Remember, remember... one of the greatest comics ever

As it's now November 5th it's an appropriate time to remember one of the greatest graphic novels of all time. Or the less pretentious "fat comics" as its author once called such books. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd made its debut in Des Skinn's anthology comic Warrior No.1 back in 1982, and made an immediate impact on its readers. 

Nothing quite like it had appeared in British comics before, or since. A political thriller with an anarchist as its hero, fighting a corrupted Britain of the (then) near future of 1997. Oh sure, there had been many anti-heroes in UK comics before, and there had been many scenarios of a Britain under a corrupt government (usually via a hostile takeover by a foreign power)... but V for Vendetta was about our own government becoming fascistic, and its treatment of its people. Shades of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, certainly, but a new concept for a British adventure comic. 

The protagonist had the perfect disguise; inspired by Guy Fawkes and wearing a mask to suit, he succeeded where Fawkes had failed, and blew up the Houses of Parliament in episode one. A few issues later, the Old Bailey copped it too, after V gave a stirring speech about Madam Justice not being the lover he once knew. 

It wasn't all about buildings exploding though. The vendetta was dealt to individuals too, who had abused their power and their people. All conveyed with Alan Moore's eloquent writing and David Lloyd's dark, perfectly atmospheric artwork. 

There's more to the story than that... but those of you who have read it won't be interested in me writing a synopsis (I hate reviews that are just synopses) and those of you who haven't read it (if you've reached this far) won't want any spoilers. Perhaps your only knowledge of V for Vendetta is from the movie version of 2005? As movie adaptations go, it had its moments (I felt that Hugo Weaving's voice and delivery was perfect for V) but also had too many changes and not the right tone or depth. To experience V for Vendetta at it's best, read the graphic novel. 

The original comic strips were published in black and white when it appeared in Warrior, but when DC Comics reprinted it, they wanted it in colour to appeal to American collectors who were more used to colour comics. I still prefer the black and white version, but it has to be said that the subtle use of colours under the guideship of David Lloyd works well. 

No article on V for Vendetta today would be complete if I ignored the item of merchandise seen across the world. The 'V' masks, bought in huge quantities and now worn by demonstrators on protests against real life governments. Life has imitated art.

Remember, remember, the 5th of November then... and be safe on Bonfire Night. Why not curl up with a good book instead? And there are few better than V for Vendetta! Check if your local bookshop or library has a copy. 

****************************************************

The unseen Warrior!

Every comic starts with an idea, and often with a "dummy issue" to give publishers or distributors an idea of what it'll look like. Those dummy issues are often quite different to the end product, and can utilise edited material from other comics just to give a flavour of the style of content. Once approved, the dummy issues are forgotten, and never released to the public, as work commences on production of the actual comic that will be issue one.

Well, now you can see what the dummy issue of Warrior was like, way back in 1982. Dez Skinn has published it (which he's titled No.0) in a limited quantity that you can order by post directly from him. Payment to be made by PayPal to Dezskinn1@yahoo.co.uk for £15.95 plus £2.00 UK postage, or by postal order (uncrossed) made payable to Quality. Details are on the supplied graphic below...

Dez has also set up a Warrior Facebook page which gives updates on the project and I'm sure he'll answer any queries you might have:

https://www.facebook.com/WarriorMagazine1982/

30 Year Flashback: WARRIOR No.1

When Warrior made its debut in UK newsagents in March 1982 the landscape of British comics was very different to today. With a few exceptions, the frequency of most comics was still weekly, as publishers felt that if a kid had to wait a month for an issue he'd rapidly lose interest. Of course, Warrior wasn't exactly aimed at the same demographic as Tiger or The Hotspur so it was hoped that older readers would have a bit more loyalty and patience. Even so, it was a brave risk by editor/publisher Dez Skinn and his Quality Communications company.

Dez was no stranger to comics, having been a fan all his life, working on fanzines (including the first Warrior as a six issue stripzine), then on the staff at IPC's Buster, through his revamping of the whole Marvel UK line, to editing British Mad and House of Hammer magazine amongst other credits. Bringing that experience to Warrior meant that the new comic looked a slick and strong product from the start.

One of the things Dez understood was that covers should have clarity to stand out on the shelves, and the bold unfussy logo coupled with the impact of Steve Dillon's artwork (coloured by Garry Leach) ensured that.

With 52 pages for 50p Warrior was thicker and more expensive than most other British comics of the time but it certainly felt value for money. (The interior pulp paper helped too, making it feel at though it had more pages than it actually had.) Kicking off with an editorial by Dez instead of the traditional fictitious comic editor showed from the outset that here was a comic that was going to treat its readers like adults.


The identity of the mysterious silhouette on the cover was revealed in the first story. Marvelman had returned to comics after an absence of 19 years. Gone were the childlike stories of old, replaced by an intelligent script by Alan Moore and realistic artwork by Garry Leach. One of the things that Alan brought to British comics (and later influenced American comics) was his ear for natural dialogue which he'd combine with imaginative plots to tell stories that were gripping and intelligent. So radical was this that some writers today are still trying to emulate those techniques of three decades ago.

Compelling as this revamped Marvelman was, I'm sure that many readers would have been unfamiliar with the character prior to Warrior, so Dez provided a handy four page history lesson for us.


The second strip in the issue was The Spiral Path by Steve Parkhouse. Some of Steve's early work had been published as Marvel pin-ups on the back pages of Fantastic (a duty also achieved by Barry Smith) so it was remarkable to see how far he'd progressed by 1982.


Next up was a two page complete tale, A True Story?, by Steve Moore and Dave Gibbons. Polished work as always.


This was followed by The Legend of Prester John by Steve Moore and John Bolton, - a reprint from House of Hammer. Excellent line and grey wash artwork which unfortunately reproduced somewhat muddy on the cheap paper.


Next came the strip that would have the most impact: V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. As brilliant as all the material in Warrior No.1 was I always felt that this series was the highlight. Atmospheric, intriguing, and carrying valid political messages, V for Vendetta deserved all the plaudits that it would soon acquire. (If your only exposure to the character is through the movie, treat yourself to the graphic novel for the far superior original source.)


Following V came a tale of mysticism from ancient times (a popular theme of comics back then); Father Shandor, Demon Stalker. The character had originated in the Hammer movie Dracula, Prince of Darkness, which had been adapted into strip form in House of Hammer magazine. For Warrior, Dez Skinn, Steve Moore and John Bolton had the Christian monk battle demons.


The final strip in issue one was Laser Eraser and Pressbutton, some light relief by Steve Moore and Steve Dillon. The character of Axel Pressbutton had originally appeared in the music weekly Sounds in the continuing strip The Stars My Degredation, written and drawn by Alan Moore. Much as I liked Steve Dillon's artwork, I always preferred Alan Moore's version. He made the psychotic cyborg look more... psychotic somehow.


Rounding off the issue was a two page biography of all the contributors. This was another welcome move for a British comic as back then many comics, particularly those of DC Thomson, still enforced anonymity on creators, forbidding them to even sign their work.

So that was Warrior No.1, in the shops 30 years ago, starting out with a strong line up that would sadly diminish a little over its 26 issue run. I won't go into the in-fighting and reasons for that as today is all about celebrating what impact it had on comics. Marvelman proved that superheroes could be handled maturely, V for Vendetta raised the bar for comics literature, and Warrior as a whole showed that British comics didn't have to always pander to kids or be restricted to the old ways of storytelling. Along the way it inspired comics such as The Daredevils and Blast! and today, the influence of Warrior is still with us with comics such as Strip Magazine and CLiNT.

Dez Skinn's website for more info: http://dezskinn.com/