Warlord

Issue 1, 1974, cover featuring "Union Jack Jackson", art by Carlos Cruz

Warlord was a war-themed weekly launched by DC Thomson on 28 September 1974, edited by Pete Clark with Bill Graham as chief sub-editor. Graham took over as editor after 18 months. Its stories were less jingoistic and "derring do" than traditional war comics (although by modern standards still very patriotic and given to stereotyping), with a more realistic focus on the military and the enlisted man. Clark also reduced the number of panels per page and introduced large splash panels, allowing the art to be more action-packed. It was immediately successful, prompting IPC to launch a rival, Battle Picture Weekly, in 1975. Warlord would have to be seen as the origin of the 1970s revitalisation of boys' comics that led to 2000 AD.

Strips included:

• "The Best of Enemies", about an uneasy alliance between a British sergeant and a German soldier in Korea
• "The Big Palooka", written by Mike Knowles
• "Big Willi", a panzer commander in the Afrika Korps, drawn by Salinas
• "Bomber Braddock"
• "Codename: Warlord", an aristocratic spy called Lord Peter Flint drawn by a variety of artists including Ron Smith, Mike Dorey and Neville Wilson
• "Drake of E-Boat Alley", naval strip drawn by Ron Smith, Jeff Bevan
• "The Dutchman's Revenge", drawn by Jeff Bevan
• "The Falklands File", drawn by Terry Patrick and Gordon Livingstone
• "Grimm's Gunners", drawn by Francisco Cueto
• "Gustav's Cossacks"
• "H.M.S. Smokey Joe", art by Denis McLoughlin
• "Iron Annie", about a Junkers crew, drawn by Mike Dorey
• "Kamfgruppe Falken", about a German penal batallion on the Eastern Front, drawn by Luis Collado Coch, Neville Wilson
• "Kelly's Choppers", about a USAF helicopter pilot in the Korean War drawn by Terry Patrick
• "Killer Kane", an RAF aviation strip, drawn by Terry Patrick, Colin Andrew
• "The Mareth Line", drawn by Jeff Bevan
• "Sabor's Army", futuristic gladiator strip
• "Sergeant Rayker", a black sergeant in the US army, drawn by Salinas, Mike Dorey
• "The Sniper", drawn by Carlos Cruz
• "The Shark" drawn by Denis McLoughlin
• "Spider Wells", WWI aviation strip, drawn by Rezzonico
• "Tankbusters", drawn by Luis Collado Coch
• "Three Men in a Tank", written by Mike Knowles
• "Tommy Atkins' War", drawn by Neville Wilson
• "Union Jack Jackson", a Royal Marine serving with the US Marines, drawn by Carlos Cruz, written by Mike Knowles
• "Wingless Wonder"
• "Wolverine", about an international tank crew drawn by Mike Dorey
• "Young Wolf", the youthful adventures of The Wolf of Kabul from The Hotspur

It also included features like "True Life War Story" and "Weapons in Action".

Warlord inspired a contemporary action-themed spin-off, Bullet, launched on 14 February 1976 - the same date IPC launched Action. Bullet merged into Warlord on 19 November 1977. "Young Fireball", starring Lord Peter Flint's nephew, was one of the strips that carried over, drawn by Neville Wilson. Warlord finally merged into The Victor on 27 September 1986, although summer specials continued until 1990.

External links

• Warlord at Kelly's Comics

References

• Calling Warlord Agents! Bill Graham interviewed at Down the Tubes
• Warlord: All Action, All Picture, War Stories, Bear Alley

Online reference

• Warlord on Wikipedia