Judge Dredd: Loonies' Moon!

NAME
Judge Dredd: Loonies' Moon!

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 AD Featuring Judge Dredd Prog 192

DATELINE
27 Dec 80

This prog also featured Dash Decent, The Mean Arena, Meltdown Man, Return To Armageddon and Strontium Dog and a cover by Carlos Ezquerra.

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
The Best Of 2000AD 46, Judge Dredd Classics 64, The Complete Judge Dredd 18, Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 26, Judge Dredd 27 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 04.

SYNOPSIS
Advertisers and Loonies fight over the moon.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First kneepad gag.

INFORMATION
The Temple Of Lunar Light devoted to the Loonie religion is on Mega-City One's W1101 Street in Sector 71. Lover's Park is an outdoor park that is open at night. Moonray Tower is the site of the lunar lasers that project advertising images onto the moon. Starting at 9pm, for six hours per night at a cost of one million credits a second. Products advertised include Special S synthi-flakes, Blat Roach spray, synthi-guy 24 hour girdle for men and Cybo-comp robots.

The Loonies are a religious group based on the ancient Djimite moon worshippers. Each novice carries a sacred blade and they are lead by an individual called the Great Loon. They attack Moonray Tower.

Psi-Division is on the second floor of the Hall of Justice. Named Judges: Judge Logan; Judge Holme (Psi-Division).

JUDGE DREDD
He investigates the disappearance of Erwin Blagg and discovers he is connected to the Loonies. Dredd kills him during their attack on Moonray Tower and only discovers his identity later. Dredd orders the arrest and interrogation of the assembled Loonie novices, crime blitzes of all Loonie temples and uses the lunar lasers to assure Mega-City One that normal service would be resumed.

OTHER CHARACTERS
ERWIN BLAGG
Seventeen year old. His parents report him missing. He has become a novice Loonie. Dredd kills him during their attack on Moonray Tower and discovers his identity later. Dredd orders his next of kin be informed.

ARRESTS
Hundreds. The Loonies are all arrested and interrogated.

DEATHS
Dozens. A Loonie kills a lunar projectionist, Dredd kills Erwin Blagg and Judges kill several Loonies.

BEST LINES
In a word servility.

Cybo-comp robots advertising slogan written on the moon

WORST LINES
Judge: "A slaughterhouse!"

CATCHPHRASES
Dredd says "Drokk!" and "Stop in the name of the law!", while the running gag about kneepads starts here.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
The Loonies are based on the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, more commonly known as the Moonies after its founder Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012).

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: T.B. Grover
Artist: Ron Smith
Letters: Tom Frame

REVIEW
This strip has it all: great visuals, a tawdry use of spectacular technology and a satirical glance at a real world phenomenon. Highlights include the Blaggs attempt to report their son missing to a series of Judges, the Cybo-comp robots advertising slogan and Dredd's final lunar message.

Next Prog: The Fink's In Town!