Dredd Alert

NAME
Ro-Busters: 'The Preying Mantis', Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord Issue 2

DATELINE
20 May 78

This issue of Starlord also featured Strontium Dog, Timequake, Mind Wars and Planet Of The Damned strips, a Space Calculator free gift and a Timequake cover by Brian Bolland.

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1985 and The Complete Ro-Busters.

SYNOPSIS
The US Army contracts Ro-Busters to counteract the effects of a gas that sends biological organisms mad.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First flashback to Hammer-Stein war experiences.

INFORMATION
Ro-Busters base is on Devil's Island, twenty eight miles off the coast of South America. They have a robo-pound. The Preying Mantis is a multi-role rescue vehicle. The front section is a heavily armed fighter, the mid section is a field operations centre and the rear is a space/sea rescue craft. A pod underneath carries purpose-built equipment and robots for various disasters.

Robots come in three grades: Grade 1 robots are more intelligent than humans. Grade 2 robots are of similar intelligence to humans. Grade 3 robots are far less intelligent than humans.

A Lazooka is a weapon of war.

During the 20th century the USA experimented with a gas, a red mist, that sent people insane. It was deemed too dangerous and dumped into the sea. The gas is now escaping and driving the people and animals of Florida mad. Ro-Busters are engaged to solve the problem as they will be unaffected by the gas.

RO-JAWS
He is considered a Grade 2 robot as far as intelligence is concerned. His courtesy-obedience circuits are incomplete.

HAMMER-STEIN
He is considered a Grade 2 robot as far as intelligence is concerned. He lost count of how many humans he killed in the war, but admits it could be thousands. He lost his first head in the war, it was shot off by a human soldier with a lazooka.

OTHER CHARACTERS
HOWARD QUARTZ
He is attempting to do business with the Pentagon.

GENERAL DENVER
A three star general in the US Army. He represents the Pentagon in its dealings with Quartz.

MEK-QUAKE
He didn't fight in the war.

DEATHS
One. Hammer-Stein strangles a human soldier in flashback.

BEST LINES
Quartz: "I can offer you special cut price rates...ten per cent off for germ warfare disasters...Five per cent for atomic explosions..."

American Woman: "He is odd...but rather cute!"
Ro-Jaws: "Thank you, Mister! Would you like to buy me!"

WORST LINES
Florida Policeman: "The 'gators - drivers - all going mad! What's happening?"

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Ro-Jaws asks Hammer-Stein about his war experiences in a manner very like that of a 1915 British World War I propaganda poster, "Daddy, What Did YOU Do In The Great War?", by Savile Lumley.

The Preying Mantis is very similar to Thunderbird 2 and the disaster recalls the Thunderbirds episode Attack Of The Alligators!.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Pat Mills
Artist: Pino
Letters: Peter Knight

REVIEW
The opening Preying Mantis sequence is incredibly dull, but the flashback and the interaction between Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein are great.

Next Week: 'I'm Going After The Giant 'Gator!'

NAME
Ro-Busters: 'The Preying Mantis', Part 2

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord Issue 3

DATELINE
27 May 78

This appeared with Strontium Dog, Timequake, Mind Wars and Planet Of The Damned strips, a free Starblast game and a cover by Kevin O'Neill

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1985 and The Complete Ro-Busters.

SYNOPSIS
Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein try to save a busload of kids.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First work on Ro-Busters by Dave Gibbons.

INFORMATION
(The year is 2078)

Robo-buses are robot buses.

Children seem to be unaffected by the red mist.

RO-JAWS
He was rejected by the quality controller at the factory where he was built six times. He can see in infra-red and spray caustic foam. He is paired with Hammer-Stein. Their mission is to save a senator from his mansion.

HAMMER-STEIN
He fought in World War Three. He is paired with Ro-Jaws. Their mission is to save a senator from his mansion.

OTHER CHARACTERS
MARVIN
Robo-Bus. He is a grade three robot. He has been programmed not to be driven by children or robots.

DEATHS
Two. A red mist maddened state penitentiary road gang, an alligator eats a kid's dad.

BEST LINES
Ro-Jaws: "Hey, kid...I know it's rough, your old man snuffing it...still -- getting bitten in half by an alligator is a quick death! And at least your old man can't tell you off no more..."

WORST LINES
Mad men: "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
The Robo-Bus' interface bears the phrase 'Call Me Marvin' in the same vein as Walter The Wobot's 'I'm Walter, Try Me'.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein negotiations with Marvin could be an example of the liar paradox. Examples of uses of the liar paradox to shut down artificial intelligences include the Star Trek episode I, Mudd (1967) to confuse and ultimately disable an android and the Doctor Who story The Green Death (1973), in which the Doctor asks a computer "If I were to tell you that the next thing I say would be true, but the last thing I said was a lie, would you believe me?" and leaves it bewildered.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Pat Mills
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Letters: Dave Gibbons

REVIEW
As with Part 1, this is quite dull until Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein come to the rescue. The interaction between the two of them and the grieving infant is wonderful.

Next Week: 'Mek-Quake Do You Know What On You Know Who!'

NAME
Ro-Busters: 'The Preying Mantis', Part 3

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord Issue 3

DATELINE
3 June 78

This issue also featured Strontium Dog, Timequake, Mind Wars and Planet Of The Damned strips, Strontium Dog cover by Carlos Ezquerra and the first part of the Hell Planet game.

