Saturday, September 03, 2005
Comic Art
Since we temporarily suspended looking at "the Honorable Mentions" for British comics. let's look at perhaps the most widely known -- it's called "2000 AD" and features "Judge Dredd." 2000 AD has never been distributed in the US, it's an anthology book which just don't sell here, but much of the Dredd material has been reprinted under a "Judge Dredd" name and sold reasonably well. Most people, unfortunately, know this character from the abysmal Sylvester Stallone movie of the same name.If out have seen the movie, please do not judge the character from the film. Stallone played him entirely too likably.
This guy is a curmudgeon's curmudgeon, with an attitude to boot.
He is proof of my theory that art sells comics, more than writing. This guy has a great look -- you see it on the shelf and it just sucks you in. It also doesn't hurt that he has been paired with characters of all sorts -- the tougher the better.Which brings me to my weekend reading for Labor Day -- Dredd and Batman. It will be truly difficult to decide who is more grim, in the end I think the nod will go to Batman, that red on Dredd's helmet is just a little too happy.
