Another Lion That Doesn't Sleep Tonight

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 17 Sep 2007, 20:09

Have found another devotee of UK comics and he has given me a right poser.

The world is united and has been for some time. The last weapons are destroyed to show that humanity is now at peace. However an engineering project, possibly the Channel Tunnel, disturbs and awakens a cryogenically frozen Third Reich Army who are hell-bent on taking over the World in the name of the Fuhrer.

We are talking mid to late 60's and probably a DCT comic (think New Hotspur) but can anyone name me the story and even more importantly the comic.

The reason I think it was Hotspur is that he was a fan of the Kushanti story that ran in the Hotspur in 68/69 and the only other comic that he has vivid memories of is Ranger which had been merged by then.

Now has he memories of a real story or is this a story that should have been written?

Steve Bright · Post by **Steve Bright** » 17 Sep 2007, 20:21

EDITED REPLY

Er....just posted completely the wrong answer, then realised my mistake. I'll stick to the funnies from now on.

philcom55 · Post by **philcom55** » 17 Sep 2007, 21:03

Easy! That's got to be 'Return of the Stormtroopers' from Champion (and later Lion & Champion).

- Phil Rushton

Captain Storm · Post by **Captain Storm** » 17 Sep 2007, 21:38

It's amazing how many great strips came from "lesser" titles such as Smash,Champion,Pow,Wizard,etc that have been all but forgotten and in some instances not known until now.Rock on!

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 18 Sep 2007, 04:49

Steve Bright wrote:EDITED REPLY

Er....just posted completely the wrong answer, then realised my mistake. I'll stick to the funnies from now on.

I'd loved to know what your original answer was.

philcom55 wrote:Easy! That's got to be 'Return of the Stormtroopers' from Champion (and later Lion & Champion).

Phil, you don't happen to have a page that you could scan do you? That way I can tempt this new fan onto the board.

philcom55 · Post by **philcom55** » 20 Sep 2007, 23:53

Anything to sign up a new member!

This is the second episode from Champion number 2 (5th March 66) in which General Von Stern and his elite Stormtroopers emerge into the 21st century:

[img:627:800]http://uk.geocities.com/philcom55/retstor.jpg[/img]
[img:621:800]http://uk.geocities.com/philcom55/retsto.jpg[/img]

...In fact this was only one example of a whole sub-genre of WW2 stories with a Fantasy/Sci-Fi element that became popular during the 1960s (others being The Phantom Patrol and The Gladiators). The marvelously atmospheric artwork is by Eric Bradbury, though Bill Lacey took over after Champion merged with Lion.

- Phil Rushton

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 21 Sep 2007, 04:28

Stuff getting Martin to sign up! (Tongue firmly in cheek

) That art is fantastic. Think I may have to expand my collecting to include Champion as that looks like one cracking story. Remember that this comic pitched up 2 years before I did!

chrissmillie · Post by **chrissmillie** » 21 Sep 2007, 08:58

Yeah, looks great!

This is where CD collections would come in handy. How difficult is it going to be to collect a series like Champion?

Chris

Kashgar · Post by **Kashgar** » 22 Sep 2007, 10:50

Well, on the upside you only have 15 issues to find. Champion holding the dubious record of being the shortest lived of all Fleetway's 'hatch,match and dispatch' titles. Mind you it did then have a sort of extended after-life as the junior partner in 82 issues of 'Lion & Champion' and in two annuals for 1967 and 1968.

Comics UK