Commando: Two Exhibitions & Four New Issues

As the 50th anniversary year of the Eagle Award winning Commando continues apace, there are currently two different free Commando art exhibitions on in the UK. Dundee University has the Commando Battlelines exhibition while London's National Army Museum has the Draw Your Weapons exhibition. Commando cover artist Ian Kennedy painted a special Commando image to promote the National Army Museum exhibition which has been used on all its advertising, including posters on the London Underground, and editor Calum Laird and chief-sub Scott Montgomery are shown above with Ian's original artwork.

In the meantime Commando continues to be published at four issues every two weeks and the current batch are available in newsagents from today.

4439 - Big Mike

Originally Issue 522 (January 1971), re-issued as 1507 (May 1981)
Story: A.C. Allen
Art: Cam Kennedy
Cover: Ian Kennedy

Like mighty steel fists the long line of British tanks smashed through the German defences and kept on going, straight into Nazi Germany. Each dusty mile took them deeper into trouble and further away from help — but the column never faltered. Only the CO, big Mike Madden, a tough, tough hero knew where they were going…and the reason why they were all risking their necks on this top-secret mission. And every time he thought about it, the sweat broke out on his brow…

4440 - VLR Very Long Range

Originally Issue 2149 (January 1988), re-issued as 3603 (March 2003)
Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Denis McLoughlin
Cover Art: Jeff Bevan

The backroom boffins seemed to be on to a real winner this time. They’d built some new rifles, high-powered ones which could strike at targets over three miles away! It was a bit different from a trusty Lee Enfield which could, with luck, propel a bullet just over a mile. So when Commando Captain Robert Terry saw these very long range weapons being tested he knew just how they could be used. He didn’t know what he was letting himself in for…

4441 - The Stranger From The Sea

Story: Mac MacDonald
Art: Keith Page
Cover Art: Keith Page

When the crew of a German Mk VII U-boat picked up a body floating in the icy North Sea they were amazed to find that somehow the man was still alive. When the stranger came round, though, the mystery man had no memory of who he was or how he’d got there. It seemed he could understand both German and English, but whose side was he on…?

4442 - Hyperfire!

Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Rezzonico
Cover Art: Janek Matysiak

When the might of the German Blitzkrieg overwhelmed Poland at the beginning of World War II, Sergeant Adem Kozcki of the Polish Army found himself on the run with a survivor from the staff of a destroyed weapons development facility. They had reason to run, for a ruthless SS weapons expert was on their tails and would not stop until he found them. Why? Because he was after two highly-experimental machine guns rescued from the facility — one of which had a devastating firing rate of 500 rounds per second. This wasn’t rapid fire. This was HYPERFIRE!

• Official Commando web site: http://www.commandocomics.com/

• Commando Official Facebook page

• Click here for subscription information or write to: D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd, The Subscribers Department, Commando Library, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL or Freephone (UK only) 0800 318846

• Commando is also available for iPad and iPhone. The apps are free to download through the Apple iTunes App Store and a digital subscription is priced at £4.99 per month, compared to a £99 annual print subscription. For those not sure there are four free issues to download prior to making a purchase.

• Commando Comics iPhone App on iTunes

• Commando Comics iPad App on iTunes

Commando Webbing: Comics History, Interviews & Downloads

DC Thomson's official Commando website has recently added a lot of content inspired by the Draw Your Weapons exhibition of Commando artwork at the National Army Museum in Chelsea. The entire section of the website is indexed here and, while all of it is worth a read, there are a few sections worthy of a special mention in dispatches.

There is an impressive three part illustrated history of British adventure papers/comics from Boy's Own in 1855, via The Magnet and The Gem to the present concentrating, of course, on DCT's own boys titles. The series of articles begins here.

In addition to this history, which mentions the DCT WWII pilot character Matt Braddock VC who appeared in various DCT titles including Rover, Victor and Warlord, the website has included the entire first chapter of the I Flew With Braddock novel that was published in 1959. This novel reprints the weekly Braddock text stories from The Rover and is effectively the story paper equivalent of the modern day graphic novels that reprint the weekly stories of 2000AD or Battle. The first chapter of the novel can be read here.

Complementing the pictures elsewhere, ten different Commando issues are focused on with credits, cover illustrations and comments on each from Commando editor Calum Laird and former editor George Low. These covers begin here.

To promote the Nation Army Museum exhibition, cover artist Ian Kennedy produced a new illustration, shown above, for the museum's poster in the style of a Commando cover. This artwork is available to download as a PC wallpaper.

Finally there is a video interview featuring current and former editors, Calum Laird and George Low, and deputy editor Scott Montgomery talking to cover artist Ian Kennedy about his work on Commando covers. This is a rare opportunity to hear one of the greatest living British comics artists talking about his work.

