hadrian Volt is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge of Mega-City One between 2116 and 2121 .-Fictional character biography:...
instituted constitutional reforms in 2117 designed to restore a limited measure of democracy to Mega-City politics. The Justice Department still retained supreme overall control, but some say over decisions at the municipal
Municipal services
Municipal services or city services refer to basic services that residents of a city expect the city government to provide in exchange for the taxes which citizens pay. Basic city services may include sanitation , water, streets, schools, food inspection fire department, police, ambulance, and...
level was delegated to a new elected mayor
Mayor of Mega-City One
Mayor of Mega-City One is a fictional office in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. The most significant mayor to appear in the comic was serial killer PJ Maybe, in disguise as Byron Ambrose....
and City Council.
Secondly, a trilogy published in 2001–2003 featured an assassin known as the "Chief Judge's Man
Armon Gill
Armon Gill, also known as the Chief Judge's Man, is a fictional villain from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD.-Fictional character biography:...
," who murdered leading democracy activists, allegedly on the orders of Chief Judge Hershey.
Thirdly, although mainstream public support for popular sovereignty had dissipated, there were still diehard extremist groups who were willing to fight for the abolition of the Judge System. The most notorious of these was terrorist group Total War.
Total War
Total War first appeared in the 1990 story "America"America (Judge Dredd story)
America was a Judge Dredd story published in the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1990. Told in flashbacks, the story concerns the character America Jara, her friend Bennett Beeny and their tragic encounters with the Justice Department. As Bennett Beeny grows up to reap the benefits of Mega City One,...
(before the Referendum story). Their methods involved assassinating judges in the street and other violent tactics. They attempted to blow up the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, to draw attention to the fact that the concept of liberty had already been destroyed by the Judges. They failed to do so in that story, but succeeded later (which was referred to in "America II").
Total War has not been used often in the strip, but made a reappearance in two stories in 2004, including a 12-part story of the same name, set in 2126. In "Total War" the terrorists tried to blackmail the Judges into relinquishing power by detonating nuclear bombs in random locations around the city at regular intervals. Three bombs exploded, killing millions, before Dredd stopped them. The attempt was counter-productive, since the public was appalled at the enormous loss of life which was supposedly caused for their benefit, and any remaining mainstream support for democracy dwindled still further. Also, once Total War's leaders were apprehended, Dredd was able to identify its members by working from the top down, by arresting group leaders, then cell leaders, and finally foot soldiers. Any hope of restoring democratic government was most likely obliterated.
Dredd's crackdown on the terrorist group was used as an opportunity in a later story, "Caught in the Act," to satirise real-life anti-terrorist policies in Britain and America, such as incarceration without trial and withholding evidence from prisoners.
Reviews
"Tale of the Dead Man" has been reviewed as "A piece of super-lean storytelling from Wagner ... This story has everything. Action, emotion, pathos, humour. Great characterisation ... And it contains my all-time favourite action scene as Kraken takes out a gang of terrorists [while] unarmed and handcuffed! How cool is that?"The Referendum was depicted in "Twilight's Last Gleaming" (1991), written by Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
. One reviewer credited this story with having "a brilliant understanding of society," while another described it as "One of the darkest
and most political of all Judge Dredd stories ... This is a chilling reminder of how we can easily lose our rights if we don’t stand up for them."
Political cartoonist and writer Martin Rowson
Martin Rowson
Martin George Edmund Rowson is a British cartoonist and novelist. His genre is political satire and his style is scathing and graphic. His work frequently appears in The Guardian and The Independent...
wrote:
"Revolution," the story featuring the Democratic March, was reviewed as follows:
Main stories
- "Letter From a Democrat" (written by John WagnerJohn WagnerJohn Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since.He is best known for his work on...
and Alan Grant, with art by John HigginsJohn Higgins (comics)John Higgins is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colourist for Watchmen.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD #460, 19861986 in comics-Year overall:* Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, a four-issue limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller and published by DC Comics, debuts...
)- Death of Hester Hyman.
- "Revolution" (written by John Wagner and Alan Grant, with art by John Higgins, in 2000 AD #531-533, 19871987 in comics- Year overall :* Independent publishers continue to enter the comics arena, including Amazing, CFW Enterprises, Imperial Comics, Matrix Graphic Series, New Comics Group, and Rebel Studios...
)- The Democratic March.
- "Politics" (Written by Alan Grant, with art by Jeff Anderson, in 2000 AD #656, 19891989 in comics-Year overall:* "Inferno" company-wide Marvel Comics crossover continues, involving the mutant titles The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, The New Mutants, and Excalibur, as well as the X-Terminators limited series and various other Marvel titles...
)- Not described above. A democracy activist is kidnapped.
- "A Letter to Judge Dredd" (written by John Wagner, with art by Will Simpson, in 2000 AD #661, 19901990 in comics-Year overall:Days of Future Present, the sequel to Days of Future Past, appeared in the annuals of Fantastic Four, New Mutants, X-Factor and X-Men.-January:* Dinosaurs for Hire is cancelled by Eternity Comics with issue #9....
)- Prologue to "Tale of the Dead Man."
- "Tale of the Dead Man" (written by John Wagner, with art by Will Simpson and Jeff Anderson, in 2000 AD #662-668, 1990)
- Story sets scene for "NecropolisNecropolis (Judge Dredd story)Necropolis is a 26-part Judge Dredd epic by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, published in 1990 in 2000 AD progs 674–699. The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man , followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" , and finally three stories collectively...