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1985 and The Complete Ro-Busters.

SYNOPSIS

FIRSTS & LASTS

INFORMATION
(The year is 2078)

Robots are employed as doormen. Malfunctioning robots are melted down and turned into new robots.

The Senator was affected by the red mist and jumped from top floor of his mansion, wearing only an American flag and singing 'Swannee River'. The children that were unaffected by the red mist had an antidote in their blood that could be used to immunise others.

RO-JAWS
Marvin allows him Ro-Jaws to drive him.

HAMMER-STEIN
He pushes Marvin out of the swamp. He is equipped with laser guns.

OTHER CHARACTERS
QUARTZ
He decides that Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein are malfunctioning and should be destroyed.

MARVIN
He allows Ro-Jaws to drive him out of the swamp.

DEATHS
One. Mek-Quake crushes a malfunctioning doorman robot. Quartz doesn't state whether the senator survived his ordeal.

BEST LINES
Grieving Child: "Y-you're not going to get into trouble - after all you did for us?"
Ro-Jaws: "Nah! Mek-Quake's a friend of ours! He's going to give us, er...something special!"

WORST LINES
Mek-Quake: "Mek-Quake be seeing you, okay...one day, pals...one day...oh, by crikey, yes!"

CATCHPHRASES
Quartz is "on red", while Mek-Quakes promises "Big jobs" again.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
'Swannee River', also known as 'Old Folks at Home', 'Swanee Ribber' or 'Suwannee River' is an 1851 minstrel song written by Stephen Foster (1826–1864). It is the official state song of Florida.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Pat Mills
Artist: Pino
Letters: Jack Potter

REVIEW
A satisfying conclusion with some nice detail about the senator's, sadly unseen, exploits and Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein lying to make the grieving boy feel better.

Next Week: 'You May Be Only Partly Human - But You'll Fry Too!'

NAME
Judge Dredd: Outlaw

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. and StarlordProg 87

DATELINE
21 Oct 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Epics: Judge Caligula 1, Judge Dredd Epics: The Complete Judge Caligula, The Complete Judge Dredd 8, Judge Dredd Epics: The Day The Law Died, Judge Dredd 9 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02. The story also formed part of the Judge Dredd radio adaptation of The Day The Law Died.

SYNOPSIS
Dredd escapes and Cal orders the Judges after him.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First strip credited to two artists.

INFORMATION
Mega-City One's Kennedy Spaceport has a restaurant.

Named Judges: Judge Ochs

JUDGE DREDD
Dredd breaks free of his chains aboard the penal shuttle and orders the pilot to land at gunpoint. The resulting crash leaves the shuttle's bow inside Kennedy Spaceport's restaurant. He acquires a taxi the same way and flees the scene.

OTHER CHARACTERS
DEPUTY CHIEF JUDGE CAL
He orders all Judges to find Dredd and relieves them of all other duties. His office contains several images, busts and figurines of himself and one of Adolf Hitler. He appears to have written a book called Cal's Book. He also has a facsimile of Dredd locked in a drawer.

CHIEF JUDGE GOODMAN
He agrees to Cal's orders.

JUDGE GIANT
He fears for the Chief Judge's mental stability.

WALTER THE WOBOT AND MARIA
They comply with the Judges searching Dredd's home.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Pilot (after witnessing shuttle crash): "Get the name of that pilot!"

WORST LINES
Security Guard (in the path of a crashing space shuttle): "Dive!"

CATCHPHRASES
Dredd gives us another "Drokk it!", while Walter says Dwedd and wats.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
We pick up where we left off at the end of Crime And Punishment . Dredd mention Rico's imprisonment on Titan, seen in The Return Of Rico.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Dredd's line "Don't worry I got nothing to declare -- -- except my innocence" recalls "I have nothing to declare except my genius", a quote famously attributed to Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) at Customs in New York in 1882, but there is no contemporary evidence for the remark and it first appeared in print in Arthur Ransome's book Oscar Wilde: A Critical Study (1912), thirty years later.

MISTAKES
Dredd appears to take his guard's lawgiver, which would be useless and potentially explosive.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: John Wagner
Artist: Bolland/Gibbons
Letters: Dave Gibbons

REVIEW
The artwork is fantastic throughout and the set pieces are brilliant. These are exciting developments and both Goodman's fragility and the onset of Cal's madness are well conveyed.

Next Prog: The Showdown!

NAME
Ro-Busters: 'Baltimore Belle'
(I have called this post 'Baltimore Belle', to differentiate it from two equally Untitled strips in the Starlord Annual and the 2000 AD Annual of 1981)

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord Summer Special

DATELINE
Probably 1 June 78

PAGE COUNT
10

REPRINTS
The Complete Ro-Busters.

SYNOPSIS
Ro-Busters come to the rescue of a crashed train and discover an unexploded bomb.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First appearance of Ro-Busters in a publication other than Starlord itself.

INFORMATION
(This strip is set in June 2078)

The rocket-powered Rapid Transport System (RTS) travels at ten times the speed of sound through a magnetically controlled vacuum tunnel. The RTS can cross the USA in under 70 minutes. The main terminal station is in San Francisco. Earthquake Control teams prevent seismic activity and explode a robotic nuclear device every five years to relieve the pressure on the San Andreas fault.

