One of my earliest reminiscences is following the adventures of Bill Savage, self-styled resistance fighter and Cockney psychopath, who fought thinly disguised Soviets, called Volgs, in a future Britain that had been conquered by the communist hordes. The comic was that anti-establishment cultural icon, 2000AD, tapping into the punk zietgeist of 1977, and the comic strip was Invasion
British boys’ comics recovered from a rut in the 1970s with a newfound determination to cater for the violent tastes of their teenage market. They differed from their American counterparts as market segmentation led to titles concentrating on specific subject matter: War: Battle, Victor, Warlord and Commando; Football: Roy of the Rovers; Science Fiction: 2000AD, Starlord, Tornado, Eagle and Starblazer. No doubt I have missed out a few, including the weekly reprints of superhero comics by Marvel UK.
Bill Savage was a lorry driver whose exploits appeared in the first issue of 2000AD, spinning into orbit in 1977. This allows an indulgence of nostalgic relish as I recall Birmingham nuked, a clone of Maggie as Prime Minister shot on the steps of St. Paul’s and the new Prime Minister announcing “People of Britain. The Volgans are our Friends! We must not fight them…Hand Over All Your Fire-Arms!” With his handy shotgun and avenging the death of his family, Savage enjoyed taking the war to the occupiers and killing them in a number of diverse ways, followed by a suitable quip. The roadlayer that he gleefully used to ‘level’ a Volg firing squad was a particularly nasty way to go.
Whilst interesting, Invasion was a second world war story, transplanted to the future. The world of 1999 had changed little from the 1940s and there are no dark faces in the comic. A parallel can be made with the film, “Dr Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth, 2150”, another invasion narrative that symbolised England’s vulnerability by trading on the cultural myths of 1940. Nonetheless, even in 1977, popular culture could encompass a comic that envisioned a Britain where lorry drivers kept shotguns at home and firearms were an accepted part of working class life. It seems like another world.
Savage eventually made it to Canada with Prince John, ending his personal war. But, in his pithy way, Savage said it all…
“My cannon stays with me! Greased and ready…”
Ah but did you see the update with the European Federal Army invading Britain?
The truck-driver has an Asian shop-keeper side-kick and they are fighting Nazi storm-troopers wearing the EU logo. I seem to recall Manchester got nuked and the Queen escaped to Canada by Concorde (which is of course no longer possible).
A nice touch was the execution by firing squad by the side of St Paul’s Cathedral of Eurosceptics, including someone who looked a lot like John Major (heh!).
Ah, yes. Warlord was my favourite. Had the code book and everything (mine had a misprint). Specially liked that story about the experimental plane called the Banshee, that would do strange things of its own accord every now and again. the “Spike” comic catered to my rebel side.
Are any of these war comics still on the newsstands these days? It’s been so long.
I wasn’t a buyer of 2000AD myself, but I did enjoy Rogue Trooper and Strontium Dog.
Ah, memories.
Toodle pip,
The lack of ethnic diversity, the volgan/ussr/nazi invaders and their poor aim, Savage’s long-haired special friend… All very believable and naturalistic, but how can one assemble a sixbarrelled shotgun from standard shotgun components? And why bother?
There is a sequel to Invasion currently running in 2000AD (third one down).