The Law In Order: The Alien Way

So we have a trade deal and the way to ensure this happens is to have a representative from the foreign government accompany a fascist psychopath on his daily duty of death. Who made this policy? Was it Steve Bannon? Regardless, Orlok dips into the pages of his progs to discover if the trade deal is successful and just how racist Judge Booker really is. The answers are “no” and “very”. 

 

DATELINE:
March 2103 (Prog 204).

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?:
John Wagner and Alan Grant play the mismatch card well and the great Ian Gibson gets to draw a weird alien again.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (IN ONE SENTENCE)?:
In order to facilitate a trade deal, Dredd is accompanied on patrol by an Uquan writer.

WHO’S THAT IN THE HELMET?:
Judge Booker is the coincidentally named desk Judge at the Grand Hall. He seems massively racist when it comes to determining which way up the alien should be.
Chief Judge Jurgen Griffin gives Dredd a hard time even though it is his idiotic decision to assign him to the escort.

ANY LAW LORE?:
Wounding with intent to kill will get you five years in the cubes.
The Alien Pound is a thing, apparently.
Red Light Gangs target vehicles stopped at traffic lights.

WHAT THE DROKK?:
Dredd’s sentence on the Uquan apparently cannot be overturned, even by the Chief Judge, despite it leaving the Uquan relations in ruins.

WHAT’S THE ART LIKE?:
Deceptively simple in places but it more than adequately does the job. The alien is suitably weird and resembles a hipster leprechaun. And that last perp is pretty hot. If I were the Uquan I’d probably want to unload my weapon into her too. Shit…Weinsteined.

HOW MANY LINKS?:
It’s funny in places and the prose from the Uquan writer is probably the funniest bit. Three links.

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ECBT2000AD Ep397

This Progcast was so long…we split it into two parts! Thanks Julius!!!
John enjoys his time at the sea and shops for new shorts. Dredd writer pointless minutiae. Can we please have a story explaining the cover of Prog 186?
Flat Earth, Burdis Prime, Comic Scene UK and we start the prog review!
More mindless meanderings from the usual gang of idiots…and Julius!

Podcast available via iTunes or the Libsyn Webpage as a direct download.

The Law In Order: Who Killed Pug Ugly?

Orlok has never been one for keeping up with the swirling trends of the music scene. Like Steven Ross and his love for all things 80s (and probably some Richard Wagner) he just never moved past a certain level of style and sound. Well, except maybe that time he set about killing hundreds with a Dubstep Gun in Saint’s Row, but that was probably just an anomaly. Dredd, however, is a big fan of the happening tunes…

 

DATELINE:
March 2103 (Prog 203).

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?:
John Wagner and Alan Grant have a dig at the cut-throat world of pop while Ron Smith gets out the ugly crayons.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (IN ONE SENTENCE)?:
When the popular singer Pug Ugly is killed, clues come from an unlikely source.

WHO’S THAT IN THE HELMET?:
Judge Brown is outside the Vibe Hall with Judge Dredd when the trouble begins. He seems really keen to wrap the case up for some reason.

ANY LAW LORE?:
Clause 29 is built into every Mega City 1 insurance policy. It states “This policy is invalidated in event of violent death caused by the lawful action of a Mega City Judge.”

WHAT’S THE ART LIKE?:
Smith does nice uglies but that second to last panel of Dredd’s two faces really jars. That could easily have been handled in one panel with one expression that doesn’t make Dredd look like he has just remembered he left the iron on.

HOW MANY LINKS?:
A nice satire that successfully sends up the talent search format (this is very ahead of its time) but the script is iffy. Despite the dodgy last panel, Smith’s work is excellent. Three links.

The Law In Order: Lawmaster On The Loose

In what is to become an ongoing theme of sorts, Justice Department tech throws a shit-fit. The only two questions to ask are “how do we stop it?” and “what legal disclaimers do we have in place to prevent the Department paying out due to loss of life or property?” For the citizenry, the Judges are just as dangerous as criminals, natural disasters and pies from a service station at 2am. 

Dat ass

DATELINE:
February 2103 (Prog 202).

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?:
John Wagner and Alan Grant give Ron Smith lots to do.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (IN ONE SENTENCE)?:
After a lucky shot, Lawmaster LK114/7 goes on a murderous rampage.

WHO’S THAT IN THE HELMET?:
Judge Gorman is injured by munce raiders and shot dead by his Lawmaster.
Judge Jones is working at Control and almost shits his regs when he calls in the trouble.

