Draw Your Weapons
- Published:
- Thu 01 Sep 2011
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The Story of Commando Comics
"Commando: War Stories in Pictures"
was launched on 6 June 1961. The artwork featured on the covers and
within "Commando" was - and remains -
bold, striking, and attention-grabbing. Many of the artists brought
a gritty, realistic toughness to the images in
"Commando", giving it a sophisticated
edge over its rivals. Although often stylised, it vividly portrays
moments of intense action during conflict, capturing emotive
elements of the human experience of war.
At first glance, comics seem a frivolous form of childish light
entertainment. But British comic book fans have long campaigned for
the genre to be given more respect as a form of literature worthy
of greater consideration, as it is on the continent. On another
level the art of the comic book is also worthy of a more academic
analysis: reading between the panels unearths a deeper significance
and message.
For added to the dynamic artwork, the storylines although
simple, present powerful questions of morality and choice in times
of conflict, interwoven into familiar battles. The intention is to
cause the reader to question how they would react when faced with
such dilemmas. "Commando" enjoyed its
greatest popularity in the 1970s and 80s, but still remained
popular as its rivals gradually diminished.
It was renamed "Commando: For Action and
Adventure" in 1993, and has continued to prove a
successful format to the present day, and is even now available in
digital format for download.
Of course "Commando" would not be
possible without the inspiration it draws from the real-life heroic
endeavours of the actual Army Commandos of the Second World
War.
Unlike many popular comic book titles such as
"Batman" and
"Superman" that rely upon super-human
heroes, "Commando" champions are normally
'regular soldiers' who as editor Calum Laird puts it,
'are ordinary blokes in extraordinary circumstances.'
The new exhibition in the White Space Gallery, "Draw
Your Weapons! The Story of Commando Comics", runs
from 1 September 2011 until April 2012, and sets out to showcase
some of the exciting and colourful original cover art from this
long-running title, while also examining who the real commandos
were, highlight the role they played in bringing about success
against Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan.
Robert Fleming
Department of Fine and Decorative Art, National Army
Museum
You can visit the National Army
Museum's Digital Exhibition online, and browse Commando's own tie-in features here.