Back in 2016, shortly after Zootopia first released, there was a flurry of fanfics and comics being produced, some of which have stood the test of time while others have faded into obscurity. Now, as we approach the film’s 9th anniversary, and the release of the sequel later this year, it occurs to us here at ZNN that some of you might not have seen some of the gems that era produced.
Let’s fix that.
When it comes to fan-comics, there are many that have graced the Zootopia fandom, but few are as highly regarded (for good reason) as Mr. Mead’s Judy Is Dead. Taking place several decades after Zootopia, a cynical old fox is the Chief of Police, while a new member of the Hopps family, July – “Jules” for short – seeks to prove herself as the newest rookie on the force. And as the title makes abundantly clear, Judy… well, she’s dead. Has been for a long time at this point.
It’s funny, it’s heart-wrenching, it’s intense… it’s an absolutely brilliant comic, by a brilliant artist who has unfortunately vanished from the face of the internet. The original was posted to Mr. Mead’s Tumblr, but for the sake of preservation, we have the entire thing for you to read after the break. Special thanks to Witype on Funnyjunk for posting it in order there as well- tumblr’s formatting isn’t always the best for reading comics from start to finish. And Mead- if you see this, we miss you man. Hope you’re doing well for yourself. You left one hell of a legacy in this fandom, and while new things will come and go, your work has endured, and will continue to endure into the future.
After all, the legacy we leave is in how we inspire others. It’s the whole message of this comic.
Let’s get started.
Chapter 1: Day One
Zootopia’s first vulpine officer, and for decades now, its first vulpine police chief. It’s a hard job for a hard animal, but can the arrival of a new officer Hopps make it any easier? – Mead
Chapter 2: Pocket Change
“So that’s Chief Wilde, huh? Kinda…I dunno.”
“Intense?”
“Short. Shorter than I expected.”
“That’s cause he’s a fox, dumbass.”
“Shut up, you know what I mean. All those stories about him….”
“Crazy shit, right? Sarge McHorn says it’s all true.”
“Even uh, even the Bellwether thing?”
“Oh yeah. For sure.”
“I thought the brass ruled it was self-defense.”
“No one gives a shit about Bellwether. Or her fucking spine.”
“All that over one rabbit, huh?”
“One hell of a rabbit, I guess. Funny thing about that….”
“Yeah?”
“Sarge said–you know, back when she was still around? Sarge said the chief used to smile.”
Chapter 3: Repellant
Dude, it’s been decades, most animals would’ve moved on by now. Sometimes I think the chief just ain’t right…
Chapter 4: The Last Day
“Thanks for the parking ticket, Officer ‘Hopps’!”
July comes back, stunned and on guard over this short old deep-voiced fennec that knows her name
“How do you know my name? You never saw my badge.”
“Oh wow..your name is actually Hopps? heheheHAHAHa-hack-cough…are all of you rabbit cops..-wheeze-..named Hopps or is my memory actin’ up?”
Confused and still on guard, she asks again how he knows her name, detailing how he could be investigated for suspicious activity involving an officer’s identity
“You even talk like her too, can you tell me you’re not a ghost? I might be trippin’ again”
She starts to sigh, thinking he’s a junkie and figures she’s gonna have to run a sobriety test, she starts going back for her equipment when she hears
“Is your name Judy too? Because I must be as dead as her if that’s what this is.”
July stops, and looks back at the ranting fennec.
“Hey, have you been watchin’ over big bad ‘Officer Chief Nick’ while he’s been gone? I need to get all caught up to speed. He finally over you yet? I was hopin’ to catch up with him myself, but since I’m dead too I’ll just have to wa….”
“I’m not Judy Hopps. I’m JULY Hopps. And how do…?”
“Ohhhhh…… . So is he chasin’ you too? AHAHAHAHAH-ACK-haa…cough…ehhh I’m just kiddin’ kid. Last I saw him he wasn’t even the same fox. Not even his big stupid grin on his face” he mumbled while hobbling back to his van
July doesn’t stop him despite her wanting to arrest him a minute ago. She walks after him with curiosity “What do you know about Chief Wilde? Do you know him?”
“Know him? I worked with him” The old fennec opens the rear van door and lights up a joint.
“Hey! You can’t smoke that without….” she stops, as the fennec holds out his medical permit
“Helps with the cancer. Yep! Worked with him. Watched him grow up too. Then watched him run off to play officer with that rabbit cop and he never came back.”
“Rabbit cop?”
“Have a seat kid, let Ol’ Finnick here tell you a story..”
by WriteAnon
At this point, you might be curious to know exactly what kind of trouble July Hopps got herself into. Well, Mead partnered with WriteAnon, and together they wrote a little fanfic detailing exactly that called Pearls Before Swine. Check it out here: Pearls Before Swine on AO3
The story continues here after chapter 3 of Pearls Before Swine
Chapter 5: Chew Toy
The phone rang; it was the low inoffensive bleating of an office line, meant to attract attention instead of demanding it. A hoofed hand lazily reached over and turned on the speakerphone. “Yes, Ms. Muston?”
