Since the character’s introduction in 1977, Judge Dredd has had some truly crazy incidents and adventures (mostly through the pages of 2000 AD). Even on the “trainer” side, that long list includes The Man with the Permanent Middle Finger, “The Simping Detective,” and a billion other entries we’ve neglected to mention. I am. But in the midst of all the madness, we’d like to introduce you to a more recent and even more bizarre candidate: chimpanzees and voter fraud.
Yes, Dr. Dredd has dealt with primates before, but in the upcoming AD 2000 Annual 2025, everything is truly dog-monkey. Written by Chris Condon and with art by Fernando Blanco, Chimpsallection follows Dredd as he “presides over an election day celebration for the chimpanzees living in Mega-City One, where violence has broken out.” (Colorist Edward Teach and letterer Jonathan Stevenson also joined the duo). ”On the other hand, it’s dreads and monkeys. On the other hand, this is a story with deep, almost piercing relevance to contemporary American discourse and daily life. Both things work together pretty well, and their novel abilities get to the heart of why Dredd’s story has remained so important and prolific for so long.
The 2025 Annual (including three other new articles) will be available in the U.S. in early January. (Fans in the UK, meanwhile, can get it from November 27th.) But before you read the book and go wild, we wanted to understand more about ‘Chimpshrection’ and recently spoke to both Condon and Blanco. We communicated via email. There, the two discuss the larger messages and ideas behind the stories, immersing themselves in the “world” of Judge Dredd, how to make good satire, exploring politics through comics, chimpanzee-centric television, and other topics and tips. We talked about knowledge.
Main cover by Jake Lynch. Provided in 2000 AD.
AIPT: What was your perception/relationship with Dredd before this story?
Fernando Blanco: I’ve always loved this character, but I’ve never read much about him. Only part of the classic story by Dredd creators Wagner and Ezquerra. I also read Boland’s novels and Simon Bisley’s novels.
Chris Condon: I was familiar with Dredd, but I wasn’t really a big fan. I learned about him primarily through movies, especially the 2012 film written by the wonderful Alex Garland. That’s why when I got the offer to do Dredd’s story, I jumped at it. I thought this would give me an excuse to read up on Dredd’s books and learn more about him, and that’s exactly what I did.
I loved the stories I read. Some series are more satirical, while others delve into lore and are more serious and action-oriented. I think one of the great things about Dredd is how diverse his stories are.
AIPT: As someone who didn’t grow up in the UK, what is it about this iconic figure that appeals to you?
CC: He may be a British character, but he’s an American creation, if you know what I mean. He exists because of what kind of country America is, how it is run, and how America is viewed by the world. His basic essence is a satire on the American police state and characters like, for example, Dirty Harry. What’s not appealing about that?
FB: This work is very famous in Spain. Because one of the authors, Carlos Ezquerra, was Spanish. In fact, he was from my hometown of Zaragoza. But I think he’s a universal figure, and he’s very well known for his movies and his satire of fascism and oppression…Unfortunately, it’s also very universal.
Provided by 2000 AD.
AIPT: Did you learn anything new or interesting about yourself in terms of creating comics, Dredd, etc. by entering this “universe”?
CC: Well, this year has been a good year for me as a writer. Because I was able to stretch my creative muscles a little bit and show what I was capable of outside of issue 26 with Jacob Phillips. Texas Blood or the Enfield Gang Massacre. These two series tell a certain kind of story, so we were able to branch out into 2000 AD territory and tell a satirical story about today’s America through the eyes of Tomorrow’s America in Dredd. It was wonderful.
I can’t say I learned anything exactly, but I hope you all learned something about me. And I hope they don’t hate my job.
FB: When I started working as a manga artist, I had a much more manga-like style than I do now. Thanks to this story, I was able to experience that manga-like atmosphere again, and it was always refreshing.
AIPT: What’s the secret to really good satire like this? Is there a need to strike a balance between the ridiculous and the familiar?
CC: Well, I’m glad you think it’s a good satire! I think there’s a tightrope we have to walk. It’s ridiculous because it depicts chimpanzees running around screaming about voter fraud, but claims of voter fraud can be very serious, especially when they’re unsubstantiated and false.
FB: Reality is stranger and even more ridiculous than fiction. Satire is just funny, but too often it falls short.
