Cam Kennedy's Commandos

Scottish artist Cam Kennedy has had a long and distinguished career in comics having drawn British characters as well known as Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper while also covering Star Wars for Dark Horse and The Punisher for Marvel in America.

As well as using his Scottish heritage in John Wagner's Punisher - Blood On The Moors, and of course in the Kenny Who? stories in Judge Dredd, he also was the artist on the two Alan Grant adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's novels, Kidnapped and the Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. Indeed his entire set of painted art boards for Kidnapped, as well as his preparatory sketches, were purchased by the National Library Of Scotland in Edinburgh and were displayed to the public during their 2008 exhibition Local Heroes: The Art Of The Graphic Novel.

Amongst his earliest work were the Commando comics that he drew some forty years ago. This weekend Cam Kennedy is appearing at the Dundee Comics Day where he will be giving a talk on his career as well as being reunited with some of the pages of his original artwork from his very first issue of Commando, number 448 Come Out Fighting, which was originally published in December 1969 almost ten years before his art first appeared in 2000AD.

With thanks to Commando editor Calum Laird, downthetubes presents a list of Cam Kennedy's 25 issues of Commando taken from the original Commando office records.

448 - COME OUT FIGHTING (December 1969)
469 - DEATH OF A WIMPEY (April 1970, reprinted as 1335)
471 - MIGHTY MIKE (April 1970, reprinted as 1355 and 4368)
491 - LAST LAUGH (August 1970, reprinted as 1427)
504 - STORM OF STEEL (October 1970)
522 - BIG MIKE (January 1971, reprinted as 1507 and 4439)
545 - DIARY OF A HERO (April 1971, reprinted as 1555 and 4375)
556 - TWO MEN WENT TO WAR ... (June 1971)
568 - BOSS OF THE BARBARY APES (July 1971, reprinted as 4433)
590 - REVENGE OF THE VIPER (October 1971)
604 - DESERT DOUBLE-CROSS (December 1971, reprinted as 1780)
613 - HERO ON HORSEBACK (January 1972, reprinted as 1739)
629 - THE BLACK EAGLE (March 1972, reprinted as 1732)
642 - THE WAR-DEVIL (April 1972, reprinted as 1748)
652 - CHARIOT OF WAR (June 1972, reprinted as 1788)
666 - WHERE THE ACTION IS (July 1972, reprinted as 1827)
676 - ACTION STATIONS (September 1972, reprinted as 1811)
702 - VALLEY OF THE LOST (December 1972, reprinted as 1876)
729 - BRING ON THE TANKS! (March 1973, reprinted as 1924)
750 - HURRI TO THE RESCUE (June 1973, reprinted as 1940)
765 - TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SAILOR (August 1973, reprinted as 1987)
785 - LET BATTLE COMMENCE! (October 1973, reprinted as 1996)
804 - GAS-BAG GUNMEN (January 1974, reprinted as 2036)
825 - FROM OUT OF THE SEA ... (March 1974, reprinted as 2099)
860 - MASSACRE AT MENDHI PASS (August 1974, reprinted as 2155)

There are more details of Commando on the official DC Thomson Commando website.

There are more details of Cam Kennedy's career on his website.

Titan releases Star Wars Comic digital sampler

Seeking to boost subscriptions to Star Wars: The Clone Wars Magazine, Titan Magazines is offering US fans a digital sampler of the title (but UK readers can view it, too).

The title is packed full of incredible features about the hit animated show, as well as brand new and exclusive Star Wars: The Clone Wars comic strip stories.

• View the sampler magazine here

STRIP Magazine digital edition launches

STRIP Magazine Issue 1 may not be on sale in good UK comic shops until next week (Wednesday 2nd November) but the digital edition - which has the same cover price but obviously doesn't include the giveaway Mirabilis poster - is on sale now as an iPad comic.

The digital edition is the result of a partnership between new graphic novel and magazine company Print Media Productions and Britain's mobile comic publisher ROK Comics. The first issue is now available worldwide for iPad from the Apple iTunes store (the print edition is only available in the UK).

STRIP Magazine is an adventure anthology comic featuring some great art and stories from some brilliant creators including PJ Holden (Judge Dredd), John McCrea (Hitman, The Boys), Michael Penick (Insurrection), John Ridgway and many more.

