With Pat Mills and Carlos Ezquerra’s Third World War being reprinted in its entirety for the first time, the Treasury of British comics has commissioned short essays from selected comics critics that examine different aspects of this seminal political series from the pages of Crisis.
In the third and final piece, Kelly Kanayama, looks at the strip’s satire of American evangelical Christianity, embodied in the character of Trisha…
Pat Mills and Carlos Ezquerra’s Third World War is
rightly hailed as a prescient satire of contemporary political and economic hegemonies,
with its focus on the damage that globalised capitalism can inflict upon vulnerable
populations. For me, though, what makes it really stand out is its recognition
of the role that politicised evangelical Christianity would play in these
dynamics, as embodied in the character of Trisha.
(I grew up evangelical, so am familiar with what that looks
like. The comic that Trisha whips out to prove that roleplaying games are
Satanic? I know that comic. I’ve been subjected to the messages of that comic.
I’m wondering, right now, whether it’s worth it to buy my own d10s so my
character in Scion can get a good roll for once.)
What makes Trisha so fascinating is her complete sincerity. As
Eve notes, Trisha joins Market Force out of a genuine desire to help people –
unlike, say, the swaggering, bellicose Garry, who mostly wants official
dispensation to grind a boot into some foreign faces. Trisha signs up in order
to provide for her ‘long-term unemployed’ parents under the Parent-Help Scheme,
which provides a weekly stipend plus a single disbursement to people whose
children volunteer.
Of course, it turns out that her parents aren’t the most
sympathetic characters. Trisha’s family fled South Africa after ‘the 1996
revolution’, which considering that she is white suggests that the revolution overturned
apartheid; it’s worth remembering that Third World War debuted two years
before apartheid was repealed in South Africa, and five years before the first
South African general election where the country’s black citizens were granted
full suffrage. When telling Eve about it, she says that her parents’ unemployment
was due to their inability to break away from their former privileged
lifestyles: ‘Dad just wasn’t cut out for the jobs they offered him. In South
Africa they had a swimming pool…stables…cocktails at six…they never had to lift
a finger’. They also had a black houseboy, whom they called ‘Sixpence’ – his
real name is not mentioned, presumably because Trish and her family never
bothered to learn it even though they ‘thought the world’ of him – and whom
they allowed to ‘stay in a shed at the bottom of the garden’ out of the
supposed goodness of their hearts.
This short anecdote is highly illuminating in terms of how
Trisha sees the world. While she may love marginalised people, it is a love
that clings to authoritarian power structures: the same structures that
marginalise said people in the first place. Thus it is virtuous that ‘Sixpence’
was given shelter, albeit in a form that excluded him from the very house he
maintained. And thus it is similarly virtuous to spread the predatory corporate
gospel of Multi-Foods, because they seek to promulgate a Western standard of
living that falls in line with the greater power structure that has dictated
Trisha’s life so far. As Eve puts it in her narration, ‘She thinks politicians
are appointed by God to rule over us and therefore to question authority is to
question God’ – a point emphasised by Trisha’s revelation that she initially joins
Market Force because of a ‘direct command from the Lord’. Obedience is paramount:
not just obedience to one’s chosen individual journey, but obedience to the
institutions, voices and structures seeking to dictate that journey.
The point of delving into all this is to say that we are in
Trisha’s world now. While there are of course numerous incredibly complex
factors surrounding the rise of Trump in America and the snarled mess of
whatever Brexit currently is in the UK, what underpins both these phenomena is a
collective belief in the powers that seek to keep the marginalised that way. No
matter how benevolent or generous the manifestation of such belief might be,
the fact remains that a lot of people – people with more melanin than you, or with
funny last names, or who eat foods you don’t – are going to bleed, and I wish
that were only a metaphor.
Not that this is entirely new. From about 2001 onwards, especially
after 9/11, global politics were dominated by such a mindset, in the sense that
the George W Bush presidential administration leaned heavily on the worldview
put forth by the same sort of neo-conservative evangelical Christianity
espoused by Trisha and, due to America’s international hegemony, much of the
world followed suit. However, given that America was and is a locus of global
militarism and corporatism, the unquestioning trust in authority required by this
brand of evangelicalism became inextricably entangled with initiatives in these
arenas as well. Which is how you get to a point where authority, or
authoritarianism, can act with impunity, because a power you can’t argue with
wills it.
What gives me hope is Trisha’s turning point late in Book 1,
where she faces a choice between knuckling under to the authority she has been
taught all her life to obey and defying that authority – and thankfully she
chooses the latter. The choice comes about when her unit is ordered to bring
some orphaned children to their commanding officer, ostensibly so they can be rehoused,
but actually so their bodies can be cannibalised for black market organs. When
Trisha finds out what happens to the children they’re meant to retrieve, she lies
to her commanding officer’s face, telling him that they didn’t find any
children, even though she spoke directly to at least one child.
Such a lie might seem like a small step, but as someone
who’s been bombarded with the messages of evangelicalism like Trisha has, I can
tell you that it constitutes rebellion, which is a major sin. Rebelliousness
was what got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden, and therefore is
the reason we live in a world where bad things happen. To have a rebellious
spirit is to reject God. And to reject God is to question the highest
authority, or perhaps vice versa.
Trisha’s decision, therefore, signifies the possibility that the people who uphold the power structures that keep her going could expand their worldviews to fully acknowledge the flaws in said structures, even if it goes against everything they know. Let us believe that her real-life analogues are capable of following suit, and of opening the door to a less oppressive world.
