''Red Razors'' is a comic strip appearing in the British anthology '' 2000 AD''. Created by

Mark Millar Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer and television producer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series '' The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ex ...

, it is set in the

Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977), which is a British weekly anthology Comic book, comic. He is the ...

universe, fifty years after the events detailed in the current Judge Dredd comics. The series debuted in ''

Judge Dredd Megazine ''Judge Dredd: The Megazine'' is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in September 1990. It is a sister publication to '' 2000 AD''. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Judge Dredd's locale Mega-City One. Content Like ...

'' #1.08, in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

. The stories focus on a Sov-Block (formerly East-Meg Two, formerly somewhere in Russia) Judge named ''Razors''. Judge Razors is the prototype for a new breed of Judge, a brainwashed ex-gang member, conditioned to follow the orders of his superiors without question. His partner is a genetically enhanced horse named Comrade Ed.

Premise

The first storyline focused on the penetration of western culture and capitalism behind the iron curtain (for example,

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

is worshipped as a God). The storyline can be thought of as a satirical comment on Russia's current integration of western elements with its own culture. Subsequent entries were much more action-oriented, with little or no satire. Cameos in the series have included Judge Dredd. In his last appearance, Razors threw off his brainwashing and went on a killing spree, which ended when he was shot and killed by Dredd. Also there are obvious references in the series to other series (TV especially.) The main example is Comrade Ed, Razor's partner which is an obvious "take off" of

Mister Ed ''Mister Ed'' is an American television sitcom produced by Filmways that aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The show's title character is a talking horse which orig ...

, the talking horse.

Bibliography

*''Red Razors'' (all written by

): ** "Red Razors" (with

Steve Yeowell Steve Yeowell () is a British comics artist, well known for his work on the long-running science fiction and fantasy weekly comic '' 2000 AD''. Biography Having trained in 3D design (specialising in silversmithing and jewellery), Yeowell bega ...

, in ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' #1.08-1.15, 1991) ** "The Secret Origin of Comrade Ed" (with

, in ''Judge Dredd Mega-Special'' #5, 1992) ** "Doctor's Orders" (with

, in ''Judge Dredd 1993 Yearbook'', 1992) ** "Hunt For Red Razors" (with

Nigel Dobbyn Nigel ( ) is an English masculine given name. The English ''Nigel'' is commonly found in records dating from the Middle Ages; however, it was not used much before being revived by 19th-century antiquarians. For instance, Walter Scott published ...

, in ''2000 AD'' #908-917, 1994) ** "Rites of Passage" (with

, in ''2000 AD'' #971, 1995) The three stories from the ''Megazine'' and ''2000 AD'' have been collected in a trade paperback: *''Red Razors'' (144 pages,

Rebellion Developments Rebellion Developments Limited is a British video game developer based in Oxford, England. Founded by Jason and Chris Kingsley in December 1992, the company is best known for its ''Sniper Elite'' series and multiple games in the ''Alien vs. Pre ...

, October 2004, ,

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

, November 2004, ) 2000AD Online – reprint zone
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References

External links

2000 AD pageReview of the trade
Comics by Mark Millar Fictional police officers in comics Judge Dredd characters 2000 AD comic strips 1991 comics debuts Comics spin-offs Comics about police officers Comics set in Russia {{UK-comics-stub