To buy a copy of Judge Dredd: Mega-History - The Untold Story,
signed by author Colin M Jarman,
please click here to email him at Blue Eyed Books for details: availability, condition and cost.
"A lovely illustrated history of Judge Dredd from conception, through launch and up to 1995."
www.PureNostalgia.co.uk
www.PureNostalgia.co.uk
==============
'Drokk it, creeps! This is the law and the law is Dredd! All that stands between you and a life stretch in an Iso-Cube is this book. It is the law of Dredd and by order of Justice Department, it is your duty as a citizen to read it, or face the full might of the law!'
This is the previously untold and controversial story behind the development, creation and evolution of the comic book legend Judge Dredd ... in the words of the writers and artists who brought him and his violent world to life 18 years ago in 2000 AD.
A Judge's life is fast, brutal and short. Dredd is no ordinary Judge - but he is the law ... and this is his story.
Colin M Jarman - Back Page Blurb on Judge Dredd: The Mega-History (1994)
"To understand its origins and early years, the best book was probably Judge Dredd: The Mega-History by Colin M Jarman and Peter Acton, timed to coincide with the Sylvester Stallone movie."
Paul Gravett in Comics International (2006)
"Fans are advised to read the excellent Judge Dredd: The Mega-History, which includes many more details on the character's gestation. He was originally much harsher, hence the 'Judge, Jury and Executioner' tag - in the strip as published, Dredd never actually executed people unless they fought back, whereas the pre-production version performed summary and lethal justice for even the smallest crimes."
www.everything2.com/title/Judge+Dredd
"Judge Dredd: The Mega-History is a ... worthy tome for academics to get their teeth into."
Semaj.Maharg on Amazon.co.uk
This book 146 page explains the long and convoluted story ...
# An excellent and revealing account of the creation of Judge Dredd and 2000 AD, with all those involved giving their 'two-cents'
# The history after Prog 1. takes the most important Judge Dredd up to '92 with Judgement on Gotham, Judgement Day and America.
# Previously unpublished artwork by Carlos Ezquerra, Mike McMahon and Brian Bolland. (Original censored material such as Bolland's Dredd End and Mike McMahon's Bloodsuckers, which were supposed to appear in Prog 500). Also a censored Jack Adrian Judge Dredd script from 1976!
# The censorship battles, The royalties issue are also discussed
# Unfortunately since this the book was published in early 1995, the effect of the Judge Dredd: Movie, DC Comics' Dredd and Lawman of the Future could not be looked at. Also in the last couple of years stories such as The Pit, Beyond the Call of Duty, Doomsday, Blood Cadets have developed Dredd further. And what the creators opinions on the Megazine saga? .... hopefully there will be a second edition (or volume).
www.fortunecity.com/tatooine/sputnik/53/glossary
"Judge Dredd the Mega History isn't a new release by any means, the book was first published by Lennard Publishing back in 1995, but it is still an apt and frank look at the creation of a comic book hero and as such is well worth a look at in a little detail. I first picked up this book way back when it first hit the stores and to be completely honest with you I'm very glad that I did.
In the 142 pages of text and artwork, the history of the most famous British comic book character is examined and the reasons for his very existence are ripped apart and pieced back together. Both Jarman and Acton did a sterling job with the Mega History and are to be commended for the amount of research that they obviously put in to come up with such a tome. Starting with a the very genesis of Battle Weekly and leading into the long-standing relationship between Pat Mills and John Wagner and ending with a brief look at the future of the franchise and the effect that the ill-fated movie was to have on the comic.
For the very first time many of the creators speak in a very frank fashion about how they feel at the treatment of their work and how they often came to blows. In fact John Wagner the co-creator of Dredd even went so far as to refuse an interview with the book's authors because he felt so strongly about its effects, but that asides there are quotes and interviews from Pat Mills, Brian Bolland, Carlos Ezquerra, Mike McMahon, and many, many more!
The book is spilt into 33 chapters that span the sixteen-year history (then of course not now!) and sometimes gets a little dark with harsh language and comments from those interviewed, but it never once loses track of its course and keeps right online.
The book contains some never before seen artwork of Dredd and other 2000 AD characters, some of it completely uncensored and often showing how the mood of the British artists where at the treatment by the big-wigs, and being often akin to battery hens in a market. It's not uncommon knowledge that comic book artists and writers often get a bums rush when it comes to royalties and this is mentioned here quite a lot. Jack Kirby the legendary artist and creator of some of the world's best loved comic book characters was almost penniless for years following treatment by the two big companies DC and Marvel of his work in the past, and Todd MacFarlane creator of Spawn and now one of the richest men in the industry was pushed out of the Marvel offices when he asked for more money after he had made them millions of dollars! The same thing of course did happen to some of the writers and artists at 2000 AD and many of them where poached by bigger foreign markets to work for a more handsome salary or profit margin.
