Home › Comics › Creating Comics › How Commando publisher DC Thomson pioneered wartime family drama in comics

How Commando publisher DC Thomson pioneered wartime family drama in comics

By John Freeman on October 31, 2018

Long before “Charley’s War” in Battle, and the latest Commando mini-series, “The Weekes’ War” Dundee-based comics publisher DC Thomson pioneered the idea of seeing war through the eyes of different members of the same family in comics – all serving simultaneously on different fronts, including a sister on the Home Front.

“The Heroes of Paradise Rd.” ran in the then tabloid-format Beezer back in 1961, running for 46 issues from No. 284 (cover dated 24th June 1961) to No. 329 (5th May 1962).

A title perhaps better known for its humour strips, this World War Two story featured stunning artwork by Ron Smith, who worked on several DC Thomson titles down the years, as well as 2000AD.

An episode of the Beezer adventure strip, “The Heroes of Paradise Road”

Here’s part of another episode which shows how the series managed to link life on the home front with dramatic events like Hitler’s invasion of Russia, giving Ron Smith the chance to provide a spectacular comparison with Napoleon in the process.

Beezer - "hereos of Paradise Rd" - Napoleon

As Colin Noble documented in the first part of his three-part series on Ron Smith’s career back in 2015, this was not the only time Ron Smith delivered some cracking wartime pages for DC Thomson.

Other work includes the “For Valour” series in the 1968 Beezer annual and the “Into Battle” series for the 1967 Beezer annual.

Here’s one of Colin’s favourites – a splash page from the “At War” series that featured in the 1964 Beezer annual.

The Beezer Annual 1964: Women at War

WEB LINKS

• “The Art of Ron Smith” by Colin Noble – Part One

• “The Art of Ron Smith” by Colin Noble – Part Two

• “The Art of Ron Smith” by Colin Noble – Part Three

• There’s a guide to The Beezer strips here on “The Topper Universe” web site

With thanks to Philip Rushton for the heads up on “Heroes of Paradise Road” (© DC Thomson)

About the Author
Latest Posts

John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.