" (in #674-699). - See also The Dead ManThe Dead ManThe Dead Man was a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD by writer John Wagner and artist John Ridgway, published in black and white in 1989–90. Although it was not billed as a Judge Dredd story, it was set in Judge Dredd's world in 2112, and featured a new character called the Dead Man...
(Judge Dredd spin-off in #650-662).
- Story sets scene for "Necropolis
- "Nightmares" (written by John Wagner, with art by Steve DillonSteve DillonSteve Dillon is a British comic book artist, from Luton, Bedfordshire, best known for his work with writer Garth Ennis on Hellblazer, Preacher and The Punisher.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD #702-706, 1990)- Dredd makes the case for the Referendum on the future of the Judge System.
- "The Devil You Know" (written by John Wagner, with art by Jeff Anderson, in 2000 AD #750-753, 19911991 in comics-January:* Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33.* El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16.* Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15....
)- Judges try to kill Dredd to prevent the Referendum.
- "Twilight's Last Gleaming" (written by Garth EnnisGarth EnnisGarth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
, with art by John BurnsJohn Burns (comics)John M. Burns is an English comics artist, with a career stretching back to the mid-1960s.- Biography :His initial work was as an illustrator for Junior Express and School Friend...
, in 2000 AD #754-756, 1991)- Referendum takes place and result announced.
Later stories
- "The Decision" (written by John Wagner, with art by Andrew CurrieAndrew CurrieAndrew Currie is a Canadian film director and screenwriter.Born in England, Currie grew up in Victoria, British Columbia and studied arts before turning his interests towards film...
, in 2000 AD #957, 19951995 in comics-January:*After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse is launched. All X-titles change to different names for the next four months.* Thor marks his 400th appearance in Marvel Comics with issue #482....
)- Chief judge announces limited political reforms.
- "Sleaze" (written by John Wagner, with art by John Burns, in Judge Dredd MegazineJudge Dredd MegazineJudge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
vol. 3 #40, 19981998 in comics-Spring:* Gay Comix , with issue #25, publishes its final issue -October:* Toy Biz buys Marvel Comics* Excalibur is canceled by Marvel with issue #125.-November:...
)- Not described above, but features the city council and mayor.
- "OriginsOrigins (Judge Dredd story)Origins is one of the longest Judge Dredd storylines to run in the pages of British comic 2000 AD. Making extensive use of flashbacks, it tells the story of how the Judges of Mega-City One rose to power. It was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra, who between them created...
" (written by John Wagner, with art by Carlos EzquerraCarlos EzquerraCarlos Sanchez Ezquerra , who has also worked under the alias L. John Silver, is a Spanish comics artist who works mainly in British comics and currently lives in Andorra...
, in 2000 AD #1505-1519 and 1529-1535, 2006-07)- Not described above, but tells in flashbacks how the Judges ended democracy in America in 2070.
Chief Judge's Man stories
All written by John Wagner.- "Chief Judge’s Man" (with art by Will Simpson, in 2000 AD #1244-1247, 2001)
- "On The Chief Judge’s Service" (with art by Colin MacNeilColin MacNeilColin MacNeil is a British comics artist, best known for his work on 2000 AD and in particular on Judge Dredd and other stories within his world like Shimura and Devlin Waugh....
, in 2000 AD #1263-1266, 2001)
- "Revenge Of The Chief Judge’s Man" (with art by John Burns, in 2000 AD #1342-1349, 20032003 in comics-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
)
Total War stories
All written by John Wagner.- "AmericaAmerica (Judge Dredd story)America was a Judge Dredd story published in the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1990. Told in flashbacks, the story concerns the character America Jara, her friend Bennett Beeny and their tragic encounters with the Justice Department. As Bennett Beeny grows up to reap the benefits of Mega City One,...
" (with art by Colin MacNeil, in Judge Dredd Megazine vol. 1 #1-7, 1990-1991)
- "America: Fading Of The Light" (with art by Colin MacNeil, in Judge Dredd Megazine vol. 3 #20-25, 19961996 in comics-Year overall:* Malcolm Jones III commits suicide at circa age 37.* Boody Rogers, creator of Sparky Watts, dies at c. age 92-January:* January 19: Bernard Baily, co-creator of The Spectre and Hourman, dies at age 79.* January 28:...
)
- "Terror" (with art by Colin MacNeil, in 2000 AD #1392-1399, 20042004 in comics-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
)
- "Total War" (with art by Henry FlintHenry FlintHenry Flint is a British comic book artist who has worked mainly for British sci-fi comic 2000AD.-Biography:Flint has established a cult following for his hyper-detailed and wildly inventive work on series such as Judge Dredd, Zombo,,ABC Warriors, Shakara, Low Life and Aliens.A recent project was...
, in 2000 AD #1408-1419, 2004)
- "Caught in the Act" (with art by Phil WinsladePhil Winslade-Biography:Winslade was born in Surrey in 1965 and spent a lot of time indoors as a child because of a heart murmur. His main source of entertainment were Marvel like Howard the Duck and Deathlok. However, it wasn't until he attended Birmingham Polytechnic, to study art, that the idea of working in...
and Len O’Grady, in 2000 AD #1450-1451, 2005)
- "America III: Cadet" (with art by Colin MacNeil, in Judge Dredd Megazine #250-252, 2006)
External links
- 2000 AD profile of the Total War trade paperback
- 2000 AD profile of the America trade paperback
- 2000 AD profile of Judge Dredd 21 collecting early Democracy stories
- 2000 AD profile of trade paperback collecting "A Letter to Judge Dredd" and "Tale of the Dead Man"
- 2000 AD profile of Democracy Now! trade paperback collecting Referendum stories
- Review of Total War trade paperback