Kelly Kanayama is a comics critic and scholar who was born and raised in Hawaii but now lives in Scotland. Her work has been published in the critical anthologies Working-Class Comic Book Heroes and Critical Chips Vol. 1 and 2, among others. Currently she is writing a book on the comics of Garth Ennis, to be published by Sequart.
Third World War is available now in paperback from all good book and comic book stores, online retailers, and the Treasury of British Comics webshop in paperback and limited hardcover editions.
All opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Rebellion, its owners, or its employees.
They’ve battled the greatest threat to the universe and now the story of The Vigilant comes to an end with an explosive grand finale this June!
The story of Rebellion’s super-team of classic British comic book characters, The Vigilant, will come to a reality-shattering conclusion in the pages of the Judge Dredd Megazine #421, on sale 17 June 2020.
After two spellbinding special issues, these home-grown superheroes – Dr. Sin, Blake Edmonds, Thunderbolt the Avenger, The Steel Commando, Dr. Sin, Pete’s Pocket Army, Death-Man, Yāo and The Leopard from Lime Street – leap forth once again from the Rebellion archive of more than a century of classic comics.
Writer Simon Furman (Transformers), artist Simon Coleby (Judge Dredd), colourist Len O’Grady (Jaegir), and letterer Simon Bowland (The Boys) reunite for this explosive climax to The Vigilant saga – Nightcomer Beth Rogan has had a vague vision that one of the team will betray his or her comrades, and that’ll allow the evil Doktor Von Hoffman to usher in a Hell on Earth. Can Dr Sin’s crew stop the demon Mazoul’s terrifying Blood Rapture from becoming a reality?
Readers will once again get the chance to enjoy the return of these iconic British characters as they face their deadliest threat – one that may destroy them for good!
This issue of the Judge Dredd Megazine will also come bagged with a 64-page graphic novel featuring stories from the original incarnations of these legendary comic book heroes, giving readers fascinating context to The Vigilant’s final mission!
The complete story of The Vigilant, featuring work by Simon Furman, Simon Coleby, DaNi, Henrik Sahlstrom, Warwick Fraser-Combe, Staz Johnson, Will Sliney, and Jake Lynch, will be collected in a 128-page paperback graphic novel this September.
Editor Keith Richardson said: “It has been an honour to usher in the new era of exciting stories featuring some of the greatest adventure characters in British comics, created by the best of British talent. Stay Vigilant!”
Now, Rebellion is pleased to offer three logo design tees inspired by T-shirts released in the late 1980s to tie into this seminal comics series, including Ezquerra’s first Crisis cover, the logo to rapacious corporate giant Multi Foods, and the ‘Official Government Hooligan’ design. Recreated by the graphics team at Rebellion Publishing, these T-shirts are a slice of nostalgia that’s never been more contemporary!
It horrified prudes and censors alike – but the ground-breaking Action is back!
Celebrate the legacy of the comic they tried to ban with the new Action 2020 special, packed with the same blend of unbeatable characters and no-holds-barred action – all brought to you by the best talents of today, including Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys), Ram V (Batman, Paradiso) and Henry Flint (Judge Dredd)!
Featuring the killer shark Hookjaw by Dan Lish, juvenile delinquency in Kids Rule OK by Ram V and Henrick Stahlstrom, frontline German Panzer with Hellman of Hammer Force by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey, merciless secret agent action with Dredger by Zina Hutton, and the brand new Hell Machine by Henry Flint.
This edition, exclusive to the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops, comes bagged with a reproduction of the ‘banned’ issue of Action from 23 October 1976!
Launched in 1976 by Pat Mills, Action‘s blend of no-holds-barred action, unbridled anarchism, and violent riffs off popular films earned it immediate acclaim. The gritty tone and graphic gore of strips such as Hook Jaw, Hellman of Hammer Force, BlackJack, Death Game 1999, Kids Rule OK, Dredger, and Look Out For Lefty delighted readers but quickly attracted the attention of public moralists, with the comic branded “the seven-penny nightmare” by the press.
A campaign by the infamous Mary Whitehouse and her National Viewers and Listeners Association led to threats of a boycott of all publisher IPC’s titles by newsagent chains such as WH Smith and John Menzies. This in turn led to pressure from publisher IPC’s higher management and the 23 October issue was pulped.
When the title returned that November, the violence was heavily toned down. Sales of this neutured Action dropped dramatically and it was folded into stablemate Battle a year later.
However, Action remains one of the most influential comic books in British history, leading to Mills creating 2000 AD and also inspire a generation of comic book readers and creators!
Hugo Pratt is one of the greatest comics artists of all time and the first collection of his forgotten war stories from the 1950s is out this week.
Here, restored and presented in a stunning new edition, is Battle Stations – a tale of stark terror and war at sea that first appeared in War Picture Library in 1963. It follows three survivors of a Nazi naval attack as they seek their revenge on a deadly U-Boat – no matter the cost.
Brutal, bloody and grimly heroic, Battle Stations could only be the work of the maestro himself, and marks the beginning of the Treasury of British Comics’ mission to return Pratt’s magnificent UK work to print.
Originally published in War at Sea Picture Library #34 in June 1963, Battle Stations is now presented in a beautifully-designed hardcover at larger-than-originally-published size.