CC: I think if you can bend a serious theme around a ridiculous concept, it makes for “good” satire. I’m not comparing this story to Stanley Kubrick, but I find that Dr. Strangelove parodies the terrifying idea of nuclear annihilation. You laugh as the world explodes. Because…well, why not? It’s a silly concept, isn’t it? Humans destroy themselves. When you bend a very serious subject a little, people can see it for what it really is. I think all you can really do is help people understand how stupid this is.
Provided by 2000 AD.
AIPT: What’s it like dissecting this election cycle? Is it somehow freeing, or are you worried about standing out in a sea of voices?
FB: No one cares what manga artists or writers say. That’s great because it gives us great freedom of speech.
CC: Well, that was our life for 10 years in America. One of the candidates has been on the political scene since he first ran for office in 2016, and his shadow is only getting longer, not fading. So it’s not a crazy idea to poke and prod at the concept of this ridiculous person with this ridiculous claim, with zero plans or ideas. I mean, think about what I just said. That’s stupid. You’re certainly free to talk about it, but I always talk about it. I always dissect. Everyone thinks so.
Are you worried about standing out? No, I never care. I don’t really care about the sea of voices. Either way, you’re just one of them. People who want to listen listen, and you can’t force others to listen to you. You just have to let it go. A sea of voices washes over you. But if anyone wants to read a story about chimpanzees revolting at Apetown Hall, hey, I’ve got a story for them!
AIPT: Why is Dredd’s story such a good lens for politics?I feel like this story opened my eyes to what concrete things can be done with Dredd. I will.
CC: That’s interesting! Well, I think it’s just baked into the character. He is the embodiment of America. Gun violence is a great example of that, right? How do Americans want to solve this problem of people buying AR-15s and going into schools, concerts, and grocery stores and shooting people of all ages? You would think there would be fewer guns. No, Americans want more police with more guns in each school, automatic locks on doors, and metal detectors at entrances to barricade children. That’s dread. Dredd embodies everything that is wrong with America, but he is also the embodiment of America. period.
FB: Dredd has always been a political satire, but it can also cover many different types of stories: science fiction, graphic violence, action, etc., but the political aspect is always present. Depending on the historical moment and political situation, this political dimension may be more hidden or subtle.
AIPT: What do you think is the larger message behind this? Is it just a snapshot of “Trumpmania” or do you think these energies and ideas are deeper?
FB: I think that behind all the fun and mockery of the great script that Condon wrote, there is a deeper message. And in my opinion, it’s about how the alt-right, even if they win, will deny democracy itself. You might be able to laugh about this, but the reality is it’s not fun at all and it’s dangerous.
Provided in 2000 AD.
CC: Yeah, I mean, it’s about Trump. But it’s also a question of how people end up believing trash information simply because they’re told it. I like to think that goes deeper than any of the candidates. I like to think that this is about our society, our relationship with information, the media and the internet.
AIPT: Why chimpanzees?I was thinking about this new TV show called “Chimpanzee Crazy.” And I was thinking about how we assign more humanity to these animals than they have. For example, we always make assumptions that blow up in our faces. Is there such an aspect here too?
CC: Yes. In a way, I think you can see Apetown as America reflected in a funhouse mirror. Genetically speaking, apes are almost human. But they are not human. I also think that when we tribalize politics and embrace the harmful ideologies that some people embrace, we see our species degenerate. So this is also a bit of a commentary on the fact that people who grew up in an intelligent, affluent society still go into respected buildings and poop on the floor. Until we get past pooping on the floor, we have to question who we are as humans.
FB: As we were looking for ape references for this story, we realized how close we are to chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. I can see by the look on their faces that we are on the same emotional spectrum. Although we are more intelligent, we nevertheless use our “superior intelligence” to destroy our world, which is mostly stupid. Intelligence makes our emotions deeper and more refined than other apes, but we need a moral compass to direct that intelligence in a direction that isn’t stupid. Maybe our story has something to do with that idea.
AIPT: Is there anything else you would like to add about the story, Dredd, comics, politics, etc.?
CC: I hope people enjoy it and walk away from it. As evidenced by today’s headlines, it’s also a comic starring Judge Dredd and his ape constituency.
FB: I’ve been drawing Marvel and DC superheroes over the years, as well as classic heroes like the Phantom and movie-based comics like Star Wars and Army of Darkness. I’m currently working on my book W0rldtr33, co-authored with James Tynion, and I’m thinking: I drew everything I dreamed of. ”
But then I got an email suggesting this Judge Dredd story from 2000 AD, and I thought, “I have to check that box!”