There is a Robot Olympics.

RO-JAWS
He can be equipped with a fire extinguisher arm. He has to tow Hammer-Stein out of the tunnel.

HAMMER-STEIN
He seals EBC 15 into the tunnel where it explodes. He is buried in wreckage and Ro-Jaws has to tow him out.

OTHER CHARACTERS
ECB 15
Small Robotic half megaton Nuclear Device used by Earthquake Control. Programmed to detonate at Grid Reference 09143 Alpha, but suffers damage and believes its target to be Grid Reference 94130 Beta. It tunnels into the RTS and the path of the Baltimore Belle. The loss of vacuum causes the Baltimore Belle to crash. He has a twenty minute countdown. He detonates, but Hammer-Stein manages to seal in the explosion.

MISS MARILYN
She presses the button that scrambles Ro-Busters.

MEK-QUAKE
He has a towing hook and used it to pull a submarine once. Mek-Quake tunnels through the wreckage at the Baltimore Belle crash site, tows out the children and is hailed as a hero.

METAL ANGEL
She can be accompanied by up to 25 little robots called sniffers who are designed to track down buried survivors.

DEATHS
One. ECB 15 explodes.

BEST LINES
ECB 15: "Hello, is this Grid Reference 94130 Beta?"
Hammer-Stein: "Yes, I suppose it is, why?"
ECB 15: "Because I've got to detonate here and I thought I was in the wrong place. But now I can blow up quite content!"

Hammer-Stein (whilst being towed face down): "This is most undignified, Ro-Jaws. What is there are reporters at the station?"

WORST LINES
Child: "Golly, Mr. Mek-Quake, you are strong!"

CATCHPHRASES
Mek-Quake mentions Big Jobs three times.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Ro-Jaws compares Hammer-Stein to John Wayne (1907–1979), an actor born Marion Robert Morrison and star of a great many westerns.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: V. Gross
Artist: G. Campion
Letters: P. Knight

REVIEW
A nice little story which again shows the interaction between Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein well and the pace is surprisingly good at ten pages.

The End.

NAME
Ro-Busters: The Preying Mantis...Inside Story

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord Summer Special

DATELINE
Probably 1 June 78

PAGE COUNT
2

REPRINTS
None.

SYNOPSIS
A look inside the Preying Mantis.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First Ro-Busters without Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein.

INFORMATION
The Preying Mantis is divided into four sections: the Nose Section, the Command Module, the Engine Sub-Module and the Rear Section.

The Nose Section contains an air intake for the engine, the pilot 'Droid', special anti-plague shells containing Liquasium 50 gas and a Global Dynamics' Mark 4 Turbo-fan engine, which provides 60,000lb thrust, with afterburner. This section also serves as a fighter strike craft.

The Command Module houses Howard Quartz's luxury cabin, Miss Marilyn's office, a control room, fuel tank, operating theatre, corridor, post op ward and a Hume decontamination chamber.

The main engine bank is kept within the Engine Sub-Module, each fan is rated at 60,000lb thrust and is equipped with its own individual nuclear generator. The commander and navigator droid are also assigned to this section.

The Rear Section boasts another pilot droid, robot quarters (which are also used as a briefing room) that holds fifty robots. The overseer robot has private quarters. The Rear section also features the main nuclear powered Scramjet engine, a robot repair room and decontamination chamber. This section serves as a Sea/Space Module.

The Plague Pod is one of several possible pods that the Preying Mantis can carry. It contains a riot/assault ambulance with armaments, two hover ambulances and engine equipment with provides power to the thrusters.

OTHER CHARACTERS
METAL ANGEL
Ro-Busters have never lost a patient under the knife in her operating theatre.

MEK-QUAKE
He can be carried in the Plague Pod.

HOWARD QUARTZ
Howard Quartz's luxury cabin contains a rare Picasso valued at 100,000 credits.

HANDY ANDY
Ro-Busters' fully automatic robot repairer.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
None.

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
None.

MISTAKES
24 and 25 are labelled the wrong the way round. "Ever since Starlord's first issue readers everywhere have been clamouring for a detailed look inside the Preying Mantis", except the Preying Mantis wasn't in Starlord's first issue.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Unknown
Artist: Unknown
Letters: Unknown

REVIEW
I love a cutaway diagram, but this is a bit dull.

NAME
Judge Dredd: Bring Me The Head Of Judge Dredd

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. and StarlordProg 88

DATELINE
28 Oct 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Epics: Judge Caligula 1, Judge Dredd Epics: The Complete Judge Caligula, The Complete Judge Dredd 8, Judge Dredd 9, Judge Dredd Epics: The Day The Law Died and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02. The story also formed part of the Judge Dredd radio adaptation of The Day The Law Died.

SYNOPSIS
As the Judges search for Dredd, he searches for a robot replacement to prove his innocence.

FIRSTS & LASTS
The first revelation that the other Dredd is a robot.

INFORMATION
Justice Central keeps incredibly detailed files on Judges.

Moderna Robots have a facility in Mega-City One, they build robots and have a largely robot workforce.

JUDGE DREDD
He is still missing and the resulting manhunt is the biggest in Mega-City history. He seeks out Max Normal for help and on his suggestion Dredd investigates Moderna Robots. He fights and destroys the Dredd robot, but uses its head to prove his innocence.