With Pat Mills and Carlos Ezquerra’s Third World War being reprinted in its entirety for the first time, the Treasury of British comics has commissioned short essays from selected comics critics that examine different aspects of this seminal political series from the pages of Crisis.
Tom Shapira’s first essay in the series can be read here.In the second essay, Kayleigh Hearndiscusses how the series predicted, from the 1980s, how the rapacious nature of corporate America would use mascots, slogans, and branding to dehumanise and exploit…
“Forget science fiction, man. The future’s arrived: the greenhouse floods…identity cards…electronic tagging…police video cameras…you never know what the techno-pervs are going to dream up next.”
So says a member of Freeaid’s so-called peace force—a group of troubled, forcibly conscripted teenagers operating in South America—in Pat Mills and Carlos Ezquerra’s Third World War. Science fiction told us that in 2020 we’d have time travel and giant robots, so it’s a shock encountering a comic like this, originally serialized over thirty years ago, that isn’t just prescient, but exactly right. With its images of “forever wars” benefitting global corporations and sub-tropical forests burning to provide land for future Happy Meals, Third World War was a scalding prediction of late-stage capitalism. Thefuture’s arrived.
Published between 1988 and 1991 in Crisis magazine, a spin-off of 2000 AD, Third World War is set in the then-future of, a-ha, 2000 AD. Among its accuracies is its depiction of young people at the dawn of the new century; its main character, Eve, wasn’t called a Millennial then, but she is one now. A politically conscious, black teenage girl growing up in the shadow of white, western paternalism, Eve is deemed “unemployable” by the country’s youth selection board and forced to join Freeaid. (As an example of the thin vein of dark humor that runs through the book, Eve knows she’s doomed when she tells the board that she’s studying art, English, and sociology.) “I’d always thought things would get better by 2000 A.D.” Eve confesses. “I hadn’t realized they’re getting worse. That it was so late…later than you think…”
Eve and the rest of her Freeaid team—consisting of a punk, an eco-pagan, an evangelical, and worst of all, a volunteer—are sent to win over the hearts and minds of the South Americans who are being forcibly displaced and culturally annihilated for the sake of western corporations. One such corporation is Multifoods, a fast-food empire represented by its impish, ghoulish mascot, Mickey the Multifoods Dragon. A glance at the cover of this new Treasury of British Comics release of Third World War shows us a blood-red Eve ripping apart a Mickey plush toy, her Multifoods Global Village t-shirt fixed with a slash of a pen—Multifoods Global Pillage. Like the rest of her generation, Eve distrusts soulless mascots, empty slogans, and the back-breaking, environment-destroying corporations behind them. The headline writes itself: “Are Millennials Killing the Mickey the Multifoods Dragon Industry?”
Self-expression is one of the few weapons Eve has in a world that wants to bulldoze free-thinkers like her and replace them with pasty white faces in army fatigues. Like the P that transforms “village” into “pillage,” words of protest are scrawled all over the book, on every available surface: walls, planes, bodies. This is a distinct part of Third World War’s visual identity; Mills and Ezquerra (along with artists Angela Kinkaid and D’Israeli) synthesize the art and text—incorporating everything from Chumbawamba song lyrics to Lorraine Schneider posters into the pages. The unique reading experience that results is apparent from the very first page. Our eyes are first drawn to Eve and her internal monologue. But then we notice her “Meat is Murder” button and the “WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE SELECTED” Freeaid poster completed by red graffiti: “PANIC.” Third World War is a book that demands to be read. It’s a manifesto, a polemic, and a protest sign, with layers of dense storytelling in a compact volume of two-hundred pages. Like a chicken bone caught in your throat, it’s impossible to ignore.
Third World War is an eye-opening book, as it shows death squads, mass graves, and other atrocities that are the bitter, pesticide-poisoned fruit of western imperialism, and dares the reader to look away. It’s an immensely heavy read, but its strength is that it never feels like a lecture; Mills and Ezquerra say what they need to through their characters instead of to them. Eve is a fallible, human lead, but she possesses a durable integrity and keeps a diary that is a document to everything that happens to her—the truth, not propaganda spewed from the mouth of a cartoon dragon. She isn’t in a platoon of strawmen, either; a lesser creative team would have reduced them to predictable stereotypes (Ivan the punk, Trisha the evangelical, etc.), but they’re shockingly believable in what they do and how they relate to each other. Think of them not as The Breakfast Club, but TheBreakfast Sandwich Club, perhaps. Unfortunately, like so many other young people conscripted into meaningless wars, they’re grist for the Multifoods mill.
And, once again, we’re in the shadow of the dragon. Mickey the Multifoods Dragon is inescapable in Third World War, appearing on every tv screen (even the pirate channels!), peering at us over a folded page flap, or splitting a globe apart like juicy orange slices. It’s not a small detail that the Multifoods mascot is a beast known for its greed and rapacious appetite, or that he shares a name with the real world’s most monopolizing mascot. (And how fitting is it that the opponent of a fast-food dragon is named after the woman who first ate fruit from the Tree of Knowledge?) Ezquerra is a visual master, turning Mickey from cute to sinister with a flick of his pen.
If there’s one thing Third World War is missing—simply because Mills and Ezquerra aren’t oracles—it’s the internet; only Twitter could make that universe worse. But Mickey is a recognizable enemy in our current social media age where mascots and trademarks seem more alive than ever. Cartoony brands pretending to be just like you when they’re the smiling façades for corporations where the junk food they produce is the least of their sins? Mickey would love ‘em. Multifoods dehumanizes everyone it comes in contact with, from the vile lieutenant that seems to transform into Mickey while arguing with Eve, to Mrs. Garcia, a woman resettled by Freeaid who then commits suicide via immolation as protest, and becomes known only as “the hamburger lady.” In Third World War, meat is the message.
