Walter’s Robo-Tale: Shok!, Prologue

NAME
Walter’s Robo-Tale: Shok!, Prologue

FIRST PUBLISHED
Judge Dredd Annual 1981

DATELINE
1 Sept 80

PAGE COUNT
1

REPRINTS
2000AD Prog 612 , Judge Dredd (Volume 2) 35, Hardware DVD liner notes and online here

SYNOPSIS
Mike buys Lyn a present.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First Dreddverse one-off.

INFORMATION
Mega-City Two's shuttle port has at least 81 pads.

MIKE
Strato-Bat pilot. He buys the remains of a war robot from Tombstone Toothbrush for Lyn to use in her metalwork.

OTHER CHARACTERS
TOMBSTONE TOOTHBRUSH
He sells souvenirs from Judge Dredd's crossing of the Cursed Earth. He sells Mike the remains of a war robot.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Tombstone: "Not so loud, Cobber. Vid screens have faces!"

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Judge Dredd's crossing of the Cursed Earth was seen in The Cursed Earth.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
This strip served as inspiration for a 1990 film directed by Richard Stanley, called Hardware. The original theatrical release failed to mention Shok! despite having a very similar storyline. Following legal action, a notice was added to later versions and Steve MacManus and Kevin O'Neill received writer's credits.

CREDITS
Script: Rogan/O'Neill
Artist: O'Neill
Letters: T. Jacob

Rogan/O'Neill are Steve MacManus and Kevin O'Neill while T. Jacob is Tony Jacob.

REVIEW
It's a good set-up, the goods Tombstone Toothbrush has for sale are a nice call back to The Cursed Earth and the artwork really lends itself to the grotesque, most obvious in the panel of T.T. seen above.