OTHER CHARACTERS
CHIEF JUDGE GOODMAN
Dredd's arrest has hit him hard.

DEPUTY CHIEF JUDGE CAL
He has designs on the job of Chief Judge.

MAX NORMAL
He informs Dredd of Chick Parker at Moderna Robots and suggests he may have built a robot Dredd.

CHICK PARKER
An engineer at Moderna Robots with gambling debts which he managed to pay off last week. He designed the Dredd robot. Parker was murdered in his office at work.

THE DREDD ROBOT
It is with information on Dredd from his file at Justice Central. It fights Dredd at Moderna Robots, but the Judge destroys it with an industrial scrap magnet and furnace. Only the head it retrieved.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
Two. Chick Parker has been shot dead. Dredd destroys the Dredd robot with an industrial scrap magnet and furnace.

BEST LINES
An honest criminal: "Mega-City won't be safe for an honest criminal till they find Judge Dredd!"

WORST LINES
Dredd: "Gotta go for him!"

Yep.

CATCHPHRASES
"My Dok!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: John Howard
Artist: McCarthy/Ewins
Letters: T. Frame

REVIEW
It's great to see Dredd back on form and both the art and the script are fantastic here.

Next Prog: The Day The Law Died!

NAME
Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D.Prog 59

DATELINE
8 Apr 78

PAGE COUNT
1

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Definitive Ed. Metal Fatigue, Judge Death Classic Judge Dredd, Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 1 and The Best Of 2000AD Monthly 49.

SYNOPSIS
Walter gets abducted by a bodysnatcher.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First

INFORMATION
Lunar City has a morgue.

The 3 Widdle Pigs is a children's book.

Robots are reputed to be unbeatable at chess.

WALTER THE WOBOT
He plays chess with Dredd and lets him win. He encounters Igor struggling with a heavy load outside the Lunar Morgue and helps him carry it. When it is revealed to be a corpse, Igor abducts Walter.

OTHER CHARACTERS
JUDGE DREDD
He plays chess with Walter and wins every time. Porridge is his favourite breakfast meal.

YGOR
He steals a body form the Lunar Morgue and kidnaps Walter when he attempts to help.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Dredd: "Checkmate. I win again, Walter. I thought robots were unbeatable at chess."

WORST LINES
Walter: "Weading you a bedtime stowy, Judge Dwedd!"
Dredd: "How kind. Now why don't you do something useful - like disappear."

CATCHPHRASES
Walter says bweakfast, bwighten, cwaft, cwipes, Dwedd, pawallel, powwidge, pwecision, pwoblem, stowy, thwee, twouble, weading and welease, but manages a Dredd along the way.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
This strip is set during Walter's time on Lunar 1 and so before the accompanying Judge Dredd: Return To Mega-City.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Igor or Ygor is a traditional characterisation of a hunch-backed henchman to a villain. The image of this character comes from the combination of the hunchbacked lab assistant in Frankenstein (1931), a character called Fritz and a mad blacksmith with a twisted spine called Ygor from the sequels Son Of Frankenstein (1939) and The Ghost Of Frankenstein (1942). The characterisation was parodied in Young Frankenstein (1974) with Marty Feldman's hunchbacked assistant who pronounced his name "Eye-gor".

MISTAKES
Widdle?

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Joe Collins
Artist: Brian Bolland
Letters: Tony Jacob

REVIEW
Walter's adventures take an interesting twist here. Dredd is depicted in quite an enigmatic way and the panel of Walter shown from above is very nice indeed.

Next Prog: Sinister Surgeon

NAME
Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 2 - Sinister Surgeon

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D.Prog 60

DATELINE
17 Apr 78

PAGE COUNT
1

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Definitive Ed. Metal Fatigue, Judge Death Classic Judge Dredd, Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 1 and The Best Of 2000AD Monthly 49.

SYNOPSIS
Walter is delivered to Frankenheim.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
In theory, mind switch experiments are possible.

WALTER THE WOBOT
He is magnetic. Ygor delivers him to Doc Frankenheim.

OTHER CHARACTERS
DOC FRANKENHEIM
He is a scientist, who plans to conduct a mind switch experiment.

YGOR
He delivers Walter to Doc Frankenheim.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Frankenheim (to Ygor): "You moron, Ygor. All you are to me is a work horse!"

WORST LINES
Frankenheim: "I suppose tinhead might be useful later on, but now......on with the darkest scientific experiment of them all...mind switch!"

CATCHPHRASES
Walter says cweeps, cwikey, gweat and gwavewobbing, while Ygor says exshperiments, mashter, promished, shervent, shurprise,

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
None.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Joe Collins
Artist: Brian Bolland
Letters: Pete Knight

REVIEW
Walter's clinking escape attempt is great, but other than that there isn't much here.

Next Prog: The Switch

NAME
Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 3

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 61

DATELINE
22 Apr 78

PAGE COUNT
1

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Definitive Ed. Metal Fatigue, Judge Death Classic Judge Dredd and Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 1.

SYNOPSIS
Walter interrupts the experiment.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
Robo-Dentists treat afflictions like cog-ache.

WALTER THE WOBOT
He can adjust his systems to negate magnetic attraction. He falls onto the end of the bed bearing the corpse and catapults it out of the lab.

OTHER CHARACTERS
DOCTOR FRANKENHEIM
After losing the corpse, he intends to conduct the mind switch using Walter instead.

