ART OF COMMANDO Calendar

MikeC · Post by **MikeC** » 25 Sep 2006, 12:55

Not sure if this is the correct place for this but here goes -
For fans of DCTs Commando title there is an Art of Commando calendar available now from the D.C. Thomson website.
It features the artwork in it's original form with no titles or blurb. It looks great and there's quite a few pages devoted to the master that is Ian Kennedy. Check it out at http://www.dcthomson.co.uk

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 25 Sep 2006, 15:37

Interesting that DC Thomson have now realised what a following those comics have. War imagery doesn't interest me personally but the high quality of those covers is undeniable.

Lew

Corporal Clott · Post by **Corporal Clott** » 25 Sep 2006, 15:45

Come to think of it, that might look good on my wall. I'll have to beg and see if George Low, the Editor, will send me one. After all, I've written enough of the darn things! As for popularity it had and - I'm led to believe - still is a favourite with military personnel. I can vouch for that. When I was working at 6th Inf Brigade HQ in Munster I noticed several copies lying about. Strangely enough, no one would admit to owning them. They somehow magically appeared. Some said it must have been a relative of the tooth fairy. Another wag told us they belonged to the Brigadier who was using them to teach himself military tactics.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 25 Sep 2006, 16:17

Yes, a newsagent told me it was always adults who bought Commando. Never kids. Interesting to hear you write some of them Mike. I know Ferg Handley, who also does scripts for them. As DCT produce 8 issues a month (correct me if I'm wrong) and only 2 are reprint there's a lot of pages being turned out a year.

Not a fan of war comics but it's interesting to see Commando is still going, and that they have seen off all of their many rivals. (Air Ace, Battle, War, Combat, etc). Even more interestring that it has retained exactly the same format and logo it had 40 plus years ago, - and it still doesn't look old fashioned!

Lew

Corporal Clott · Post by **Corporal Clott** » 25 Sep 2006, 16:30

Yes, the first one I did was back in the 80's entitled Coward in Khaki. Nowadays I do on average one a month. The big problem is finding a new angle because most of them have been covered. In fact, I've just finished the latest one and now I've got to come up with the next one....

Captain Storm · Post by **Captain Storm** » 25 Sep 2006, 20:45

How about one where a General is about to send his troops into combat in the morning during WW2 and reads a novel about world war 1 that night and gets magically sucked into the story and ends up faced with the prospect of going Over The Top.When he wakes up(was it all a dream?)he has a change of heart and calls off the attack,siting it as a bad mistake and moving the attack to another time and place thus saving thousands of lives!Maybe all the Generals should be transported to the trenches of WW1 before making any hasty decisions,eh?Don't think this story has been done before,if this is the case,Corporal Clott,I hereby sign over ALL copyright of this story idea to your good self.Now get writing or drawing or both!

Corporal Clott · Post by **Corporal Clott** » 26 Sep 2006, 11:42

Mon Capitain! Using LSD to write a rock song is fine, but it doesn't quite work for Commando storylines.

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 26 Sep 2006, 14:02

MikeC wrote:Not sure if this is the correct place for this but here goes -
For fans of DCTs Commando title there is an Art of Commando calendar available now from the D.C. Thomson website.
It features the artwork in it's original form with no titles or blurb. It looks great and there's quite a few pages devoted to the master that is Ian Kennedy. Check it out at http://www.dcthomson.co.uk

I want one! I want one! Would look great in my office and would go well with the framed "Walrus To The Rescue" cover that I got signed!

Captain Storm · Post by **Captain Storm** » 26 Sep 2006, 20:24

I don't think it's as crazy as it sounds.Might make a good film though

Corporal Clott · Post by **Corporal Clott** » 26 Sep 2006, 21:23

Okay, Mon Capitain. Let me see if I can breathe any life into this damn thing. It?s going to be difficult. We?ll probably need 500 CC of adrenaline and use the defibrillator on its highest setting. Ready, Nurse? The General tore the seat of his trousers and took them to a mysterious Gypsy woman who sewed on a patch...only this patch came from magic carpet, (by some strange coincidence, this is the same Gypsy woman who sewed a patch on the seat of a Young Jimmy Watson.) As soon as the General reads that book about WW1 he?s whisked back in time. ?Gadzooks!? he cries. ?This has never happened to me before.? As you say, the experience of serving in the trenches will convince him to call off the attack and save lots of lives, (this is assuming that this General was either too young to have served in the last war or that he?d been posted to an obscure part of the Empire and missed the damn thing.) The only problem is, that by cancelling the attack, he allows Hitler to win. Which is why DC Thomson is currently owned by the Reich Ministry of Propaganda and when I send this idea to Herr Dr Goebbles, he?ll think it?s the best thing since sliced bratwurst because he?s a total idiot? How?s that? Think Steven Spielberg will like it? It?ll be a crowning success to Schindler?s List.

Captain Storm · Post by **Captain Storm** » 26 Sep 2006, 21:46

Please disregard my suggestion for a storyline.I was only trying to help.

Corporal Clott · Post by **Corporal Clott** » 26 Sep 2006, 21:58

Actually, it would have made a good story. But it would never have got past George Low. I've sent him ideas I thought were great, but he didn't. In fact, it usually takes 3 of 4 goes before I hit one.

MikeC · Post by **MikeC** » 27 Sep 2006, 15:00

I htink Commando have more respect for thier subject material than your story possesses.
Not saying your story lacked respect, just that Commando strike a very particular note in their stories.

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 23 Oct 2006, 10:53

colcool007 wrote:
MikeC wrote:Not sure if this is the correct place for this but here goes -
For fans of DCTs Commando title there is an Art of Commando calendar available now from the D.C. Thomson website.
It features the artwork in it's original form with no titles or blurb. It looks great and there's quite a few pages devoted to the master that is Ian Kennedy. Check it out at http://www.dcthomson.co.uk
I want one! I want one! Would look great in my office and would go well with the framed "Walrus To The Rescue" cover that I got signed!

I got one! I got one! Just arrived in the post and it is fantastic! It also addressed the one fault that The Dirty Dozen had. Each cover has been credited. Most of us knew that Ken Barr and Ian Kennedy have done most of the covers, but did anyone know that Phil Gascoine, Jeff Bevan and Jordi Penalva had notched up a few as well?

I knew the styles, but it is great to finally put names to them. Now all we need to do is persuade DCT to produce a desk diary so that we get 365 covers!

chrissmillie · Post by **chrissmillie** » 23 Oct 2006, 11:04

For me, I love the Roman, old Scots and Ancient Britons stories.

I wonder what people thought of Starblazer. There was a time when the Superhero Store was running (and it should be again within, ooh, a couple of weeks or so) when that was selling like hot cakes. I liked the time-travelling Commando stories too.

It's a great format and I wish they'd use that for some of their older adventure material (be that Kampfgruppe Falken or Billy the Cat).

Chris

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