I hope I haven’t made ThirdWorld War sound too hopeless or cynical. That would be a disservice to its wit and depth, or its striking visuals (green-haired Ivan skateboarding in front of an inferno, firing his gun in the air, is just one image that sticks with me). It throbs with the kind of anger that’s usually accompanied by gamma radiation, but it’s a call to action rather than despair. With its depiction of endless war, blood-sucking corporate mascots, and a trapped generation of young people, Third World War creates a world recognizable as our own. The future’s arrived—time to do something about it.
Kayleigh Hearn is the Reviews Editor for Women Write About Comics, and has written for PanelxPanel, Shelfdust, and The MNT.
Third World War is available now in paperback from all good book and comic book stores, online retailers, and the Treasury of British Comics webshop in paperback and limited hardcover editions.
All opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Rebellion, its owners, or its employees.
With Pat Mills and Carlos Ezquerra’s Third World War being reprinted in its entirety for the first time, the Treasury of British comics has commissioned short essays from selected comics critics that examine different aspects of this seminal political series from the pages of Crisis.
Tom Shapira discusses the strip’s sense of deep-seated anger and asks whether this makes it even more relevant today…
In
1992 Francis Fukuyama published The End of History and the Last Man, a
book which arrogantly predicted the final triumph of Western-style liberal democracy,
and the capitalist ideology which guides it. There would be no more large wars,
no clash of ideologies. It was the book for the 1990s, a decade in which
cynicism and irony ruled with an iron fist – a world with seemingly nothing left
to fight for.
Taken
in that context it is little wonder that Third World War, published
between 1988 and 1991,didn’t become the hit its creators hoped it would
be: it was too political, too talky, too angry. Like its writer, Pat
Mills, it was too much of everything for the 1990s. Third World War did
not want to hear that all conflicts were over, it was a book that came out
looking for a fight. Which means it’s probably just about right for now.
The series was part of Crisis, a spin-off magazine from 2000 AD meant to appeal to a more mature audience. While Crisis didn’t last long, its competition, in the form of Deadline, made it all the way to 1995. Deadline was young and hip, the herald of the 1990s. Strips like Tank Girl, Johnny Nemo and A-Men were violent and funny and took a boot to The Man with great style an air of ironic detachment.
This
was ‘the problem’ of Third World War – it was not cool or detached. It
didn’t want to make you laugh, it wanted you to stand up straight and protest
and even riot. It was probably the wrong thing to ask of Generation X. Pat
Mills, already part of the old guard of British comics by the time the story
started, was always a passionate writer. His greatest strength was that no
matter how disposable the strip was in theory, he seemed to take 100 per cent
seriously as piece of art and social commentary. Hook Jaw, commissioned
as a Jaws cash-in, was used as vehicle to condemn rich industrialists
and their mistreatment of the environment; while the comedic Ro-Busters constantly
had class issues on its mind.
Third World War is Mills unleashed and unbound. Without the limitations of a young audience it gives us a story of the capitalistic oppression of a ‘third world’ country in the onset of the 21st century. Presenting the struggle in all its gory details, from death squads to forced resettlements, illustrated with an unusual baroque flair by 2000 AD mainstay Carlos Ezquerra (with occasional chapters by Angela Kincaid and D’Israeli). Yet the single fights on the page were not the limits of the book’s scope. Its main interest was in a wider discussion: what does it means when the first world ‘intervenes’ with the third; Cui Bono? Ask Mills and Ezquerra throughout the story. Answer – never the ‘peasants’, in whose name the fighting is done.
The
plot of the story, revealed through the diary written by fresh recruit Eve as
her unit is sent to “capture hearts and minds” an in unnamed South American
country, allows Mills’ script a rare laser-focus. For a writer whose tendency
has always been to attack the reader with an endless barrage of characters and
concepts this is a work of singular vision: it knows the story it wants to
tell, it knows the information it wants to explain and it knows how it wants
its readers to feel at the end. Is it subtle? Of course not! Nor was it ever
trying to be. This the type of comics George Orwell could appreciate.
The
downside for all of this is that the script rarely allows the reader a moment
of rest. Quite possibly this is the result of reading in a singular sitting
what was meant for serialization, but even taking that into account there’s a
certain lack of modulation throughout the story: it’s just a barrage of pain
coming your way. Charley’s War, an earlier work written by Mills, also
came with a similar bleak emotional tone overall, but changed its presentation
between chapters – allowing the readers a moment of inspiration and elation
before plugging them back into the horrors of the trenches. Nothing like that here. Ezquerra, of course,
as the co-creator and one of the leading artists of Judge Dredd knows a
thing or two about tuning the horrific into the entertaining.
It
is Ezquerra who provides some of the most interesting bits of the story. Used
as he is to high melodrama and big action moments, the script calls for many
scenes of talking and emotional downtime. When you do get a rare action moment
it’s unpleasant and ugly: you’re not meant to enjoy the baddie being blown
away, or to snigger at a particular nasty brutalization. Still, even going
against the grain Ezquerra remains a superb artist. If there exist a mythic
‘bad Ezquerra page’ I’ve never seen it.