YGOR
His consciousness was to be moved to the corpse.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Frankenheim: "You metal fool! My beautiful corpse - catapulted into oblivion!"

WORST LINES
Ygor: "Waah! It'sh shpoiled my chance of a new body. I'll shtrangle it!"

CATCHPHRASES
Walter says and/or thinks attwaction, awound and cwipes, while Ygor says eshcapes, it'sh, mashter, shpoiled, shtrangle and yesh.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Joe Collins
Artist: Brian Bolland
Letters: Pete Knight

REVIEW
This is much more fun and the catapulting is brilliant.

Next Pwog: The Switch!

NAME
Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 4

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 67

DATELINE
3 June 78

PAGE COUNT
1

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Definitive Ed. Metal Fatigue, Judge Death Classic Judge Dredd and Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 1.

SYNOPSIS
The experiment begins.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
A mind switch experiment requires a pair of custom-built-designed transferer helmets.

WALTER THE WOBOT
The experiment goes ahead.

OTHER CHARACTERS
DOC FRANKENHEIM
He convinces Ygor to take part in the experiment.

YGOR
Frankenheim convinces him to take part in the experiment. He drops his teddy bear into the custom-built-designed transferer helmet.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Walter: "Sob. Goodbye cwuel world!"

WORST LINES
Walter: "You dastardly wat! No need to be so wuff!"

CATCHPHRASES
Walter says bwain, cweep, cwuel, wat, wuff, while Ygor says shcorn, shilly, shubject, shwap

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Joe Collins
Artist: Brian Bolland
Letters: Steve Potter

REVIEW
This part leaves this story treading water.

Continued On Back Page!

NAME
Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 5

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 67

DATELINE
3 June 78

PAGE COUNT
1

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Definitive Ed. Metal Fatigue, Judge Death Classic Judge Dredd and Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 1.

SYNOPSIS
The experiment was a partial success.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
A successful mind switch experiment can bring life to an inanimate object.

WALTER THE WOBOT
The experiment had no effect on him.

OTHER CHARACTERS
DOC FRANKENHEIM
His experiment is successful, up to a point.

YGOR
His mind is transferred to his teddy bear.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Walter: "Er, sowwy, Doc Fwankenheim. Im still Walter!"

WORST LINES
Fwankenheim (to Ygor): "You can stop crying for a start - or else you'll get soggy!"

CATCHPHRASES
Walter says bwighten, Fwankenheim, fwesh, gwief and sowwy, while Ygor says ish, mashter, ridiculous and thish.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Joe Collins
Artist: Brian Bolland
Letters: Steve Potter

REVIEW
Crikey. This is bizarre.

Next Pwog: Grin And Bear It!

NAME
Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 6 - Grin And Bear It!

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 68

DATELINE
10 June 78

PAGE COUNT
1

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Definitive Ed. Metal Fatigue, Judge Death Classic Judge Dredd, Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 1 and The Best Of 2000AD Monthly 49.

SYNOPSIS
Suddenly Walter is alone in the lab.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First six part Walter The Wobot strip.

INFORMATION
Luna City has a Central Park.

WALTER THE WOBOT
He witnesses two suicides in as many seconds.

OTHER CHARACTERS
DOC FRANKENHEIM
His laboratory is on the fifty-third floor of a building.

DEATHS
Two? Frankenheim dies from a 53 storey fall and possibly so does Ygor.

BEST LINES
Walter: "Poor Doc! Walter better wetweat."

WORST LINES
Ygor: "Whimper"

CATCHPHRASES
Walter says cawwying, cwikey, cwy, wemarkable, wetweat, while Ygor says mashter,

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Joe Collins
Artist: Brian Bolland
Letters: Steve Potter

REVIEW
A teddy bear suicide and possible subsequent embrace from a child. I did not see that coming. The problem with this story is that Walter is mostly extraneous to the plot and Walter The Wobot works best when he is oddest thing in it.

The Vewy, Vewy End!

NAME
Ro-Busters: Midpoint, Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord Issue 5

DATELINE
10 June 78

This issue also contained Strontium Dog, Timequake, Mind Wars and Planet Of The Damned strips, the second part of the Hell Planet game and a Ro-Busters cover by Kevin O'Neill.

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
The Complete Ro-Busters.

SYNOPSIS
Ro-Busters must save the occupants of Midpoint from a rocket full of nuclear waste.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First work on Ro-Busters by Bill Henry and Ian Kennedy

INFORMATION
(The year is 2078)

A missile carrying nuclear waste launched from a silo in Nevada's Yucca Desert malfunctions and cannot be aborted. It crashes into Midpoint, a 400 storey building in London and becomes lodged. 10,000 people are killed.

It is illegal to dump nuclear waste off-planet.

RO-JAWS
He and Hammer-Stein attempt to get survivors out of Midpoint.

HAMMER-STEIN
He and Ro-Jaws attempt to get survivors out of Midpoint.

OTHER CHARACTERS
HOWARD QUARTZ
He is visited Midpoint when the missile becomes lodged.

DEATHS
At least 10,000 die in the crash, the resulting fires and leaping from a great height.

BEST LINES
Midpointer: "Call up your Preying Mantis craft, Quartz - It's been circling the building all day...showing off...all blasted d!ay"

WORST LINES
Rocketeer: "Oh my stars! Malfunction - a bad one!"

