‘LET'S HAVE STORIES ABOUT VIKINGS AND SPACEMEN'
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THE BEST BOOKS, COMICS & EVENTS
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cTION AND Aci’."
As legendary military comic Commando reaches issue 4000, Henry Northmore asks editor George Low how this pocket dynamo blew away its enemies
ommumln is an institution. In l‘)()l ‘Walk or Die‘ became the first published story and the comic is still going strong today. tiring oil a staggering eight issues per month ll‘our classic reprints and four new stories). It may seem utterly anachronistic. but it‘s survived vvhere tnany others have fallen and for any title to reach 4000 issues is a groundbreaking achievement. That ('ommum/o has stuck to its guns and barely changed in over 40 years is remarkable. The stories may not solely be set dttring World War II these days but they still have a distinctive style with the emphasis on an ‘action— packed plot and morally-mindcd hero‘. Their small l'ormat and evocative. painted covers are instantly recognisable on newsstands across the country. (ieorge low is only the third editor in ('ommumlu‘s 46-year history — he's been there since 1963 and took over as editor in W88 — and still shovvs clear affection for the comic he helped shape. ‘We reckoned it would go on for a while but never thought it vvould get anything near 4000‘ But vvhat does he see as the reason for such longevity? ‘\\'e've alvvays tried to have believable stories. il‘ at times l‘ar-l‘etched. and we’ve alvvays been lucky in that we had a good stable ol‘ artists. vvho have pulled out lots of stops.‘ The comic featured in a recent BBC—1 documentary. during which the creators vverc asked about its broad
appeal. ‘()ne of the lilm crevv vvas saying “I remember at school you could alvvays hide it in your bla/cr
pocket.” recalls Lovv. The comic may sound like it belongs lirmly in another age and the editor concedes.
‘there was an awful lot of secret readers of
26 THE LIST 19-24 May your
Commando. They’d be going. "I get them for my
son". and that sort ol‘ thing. There's not an awful lot of
material like this on sale novv. and it‘s such a throwback to the old boys‘ papers. The [fag/v and so ott.‘
In fact Lovv's comic outlived 'l'lit' ling/v. vvhich ceased production in I‘M—l. and (‘mnmum/o is still selling a healthy 8000 per issue. Above all it‘s another long—running success story from legendary Dundee- based publishing house l)(‘ Thomson. vvhich has also spawned the likes ol‘ 'I‘lir' Bruno. 'l‘lu' Hum/v. T/lt' Brno/Ix and Bunty.
For the 4000th issue l.o\v‘s team has created a classic World War ll story. ‘Aces All‘. packed with Spitfires. action and derring-do from lidinburgh-based vvriter Ferg llandley and veteran Argentinean artist Jose Maria lorge. vvho bring the Battle of Britain to vivid lil‘e. llovvever. since the late 80s the scope has vvidened. ‘World War II and World War I are still very much the basis because they vvere such big conflicts that you could get so much material out ol~ them.‘ explains l.ovv. ‘But vve said "let’s have a story about Vikings. let's have a story about spaccmen." and by and large these period stories are just as popular.’
You could never accuse ('ommum/u ol‘ being at the cutting edge ol’ publishing. but they are solid. action- packed stories with clear-cut notions ol~ right and vvrong. There‘s something reassuring about their continuing success. Here‘s to the next 4000.
Commando is out now published by DC Thomson.
* Booked! The 7th West Dunbartonshire Literature Festival gets in full swing with the likes of Ron Butlin, Laura Marney and James Robertson (pictured) appearing. Various venues, West Dunbartonshire, until 23 May.
* Christopher Brookmyre Scotland’s crime caper king takes his place in the Conversation Pieces programme as we discover the motivations behind the man responsible for the likes ofA Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil and Boiling a Frog. He likes his titles, does Chris. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Fri 11 May.
* Iain Banks Another legendary figure from the current Scottish literary scene is the bearded whisky fan who has succeeded in becoming an icon to fans of both sci—fl and social/family drama. Eastwood Park Theatre, Glasgow, 77m 17 May.
* Commando See preview, left. DC lhomson.
* Paul Pope Set 30 years into the future, this vision of a dictatorial American state trying to track down the masked vigilante they call Batman is stylish, bleak and funny. See review, page 28. DC/Titan.
* Don DeLIIIo We all knew that the author of Libra and Cosmopolis would one day turn his attention to 9/11. And now he has, with the exhilarating Falling Man. See review. page 27. Picador.
* Claire Keegan Eight years on from her debut set of short stories this lrish author proves she has far from lost it with an evocative new collection entitled Walk the Blue Fields. See review, page 27. Faber
* Jonathan Lethem Who doesn’t love the new breed of hotshot US authors? With You Don 't Love Me Yet. Lethem proves he’s among the hottest shots around. See review, page 27. Faber.