There’s
some standout pieces here that really seem to take Ezquerra to a new direction:
one page in particular breaks into three sections with the middle one showing a
single figure approaching our protagonist in the most threatening manner while
they freak out as he comes closer and closer. Another bit, close to the ending
of Book I, takes a moment that should be ridiculously on-the-nose and charges
it with exceedingly creepy energy. The series manages to preserve Ezquerra’s
typical professionalism, which made him such a peerless storyteller, while
adding more complicated layouts and imagery.
There’s
sadness to these characters, and the world they inhabit, that is expressed
purely through the visual: like the way Trish is keeping a façade of
cheerfulness, fooling herself enough to believe all is well as she performs one
act of horror after another; or the look in Garry’s eyes the moment he first
kills a man. Even the character of Paul, that the script over lionizes in a
manner more fitting for typical heroic adventure series, is given some sinister
edge in his movement and expression.
Stylistically it’s still recognisable as the Ezquerra we know and love, but there’s some added emotional burden here. The artist suppresses his tendencies for big and bold in favour of more downbeat presentation. This is Ezquerra drawing with the weight of the years upon him. This is as it should be. This is a story meant to make you feel that weight.
Thirty years after it ended Third World War now sees the light of day again. The faults are still there, but in the harsh light of the third decade of this century it seems everything that made the comics work, including the bloody single-mindedness, shines ever brighter. As we enter the 2020s it’s only appropriate for a new generation to find this old book – and get angry all over again.
Tom Shapira is a critic who has written for Sequart, Shelfdust, The Comics Journal and others. His book, The Lawman, a long-form appreciation of the first Judge Dredd story, is set to be published by PanelXPanel Magazine.
Third World War is available now in paperback from all good book and comic book stores, online retailers, and the Treasury of British Comics webshop in paperback and limited hardcover editions.
All opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Rebellion, its owners, or its employees.
When Billy Dane found an ancient pair of football boots that once belonged to famous professional footballer Dead-Shot Keen, little did he know that they would magically turn him into an incredible player! The first collection of Billy’s Boots is out now!
Running in Scorcher and then Tiger, the adventures of this 12-year-old football mad kid that delighted young readers in the 1970s have been lovingly restored and brought back to life in this beautiful new hardcover collection.
Young Billy Dane was one of the most passionate football fans at Bingley Road Junior school…unfortunately he was also one of the worst players! Then, one afternoon, Billy’s grandmother got him to clean out her attic and Billy finds a pair of old fashioned football boots that belonged to ‘Dead-Shot’ Keen – a famous centre forward who once played for England.
Join us at the start of a stunning saga which entertained football fans for over twenty years!
Two of comics’ most revered names headline the 2020 graphic novel schedule from the Treasury of British Comics.
Don Lawrence’s Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire and Hugo Pratt’s long-lost war
comics are two major releases from Rebellion’s imprint, which aims to bring
back into print the best series from more than 100 years of comic book
publishing. Acquired by the Oxford-based company in 2017, the comics archives
of publishing giant IPC contain hundreds of classic titles and characters that
helped define British culture for decades.
For those that love their history, Masters
of British Comic Art (April) promises to become one of the definitive
histories of British comic book art. Written by artist and comics historian
David Roach, this 384-page high-production hardcover compendium is a wildly
entertaining and educational journey through the history of British comics –
from the birth of the 20th century to the ‘80s American invasion.
And from funnies to frights, from
superheroes to skateboarders, there’s something for everyone in the 2020 Treasury
collections. The first mass market paperback collections of The
Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire will debut in March and November,
giving new generations the chance to savour this lush, expansive epic from
Lawrence, the British master of painted artwork.
War comics dominated the British newsstands
for decades and with good reason – February and September will see the War
Picture Library collections of forgotten war comics by Carto Maltese maestro Hugo Pratt, which
shed new light on the formative years of this groundbreaking artist, with fan
favourite artist Ian Kennedy’s stunning Battle of Britain series collected
in April and a brand new collection of Death Squad from classic war comic, Battle, in August.
There’s homegrown heroes aplenty with the
first collection of superhero Johnny Future (April), cited as a
formative influence on talents such as Alan Moore, and the complete collection
of Rebellion’s reboot of classic British superheroes in The Vigilant (September).
Comics aimed at girls, which sold millions
of copies in their heyday, are a rich treasure trove of great stories and
incredible art and skateboarding series Concrete Surfer (June) and the
high-fashion hi-jinx of Sugar Jones (August) are two
fantastic series that feel as fresh and fascinating as they did when they were
first published.
And there’s plenty for kids with football
flight of fantasy Billy’s Boots (January), the collection of new Cor!
Buster stories (November) from Rebellion’s recent specials, Ken
Reid’s Football Funnies (December), as well as second volumes of The
Thirteenth Floor (October) and Black Max (October) alongside
paperback editions of popular collections The Dracula File (October) and Faceache
(November).