CATCHPHRASES
"Quartz on red"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Midpoint is surely based on London's Centre Point completed in 1967, it also featured in the horror film The Medusa Touch (1977) when a Boeing 747 aircraft is shown hitting the top of the tower and destroying it.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Bill Henry
Artist: Ian Kennedy
Letters: Peter Knight

Bill Henry also wrote for Victor Drago and lettered for Ro-Busters.

Ian Kennedy also provided art for Dan Dare, Invasion, Judge Dredd, Tharg's Future Shocks, M.A.C.H.1 and Timequake.

REVIEW
On the face of it, this is a simpler than its predecessors, but seeing Quartz attempt to profit, and indeed profiteer, from a disaster in which his own life is threatened is brilliant.

Next Week: Don't Panic...Don't Panic! We're Doomed!

NAME
Ro-Busters: Midpoint, Part 2

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord Issue 6

DATELINE
17 June 78

This issue bore a cover by Ron Embleton, Strontium Dog, Timequake, Mind Wars and Planet Of The Damned strips and the third part of the Hell Planet game.

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
The Complete Ro-Busters.

SYNOPSIS
Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein enlist a cleaner-'droid to help them prevent an explosion that would spread nuclear waste across Europe.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First Ro-Busters letter by Tony Jacob.

INFORMATION
(The year is 2078)

Operation Leper is the codename for the US government method of nuclear waste disposal in space. Black Capsule Cooling Systems present nuclear waste

Ro-Busters successfully prevent an explosion that would spread nuclear waste across Europe.

RO-JAWS
He bites through the missile's casing to get to the black capsule control-circuits.

HAMMER-STEIN
He is familiar with black capsule cooling systems, but his fingers are too big to rewire it. He talks Percy through it.

OTHER CHARACTERS
HOWARD QUARTZ
He volunteers Ro-Jaws, Hammer-Stein and four more robots to fix the black capsule cooling system.

HIGGINS
Midpoint's janitor. He likes to sleep inside Percy's 'stomach', climbs half way up the building and nearly falls to his death. He faints a lot.

PERCY
Cleaner-'Droid. Higgins likes to sleep in his 'stomach'. He is equipped with sux-pads on his feet and can walk up and down a vertical surface. Percy can also spray soapy-water and has a vid-screen. Hammer-Stein talks him through rewiring the black capsule cooling system control-circuits.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Percy: "Gosh, this sounds terrific! Are we really in the middle of a real disaster?"

WORST LINES
Percy: "Gosh, d-did you say 'hero'? Quuiiirk"

CATCHPHRASES
"Don't Panic!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
"Don't Panic!" was Lance-Corporal Jones from Dad's Army (1968 to 1977) and recently it played a prominent part in The Hitchhiker's Guide To Galaxy (1978).

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Bill Henry
Artist: Ian Kennedy
Letters: Tony Jacob

REVIEW
After the carnage of Part 1, the tone of this is odd. There is little of the interaction between Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein that is such a highlight of the strip, nor do we get enough of Quartz's reaction to his own life being threatened. Instead an excited Percy comes to fore, while Higgins' constant fainting elicits very little from the other characters.

Next Week: 'It's Instant Destruction For Any Robot Involved In A Hume Killing!'

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. and StarlordProg 89

DATELINE
4 Nov 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Epics: Judge Caligula 1, Judge Dredd Epics: The Complete Judge Caligula, Judge Dredd Epics: The Day The Law Died, The Complete Judge Dredd 8, Judge Dredd 9 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02. The story also formed part of the Judge Dredd radio adaptation of The Day The Law Died.

SYNOPSIS
The Chief Judge is killed, Cal replaces him and Dredd is shot.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First use of Betalgeusian in dialogue, last appearance of Chief Judge Goodman.

INFORMATION
Mega-City One has a rejuvenation clinic.

If the Chief Judge dies, then the Deputy Chief Judge automatically takes over his duties. Named Judges: Judge Schultz.

Chief Judge Goodman is killed and Deputy Chief Judge Cal takes his place.

JUDGE DREDD
He rushes to the Chief Judge's bedside. He realises that the Special Judicial Squad are responsible. Upon leaving his home, he is shot through the head and given a one in a hundred chance of surviving.

OTHER CHARACTERS
CHIEF JUDGE CLARENCE GOODMAN
He has been Chief Judge of Mega-City One for 43 years and in considered a celebrity by some. He receives a monthly treatment at a rejuvenation clinic. He is set upon by knife wielding perps who stab him repeatedly. He later dies of his injuries, but not before he manages to place an SJS button ripped off in the struggle into Dredd's hand.

DEPUTY CHIEF JUDGE CAL
He orders the assassinations of Goodman and Dredd, has a haircut and takes over as Chief Judge.

JUDGE QUINCY
He is responsible for the attempts on the lives of Goodman and Dredd. He loses a button in the former and when Cal realises he orders him to conduct his duties in his underwear.

WALTER THE WOBOT
He fears for Dredd's life.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
One. Goodman is killed.

BEST LINES
Cal: "Mmm...the robe of office suits me perfectly! I was born to be Chief Judge - I've always known it. Haven't you, Schultz?"
Schultz: "Er, yes sir. Always."
Cal: "How could you always have known it, Schultz? You only met me two years ago. I have a way of dealing with liars!"

