Welcome to a dead Dredd special in honour of the shocking events of Prog 1749! A bad trip, blood splattered version of Dredd's badge? That can't be good news! Hats off to Garry Brown for taking Psi Judge Hennesy's shocking psi flash in current Dredd epic Day of Chaos and making it scarily real!
Garry said "Tharg asked me to work up 2 layouts for a cover. He didn't tell me the plot or anything, he just had strong ideas for the cover. He wanted a closeup of Dredd's visor and a close up of his badge with blood on it. I then did 2 colour roughs. Matt liked the badge layout so I went with it..."
So below we see Garry's roughs...
With the badge idea approved, Garry continues "I then emailed the cover below however the editor wanted me to flip the colour horizontally so that the darkest part was up top, that way popping out the blood on the badge."
"And here's the finished cover"
A guuughe thanks to Garry for those brilliant pictures and fascinating commentary. Remember to visit his site here.
Of course, near death is just another day at the office for Mega-City One's premier lawman and a bloody, battered badge has long been a symbol for Dredd and the Justice Department's darkest days. Take, for example, Robin Smith's iconic cover of Prog 262, when, during the Apocalypse War, Dredd murders his own chief judge before turning the gun on himself. I can still remember my nine year old self shuddering at this cover...
An homage to that cover is Mark Harrison's heartbreaking cover to Prog 1009 which saw the popular 'Death of a Legend' story where Dredd took Ex Chief Judge McGruder, who was in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease, on one last, fatal mission...
Design guru Simon Parr shattered the badge for this striking cover to prog 1414 as the judges stood down to give control to terrorist group Total War during their nuclear siege of the city...
An homage to that cover is Mark Harrison's heartbreaking cover to Prog 1009 which saw the popular 'Death of a Legend' story where Dredd took Ex Chief Judge McGruder, who was in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease, on one last, fatal mission...
Design guru Simon Parr shattered the badge for this striking cover to prog 1414 as the judges stood down to give control to terrorist group Total War during their nuclear siege of the city...
Of course, hard as nails Dredd has been at death's door numerous times. Who could forget this classic moment from 'The Day the Law Died' when Dredd is shot through the head by one of Cal's assassins?
And, of course, the evil Murd the Oppressor from the Judge Child Epic who goes one further and actually kills Dredd (albeit temporarily.)
Still, you know Joe Dredd, you can shoot him...
Image: Brian Bolland
Image: Brian Bolland
Image: Carlos Ezquerra
You can squish him...
Image: Brian Bolland
Image: Steve Dillon
Image: Brian BollandCrucify him...
Image: JockBeat him...
Image: Simon Bisley
But you certainly won't break him...
Image: Mick McMahon
'Cos in the end, the badge rules creeps...
Image: Cam Kennedy
and you'd better...
Image: Cliff Robinson
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