The squeaky, timid voice of Jackie Muston, the front desk secretary, sounded over the speaker. “Your two ‘o’clock with the Paws’n’Claws Organization is here, Mayor Swinton. Also, your three ‘o’clock canceled.”
“Understood. Thank you,” Swinton drawled, knocking back the last finger in her Lalique lowball tumbler. “Send them up, please.”
Swinton sighed and lolled her head back, staring up at the ceiling, getting into character. There was a knock on the door and she smiled winsomely. “Come in!”
A small parade of representatives, Predators all, filed into her office and sat down across from her. “Welcome! Rachel! How’s the family?”
“Good, good,” Rachel said, smiling. “My son really appreciates the letter of recommendation you gave Springbok University on his behalf.”
Swinton laughed and shook her head. “Think nothing of it! I’m just glad he has the opportunity to put his talents to use! Now, let’s get down to business. How much?”
The assembled managers of the charity exchanged nervous glances, after some quiet prodding, Rachel reluctantly spoke up. “Eight million dollars. It’ll cost at least that much to buy the old Aardvard school building, and then at least two more to renovate and bring it up to code. Leasing is not an option, we’ve spoken with assessor, but he’s unwilling to put the lot up for it.”
A tiger by the name of Bahga spoke up, “Despite the cost, it’s the cheapest option. The current institute building is barely up to code, and we’re really tight for space since the Wary Wooly Warriors torched the second wing.”
“Allegedly,” Swinton said, before shaking her head. “Can you raise the money?”
“If given enough time, yes. We’ve already raised five million through drives and donations,” Rachel said. “But between expenses and the upcoming review by the safety board, we could be evicted from the old building by the end of the month.”
“So you came to me for…” Swinton leaned forward on her desk, her eyes narrowing as her smile widened, “…what, exactly?”
Rachel marshaled her courage and rose to her feet. “W-we would like to arrange for a sizable donation to your upcoming campaign in exchange for a six month delay on the safety inspection. Five hundred thousand dollars.”
Swinton’s smile dropped and she leaned back in her chair. “The safety board is not within my purview, they’re a federal institution whose budget is beyond my ability to control. I’m sorry, but this is out of my jurisdiction.”
“B-but!” Rachel began to say.Swinton raised her hand and silenced her. “How about this, instead? I pull some strings and arrange for the Aardvard school building to go up for lease. For a small down payment, say, five hundred thousand dollars, I could see to it that your organization can move onto the grounds post-haste. From there, it’s up to you to renovate the place as you see fit.”
Rachel beamed and lunged forward, taking Swinton’s hoof in her paws. “Oh! Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’ve done well by a lot of kids, Mayor Swinton!”
Swinton smiled warmly and patted the back of her paw. “Think nothing of it! What with the size and, more importantly, location of the Aardvard building, you could brighten the future of hundreds of kids who otherwise would have been pressured into a life of crime! It’s my civic duty as mayor to do everything in my power to help!”
“If there’s anything you need, Mayor Swinton, all you need do is ask,” Rachel said, her eyes brimming with happy tears.
Swinton cleared her throat and rose to her feet. “Well…now that you mention it…this action I’m taking, well, it cuts through a lot of red tape. In addition to your down payment, I’m afraid I may have to ask the occasional favor from time to time.”
“What kind of favor?” Mr. Bahga asked, cautiously.
“Oh, nothing too serious! Some extra paws and mouths during elections, the odd job here and there. Nothing the kids can’t handle.” Swinton chuckled, glancing aside. “Nothing most of them haven’t already done before.”
“The children?” Mr. Bahga exclaimed. “Uh, Mayor Swinton, if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer the children be kept out of this.”
“Would you?” Swinton said, her eyes cold and set above a warm smile. “What else would you prefer them to be kept out of?”
Mr. Bahga scowled and prepared to speak when Rachel stepped in, her expression desperate. “Nothing, Mayor Swinton! Mr. Bahga just spoke without thinking! We can’t have the kids expecting something for nothing, can we, Klaus?”
Mr. Bahga quailed as Rachel and the others glowered at him. He shook his head and sat back down. Swinton laughed and clapped her hands. “Wonderful! I’ll see to it that a lease is written up in your name. You should be cleared to move in by the end of the week! Maybe you can have the kids learn a thing or two from the contractors as they work on the restoration. A valuable skill! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a three ‘o’clock to prepare for.”
The group nodded and rose to their feet, each extending their various thanks and appreciation towards her, save for Mr. Bahga, who simply followed the line out the door.
Swinton’s smile vanished as soon as the door slammed shut. She planted herself back down into the seat and poured herself a glass of scotch, plunking two ice cubes into it. “Something for nothing. That’s always the way with these people, isn’t it?”