It was no easy feat getting together 2000 AD and as the first few chapters stand testament it almost never happened. Carlos Ezquerra one of the co-creators of Dredd speaks on how he was upset that his work has been copied and altered over the years and of how he was annoyed that his first story Bankraid didn’t see light of day till 1981, rather than in the comic's first month. Instead the first appearance went to Mike McMahon in the story of Judge Whitey! McMahon was a last minute choice as Ezquerra had gone on to work on other projects at the time.
Looking back with hindsight is something that is often easy to do and many of those interviewed speak very fondly of the time they spent working on the comic and it's ultimate creation, and only a few times is the character criticised.
The artwork in the book is excellent throughout and contains such items as Brian Bolland's rough outline sketches for the Dark Judges and some images from the short lived movie adaptation.
Given the fact that The Mega History is now almost 5 years old it still seems quite up to date now, and it would be an excellent idea if the book was perhaps revamped in the next couple of years to cover 25 years of the history of the greatest hero of Mega City One. I for one hope that happens."
Review by Marc Farrimond
CHAPTER HEADINGS
Foreword; In the Beginning was the Word… and the Word was Dare; The Can-Do Kids Did Great; Action Stations; Kelvin Turns Up the Heat; Better Dredd than In-Bred; A Slice of Brown Dredd; Comic Stripped Bare; Post-Script; Two Sides to Every Story; Room with a Phew!; Carloss; The Sinceres Form of Flattery; A Whitey Shade of Pow!!; The Magnificent Seven; Mills and Boom!; Wagner’s Ring of Bwight Walter; Three of a Kind; Seven Wonders of the Future World; The Art of the possible; Death Becomes Her; Where Angels Fear to Dredd; War for War’s Sake; Brush Up Your Shakespeare; Literal Democrats; Ozimosis; Blood Is Thicker than Wagner; A Paean in the Necropolis; The Ballot of John and Your Call; Fatal Art Attack; Anyone For Ennis?; A Comedy of Eras; Bat to the Future; True Colours Acknowledgements
Writers: Colin M. Jarman, Peter Acton, John Wagner, Pat Mills, Alan Grant, Jack Adrian, Gerry Finley-Day, Garth Ennis, Steve Moore, etc.
Artists: Mike McMahon, Simon Bisley, Frank Hampson, Carlos Equerra, Massimo Belardinelli, Ricardo Villagran, John Cooper, Barrie Mitchell, Enio, Ian Gibson, Ron Turner, Don Lawrence, Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Ron Smith, Steve Sampson, John McCrea, Chris Weston, Steve Dillon, Cam Kennedy, Liam Sharp, John Higgins, Jim Baikie, William Simpson, John Ridgway, Jeff Anderson, John Burns, Cliff Robinson, Peter Doherty, Bryan Talbot, Alan Davis, Jason Brashill, Mick Austin, Frank Quietly, Gary Caldwell, etc.
This is the previously untold and controversial story behind the development, creation and evolution of the comic book legend Judge Dredd ... in the words of the writers and artists who brought him and his violent world to life 18 years ago in 2000 AD.
A Judge's life is fast, brutal and short. Dredd is no ordinary Judge - but he is the law ... and this is his story.
Colin M Jarman - Back Page Blurb on Judge Dredd: The Mega-History (1994)
"To understand its origins and early years, the best book was probably Judge Dredd: The Mega-History by Colin M Jarman and Peter Acton, timed to coincide with the Sylvester Stallone movie."
Paul Gravett in Comics International (2006)
"Fans are advised to read the excellent Judge Dredd: The Mega-History, which includes many more details on the character's gestation. He was originally much harsher, hence the 'Judge, Jury and Executioner' tag - in the strip as published, Dredd never actually executed people unless they fought back, whereas the pre-production version performed summary and lethal justice for even the smallest crimes."
www.everything2.com/title/Judge+Dredd
"Judge Dredd: The Mega-History is a ... worthy tome for academics to get their teeth into."
Semaj.Maharg on Amazon.co.uk
# An excellent and revealing account of the creation of Judge Dredd and 2000 AD, with all those involved giving their 'two-cents'
# The history after Prog 1. takes the most important Judge Dredd up to '92 with Judgement on Gotham, Judgement Day and America.
# Previously unpublished artwork by Carlos Ezquerra, Mike McMahon and Brian Bolland. (Original censored material such as Bolland's Dredd End and Mike McMahon's Bloodsuckers, which were supposed to appear in Prog 500). Also a censored Jack Adrian Judge Dredd script from 1976!
# The censorship battles, The royalties issue are also discussed
# Unfortunately since this the book was published in early 1995, the effect of the Judge Dredd: Movie, DC Comics' Dredd and Lawman of the Future could not be looked at. Also in the last couple of years stories such as The Pit, Beyond the Call of Duty, Doomsday, Blood Cadets have developed Dredd further. And what the creators opinions on the Megazine saga? .... hopefully there will be a second edition (or volume).
www.fortunecity.com/tatooine/sputnik/53/glossary
"Judge Dredd the Mega History isn't a new release by any means, the book was first published by Lennard Publishing back in 1995, but it is still an apt and frank look at the creation of a comic book hero and as such is well worth a look at in a little detail. I first picked up this book way back when it first hit the stores and to be completely honest with you I'm very glad that I did.
