Whenever newspapers and the media run a story about Desperate Dan they often like to claim that he's been given a "politically correct makeover" and that he's no longer allowed to eat cow pies. This usually panders to their anti-liberal readers and keeps them buying their favourite newspaper, content that it provides them with a haven of common sense and acts as an anti-PC comfort blanket.
It's all nonsense of course. The worst example I recall was this one from the Daily Mail. Not only did it make the silly claim whilst illustrating it with a modern picture of Desperate Dan eating a cow pie (thus contradicting themselves), the paper contacted the daughter of Albert Barnes (The Dandy's original editor) and convinced her of their claim just to upset her for the sake of a few soundbites.
As the cover of this week's Dandy proves, (above), Desperate Dan still enjoys stuffing his face with cow pies.
This week's issue is packed with all-new fun strips as usual, and features the final Kid Cops strip for now. I'm taking a break to draw new Postman Prat strips so expect to see that character return sometime in the summer.
The Dandy No.3534. 32 full colour pages for £1.50.
Although it's been running for fifty years, Commando isn't always easy to find in shops these days. As an incentive to new subscribers, D.C. Thomson is offering the latest Commando Collection, Rogue Raiders as a gift.
The issues included in the mammoth paperback are:
526 Operation Firebrand!
225 Half-Pint Commando
1159 Terror Team
639 The Iron Sergeant
544 Time of Terror
1435 The Mad Major
1864 Spring the Trap
1750 A Born Leader
1628 Marked Man
2116 Ten Tough Paratroopers
Whether you're a subscriber or whether you buy them from your newsagent/supermarket, here's details of the latest four issues that are out today. (They're also available on digital from the official Commando website at http://www.commandocomics.com/ )
Commando No 4391: BATTLING BRADLEY
It didn’t matter very much what you gave Ken Bradley, boxer turned paratrooper, to fight with. His bare fists made him a match for a handful of Germans any day.
But give him a gun, especially a Tommy gun, and he’d take on anything that had a swastika painted on it. Even a tank…or a pill-box! What a man to have a your side.
Introduction by Calum Laird, Commando Editor
A story packed with action centred round a man determined to settle a debt of honour is archetypal Commando fare, isn’t it? If it wasn’t for the sting in the tail this would be a good action story. The twist makes it a great one. One which has stuck in my mind for the years since 1967.
Cortes’ artwork has a darkness about it which lends depth to the story and the cover really sums up what the whole thing’s about. I like to think that Commando’s still about the story values you see here and that someone reading a new tale today will remember it for as long.
Battling Bradley, originally Commando No 252 (March 1967), re-issued as No 923 (April 1975)
Story: Lester
Art: Cortes
Cover Art: Hall
Commando No 4392: COSSACK
For centuries the Cossack horsemen rode to war over the mighty steppes, their sabres red with blood, their savage battle-cries chilling their enemies with fear. But their greatest battles came in the Second World War when they pitted horse and sabre against Nazi tanks and machine guns.
I was a hard, tough war, even for the Cossacks — so you can guess what it was like for an RAF air-gunner who escaped from a German prison camp and rode with them!
Introduction by George Low, former Commando Editor
An RAF air gunner, just escaped from a German prison camp and riding with a distrustful band of sabre-wielding Cossack warriors, should be enough to get any keen Commando reader reaching for a copy.
A challenging cover from Penalva and inside artwork from the incomparable Victor de la Fuente will more than satisfy the most demanding of fans. Peter Newark wrote the script and he was a master at this type of story which was the sixth to go on sale in 1970.
Cossack, originally Commando No 454 (January 1970), re-issued as No 1275 (December 1978)
Story: Peter Newark
Art: Victor de la Fuente
Cover Art: Penalva
Commando No 4393: Operation Leviathan
When the German onslaught forced France to capitulate in 1940, Frenchmen were forced to choose between co-existing with the invaders by serving the Vichy government or fighting on with the Allies. When Allied ships bombarded the French fleet to prevent it falling into German hands, killing many French sailors in the process, French loyalties were further divided.
Which way would the crew of the mighty French submarine Leviathan — with her twin eight-inch guns and ability to disappear below the waves — go?
Story: Sean Blair
Art: John Ridgway
Cover Art: John Ridgway
Commando No 4394: FLAK ALLEY
In 1943, Pilot Officer Chris Buckley completed his photo-reconnaissance course and was delighted to be out of a stuffy classroom. Finally he was at the controls of a P51 Mustang.
As expected, he soon found himself dodging flak in the skies above German-occupied Europe. What he didn’t expect was to be dodging even more flak from his CO who was convinced that Chris wasn’t up to the job!
Story: Ferg Handley
Art: Vila
Cover Art: Ian Kennedy
Although it's only May, Amazon already have the 2012 dated annuals listed for pre-order. Although children's annuals used to be a traditional Christmas gift it appears that isn't the case so much these days. Therefore the books come out even earlier, presumably so they can be read during the summer holidays or given as birthday presents. August/September used to be the publication date, last year they were in the shops the last week of July. This year, according to Amazon, The Dandy and The Beano annuals are scheduled for 10th July although some of the other titles are scheduled for later in the year.
Despite this, as you can see from the covers above, The Beano Annual 2012 has a lively winter scene, which may still encourage some parents to save the book for a Christmas present. (I hope so, as the three-page Super School I have in there has a Christmas theme, with snow on the logo for good measure.)
The Dandy Annual 2012 surprisingly uses an old masthead from the late 1970s/early 1980s. This might not be as strange a decision as one might first think. As these books are bought by parents and grandparents perhaps a retro logo might grab their attention? Whatever the reason, it's a good strong logo. As for the contents, I'm not sure what else will be in there yet but I've drawn a two page Kid Cops strip for it.
A trek around Amazon.co.uk shows that there will again be numerous annuals devoted to various licensed properties, from In the Night Garden to Ben 10, some of which might even feature comic strips if you're lucky. The lack of original, non-licensed annuals is depressing but not unexpected. This has been the standard for years, and we're now at the situation where the retail staff of newsagents, supermarkets etc would have grown up only expecting comics to be tied into a licensed product. Therefore they're not likely to order anything that doesn't have TV, game, or movie endorsement. It appears to be too late to turn back the clock.
That said, at least we still have annuals for Dandy, Beano, and Viz. Cherish them while you still can.
The Bristol International Comic & Small Press Expo on 14th-15th May will see the launch of a special 16 page preview issue of Strip Magazine, the new UK adventure comic from Print Media Productions.
Editor John Freeman will be at the event where the promotional issue will be given away free to attendees. John will also be giving a talk about the new comic and Print Media's graphic album range (such as The Iron Moon, reviewed here recently) at 1.30pm on Sunday 15th May at the expo.
The 16 page preview gives readers a sample of the forthcoming strips such as Warpaint by Phil Hester and John McCrea, Black Ops Extreme by John Freeman and PJ Holden, and Age of Heroes by James Hudnall and John Ridgway. There's also a preview of forthcoming albums from the company.
Having seen a sneak preview of the strips I can vouch that they're all top quality and should appeal to all ages. Strip Magazine looks like it's shaping up to be exactly the sort of new adventure comic we need.
To follow the progress of the new comic, visit the Strip Magazine blog here:
http://stripcomicmagazineuk.blogspot.com/
For full details of the Bristol International Comic & Small Press Expo visit their website here:
http://www.fantasyevents.org/bristolcomicexpo/index.html
The Dandy No.3534. 32 full colour pages for £1.50.
