DC Thomson’s official Commando website has recently added a lot of content inspired by the Draw Your Weapons exhibition of Commando artwork at the National Army Museum in Chelsea. The entire section of the website is indexed here and, while all of it is worth a read, there are a few sections worthy of a special mention in dispatches.

There is an impressive three part illustrated history of British adventure papers/comics from Boy’s Own in 1855, via The Magnet and The Gem to the present concentrating, of course, on DCT’s own boys titles. The series of articles begins here.

In addition to this history, which mentions the DCT WWII pilot character Matt Braddock VC who appeared in various DCT titles including Rover, Victor and Warlord, the website has included the entire first chapter of the I Flew With Braddock novel that was published in 1959. This novel reprints the weekly Braddock text stories from The Rover and is effectively the story paper equivalent of the modern day graphic novels that reprint the weekly stories of 2000AD or Battle. The first chapter of the novel can be read here.

Complementing the pictures elsewhere, ten different Commando issues are focused on with credits, cover illustrations and comments on each from Commando editor Calum Laird and former editor George Low. These covers begin here.

To promote the Nation Army Museum exhibition, cover artist Ian Kennedy produced a new illustration, shown above, for the museum’s poster in the style of a Commando cover. This artwork is available to download as a PC wallpaper.

Finally there is a video interview featuring current and former editors, Calum Laird and George Low, and deputy editor Scott Montgomery talking to cover artist Ian Kennedy about his work on Commando covers. This is a rare opportunity to hear one of the greatest living British comics artists talking about his work.

There are more details of Commando on the official Commando website.

There are more details of the Draw Your Weapons exhibition at the National Army Museum website.