Commando Creators credited at last

By John Freeman on 24 January 2008

As expected, DC Thomson’s Commando range now feature credits for their creators, part of a sweeping range of ongoing changes to the books which continue to sell well in UK newsagents and via subscription.

DC Thomson long held back from any credits in their books for the obvious reason that they wanted to protect their carefully-honed creators from being pinched by rival companies: but with most comic creators now online in some way or another and very few British comic publishers left, and certainly none publishing war stories, it hardly makes sense to maintain anonymity. Indeed, knowing who is working on these books may create more interest in them, which can only be good for sales. DC Thomson didn’t get where it si today by not learning to adapt – even if it adapts rather slowly.

The company has also, of course, long since abandoned keeping the creators who work on its humour titles like the Beano anonymous.

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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.