Editor Oliver Pickles said: “Each of these
books is an absolute gem, showcasing some of the most glorious art that has
largely been forgotten by today’s comic reading audience. This roster continues
the mission statement of the Treasury of British Comics of bringing these
ignored masterpieces back to the forefront of the public’s consciousness”
Third World War
Pat Mills, Carlos Ezquerra, Angela Kincaid, D’Israeli
ISBN: 9781781087510
9 January (UK) 7 January (US)
UK £19.99 // US $24.99
Pages: // Paperback
Using brand new scans of the original
artwork supplied by the family of the late Carlos Ezquerra, this definitive
collection of Pat Mills and Carlos Ezquerra’s ground-breaking, highly-political
comic book classic of global capitalism, rebellion and exploitation is
collected in its entirety for the very first time! Eve is unemployed after
leaving university and is immediately conscripted as a soldier working for a
corporation and discovers just how South American countries are being exploited
to create food needed to feed the increasing population for their profit under
the guise of western paternalism. ‘Third World War’ is suffused with economic,
political, and social issues, and deals with ever-more prescient issues around
capitalism and global politics. Ezquerra’s painted colour artwork is a
highlight of his long and distinguished career. A truly anti-establishment
graphic novel from the late 1980s, this is unlike anything else published by
the Treasury of British Comics so far!
Billy’s Boots
Fred Baker, Colin Page, Mike Western, Tom Kerr, Bill Lacey
ISBN: 9781781086711
23 January 2020
UK £14.99
Pages: 120 // Hardcover
A brand-new restoration paperback of one of
the most popular football comic strips ever produced! Young Billy Dane was one
of the most passionate football fans at Bingley Road Junior
school…unfortunately he was also one of the worst players! Then, one afternoon,
Billy’s grandmother got him to clean out her attic and Billy finds a pair of
old fashioned football boots that belonged to ‘Dead-Shot’ Keen – a famous
centre forward who once played for England. Perfect for nostalgic gift purchase
for dads who remember it fondly from hugely popular Striker magazine, this is
the beginning of the popular serial that ran for over 20 years – never before
been reprinted! A brilliant companion comic to the new Roy of the Rovers comics
and fiction, these fantasy infused sports stories are sure to delight and
surprise!
War Picture Library: Battle Stations
Donne Avenell, Hugo Pratt
ISBN: 9781781087527
20 February 2020 (UK) 18 February 2020 (US)
UK £14.99 // US $19.99
Pages: 64 // Hardcover
The first in a major series of new
collections bringing the long lost UK war comics of Italian art maestro Hugo
Pratt to the public in stunning new editions. Two brothers of differing rank
have to make extraordinary sacrifices in the line of the toughest duty. This is
a true story of courage under fire; a high-octane story of a blistering World War
II naval battle. All illustrated by Hugo Pratt, one of the world’s most
renowned comic book artists. This thrilling war picture story marks the
beginning of the Treasury of British Comics mission to return all of Pratt’s UK
work to print. Published in an oversized format befitting the importance of his
incredible and highly influential artwork. Part of a new ‘War Picture Library’
series showcasing the finest combat comics illustrated by legendary and iconic
artists, this oversize book highlights the extraordinary the artwork of the
international comics luminary and creator of ‘Corto Maltese’.
The Rise and Fall of The Trigan Empire
Volume 1
Mike Butterworth, Don Lawrence
ISBN: 9781781087558
19 March (UK) 17 March (US)
UK £19.99 // US $24.99
Pages: 304 // Paperback
The Trigan Empire was a landmark 1960s
science fiction series which rivalled Game of Thrones in popularity and was the
precursor to every mythic sci-fi adventure to come! Under the leadership of
Trigo, the Vorg tribesmen band together to resist the Lokan invaders, forming a
new country, The Trigan Empire. This is the epic story of its rise and fall.
Featuring an extraordinary combination of the Roman Empire and ancient Greece,
Trigo’s story is told in ground breaking fully painted artwork. Originally
published in Ranger magazine, it transferred to the hugely popular Look and
Learn where it ran for over a decade. This is the first in a series collecting
all the stories painted by the legendary Don Lawrence.
Masters of British Comic Art
David Roach
ISBN: 9781781087596
2 April (UK) 7 April (US)
UK £39.99 // US $50
Pages: 384 // Hardcover
This wildly entertaining and educational
tome is a journey through the history of British comics – from the birth of the
20th century to the ‘80s invasion of American comics and through to today’s
best contemporary artists! A high-production hardcover compendium perfect as a
coffee table book or academic encyclopedia, Masters of British Comics is
painstakingly researched. Behind a brand new cover by superstar artist Brian
Bolland, and featuring artwork from a vast number highly-acclaimed artists
carefully scanned from original artwork, Masters of British Comic Art is the
definitive study and celebration of a beloved industry! Featuring a Who’s Who
of talent, including Brian Bolland, Yvonne Hutton, Dave Gibbons, celebrated
greats such as Don Lawrence and lost masters like Reg Bunn and Shirley
Bellwood. Author and 2000 AD artist David Roach takes us on a journey through
time detailing the surprising and fascinating evolution of the art from its
humble beginnings to its current world-conquering status.
War Picture Library: Battle of Britain
Ian Kennedy
ISBN: 9781781087794
16 April (UK)
UK £14.99
Pages: 128 // Paperback
The second in the new ‘War Picture Library’
series showcasing the finest combat comics illustrated by legendary and iconic
artists. Two true stories of aviation heroism and derring-do – ‘Never Say Die’
and ‘Steel Bats’ – set during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and drawn by comics
legend Ian Kennedy! A talented pilot who never loses his determination to
defend his country against immense obstacles both technical and personal. A
squadron undertakes heart-stopping missions to combat the intense night-time
assaults of the Axis air force. Set against the backdrop of the Battle of
Britain comes an enthralling collection of aviation and heroism featuring
daredevil pilots and the lengths they go to stop the German Luftwaffe attacking
Britain.