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
Walter says bwutal, cwipes, cwime, Dwedd, hewo, tewwible and thwoo. Cal says "I am the law!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
The story's title probably alludes to "The Day The Music Died", a lyric in Don McLean's song 'American Pie' that refers to the February 3, 1959 plane crash in Iowa that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.

Cal's new haircut is very I, Claudius (1976).

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: John Howard
Artist: Mike McMahon
Letters: T. Frame

REVIEW
This is a phenomenal beginning. The dialogue is sharp throughout, the assassination attempts are both shocking and Cal's punishment for Quincy is very, very funny.

Next Prog: The Tyrant's Grip!

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 2 - The Tyrant's Grip!

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. and StarlordProg 90

DATELINE
11 Nov 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
The Complete Judge Dredd 8, Judge Dredd Epics: Judge Caligula 1, Judge Dredd Epics: The Complete Judge Caligula, Judge Dredd 9, Judge Dredd Epics: The Day The Law Died and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02. It also formed part of the Judge Dredd radio adaptation of The Day The Law Died.

SYNOPSIS
Chief Judge Cal exerts his new power, appoints a new deputy and makes a move against Dredd.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First appearance of Judge Fish.

INFORMATION
MCTV broadcasts a news programme called Hot News.

Chief Judge Cal reintroduces the death penalty for crimes such as criticism of the Chief Judge and curfew breaking. The curfew will be in effect from 18:00 hours. Named Judges: Judge Brady, Deputy Chief Judge Fish, Judge Rizzo, Judge Stapleton.

JUDGE DREDD
The bullet has been removed and his damaged brain tissue has been regenerated. He comes around and is moved against medical instruction to see Cal. Call allows his new deputy to pass judgement of Dredd and interprets Fish's verdict as death.

OTHER CHARACTERS
CHIEF JUDGE CAL
He reintroduces the death penalty and order that a curfew be in effect. He appoints Judge Fish as Deputy Chief Judge.

DEPUTY CHIEF JUDGE FISH
A goldfish. Cal appoints him as Deputy Chief Judge.

ARRESTS
Potentially millions. The newsreader of Hot News is arrested for criticising the Chief Judge and all of the viewers at home are told to await a visit from a Judge for watching illegal broadcasts. The members of the crowd same

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Cal: "My new deputy will deliver the verdict!"
Fish bubbles.
Cal: "You all heard the verdict that my deputy gave! Now I will carry out the sentence!"

WORST LINES
Cal: "You dare! You dare to go against me, Judge Giant!"
Giant: "No - no, Chief Judge it's just that...just that the blood would spatter all over your clean uniform!"

CATCHPHRASES
Cal describes himself as "I am the law now - The living law!", Walter says cweeps, gwateful, mowe, wain, wite and tweatments.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Giant refers Dredd's involvement in his time as a rookie, as seen in 'The Academy Of Law' .

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: John Howard
Artist: Mike McMahon
Letters: Frame

REVIEW
Another brilliant instalment. The MCTV censorship, the unveiling of Judge Fish and his subsequent sentencing are all fantastic.

Next Prog: The New Law!

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died, Part 3

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. and Starlord Prog 91

DATELINE
18 Nov 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
The Complete Judge Dredd 9, Judge Dredd Epics: Judge Caligula 1, Judge Dredd Epics: The Complete Judge Caligula, Judge Dredd Epics: The Day The Law Died, Judge Dredd 10 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02.

SYNOPSIS
Giant and Dredd escape Justice Central, avoid the manhunt and meet with the tutors of the Academy of Law to plan a revolution.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First appearance of Judge Slocum and Judge Scmaltz, first use of Judge Griffin's name, first acknowledgement that the tutors of the Academy of Law are all injured Judges.

INFORMATION
Justice Central has emergency exit tube which lead to the garage. The tutors at the Academy of Law are chosen from Judges that were wounded in action.

Named Judges: Judge Clubman, Judge Cody, Judge Glass, Judge Griffin, Judge Percy, Judge Scmaltz, Judge Slocum.

JUDGE DREDD
Giant breaks him out of Justice Central and Cal orders a manhunt with a reward of one million credits for information leading to his capture. Giant delivers him to a secret location where he meets the tutors from the Academy of Law and they begin to plan the overthrow of Cal.

OTHER CHARACTERS
JUDGE GIANT
He rescues Dredd and delivers him to a secret meeting with the tutors from the Academy of Law.

CHIEF JUDGE CAL
He orders every Judge to search for Dredd.

DEPUTY CHIEF JUDGE FISH
Slocum uses his inscrutability to bamboozle Cal and save the lives of Judges Percy and Glass, by claiming the goldfish sentenced them to dress as little girls.

JUDGE SLOCUM
SJS Judge. He outmanoeuvres Cal by claiming the Judge Fish sentenced two Judges to dress as little girls.

JUDGE GRIFFIN
The Principal of the Academy of Law. He pledges his staff to help Dredd overthrow Cal.

JUDGE SCHMALTZ
Tutor at the Academy of Law. He joins Griffin in the fight against Cal.

JUDGE CLUBMAN
Tutor at the Academy of Law. He joins Griffin in the fight against Cal.

