BARNEY

JUDGE DREDD ON CD

THE STARS OF '2000 AD' ENTER ANOTHER DIMENSION IN ALL-NEW FULL-CAST AUDIO DRAMAS.

Big Finish Productions have signed a deal with Rebellion that grants a licence to produce a series of full-cast audio dramas based on characters from 2000 AD - the galaxy's greatest comic! Naturally Judge Dredd will be the principal star of the CDs but he will be ably supported by Strontium Dog and Rogue Trooper. Each CD will feature one of the three characters in a completely new adventure enacted by a professional cast of actors. The fantastic future worlds they inhabit will be brought to life with mega- blistering movie-style sound design and enhanced by a specially composed music score.

2000 AD recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary and is undoubtedly the most influential British comic and has made substantial contributions to the SF genre and pop culture. Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion who publish 2000 AD, is delighted that, through Big Finish, the comic will now be reaching new audiences beyond the printed page: "Comics are an inherently visual and silent medium, which makes the possibilities for audio production all the more exciting. Rebellion is thrilled to be bringing the worlds and characters from 2000 AD into a different medium".

Big Finish Productions may be a new name to comics enthusiasts but they are no strangers to audio. Since 1999 they have been producing monthly CD audio dramas based on Doctor Who. The series, produced under licence from the BBC and featuring the original stars of the show, has been highly successful. Big Finish also release CD dramas based on The Tomorrow People and James Follett's Earthsearch. Big Finish have a wealth of talent and experience that they will be bringing to the worlds of 2000 AD. Jason Haigh-Ellery, Big Finish CEO, is particularly excited about this project as he holds a personal fondness for 2000AD: ""I've been reading 2000AD since issue one, and still buy it 25 years later. What's kept my interest has been the fantastic worlds that have been created for 2000AD's characters - and now we have the chance to live in those worlds and fight along with our heros!".

The first 2000AD CD adventure will be released on 2nd April and will be fully promoted by a free CD cover-mounted on the Judge Dredd Megazine, published on 3rd April. This first adventure will of course star Judge Dredd and is entitled Wanted: Dredd or Alive and has been written by long-time Judge Dredd author and editor, David Bishop. Further CDs will be released every month from thereon continuing with Judge Dredd - Death Trap in May and Strontium Dog - Down to Earth in June.

2000AD Audios - Release Schedule

2nd April 2002:
JUDGE DREDD - Wanted: Dredd or Alive
Written by: David Bishop

29th April 2002:
JUDGE DREDD - Death Trap
Written by: David Bishop

3rd June 2002:
STRONTIUM DOG - Down to Earth
Written by: Jonathan Clements

1st July 2002:
JUDGE DREDD - The Floating Game (title TBC)
Written by: Dave Stone

5th August 2002:
ROGUE TROOPER - Nordland Calling
Written by: Gordon Rennie

2nd September 2002:
JUDGE DREDD - Auteur! Auteur! (title TBC)
Written by: David Bishop

Further release details to be confirmed but the dates of the releases will be:

30th September 2002
4th November 2002
2nd December 2002
30th December 2002
3rd February 2003
3rd March 2003

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