ANY LAW LORE?:
Lawmasters are powered by a Synitron GK13 audio computer, a Notron 4000cc engine and have extensive 12mm plating, bulletproof all weather Firerock tyres and a Phylon Cyclops TX laser cannon. Lawmasters have a computer cut out signal that can be relayed by Control.
Rogue Lawmasters are an automatic priority 1 rating.
Loitering with possible intent is an offence.
Conspiracy to damage Justice Department property is an offence.
Bleeding on the public highway is an offence under the Litter Act.

IT’S CULTURAL, INNIT?:
Julian Bream was a classical guitarist.
Fred Quimby was a cartoon producer best known for his Tom and Jerry series.

CANON FODDER?:
The Firerock tyres are called “Firelock” here.

WHAT THE DROKK?:
Wouldn’t 12mm armour plate be more effective around the bike computer?
There’s no way Dredd can shoot the fuel tank from that angle.

WHAT’S THE ART LIKE?:
Smith is rapidly becoming the man to turn to for a big ask but the elevation of those bike cannons is ridiculous.

HOW MANY LINKS?:
There’s no sense of irony in Dredd being the hero at the end since it is a piece of Justice Department kit that kills dozens of cits and causes massive property damage. The story really hammers home the awful power that each Judge has between his legs, if you know what I mean. Four links easy.

The Law In Order: Any Confessions?

In an early precursor to The Big Meg’s Got Talent, this story explores the lengths some citizens will go to in order to get their gurning mug on the telly. The writers successfully predicted the rise of the peon celeb and this is a horrible trend that continues to this day. Not a month goes by without some jizztrumpet deciding he or she will make the evening news by gunning down a school/mall/concert. 

DATELINE:
February 2103 (Prog 201).

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?:
John Wagner and Alan Grant throw up some satire while Ian Gibson does his shit.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (IN ONE SENTENCE)?:
TV show Any Confessions boosts arrest rates and is a hit with the Department, but Dredd is convinced that citizens are committing crimes just to appear on it.

WHO’S THAT IN THE HELMET?:
Judge Klugman makes an arrest of Any Confessions contestants.
Council of Five Judge McGruder, Quimby and Griffin meet to discuss Dredd’s concerns.
Psi Div Chief Ecks manages to add insult to injury when he votes one way and then after Pepper is killed, says he foresaw trouble all along.
Deputy Chief Judge Pepper is gunned down by Brutus and Ivy Lupin, future Any Confessions contestants, prompting him to change his mind before he dies. Goodbye, sweet idiot.

IT’S CULTURAL, INNIT?:
Jay Silverheels was an American actor internationally famous for playing Tonto.
Frankie Joe Haydn is a nice play on Franz Joseph Haydn, the 18th century composer.
(Gustav) Gus Holst was a composer most famous for his Planets Suite.
Corn O’Connor seems to be a nice jab at the toothy game show host Tom O’Connor.

CANON FODDER?:
Sector 31 is called “District 31”.
Quimby states that prison (not iso cube) admittances have doubled.

WHAT THE DROKK?:
For no apparent reason the Council of Five meet on a balcony in the open air and are therefore convenient targets for the Lupins or anyone else who decides to take a shot.
It looks like Pepper has grown back his missing leg. Just in time to die too. Poor bastard.

WHAT’S THE ART LIKE?:
Workmanlike stuff from Gibson with the standout being the downward angle as the Lupins plummet to their doom. There’s also a nice circle panel for Whittle’s pleasure.

HOW MANY LINKS?:
Pepper getting killed off in a funny way underlines what is essentially a satire on the reality TV show. All in all though, the humour is pretty strong here and it’s funny to see Dredd being a whiny little bitch when he gets overruled by Griffin. He just can’t let it go. If he’d have thought about it, he could have just had the cameras follow future contestants and essentially do the job of Psi Div. Five links.

ECBT2000AD Ep396

Victor VonDooms ‘Outer Limits’ podcast gets a plug from Mr. Burdis. Flint plugs the 80’s Eagle reboot podcast ‘Where Eagles Dare’…we don’t want to know what Mr. Ross plugs! Flint finally watches ‘Rick & Morty’ and is disturbed. Mr. Ross has an 80’s night and talks about the Jim Jeffries ‘gotcha’ on Diversity in Comics.

Podcast available via iTunes or the Libsyn Webpage as a direct download.