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

There are more details of the Draw Your Weapons exhibition at the National Army Museum website.

Commando "Draw Your Weapons" exhibition opens at National Army Museum

The National Army Museum has just opened its small, but perfectly formed, exhibition based on the art of Commando comic, and Richard Sheaf was there for downthetubes on its opening night...

The official opening night on Thursday (having been open to the public on Thursday morning) saw members of the Commando production team (ex-editor George Low, current editor Calum Laird, deputy editor Scott Montgomery, artist Keith Page and scriptwriter Alan Hebden) take pride of place amongst the great and the good.

The exhibition features an unprecedented opportunity to see over 50 stunning original pieces of cover artwork by the likes of Ian Kennedy (over 30 pieces alone), Jordi Penalva (10 pieces), Ken Barr (four pieces), Keith Walker, Gordon Livingstone and Phil Gascoigne.




Some of the pieces featured include the cover artwork for Commando Number One (Walk or Die!), the covers of issues number 11, 71 & 98 as well as the original Commando dagger and the illustration made of it that graced so many issues (you can also see the stern warning on the original art that says “Please return to GM Low, Commando, 7th floor”).




In fact, the only problem with the exhibition is, really, how small it is. 50 covers sounds fantastic (and the art is great) until you remember that there nearly 4,500 issues, meaning that such a small proportion of art is on show here and the museum so large that it’s a shame a bigger space couldn’t have been found to display even more artwork. The exhibition really is just about the covers and the birth of the Commando’s as a unit as there just isn’t space to go into all the other aspects of Commando(‘s).




On sale in the shop are Issue 4419 (the tie in issue to the National Army Museum), the large Carlton reprint volumes, the new thin three-story reprints, the Commando calendar, a fridge magnet, postcard, drawing set and (a month ahead of its official publication) George Low’s enormous, superb-looking 175 page, full colour throughout, behind the scenes look at everything Commando: 50 Years a Home for Heroes.

• The exhibition runs for eight months (until 30th April 2012) and is well worth a visit. More info at: http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/special-displays/draw-your-weapons-art-commando-comics

• More pictures from the opening night on Flickr here

 Other Coverage

Online

• Culture 24 - Draw Your Weapons
 
• The Daily Mail

• Daily Telegraph - Draw Your Weapons
• ITN - Draw Your Weapons
• Time Out - Draw Your Weapons 

In Print

• Big Issue - 10 things to do this week in London: Draw Your Weapons
(Number 3)

• Families Journal - Draw Your Weapons, page 6

All artwork copyright DC Thomson. Our thanks to the National Army Museum for the invite.

Toffs, Killer Condors and deadly Paras in new Commandos

The latest issues of Commando are on sale now in all good newsagents – and there's a fine mix of stories this month, which also sees the start of the exhibition of art from the long-running comic at London's National Army Musueum.

We've included a reminder about that and some special events tied in with it at the bottom of this feature.

Commando 4423: Mercy for None!
Originally Commando No 4 (July 1961), re-issued as No 2547 (March 1992)
Story: Castle Art: Gordon Livingstone Cover Art: Ken Barr

Sitting tensely together in the Dakota on their way to the night drop into Occupied Europe, ten hand-picked paratroopers jokingly nicknamed themselves the ten little soldier boys. Fate must have smiled, for it turned out to be a grim and deadly jest.

One by one, at the hands of the Nazis, they were picked off. One by one, they died the death of heroes…


Mercy For None!

"They say that gallows humour is the darkest of all," notes by Commando Editor Calum Laird in his introduction to this reprint issue of Commando. "And this story has the blackest stripe of that type of humour running right through it. As the Paras at the centre of the action begin to meet their fates, one of their numbers starts to recite a macabre rhyme which can have only one fatal ending.
"
Artist Gordon Livingstone, in one of his earliest outings for Commando, enhances the darkness of the tale with generous use of black ink while cover artist Ken Barr leaves you in no doubt that there’s plenty of action waiting inside.

"Classic Commando — you can see, and read, why they were such a runaway hit from Day One."

Commando 4424: Tunnel of Doom
Originally Commando No 450 (January 1970), re-issued as No 1271 (November 1978)
Story: Allan Art: Bielsa Cover Art: Jordi Penalva

Flat on his stomach on the railway line, Private Andy Morgan crawled forward grimly. It was up to him to stop a Nazi armoured train — and all he had to do it with was one single hand-grenade.
And what made it even tougher for Andy was that the only two guys with him were the type who would pack up and run if things got dicey.

In this brilliant tale we meet a couple of ne’er’do’wells who seem to positively revel in their bad attitude and lack of discipline," notes Commando Deputy Editor Scott Montgomery.

