JUDGING THE JUDGE - CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF DREDD AT THE CARTOON MUSEUM

There once was an artistic exhibit, which was bold, lively, and slightly exquisite. It featured a dreadful judge, who wasn't a big fan of fudge, but he did fancy a Dutch girl called Bridget. Want to know more? Then please check out my review of the Judge Dredd® exhibition, held at The Cartoon Museum in London.





You see, last Saturday, I went to the aforementioned exhibit to see what it was all about (click here for further information). And what did I discover? Well, I found some things I liked and some things I didn't like, but more or less, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would definitely go again. Here's why…

©The Cartoon Museum

Pros

(+) The ambiance throughout the museum was appropriately tranquil and there was enough space for everyone to safely move around.

(+) The range of art on display in the main gallery area (which patrons are free to explore) was very impressive, as it consisted of comic book images, historical satire, and many other genres. I also enjoyed the varying styles of art from all of the different eras (some dating way back to the 18th century).

(+) I thought the gift shop was a nice, little touch, and during my visit, all of the staff were very, very friendly.

(+) There was a notable array of art located at the entrance of the museum, which in many ways, prepared me for what was yet to come.

©The Cartoon Museum

(+) The actual Judge Dredd® exhibit was located inside a small, partitioned booth within the main gallery area, and partly consisted of eight magnificent images depicting Dredd throughout the years. Each image was complemented with a nicely mounted card that highlighted information about the artist who drew the piece as well as the piece itself.

(+) Now, me being such a comic book geek, I loved the fact that I could recognize the work of some of the artists showcased in this exhibit, like Brian Bolland, for instance, who famously drew the Batman classic, 'The Killing Joke', or Henry Flint, who also worked for DC Comics. Although, in Flint's case, he drew the 'Omega Men' mini-series, along with a number of titles for their imprint, Vertigo.

(+) Aside from the eight images, there was also a really fun, video presentation that featured the artist, Tom Foster, drawing a few pages for the '2000 AD' comic book, starting from the initial design stage all the way to the final, colored, piece. In fact, Tom's video was so fun to follow, that I think it should have been played on a larger monitor and mounted in a more prominent position.

©The Cartoon Museum

Cons

(-) Even though I must applaud the museum for providing a variety of facilities for people with disabilities, such as wheelchair access, magnifying glasses, and a hearing loop at the front desk, unfortunately, certain areas of the gallery were so dimly lit, that it made it difficult for people with low vision (like myself) to read the information card placed next to each piece of art (even with the use of a magnifying glass).

(-) The only thing I didn't like about the Judge Dredd® exhibition was the amount of related art on display. To me, the overall presentation felt more like a taster, or an aperitif, than an actual full-on celebration, but only because eight pieces of art and a very funny video didn't really do the Judge any justice. Not when you take into consideration that he's been around for 45 years and has featured in countless comic books, films, cartoons, video games, and a variety of other media.

©The Cartoon Museum

What: An exhibit that celebrates 45 years of Judge Dredd® and '2000 AD'
Where: The Cartoon Museum, 63 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1A 3AE
When: From the 20th of January, 2022, to the 24th of April, 2022
How much: £8.50 for adults, £3.00 for students, and £5.00 for people over the age of 60. Upon request, a group rate is also available (for groups of 10 or more), and children under the age of 18 can enter for free (proof required)
Opening times: Doors open between 10:30am to 5:30pm, from Tuesday to Sunday, except Thursday, when it closes at 8pm

For further information, please feel free to visit the official Website, Facebook, and Twitter pages for The Cartoon Museum. Or alternatively, click here for my initial press release.