In the 142 pages of text and artwork, the history of the most famous British comic book character is examined and the reasons for his very existence are ripped apart and pieced back together. Both Jarman and Acton did a sterling job with the Mega History and are to be commended for the amount of research that they obviously put in to come up with such a tome. Starting with a the very genesis of Battle Weekly and leading into the long-standing relationship between Pat Mills and John Wagner and ending with a brief look at the future of the franchise and the effect that the ill-fated movie was to have on the comic.
For the very first time many of the creators speak in a very frank fashion about how they feel at the treatment of their work and how they often came to blows. In fact John Wagner the co-creator of Dredd even went so far as to refuse an interview with the book's authors because he felt so strongly about its effects, but that asides there are quotes and interviews from Pat Mills, Brian Bolland, Carlos Ezquerra, Mike McMahon, and many, many more!
The book is spilt into 33 chapters that span the sixteen-year history (then of course not now!) and sometimes gets a little dark with harsh language and comments from those interviewed, but it never once loses track of its course and keeps right online.
The book contains some never before seen artwork of Dredd and other 2000 AD characters, some of it completely uncensored and often showing how the mood of the British artists where at the treatment by the big-wigs, and being often akin to battery hens in a market. It's not uncommon knowledge that comic book artists and writers often get a bums rush when it comes to royalties and this is mentioned here quite a lot. Jack Kirby the legendary artist and creator of some of the world's best loved comic book characters was almost penniless for years following treatment by the two big companies DC and Marvel of his work in the past, and Todd MacFarlane creator of Spawn and now one of the richest men in the industry was pushed out of the Marvel offices when he asked for more money after he had made them millions of dollars! The same thing of course did happen to some of the writers and artists at 2000 AD and many of them where poached by bigger foreign markets to work for a more handsome salary or profit margin.
It was no easy feat getting together 2000 AD and as the first few chapters stand testament it almost never happened. Carlos Ezquerra one of the co-creators of Dredd speaks on how he was upset that his work has been copied and altered over the years and of how he was annoyed that his first story Bankraid didn’t see light of day till 1981, rather than in the comic's first month. Instead the first appearance went to Mike McMahon in the story of Judge Whitey! McMahon was a last minute choice as Ezquerra had gone on to work on other projects at the time.
Looking back with hindsight is something that is often easy to do and many of those interviewed speak very fondly of the time they spent working on the comic and it's ultimate creation, and only a few times is the character criticised.
The artwork in the book is excellent throughout and contains such items as Brian Bolland's rough outline sketches for the Dark Judges and some images from the short lived movie adaptation.
Given the fact that The Mega History is now almost 5 years old it still seems quite up to date now, and it would be an excellent idea if the book was perhaps revamped in the next couple of years to cover 25 years of the history of the greatest hero of Mega City One. I for one hope that happens."
Review by Marc Farrimond
CHAPTER HEADINGS
Foreword; In the Beginning was the Word… and the Word was Dare; The Can-Do Kids Did Great; Action Stations; Kelvin Turns Up the Heat; Better Dredd than In-Bred; A Slice of Brown Dredd; Comic Stripped Bare; Post-Script; Two Sides to Every Story; Room with a Phew!; Carloss; The Sinceres Form of Flattery; A Whitey Shade of Pow!!; The Magnificent Seven; Mills and Boom!; Wagner’s Ring of Bwight Walter; Three of a Kind; Seven Wonders of the Future World; The Art of the possible; Death Becomes Her; Where Angels Fear to Dredd; War for War’s Sake; Brush Up Your Shakespeare; Literal Democrats; Ozimosis; Blood Is Thicker than Wagner; A Paean in the Necropolis; The Ballot of John and Your Call; Fatal Art Attack; Anyone For Ennis?; A Comedy of Eras; Bat to the Future; True Colours Acknowledgements
Writers: Colin M. Jarman, Peter Acton, John Wagner, Pat Mills, Alan Grant, Jack Adrian, Gerry Finley-Day, Garth Ennis, Steve Moore, etc.
Artists: Mike McMahon, Simon Bisley, Frank Hampson, Carlos Equerra, Massimo Belardinelli, Ricardo Villagran, John Cooper, Barrie Mitchell, Enio, Ian Gibson, Ron Turner, Don Lawrence, Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Ron Smith, Steve Sampson, John McCrea, Chris Weston, Steve Dillon, Cam Kennedy, Liam Sharp, John Higgins, Jim Baikie, William Simpson, John Ridgway, Jeff Anderson, John Burns, Cliff Robinson, Peter Doherty, Bryan Talbot, Alan Davis, Jason Brashill, Mick Austin, Frank Quietly, Gary Caldwell, etc.