"The aptly named Dodger Harland and Scrounger Dunville are classic Commando characters and it’s not long before they’ve had a bad influence over Andy Morgan, our fledgling hero.

"However, when push comes to shove, perhaps these two aren’t quite what they seem…Redemption is a common Commando theme and this cracking story, with its gritty interior art and a superbly painted cover by Penalva, has an eerily original spin on it.

Commando No 4425: Pride of the Desert
Story: Alan Hebden Art: Benet Cover Art: Benet

What do you get if you send a marauding, aristocratic “Toffs Brigade” on a race against time to recover their stolen regimental silver?

You get a rip-roaring adventure, that’s what!

And if that’s not enough, don’t forget to add a battered but trusty Bedford QL lorry nicknamed “Queenie”…better known as the Pride of the Desert!

Commando 4426: Killer Condor 
Story: Mac Macdonald Art: Carlos Pino Cover Art: Carlos Pino

“Relax, it’s one of ours.” So said the U-boat’s look out as the looming shape of a Focke-Wulf Condor appeared over them.

Unfortunately the crew of the bomber didn’t seem to realise that the sub was on their side for its lethal payload was soon tumbling down to bring destruction and death to the men below.

The Killer Condor had struck again but surely at the wrong target…

Draw Your Weapons Special Events

Here's a reminder of the run down of events that are part of the Draw Your Weapons exhibition featuring art from Commando at the National Army Museum in London this month.

When the Comics Went to War
8th September 2011, 7.00pm

Exploring the history of the British war comic book genre, from the first publications to the present day, this talk charts the evolving depiction of warfare and the experiences of the children who lived through it.

Draw Your Weapons Art Workshop
5th, 12th and 26th November 2011 2.00pm-3.30pm

Exclusive workshops for budding artists of all ages to learn new techniques, design their own storyboard and hear the tales behind the artwork. These Saturday workshops will be hosted by popular comic illustrators and by acclaimed war artists.

• For the latest information visit: www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/special-displays/draw-your-weapons-art-commando-comics

• Official Commando web site: http://www.commandocomics.com/

• Commando Official Facebook page


• Click here for subscription information or write to: D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd, The Subscribers Department, Commando Library, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL or Freephone (UK only) 0800 318846  

• Commando is also available for iPad and iPhone. The apps are free to download through the Apple iTunes App Store and a digital subscription is priced at £4.99 per month, compared to a £99 annual print subscription. For those not sure there are four free issues to download prior to making a purchase.  

• Commando Comics iPhone App on iTunes

• Commando Comics iPad App on iTunes

Draw Your Weapons! New Commandos are on sale now...

The latest issues of Britain's only monthly war comic, Commando, are on sale now – and along with those comes details of the Draw Your Weapons exhibition at the National Army Museum, which includes a number of special events, listed below, which include appearances by artist Keith Page and editor Calum Laird.

Commando No 4419: The Mystery And The Museum
Story: Mac MacDonald Art: Keith Page Cover Art: Keith Page

It was a relic of a past British Army campaign in a far-flung corner of the world. Just another piece of military gear dropped and forgotten in the heat of battle.

Even so, the man who had found it, Sergeant John Rogers, wanted to know more and took it to the National Army Museum. There it was quickly identified as a Foreign Service Cork Helmet and the owner's name in faded ink was made out on the lining.

So what was the real story of soldier Ben Trimshaw and how did his headgear come to be abandoned in a remote watchtower in Afghanistan?

"It’s well known that the home of the best action and adventure stories is Commando," says editor Calum Laird of this story. "Likewise, the best place to go for the history of the British Army is Chelsea, and specifically the National Army Museum. Like Commando, it does exactly what it says on the tin.

"And what does that have to do with this story? Well, when the Museum and Commando got together to mount an exhibition of our artwork, imaginations were fired to produce a story that would feature the talents of both, dare I say it, institutions.

"So, with the advice of the NAM experts, the fevered imagination of writer Mac MacDonald and the artistic skills of Keith Page a unique story was created. The story you have in your hands. We have enjoyed putting it together, we hope you enjoy reading it just as much."

Commando 4420: Scourge of the Stormbirds
Story: Ferg Handley Art: Olivera Cover Art: Ian Kennedy

By 1945 the end of World War II was nigh. Frank Bailey, a USAAF squadron leader just wanted to make sure his team would survive to see the end of the conflict.

So Frank trained his boys hard, constantly impressing on them that each time they flew their P51 Mustangs against Nazi fighters it could be their last.

And that was before they encountered Germany’s newest weapon, the sleek, jet-propelled Me262 — the deadly Stormbird...

Commando 4421: Ambush Zone
Originally Commando No 3128 (March 1988)
Story: Ferg Handley Art: Olivera Cover Art: Mike White

It was an area of dense jungle with a few faint trails criss-crossing, some leading nowhere. Yet somehow a British platoon had to navigate this wilderness — and protect a young native whose influence could help turn the tide of war against the Japanese.

