Ben Wheatley on Judge Dredd, Judge Dee, and 2000 AD

With a little help from filmmaker Ben Wheatley, our 2000 AD obsession kicks into high gear this week. The filmmaker behind such brutally banger movies as Kill List, A Field in England, High-Rise, and this year’s Bob Odenkirk actioner, Normal, joins the podcast to discuss his eight-chaptered 2000 AD comic, Judge Dee, which recently wrapped in Prog 2487. Even better, Judge Dee is a sequel to an iconic Judge Dredd story from forty-two years ago, The Haunting of Sector House 9, which encouraged us to dig deep in the franchise’s history. It’s only fitting that Wheatley layers his 2000 AD tale with a classic, 80s-era cinematic sub-genre, the buddy-cop adventure. It’s a little Lethal Weapon, but maybe even more Heart Condition, for those that can recall that complicated (ie problematic) Denzel Washington/Bob Hoskins ghost cop comedy. Ya see, PSI Judge Dee carries a secret. Wherever she travels, she’s got a demonic passenger with her, Klato. However, this is not a case of a filmmaker making their way to comics for a little fun. Wheatley is a lifelong Prog reader. It’s been his dream to finally scrounge around Mega-City One and add a little lore to this massive universe. Given the opportunity, he knew he wanted to springboard from The Haunting of Sector House 9, pick up where that horror left off, only decades later, and deliver his unique, grotesque, and funky perspective. This week, we’re talking Judge Dredd, binary thinking, buddy cops, and surviving the dystopian present with Ben Wheatley. Judge Dee is written by Wheatley, illustrated by Simon Coleby, colored by Jack Davies, and lettered by Simon Bowland. Judge Dee chapters one through five can be found in Progs 2467 - 2471, and Judge Dee chapters six through eight can be found in Progs 2485 - 2487. You can find them all on 2000AD’s website. You can follow Ben Wheatley on Instagram. This Week's Sponsors The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! This June, Top Shelf Productions is bringing you unforgettable stories from the deeply personal to the absolutely colossal. On June 2nd, discover We Are Pan, the powerful historical graphic novel from writer Andre Frattino and illustrator Yasmin Flores Montanez. Inspired by the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, the secret mission that evacuated over 14,000 Cuban children to the United States during Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Then, on June 23rd, buckle up for Minnie Pouches in the MicroRealm! From Caleb Goellner and Eric Lide comes a wildly imaginative all-ages adventure about a super-anxious super-strong girl battling pizza dinosaurs, laser robots, and floating nightmares across bizarre dimensions to rescue her pets and save her family. The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Watch Matt Fraction in The Stacks Previously on CBCC: