The Cursed Earth (Judge Dredd story)

The Cursed Earth is the second extended storyline of the Judge Dredd character to appear in 2000 AD, and the first to exceed twenty episodes: as such it is sometimes called the first Judge Dredd epic. Written mostly by Pat Mills, the series added many core elements to the backstory of the world of Mega-City One.

Publication history
The storyline ran from 2000 AD #61 to 85 (May to October 1978).

Kevin O'Neill has said that the story was inspired by Roger Zelazny's Damnation Alley.

Plot
In 2100 Mega-City Two, on the West coast of North America, becomes infected with a virus called 2 T (fru) T that makes its victims into a violent mob. Scientists in Mega-City One on the East coast have been able to make an antidote, but it is impossible to safely land at the airports in Mega-City Two. The only option is to send a land expedition of Judges in a tank across the Cursed Earth, a radioactive wasteland that covers most of the former US. Judge Dredd is assigned to lead the mission and en route they encounter many perils including a cloned tyrannosaurus called Satanus, and President Robert L. Booth, the last president of the United States.

Controversy
The Cursed Earth was also notable for a lawsuit involving the publishers of 2000 AD, McDonalds, Burger King, and the Jolly Green Giant. Four episodes in the series, written by John Wagner and Jack Adrian, featured copyrighted characters used without permission. One storyline depicted wars between rival gangs, headed by the Burger King and Ronald McDonald - including scenes of Ronald executing a gang member who spilled a milkshake. Unsurprisingly, the owners of these characters objected to the use of their trademarks and sued. Publishers IPC settled out of court, publishing a half-page retraction and agreeing never to reprint the offending episodes.

Collected editions
The series has been reprinted in trade paperbacks. However, given the controversy, they are missing "Burger Wars" (episodes 11-12) and "Soul Food" (episodes 17-18) from the full 25 episode run.

Notable reprints include:


 * Judge Dredd Epics: The Collected Cursed Earth (Titan, paperback, 1994, ISBN 1-85286-406-0)
 * Judge Dredd Epics: The Cursed Earth (Titan, hardback, 2000, ISBN 1-84023-459-8)
 * Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02 (Rebellion, paperback, 2006, ISBN 1-904265-83-9)

Other media
The K2001 Land Raider two part vehicle used by Judge Dredd and his team was made by Matchbox toys in the UK as part of a range of similar themed vehicles. When the Cursed Earth story began, the Matchbox toy was offered as a competition prize in the comic.