All this with a ruthless enemy lying in wait, setting up one deadly ambush after another

"This story is more up-to-date than some of this year’s re-issues and there’s a very good reason why," says foremer Commando editor George Low in his introduction to this story. "Most of you will be familiar with Ferg Handley and his work and this is the second script I commissioned from him, “Lucky Lenny”, No. 3102, being the first.

“Ambush Zone” is a gripping story set in the jungle with a British patrol and their guide pitting their wits against a deadly enemy, the inside artwork executed well by Olivera and the eye-catching cover by Mike White."

Commando 4422: Mad Mike
Originally Commando No 335 (June 1968)
Story: Mac MacDonald Art: Victor de la Fuente Cover Art: Gordon Livingstone

Take a good look at the guy on the cover. He’s putting up quite a fight, but just a few weeks ago he was a shambling deserter on the run.

Yet he has only one man to thank for turning him from a selfish coward into a fighting fury…Mad Mike, the man the Japs could just not face.

"If you were to come up with a design brief for an artist to create a quintessential Commando cover, you wouldn’t go far wrong if you had this one in mind," notes Calum Laird. "In the background a vividly-coloured sky, full of drama and menace. And in the foreground a powerful figure blasting out of the frame with a Bren Gun. It really doesn’t get more Commando than that.

"And what a title!

"Inside the cover the art and the tale don’t disappoint. Victor Fuente’s figures have action and movement while Mac MacDonald’s story is a classic of action, feuding and…but wait, if I say more I may give the game away. This is one to read. Right now!"

Draw Your Weapons Special Events

Here's the run down of events that are part of the Draw Your Weapons exhibition at the National Army Museum in London in September.

When the Comics Went to War
8th September 2011, 7.00pm

Exploring the history of the British war comic book genre, from the first publications to the present day, this talk charts the evolving depiction of warfare and the experiences of the children who lived through it.

Draw Your Weapons Art Workshop
5th, 12th and 26th November 2011 2.00pm-3.30pm

Exclusive workshops for budding artists of all ages to learn new techniques, design their own storyboard and hear the tales behind the artwork. These Saturday workshops will be hosted by popular comic illustrators and by acclaimed war artists.

• For the latest information visit: www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/special-displays/draw-your-weapons-art-commando-comics

• Official Commando web site: http://www.commandocomics.com/

• Commando Official Facebook page


• Click here for subscription information or write to: D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd, The Subscribers Department, Commando Library, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL or Freephone (UK only) 0800 318846  

• Commando is also available for iPad and iPhone. The apps are free to download through the Apple iTunes App Store and a digital subscription is priced at £4.99 per month, compared to a £99 annual print subscription. For those not sure there are four free issues to download prior to making a purchase.  

• Commando Comics iPhone App on iTunes

• Commando Comics iPad App on iTunes

Army Museum goes Commando

Scenes of action and adventure will fill the walls of the National Army Museum as 'Draw Your Weapons: The Art of Commando Comics', their newest exhibition, kicks off on Thursday 1st September 2011.

This colourful and dynamic exhibition explores the heritage of the war comic from its initial conception, its heroic subject-matter and its continuing popularity - and boasts original Commando equipment and histories from the Museum's Collection as well as the iconic dagger featured on the front of the Commando comic.

Launched in partnership with leading publisher, DC Thomson, the exhibition will showcase key artwork and illustrations that draw on the 50 years of the Commando series.

Established by Royal Charter to tell the story of the Land Forces of the Crown, the National Army Museum in Chelsea, London, explores the impact of the British Army on the story of Britain, Europe and the world; how Britain's past has helped to shape our present and our future and how the actions of a few can affect the futures of many.

"War comics have huge appeal for all," says exhibition curator Robert Fleming. "They're packed with bold, brave tales and images which communicate the complexities of conflicts. The National Army Museum is delighted to work with DC Thomson to host this exhibition and celebrate Commando’s 50 successful years."

"Everyone at Commando is delighted that this major exhibition of artwork is to be hosted by the National Army Museum, as one of the key activities of our 50th anniversary celebrations," adds Calum Laird, editor of Commando at DC Thomson. "We're sure that fans of Commando old and new, will revel in this display of comic art at its best, exhibited so dynamically by the National Army Museum."

• Draw Your Weapons: The Art of Commando Comics opens 1st September 2011. The exhibition's web page on the National Army Museum web site is here. The National Army Museum is situated on Royal Hospital Road, directly next door to the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

• Commando comic: www.commandocomics.com

• National Army Museum: www.nam.ac.uk

Commando © 2011 DC Thomson & Co. Ltd