The less well-travelled corners of Dredd's world

[Emperor]

Looking at this map of actual and potential mega cities got me thinking about Dredd's world

http://www.2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,28208.0.html

I dug out the map of Dredd's world (is this the only one?):
http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=dredd&page=maps&Map=1

And had a look on Wikipedia:

http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=dredd&page=maps&Map=0

Europe has suffered considerable reshaping, especially the south. A desert covers much of western France, extending south into Spain and Portugal and across to cover much of Central Europe. Classical Greece is gone, as are parts of Turkey, and the Mediterranean is now the home of the Mediterranean Free State, a floating conglomerate of various settlements and refugee groups. The Black Sea and the Caspian Sea are now joined. In Europe the major cities are Brit-Cit (covering all of southern England), Cal-Hab (part of Scotland), Euro-City (eastern France and part of Germany), Vatican City (a small part of Italy) and Ciudad España (eastern Spain). Ireland has the megacity of Murphyville and has been turned into an enormous theme park re-creating a stereotypical view of traditional Irish life. There are also cities in the northenmost parts of Scandinavia, united into a Scandinavian Confederation; and Geneva remains as a megacity.

Further east into Asia are more nuclear deserts, the ruins of Russia's East-Meg One (destroyed by Dredd in a massive nuclear strike at the climax of the Apocalypse War), and further east the megalopolis of East-Meg Two. Mongolia, lacking a Mega-City or Judge system, has called itself the Mongolian Exclusion Zone and criminals have flocked there for a safe haven; East-Meg Two performed vicious clearances there in 2125.

In Asia, separated from East-Meg Two by an extensive nuclear desert, are Sino-City One (destroyed during Judgement Day, and originally referred to as East-Meg Three) and Sino-City Two in eastern China, with Hong Tong built in the remains of Hong Kong and partitioned between Sino-Cit & Brit-Cit control; Hondo City on the remains of the islands of Japan; Djakarta in Indonesia, before its obliteration during Judgement Day; Bangkok, with talk of a New Thai Confederacy; and Indo City (later called Nu-Delhi) in southern India. Between Hondo and Sino-City lies the Radlands of Ji, a nuclear desert full of chaos magic and many violent outlaw gangs and martial arts schools. Into the Blue Pacific cities survive in south-east Australia (Sydney-Melbourne Conurb), New Zealand (New Pacific City), Solomon Islands (Solomon City) and Tonga (Friendly City). Borneo has been covered in mutagens, as have all of Indonesia's islands which are now linked by a network of mutant coral; called "The Web", this network of islands is a lawless hotbed of crime.

The Middle East is without major cities, being either nuclear or natural deserts; the Mediterranean coast is heavily damaged by mutagens. In Africa much of the south is nuclear desert, South Africa proper has been shattered and is entirely uninhabitable, and the continent is now known as Pan-Africa. The major cities are Umur (Libya), New Jerusalem (north-east Ethiopia), Luxor City (Egypt), Casablanca (Morocco), and Simba City (Cameroon). Lake Victoria is enlarged and has been renamed the Kenyatta Sea.

Now Luxor City has been sketched out in "Book of the Dead" and other information about Africa has been dropped into the Pan-African Judges stories. Other areas have been heavily explored in spin-offs (like Brit-Cit and Murphyville) but what information do we know about some of the others? What stories have the non-Oz South pacific cities featured in? What bout the Mediterranean Free State? Ciudad España? Scandinavian Confederation? Geneva? Or have they only featured in throw-away comments?

My gut tells me there are interesting stories to be told working around the fringes (even if we avoid the rather crude national stereotypes that seem to be a feature of the stories from the 1980s and 1990s when much of this was outlined) but it isn't clear what is known about them (and the A-Z of Judge Dredd isn't overly helpful on such details - I'm not sure if the RPG cover such things in more detail but it seems like there is room for an more in-depth guide to Dredd's world...). That said I am still digging so will throw in anything interesting I find.