Offering a range of strip stories, comics news, interviews and features, plus a fully re-mastered version of the classic British comic strip Hookjaw, this is a first issue you will not want to miss!

ROK Comics partnership with Print Media Productions is one of several new agreements with comics publishers and comic creators. These include the release of an iPad edition of The Iron Moon, a steampunk graphic novel created by acclaimed film writer Stephen Walsh and veteran British artist Keith Page. A special 'prequel' strip for The Iron Moon appears in STRIP Magazine #1.

The opening page of Black Ops Xtreme,
drawn by PJ Holden.
© Print Media Productions

ROK Comics recently launched its first fully originated comic, TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. which is initially being published as a weekly web comic (at http://www.theteammobile.com/), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

ROK Comics has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone and iPad apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

As STRIP Magazine's editor, I'm delighted that thanks to the iPad, we're able to offer STRIP Magazine worldwide (thanks also to the creators who feature for their support). This is our first stab at a digital version of the magazine and we're hoping that later issues will take further advantage of the opportunities offered by the iPad platform.

• STRIP Magazine #1 can be downloaded at: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/strip-magazine-1/id474222695?mt=8

• Visit ROK Comics at: http://www.rokcomics.com/

Keith Page steampunk creation 'The Iron Moon' goes digital

Britain's dedicated mobile comics publisher ROK Comics, has just launched an iPad edition of the steampunk graphic novel The Iron Moon, a creator-owned comic story by acclaimed Commando comics artist Keith Page and film writer Stephen Walsh.

Described as 'Rorke's Drift in Space', The Iron Moon is a fast-paced steampunk-inspired adventure starring no-nonsense adventuress Charlotte Corday and is now available worldwide for iPad from the Apple iTunes store.

In the story, the twentieth century is just around the corner and Queen Victoria is hale and hearty as she heads into the second century of her reign. The British Empire stretches from the white cliffs of Dover to the red skies of Mars. Go-getting men and women of the imperial dominions flock to the colours, eager to make reputations and fortunes in the wilds of high space.

Take lieutenant Charlotte Corday, for instance. Born in what used to be known as France, she has risen to prominence through the ranks of the Royal Space Navy and now finds herself up to her neck in her greatest escapade yet. Watch as she travels to the mysterious Iron Moon! Marvel as she grapples with a conspiracy that may see the galaxy plunged into war! Goggle as she meets new and strange races, both mechanical and biological! Ponder how she manages to put away so many cups of tea! And prepare to have your brain scrambled as she scoops us up and carries us to the very limits of this universe... and into the next!

ROK Comics partnership with Stephen and Keith is one of several new agreements with comics publishers and comic creators. These include the release of an iPad edition of the first issue of the adventure anthology comic STRIP Magazine, published by Print Media Productions, which includes a special 'prequel' strip for The Iron Moon.

Iron Moon writer Stephen Walsh has written multiple volumes of DC Thomson's Commando Picture Library, as well as the graphic novel The Acid Bath Case (illustrated by Kellie Strom). He co-wrote the feature films How Harry Became A Tree, released in 2001, directed by Goran Paskaljevic and the upcoming Where The Sea Used To Be, directed by Paul Farren. He's currently working on a documentary about John Ford with the director Sé Merry Doyle, as well as preparing further adventures of Charlotte Corday with Keith Page.
Inspired by the great British comics artists of the past such as Frank Hampson, Don Lawrence and Joe Colquhoun, Keith Page has worked full-time in comics and illustration for some 17 years. Subjects have ranged from television-related material such as Thunderbirds, science fiction, and his current war stories of all periods for Commando.

This isn't, of course, the first time Charlotte Corday has featured digitally. Keith Page previously created two adventures which have been offered on mobile phones and published another strip, Witchcraft Street, as a web comic.


A variety of Keith's work can be seen on www.keithpageukcomicsartist.blogspot.com.

ROK Comics recently launched its first fully originated comic, TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. which is initially being published as a weekly web comic (at www.theteammobile.com), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

The company has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone and iPad apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

• The Iron Moon can be downloaded for £4.99 at: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-iron-moon/id472627046?mt=8


• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com


• A print edition of The Iron Moon is available from Print Media Productions – www.printmediaproductions.com