ARRESTS
None. Although the fraudulent Dredds and/or those who informed on them probably had their collars felt.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Schmaltz: "Youre safe, Judge Dredd. Safe! Oh, how I weep when I think your precious life has been saved! Saved for a city that needs you so badly-"
Griffin: "Enough of that, Judge Schmaltz!"

WORST LINES
Giant: "You're blockin' the tubes, dudes!"

CATCHPHRASES
Dredd pledges to win "By Drokk"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Cal has ordered every Judge on a manhunt for Dredd before in Bring Me The Head Of Judge Dredd. Judge Griffin was previously seen in 'The Academy Of Law' and 'Mutie the Pig'.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: John Howard
Artist: Mike McMahon
Letters: Tom Knight

Tom Knight also provided letters for A.B.C. Warriors.

REVIEW
Another great part here. Judge Slocum's use of Judge Fish, Judge Schmaltz's eulogising and Cal's building madness are all wonderful.

Next Prog: Mega-Riot

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 4

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. and StarlordProg 92

DATELINE
25 Nov 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd 10, Judge Dredd Epics: Judge Caligula 1, The Complete Judge Dredd 9, Judge Dredd Epics: The Complete Judge Caligula, Judge Dredd Epics: The Day The Law Died and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02.

SYNOPSIS
Dredd goes on the offensive and attempts to take control of broadcasts within Mega-City One.

FIRSTS & LASTS
The first appearance of Mayor Grubb.

INFORMATION
The Mayor of Mega-City One is Mayor Grubb. Broadcast Control

Chief Judge Cal passes a law to maintain public order, but leaves Deputy Chief Judge Fish to announce it and despite the uncertainty the penalty for its disobedience is death. Named Judges: Judge Esso (SJS), Judge Holbein (Tutor), Judge Kelso (Tutor), Judge Pepper (Tutor), Judge Strong (SJS).

JUDGE DREDD
He and his men move against Cal and attempt to take control of broadcasts within Mega-City One to recruit more for his rebellion.

OTHER CHARACTERS
MAYOR GRUBB
The Mayor of Mega-City One. Cal has him locked up for being mad.

CHIEF JUDGE CAL
He has the Mayor incarcerated and a protest gassed.

DEPUTY CHIEF JUDGE FISH
Cal has him announce a new law to confound the citizens of Mega-City One.

ARRESTS
None. Is the gas poisonous?

DEATHS
Unknown. Is the gas poisonous?

BEST LINES
Strong: "I brain you in the name of the law!"

WORST LINES
Giant: "Yeah baby - All the way!"

CATCHPHRASES
A mob member obliges us with an "Aieeee!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: J. Howard
Artist: Brett Ewins
Letters: Jack Potter

REVIEW
The art is fantastic throughout, but it's a shame that the Judge Fish bloop gag is repeated so soon.

Next Prog: "The City That Roared!"

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 5

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D.Prog 93

DATELINE
30 Dec 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Epics: Judge Caligula 1, Judge Dredd Epics: The Complete Judge Caligula, The Complete Judge Dredd 9, Judge Dredd 10, Judge Dredd Epics: The Day the Law Died and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02.

SYNOPSIS
Dredd appeals for Mega-City One's citizens to rise up against Cal.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First time Dredd encourages lawlessness.

INFORMATION
From Mega-City One's Broadcast Control building a transmission can be sent on all channels to all homes. The Justice Department maintains an armoury in the East of the city.

Named Judges: Judge Kafka, Judge Jones (SJS), Judge Murphy, Judge Noxin (SJS)

JUDGE DREDD
He and his group break into Broadcast Control and he transmits a message on all channels as a call to arms.

OTHER CHARACTERS
CHIEF JUDGE CAL
He bathes publically. Two women were sentenced to ten years for littering and plead to Cal for a shorter sentence. He sentences them to death. When Dredd's rallying call leads to widespread rioting, Cal sentences the entire city to death.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
Presumably thousands.

BEST LINES
Kelso: "Drokk! Keep punching with the right, but the right ain't there!"

WORST LINES
Dredd: "Drop the rods, boys!"

CATCHPHRASES
Kelso and another Judge say drokk, while Walter says Dwedd, hewo and thwoo.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Giant mentions the 'Robot Wars'.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
There are no credits printed in the strip itself and so the following are taken from Barney.

Script: John Wagner
Artist: Brett Ewins (pencils)/ Brendan McCarthy (inks)
Letters: Unknown

REVIEW
Again the artwork is great. The sight of Cal wearing only bubbles is quite shocking, while Dredd's transmission and the repetition of the frame of John and his wife watching telly is a very nice touch. When Cal sentences the entire city to death, it seems like the beginning of the end.

Next Prog: The Kleggs Are Coming!

Ro-Busters: 'The Preying Mantis', Part 1

Ro-Busters: 'The Preying Mantis', Part 2

Ro-Busters: 'The Preying Mantis', Part 3

Judge Dredd: Outlaw

Ro-Busters: 'Baltimore Belle'

Ro-Busters: The Preying Mantis...Inside Story

Judge Dredd: Bring Me The Head Of Judge Dredd

Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 1

Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 2 - Sinister Surgeon

Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 3

Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 4

Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 5

Walter The Wobot: The Frankenheim Monster, Part 6 - Grin And Bear It!

Ro-Busters: Midpoint, Part 1

Ro-Busters: Midpoint, Part 2

Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 1

Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 2 - The Tyrant's Grip!

Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 3

Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 4

Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 5