She sipped her scotch and snorted, glancing aside. “Interesting, isn’t it? Some people you have to reward, some people you have to threaten, but at the end of the day it’s their own convictions that keep them under control. They live for those children, they’d do anything to keep them off the streets and out of the wrong paws.” Swinton examined her hoof, smirking lightly. “Or the wrong hooves. I’ll have to take this slow, let them feel safe, secure, and comfortable. And just when those precious little children finally have something valuable enough to lose, I ask for my favor. Down town, on skid row, I have my thumbs in a lot of different pies. A few hundred local kids, born and raised in the slums, would get my various products where they need to go in a discreet, unnoticeable manner. Something for nothing. Brilliant, don’t you think?” Swinton scoffed and flicked her hair out of her eyes. “I’d like to see Wilde shut this one down. Not even he is heartless enough to gun for a charity. And if he is, I’ll see to it that the media crucify him for it.”
Swinton took another swig and sniffed disinterestedly. “Wilde? A dye-in-the-wool bastard if ever there was one. Worst part about him is that he’d be damn near my best friend if he’d just play ball. He knows how the game works, knows it like his own tail, but he’s got a dead bunny on his back keeping him on the straight and narrow. Funny how something like a friend or an enemy is decided by want of a nail.”
She leaned forward and pulled up a file, inside was the graduation confirmation and transfer papers of one July Hopps, a wicked smiled pulled at the corners of Swinton’s mouth. “Ah, now, that’s interesting. When the rabbit screams, the fox comes a’runnin’…run foxy, run.” Swinton laughed and set her glass down, shooting to her feet. “So, how about you stick around for a while, watch me play the game and show you how Zootopia really works? You just might learn something. Come along, then.”
Now back to the main story!
Chapter 6: The Genuine Article
Ambition is not in itself an evil; nor is he to be condemned whose spirit prompts him to seek fame by worthy and honorable ways.
– Francesco Guicciardini
Chapter 7: Morning Glory
Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.
– the Dalai Lama
Chapter 8: The One to Remember
You can have a certain arrogance, and I think that’s fine, but what you should never lose is respect for others.
– Steffi Graf
Chapter 9: A Terrible Thirst
The ice cubes clinked together in the Lalique crystal glass, the ambrosial scotch rippling and lightening as the chilled water mixed in. She brought it up to her snout and sipped delicately, savoring the smoky, peaty flavor of the 25-year single malt. The bite of the overproof and following warmth in her belly eased some of the tension in her shoulders.
‘I can’t say,’ the foreman had said. ‘You’d better get down here.’
Chapter 10: Still a Pig
Swinton walked down the hall, her heavy Preyda purse bumped against her hip in time with her slow, casual stride, her security entourage followed closely behind her as she strode through the doorway and onto the field. Swinton couldn’t help but gawk; the Oasis Stadium, a massive structure designed to seat a respectable percentage of the city’s population, was bustling with countless citizens and visitors. Reflexively she smiled and waved, but was greeted not with cheers, but ire as the massive crowd burst into a hissing, angry buzz, a jostled hornet’s nest of indignant mammals. There was little she could make out, but the overall message was clear, this crowd was only a precious few increments away from storming the field and stringing her up from the nearest street lamp.
Chapter 11: Biter
Well, I think we tried very hard not to be overconfident, because when you get overconfident, that’s when something snaps up and bites you.
– Neil Armstrong
Chapter 12: Savage City
The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery.
– William Kingdon Clifford
Chapter 13: Eye/Tooth
Fear seems to have many causes. Fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of being hurt, and so on, but ultimately all fear is the ego’s fear of death, of annihilation. To the ego, death is always just around the corner. In this mind-identified state, fear of death affects every aspect of your life.
– Eckhart Tolle
Chapter 14: A Life Worth Living, Part 1
What is worth living for and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.
– Lord Byron
Chapter 15: The Bridge, Part 1
Chapter 16: The Bridge, Part 2
He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.
– Thomas Fuller
Chapter 17: The Thin Blue Line
(This was the link mead provided as the quote/story for that chapter. And then he didn’t post the next chapter for 8 more days. I remember that week, it was incredibly stressful. Anyways, let’s move on before I cry- Andy Lagopus)
Chapter 18: Partners
Chapter 19: A Life Worth Living, Part 2
(And here’s the link Mead posted on this chapter. Thank goodness. I will say, there were some good memes, including someone making a whole entire “ending” during the two-week interlude between chapters 17 and 19. You can check that out here, but that’s not the comic we’re here for.)
Chapter 20: A Better Place
(This was actually art by Alec/EightSpartans, hence the slight change in style. Don’t worry though, Mead is still there for the last chapter.)
Chapter 21: Epilogue- The First Day
And there we have it. What a rollercoaster. What a masterpiece. I look forward to seeing what y’all have to say about it down in the comments. And again, Mead, if you see this… thank you. You gave us one of the best comics and stories that this fandom has ever produced.
If you want a touch more of Mead, you can check out the interview we did with him back in 2017. Hopefully he resurfaces at some point. But even if he doesn’t, this comic deserves to be preserved for everyone who missed it in the early days of the fandom. I hope you enjoyed.
And remember, as always…
Try Everything!
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