Multiversity Lights the Menorah: Night Six

Graphic by Chad Bowers

From the desk of Brian Salvatore, friend to all the Jews:

L’chaim! The Multiversity Comics staff is a multicultural bunch, and wanted to spread around the holiday cheer to our chosen brethren with our new series: Multiversity Lights the Menorah!

Each night, at sundown, we will light another candle on the Menorah and tell a tale of a story, creator’s run, or general theme in comics that, much like the oil that lasted eight nights for the Israelites, went on for far longer than any of us could have expected. Tonight, Mike Romeo, in lieu of gelt, is bringing American audiences the gift of British comic books.

So, grab the shammus and light the sixth candle, Mike!

Click here to relight the fifth candle, or relight the fourth candle, or the third, or the second, or the first.

Why hasn’t 2000AD caught on in the states? Specifically Judge Dredd? I mean, I know about these comics, but looking at their content, one would assume that they would have massive appeal here on this side of the pond. They have everything that American comics readers know and love, just presented in a bit of a different way.

For those who don’t know, Judge Dredd is a no nonsense bad-ass cop with guns and an enormous motorcycle. He’s armored head to toe, with huge shoulder pads and a helmet that obscures his entire face, save for the permanent, hardened frown he carries. His badge is an art deco style eagle and has one single word chiseled into it. Dredd. He is one member of a team if Judges tasked to protect the future-punk, dystopian, walled in Mega City One. When a crime is discovered, it is their duty to be judge, jury, and if the need be, executioner. Doesn’t that sound awesome? The answer is yes, it does. So why aren’t more Americans reading these comics? Why is it that after damn near twenty five years, Dredd is a character still under appreciated in the US comics market?

I’ll start with the reason that’ll probably be easiest to see, and that’s format. Judge Dredd hits the stands in the pages of 2000AD, a weekly anthology magazine. Weekly, anthology, magazine. Three sure fire handicaps in today’s comics market. 2000AD has been running weekly since 1977. Compare that to DC’s 52, which has so far been the most successful weekly American comic to date. It ran for one year. Besides Dredd, there’s usually at least two other stories in a prog (it’s what they call an issue) and some sort of separate insert story. This leads us to our next hiccup, anthologies just don’t sell stateside. It’s tough for them to break the Diamond top 100 a lot of times, and it breaks my little heart. Lastly, it’s a great big magazine that’s being marketed to people who have no idea what to do with it. They’ve been conditioned to bag, board, and box their comics, but this crazy thing is just too big for any of that. Weekly, anthology, magazine.

There’s more to it than format, though. I think there might be something under the surface. Dredd is a big manly man who rides a manly motorcycle. He’s a lawman. He’s John Wayne. He’s unflinching. His badge is an eagle, his word is law. He is executioner. He is an American. And he’s written by a bunch of snarky Englishmen. Is it possible that the mirror being held up is a little too clear, and that makes some folks uncomfortable? Maybe. Maybe this is the case and they don’t even realize it. Or maybe It’s just format. Who knows?

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Whatever the reason is, it’s not good enough. I feel that every comics reader should have some 2000AD in their diet. Even if you find yourself not particularly enamored with Judge Dredd himself, there are countless other avenues to explore in Mega City One. There are collected editions focusing solely on Dredd’s incredible supporting characters like Lenny Zero, Judge Death, and The Taxidermist. Hell, you can even pop over to the other side of the planet for a visit to Hondo City One and see how Japanese judges handle their business. And oh yeah, these stories are all done by some real up and comers like Andy Diggle, Jock, Frank Quitely, Frazier Irving, John Wagner, and Garth Ennis.

So go dive in. There’s nearly 25 years of continuity, and even a couple of events, waiting for you start sifting through. Cheers!

One reason the comics might not have caught on.

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