2000 AD #917

History

By 1994, 2000 AD was running under Fleetway's editorship in its full-colour weekly format (colour had been introduced from Prog 723 in 1991). John Wagner, who had shifted much of his Dredd writing energy to the Judge Dredd Megazine after its 1990 launch, returned to the weekly to script 'The Candidates,' a politically charged story illustrating how Mega-City One's justice hierarchy could be reshaped through an election rather than appointment — a structurally bold premise for the strip. Peter Milligan and Jim McCarthy's Bix Barton, a Steve Ditko-inspired absurdist comedy about a between-the-wars English eccentric solving supernatural crimes for a government Department of the Irrational, had run across multiple arcs since 1990; Prog 917 closes its final instalment. Jim Baikie — who had drawn the original Alan Moore-scripted Skizz in 1983 and was so attached to the character he returned to write and draw two sequels entirely on his own — was midway through Skizz Book 3, which ran from Prog 912 to 927.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance of Chief Judge Hadrian Volt (created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra), who would go on to serve as Chief Judge from 2116 to 2121 in the Dredd in-universe timeline.
• 'The Candidates' (progs 916–917, script: John Wagner, art: Mick Austin, letters: Tom Frame) depicts the first-ever democratic election for Chief Judge of Mega-City One, with Volt defeating Dredd, Hershey, and Herriman.
• Judge Hershey appears as one of the four candidates in 'The Candidates'; her role in this story is part of her long arc toward eventually becoming Chief Judge herself in later continuity.
• 'The Candidates' has been reprinted in both Rebellion's Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol. 22 (collecting Progs 916–939) and the Hamlyn Judge Dredd Wilderlands collection.
• Prog 917 contains the conclusion of Bix Barton's 'Nigel the Napoleon of East Finchley' (progs 912–917), the final Bix Barton story arc — written by Peter Milligan with art by Jim McCarthy — closing out the character's complete run in 2000 AD.
• Bix Barton was conceived by Peter Milligan and Jim McCarthy as a Steve Ditko-inspired comedy strip; the character serves as the sole employee of Her Majesty's Government's Department of the Irrational, aided by a talking walking stick named Michael Cane.
• Skizz Book 3 (progs 912–927), written and drawn by Jim Baikie without Alan Moore's involvement, is running concurrently in this issue; it is the third and final Skizz series, following the original Moore/Baikie strip (1983, progs 308–330) and Skizz II: Alien Cultures (1992, progs 767–775).
• All three collected Skizz series — including Book 3 — were later gathered in Rebellion's The Complete Skizz (2017).

Cast · 10 characters

Full credits

Key issues in 2000 AD

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#566 1st appearance — Tyranny Rex

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#570 1st appearance — Judge Bruce

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#571 1st appearance — Luke Kirby

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#970 1st appearance — Galen DeMarco

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#971 1st appearance — Judge Guthrie