The Complete Johnny Future
Alf Wallace, Luis Bermejo
ISBN: 9781781087589
30 Apr 2020 (UK) 28 Apr 2020 (US)
UK £19.99 // US $24.99
Pages: 208 // Hardcover
One of the most memorable comic strips of
the 1960s, which asks the question “What if King Kong became Superman”? This is
the complete hardcover collection of breathtaking Pulp adventure comics –
beloved by fans and the creators it inspired – Alan Moore among them! ‘The
Missing Link’ – a creature of limitless strength, is drawn to Britain in
pursuit of an expedition party he encountered in his homeland. The man-ape
causes havoc until he accidentally stumbles into an experimental nuclear
research facility and is bombarded by radiation. Instead of killing him, the
creature evolves into an advanced human. Now possessing a genius mind,
super-strength, enhanced senses and the ability to fly, as Johnny Future he
protects mankind from such sinister beings as The Master, Disastro, Animal Man
and the Secret Society of Scientists. Perfect for fans of Rebellion’s only
other superhero property – ‘Zenith’, the first superhero saga penned by comics
legend, Grant Morrison!
Concrete Surfer
Pat Mills, Christine Ellingham
ISBN: 9781781087633
25 June 2020
UK £9.99
Pages: 80 // Paperback
A skateboarding rivalry, timed to coincide
with skateboarding’s 2020 Olympic debut! Sent home to Britain after her parents
fail to establish a new life in Australia, Jean Everidge is forced to rely on
family charity, moving in with her Aunt, Uncle and cousin Carol, successful
gymnast, beloved of teachers and pupils alike, and all round charming “top
girl”. Jean has one solace left to her – skateboarding, surfing the concrete
pavement, while forgetting all her troubles, and feel free. But Jean’s
freestyling talent soon attracts attention, and if there’s one thing Carol
can’t stand, it’s being out of the spotlight. With the new skatepark freestyle
contest coming up, just how far will Carol go to stay number one?
War Picture Library: Battler Britton
V.A.L. Holding, Hugo Pratt
ISBN: 9781781087664
30 July 2020 (UK) 28 July 2020 (US)
UK £14.99 // US $19.99 // CAN $26.99
Pages: 64 // Hardcover
In this second book in the series of
collections reprinting every story drawn by Hugo Pratt, the Italian art maestro
meets one of the most popular British comic book characters: Battler Britton!
Battler Britton is a World War Two air ace as skilled a fighter on land as he
is in his Spitfire. In 1960, Hugo Pratt drew two of his adventures – Wagons of
Gold and Rockets of Revenge – and they are to be reprinted in graphic novel
format for the first time. These fast-paced adventure stories feature the
classic character facing off against the Nazis and this second book continues
Rebellion’s mission to bring all of Pratt’s work back into print. Readers of
Corto Maltese will love these forgotten classic war stories from the
worldrenowned comic book artist, published in a format larger than originally
published to show off his impressive and universally-lauded artwork.
Death Squad
Alan Hebden, Eric Bradbury, Carlos Ezquerra
ISBN: 9781781087688
20 August 2020 (UK) 18 August 2020 (US)
UK £14.99 // US $19.99 // CAN $26.99
Pages: 128 // Paperback
Meet the deadliest band of fighters on the
Eastern Front in an all-out all-action, complete-in-one brutal war story from
the pages of the classic war comic, Battle! During World War Two the Eastern
Front was Hell on Earth – German Punishment Battalions were thrown into the
thick of the conflict where they were expected to fight well and die hard. In
these harshest of conditions only the strongest warriors survived. Enter the
Death Squad – Grandad, Swede, Licker, Gus and Frankie. Alone they were failures
and outcasts, but together they were one of the most formidable combat units
the Russians ever faced! One of the all-time classics from the groundbreaking
and hugely influential Battle comic, this features gritty art from Eric
Bradbury and Carlos Ezquerra, bringing the horrors of the Eastern Front to
readers in a brand new collection!
The Best of Sugar Jones
Pat Mills, Rafael Busóm
ISBN: 9781781087701
20 August 2020 (UK)
UK £14.99
Pages: 112 // Paperback
Sugar Jones is the charming
twenty-something host of her own late night variety show, beloved by viewers up
and down the nation. Only her assistant Susie knows her secret – Sugar is
really selfish, sour, scheming – and 40 years old! She do anything to make a
quick buck. Written by 2000 AD legend Pat Mills, Sugar Jones features stunningly
beautiful art from Spanish illustrator Rafael Busóm – it’s not just a comic
book but an archive of 1970s fashion too! A luscious collection that will
appeal to readers young and old, a morality tale that combines fashion and soap
opera in only the way ‘70s British comics could! Sugar Jones is a forgotten gem
from The Treasury of British Comics’ archive!
