2000 AD #297

Kicking off 1983 with a wonderfully chaotic cover by Carlos Ezquerra, Prog 297 plunges Judge Dredd and a fellow Judge headlong into a swirling, absurd melee — a massive grinning skull-faced creature looms in the foreground while Santa Claus, a wild-haired reveler, and a crowd of costumed partygoers pile up around them, with a speech bubble declaring "Drokk! The rad-beast's been sucked into the fancy dress parade!" It's pure Mega-City One madness, balancing genuine menace with gloriously silly carnival energy. Inside, the Ian Gibson-illustrated "Play It Again, Sam Part 6" — written by Grant and Grover with lettering by Steve Potter — promises the same sharp wit that made 2000 AD essential weekly reading.