Comic Books

Torunn Grønbekk talks mind games with Judge Anderson in ‘2000 AD’ #2362

Get an inside look at a Judge Anderson story in a chat with Torunn Grønbekk.

December 12, 2023

While Judge Dredd’s power is being a perpetual badass, Judge Cassandra Anderson is a psychic. And, sure, that’s an incredible power to have in law enforcement, but it’s also got its fair share of downsides. (Even as it would be perfect for Christmas, and you could read Santa’s mind to see if you’re getting coal or maybe an early entry from the Nacelleverse.)

Now, in a new short story appearing in issue #2,362 of 2000 AD, creators Torunn Grønbekk and Kieran McKeown explore this “other side” of Anderson’s superpower.

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This proper banger of a story is one of several stories featured in the holiday special that’s out this week. Going it solo, Anderson finds herself up against another mind-powered threat, a big, bad criminal who has taken over an entire block of Mega-City One. Can Anderson take them out on her own? And what happens when you pit mind powers versus mind powers? I guess you’ll have to read the special to find out!

And speaking of holiday treats, I had opportunity to chat with Grønbekk about Anderson, her favorite Judge Dredd stories, and even what she’d do with mind powers if she had them! And as I probe Grønbekk’s mind, be sure to check out some exclusive pages from the story below!

Courtesy of 2000 AD.

AIPT: Cassandra Anderson is our lead character in “Anderson PSI Division: The Game Within.” What sort of game are we dealing with?

Torunn Grønbekk: Mind games! Anderson is tasked with evaluating two children who have both committed some pretty horrible crimes. It is not a question of whether they are guilty, but rather why. Anderson suspects that someone else is directing them – essentially using them as pawns – and so the game begins.

AIPT: What, in your opinion, makes Cassandra such a strong character?

TG: Cassandra has a rare depth to her. She has a complex sense of morality and an understanding of human behavior that I find very interesting, especially in the context of a Judge. She lives in the grey areas (like all the rest of us), and it makes her more human than hero, if that makes sense.

Courtesy of 2000 AD.

AIPT: Was there a panel or page that blew your expectations out of the water when it comes to Kieran McKeown’s art?

TG: Listen, it’s all great. The action is beautiful, and the city and the environments feel so real and lived-in, but I think the people are my favourites. Kieran adds so much personality to the characters on the page. Even a minor background character feels like a complete person – you can almost sense their backstory through art.

AIPT: Do you have a particularly favorite Judge Dredd or Cassandra-focused story from the past?

TG: The Possessed! What a delightfully absurd fever dream. And there are some great stories in the Essential Judge Anderson: Shamballa collection that I highly recommend.

AIPT: Were you a longtime reader of 2000 AD? Is there an issue you think fondly on?

TG: I was born and raised in Norway, so my access to 2000 AD was, at best, unreliable. I used to buy issues second-hand at my local thrift store long before I fully understood what 2000 AD was – I just bought them because I loved comics, and the covers looked so damned cool. The art was always on another level than anything else on the market, and I can remember flipping through the pages in absolute awe.

It also meant that I rarely read all the parts of an entire story in one go. I remember finding a Judge Dredd Magazine that included one part of AMERICA, and it sent me on a desperate (and ultimately futile) search for the rest. In the years since, I’ve been getting all the collected editions I could get my hands on, and there is a special kind of joy in finally knowing the ending to the stories I began reading 25 years ago.

Courtesy of 2000 AD.

AIPT: You’re given psi-powers like Cassandra’s for a day. What do you do?

TG: Well, if I just got her powers but none of her authority, I would probably just dive into people’s minds. Not in a creepy way, but just to have a vacation from myself and live in someone else’s thoughts and fears for a while, you know? There is something very appealing about total empathy. Complete understanding of why people do what they do. I think it would make me a better, more forgiving person. A more punchable and certainly more annoying person, but ultimately better.

But, if I could also have the authority of a judge in addition to the powers? That would be something. It would be a disaster, but it would be something. (It would, however, most definitely not make me a better person.)