The Vigilant
Simon Furman, Simon Coleby, DaNi, Henrik Sahlstrom, Warwick Fraser-Combe, Staz Johnson, Will Sliney, Jake Lynch
19 September (UK)
UK £14.99
Pages: 128 // Paperback
Classic British Superheroes remade for a
21st Century audience! Lost in the mists of time, home-grown British
superheroes once entertained and enthralled millions of kids…Now, the likes of
Adam Eterno, Blake Edmonds, Thunderbolt the Avenger, and The Leopard from Lime
Street are back for a new generation of readers. This volume collects the
trilogy of Vigilant stories written by Simon Furman (Transformers) and drawn by
an all-star roster of artsists including Simon Coleby (Dark Souls), DaNi
(Coffin Bound), Henrik Sahlstrom (Thirteenth Floor), Warwick Fraser-Combe, Staz
Johnson (Spider-Man), Will Sliney (Spider-Man 2099), Jake Lynch (Judge Dredd)
The Thirteenth Floor Vol Two
John Wagner, Jose Ortiz
ISBN: 9781781087725
October
UK £14.99
Pages: 176 // Paperback
Collecting the darkly comical series from
the pages of Eagle, this second volume of the hugely popular The Thirteenth
Floor continues the misadventures of the murderous machine A.I., Max! The
Thirteenth Floor exists in Maxwell Tower – an experimental tower block run by
an A.I. called Max who looks after his tenants and take revenge on those who
threaten them by sending them to The Thirteenth Floor – a place where nightmare
and reality become one! This second collection of the popular series which
began in Scream! and continued in Eagle carries the story further into the
Eighties with the authorities becoming more aware of Max’s out of control
vindictiveness, and their attempts to shut him down.
Black Max Vol. 2
ISBN: 9781781088623
October
UK £14.99
Pages: 112 // Paperback
Bi-planes vs giant vampire bats in this
thrilling collection of war comics with a horror twist! Lieutenant Tom Wilson
returns to battle Baron Maximilien Von Klorr and his attack force of giant
vampire bats in a continuation of the popular series. The World War One era
story moves to England with a monstrous albino bat attacking London with each
page beautifully drawn by Alfonso Font working on one of his very first comic
series. This exciting World War One aviation adventure is ideal for fans of
Charleys War, Battle, and Hammer horror films!
The Trigan Empire Vol. 2
Mike Butterworth, Don Lawrence, Ron Embleton
ISBN: 9781781087756
November
UK £19.99 // US $24.99 // CAN $33.99
Pages: 288 // Paperback
The lost sci-fi classic from the 1960s
continues in gloriously restored collections! Among the distant stars,
fractious tribes come together to found a mighty empire that will wage war
against aggressive kingdoms, battle alien invaders, and conceive of incredible
new technologies. This extraordinary volume continues to chart the glorious
Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire! A landmark in British comics history,
painted by the legendary Don Lawrence in stunning, classic style, and springing
from the grandiose pen of Mike Butterworth, this is an epic tale that creates a
new far-future science fiction mythos that captured the imagination of a
generation. This new collection features an introduction from one-time Don
Lawrence apprentice Chris Weston (The Filth).
Cor! Buster
Cavan Scott, Neil Googe, Hilary Barta, Tom Paterson, Sheli Paroline, Olivia Hicks and Brett Parson
ISBN: 9781781088647
November
UK £10.99 // US $13.99
Pages: 96 // Paperback
Brighten up the Xmas holidays with this
bumper collection hilarious stories filled with laughs and fun, for kids of all
ages! Britain’s golden age of humour comics returns for the 21st century, with
brand new stories by today’s top talents. Featuring characters like Kid Kong,
Grimly Feendish, Faceache, and Frankie Stein are given new life in this
compendium of hilarity by Neil Googe (The Flash), Cavan Scott (Doctor Who), Tom
Paterson (The Beano, The Dandy), Shelli Paroline (Adventure Time) and Hilary
Barta (DC Comics Plastic Man)!
Ken Reid’s Football Funnies
Ken Reid
ISBN: 9781781087794
3 December (UK)
UK £19.99
Pages: 144 // Hardcover
The master of British humour comics turns
his pen towards the hilarity of people who play football! For four years from
1970 Ken Reid drew a weekly humour strip for Scorcher and Score, this
collection collects the first two years of those strips. Featuring the characters Sub,Manager Matt,
Hugh Fowler and the Football Forum pundits, this collection combines Ken Reid’s
love of football with his natural ability to find the funny side of the great
game. This is the first collection of the never before collected strips from
Scorcher and Score.
“Unashamedly polemic in its approach, and touching on everything from environmental politics, to food monopolies, to state surveillance, 3WW pre-empted the obsessions of current online activists by some quarter of a century” – Ian McQuaid, Ransom Note
Read one of British comics’ most politically conscious series – Pat Mills and Carlos Ezquerra’s Third World War is out now in paperback and limited edition hardcover!
Using brand new scans of the original artwork supplied by the family of the late Carlos Ezquerra, Rebellion’s Treasury of British Comics brings you the definitive collection of the highly-political comic book classic of global capitalism, rebellion and exploitation.
The paperback collection is available from the Treasury of British Comics webshop, as well as all good book and comic book stores, and online retailers.
Available to order exclusively from the Treasury of British Comics webshop, the hardcover edition of Third World War is limited to 300 copies.
Eve is unemployed after leaving university and is immediately conscripted as a soldier working for a corporation and discovers just how South American countries are being exploited to create food needed to feed the increasing population for their profit under the guise of western paternalism.
Running in Crisis from 1988-1990 and including work by Angie Kincaid and Matt “D’Israeli” Brooker, Third World War is suffused with economic, political, and social issues, and deals with ever-more-prescient issues around capitalism and global politics. Ezquerra’s painted colour artwork is a highlight of his long and distinguished career.
A truly anti-establishment graphic novel, unlike anything else published by the Treasury of British Comics so far, the collection will be available in January 2020.
