In 1990 a seismic shock swept through the comics industry, as an upstart new comics anthology rumbled into production for the first time. Judge Dredd Megazine, a sister title to the legendary British comics anthology 2000 AD, was brought to life!

Thirty-five years later and the Megazine is still going strong, and this October we’ll be celebrating 35 drokkin’ years of awesome comics with a celebratory issue featuring the return of beloved characters and series, a celebration of everything that the Megazine has stood for across the last three and a half decades! 

From its debut at the start of the 90s, Judge Dredd Megazine has been home to some of the most acclaimed and beloved comics in 2000 AD history, including Judge Dredd: America; Young Death, and Judge Anderson: Satan, as well as debuting new series including Dreadnoughts, Lawless, Armitage, Missionary Man, and Devlin Waugh.

Judge Dredd Megazine 485 is out on the 15th October, and kicks off with a new one-off America story from Rob Williams and Colin MacNeil – who was the artist on the original ground-breaking America storyline which rocked the very first issue of the Meg back in 1990! America Beeny has aged in real time since she first appeared in that story, and was taken in by the Judges and trained to be one of them. Now an active Judge, Beeny and Dredd head off into the Cursed Earth to find a message from the past waiting for them…

Megatropolis, the alternate-universe retelling of Judge Dredd and Mega-City One from Ken Niemand and Dave Taylor, is another headline feature in October’s Meg. Returning to the art-deco noir of this unpredictable universe, which debuted in Judge Dredd Megazine back in 2020, much-anticipated sequel will feature the final published artwork from co-creator Dave Taylor, who sadly passed away earlier in the year. Although he hadn’t completed this story at that time, his pages are a reminder of the fierce and passionate flair that he brought to his storytelling – and 2000 AD have pledged to complete the run in tribute to him, with Chris Weston joining the series to draw the final pages.

Elsewhere Judge Anderson has a demonic new case to solve as well, returning to the Megazine which has been her home since 1992 courtesy of Alec Worley and Ben Willsher  After a film premiere is taken over by a demonic incursion, Anderson is on the scene, ready to take the psychic battle to the silver screen!

And if you’re looking for hard-hitting political realism in your comics, the return of Dreadnoughts is just what you’re looking for. This Meg-Original series has been critically acclaimed for exploring how we went from our current police system to the judge state that will take over in Judge Dredd’s era. Mike Carroll, John Higgins, and Sally Hurst head back into the darkness this issue…

Also returning is the gruff detective Armitage, who debuted in Judge Dredd Megazine #9 back in 1991. Working the tough streets of Brit-Cit, Armitage has a new case thanks to Liam Johnson and Staz Johnson which finds him exploring a serial killer whose patterns seem to replicate the murder spree of Jack the Ripper! And the anniversary line up is rounded off by the latest instalment of Rok The God, John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Dan Cornwell‘s sci-fi sports series!

The ground-shaking anniversary issue of Judge Dredd Megazine delivers over 100 pages of hard-hitting action and features, and is a true celebration of an incredible run – which continues to thrill readers around the world decades after debuting. Don’t miss this latest issue of one of the longest-running comics in history!

Celebrating 35 years of publication, Judge Dredd Megazine 485 will be published on 15th October 2025, and is available for pre-order now!