[radiator]

I really like that the geography of Dredd's world (and even that of Mega-City One) is sketchy, and I wouldn't like it to be pinned down any more than it is at the moment.

The vagueness gives the writers a huge amount of freedom to introduce new locations to fit whatever story they're writing, and not be restricted by what someone else dictates. I love those little throwaway lines that Wagner drops into his scripts that suggest faraway places that we don't get to see. A good example of this is in Sin City where there are references to the terrorist Ula Danser committing atrocities in Vienna - it gives very little information - the details are left to the reader's imagination, which can often work better than explicitly showing everything.

I read a good William Gibson interview once in which he discussed this concept - there are lots of bits in Neuromancer that reference this great conflict that took place previous to the story - again the writer very deliberately gives us little information - mentions of commando teams flying micro-light aircrafts into Norway or something - vivid, evocative images that again force the reader to use their imagination.

Also, there's the fact that Dredd is Mega City One (and to a lesser extent the Cursed Earth) - his overseas (or interplanetary) excursions are rarely memorable.

[Peter Wolf]

- the details are left to the reader's imagination, which can often work better than explicitly showing everything.

I read a good William Gibson interview once in which he discussed this concept - there are lots of bits in Neuromancer that reference this great conflict that took place previous to the story - again the writer very deliberately gives us little information - mentions of commando teams flying micro-light aircrafts into Norway or something - vivid, evocative images that again force the reader to use their imagination.

I found this with the Terminator films where you had glimpses of the future in Terminator 2 which at the time i was fascinated by and wanted to know more about it and it was definately a case of less is more yet when the future was actually realised in Terminator 4 it was a big let down.This is partly because perhaps it shopuld have been left alone and/or it was because the film itself was a soulless poorly executed exercise in effects that i found unmemorable so if these thingas are to be explored then it has to be done well or dont bother and leave it alone.

[radiator]

Exactly - it's Boba Fett syndrome - some things are best left mysterious. The new Alien prequels (has there ever been a good prequel?) will no doubt be rubs for the same reason.

[Mike Gloady]

As I recall, Emp, the Mediterranean Free State was the host to the East Meg Diktatorat when they decided to have Orlok kidnap Dredd and put on a show trial. Might be wrong.  Usually am.  And there's not much space for comics in my head right now.

[Jim_Campbell]

As I recall, Emp, the Mediterranean Free State was the host to the East Meg Diktatorat when they decided to have Orlok kidnap Dredd and put on a show trial. Might be wrong.  Usually am.  And there's not much space for comics in my head right now.

No, I think you're right about that ...

Cheers!

Jim

[Peter Wolf]

I get the impression that the upcoming Alien prequels are exploring that aspect because the actual Alien films so far have run out of steam so its easier to go backwards than move forwards with it.

I think with JD there just isnt the time or the space to explore very much outside MC1 and the Cursed Earth in the comic but the idea could work as trades that havent already been published in the comic as a sideline and i am sure that JW or any other JD scriptwriter wouldnt make a mess of them but in a way MC1 and The Cursed Earth are enough to be going on with.

[radiator]

Yep, Med Free State is some sort of murky haven for all sorts of dodgy types (again the details are vague IIRC) - the gigantic raft of the New Kremlin (where the East Meg government in exile operate from) was/is located there.

I think Dead Ringer mentions some sort of central European city state - the story revolves around a visiting Euro dignitary who is attacked on a state visit to the Meg.

[JOE SOAP]

I think with JD there just isnt the time or the space to explore very much outside MC1 and the Cursed Earth in the comic but the idea could work as trades that havent already been published in the comic as a sideline and i am sure that JW or any other JD scriptwriter wouldnt make a mess of them but in a way MC1 and The Cursed Earth are enough to be going on with.

That's what the Megazine's for. There's plenty of space and time, it's never been done well yet though.