Why did Dredd go from pretty slim to being a beefcake?

Because he went from the 70s ideal action hero figure to the 90s ideal action hero figure.

Everyone's got to start out somewhere.

>>77456615
I wonder how often they need to issue him with a new uniform. All that growth, not to mention wear, tear and bullet holes. Dredd is a good judge but you could probably pay for 3 others with his wardrobe budget alone!

That looks like Mike McMahon's art when he was mimicking Ezquerra's style (as he was encouraged to do, IIRC.)

McMahon would go on to draw Judge Dredd in a more foreboding fashion, with bigger boots and pads, as he was beginning to develop a style of his own. This became the 'classic' Dredd look and that was continued by artists like Brian Bolland.

That's my understanding, I could be wrong.

>>77456615
All that creep beating and perp punishing goes somewhere, and not just the cubes.

To my eye, Dredd has usually been pretty slim however. It is just the uniform and attitude that make him appear bigger in stature.

Dredd being so fucking scrawny in that first volume is hilarious

It helps with the real time aspect of things, the change in appearance. if funky winkerbean can do it

File: judge dredd prog 95.jpg (381KB, 1212x1600px) Image search: [Google]

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McMahon's bigger boots and pads here

File: 2000ad_168_mcmahon.jpg (424KB, 1265x1600px) Image search: [Google]

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>>77458774
and more from mcmahon

File: judge dredd_shall return_prog 176.jpg (440KB, 1288x1600px) Image search: [Google]

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>>77458861

File: judge dredd mega city_prog 172.jpg (390KB, 1285x1600px) Image search: [Google]

390KB, 1285x1600px

So to conclude my rambling thoughts, I don't think that Judge Dredd bulked up as much as his boots and pads did.

>>77456615
He also got old.

File: 1445062282324.jpg (646KB, 1000x1000px) Image search: [Google]

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>>77456615
Working the streets of Mega City One for 50+ years will do that to you.

You know, assuming it doesn't just kill you.