Limit Break Comics will be releasing ace downthetubes contributor and roving reporter James Bacon’s first non-fiction book, Irish Conflict in Comics in the 20th Century, Rebellion, Nazi Spies and The Troubles, at Dublin Comic Con next weekend, on Saturday 9th August.
The cover by John McGuiness and Tríona Tree Farrell, this large format, 260 page book is the first non-fiction book by Limit Break Comics: a bumper commentary on the history of Irish conflict as it appears in comics, published in partnership with Chickadee Comics in the United States.
James’s work was developed while undertaking research at the National Library of Ireland’s and covers over 70 years of comics history.
Featuring commentary and contextualisation of over 150 comic stories and over 300 individual comic books, Irish Conflict in Comics in the 20th Century: Rebellion, Nazi Spies, and The Troubles offers an invaluable reference work for those interested in Ireland, Irish history, and comics.
In 1943, for example, Marvel’s Namor fought alongside the I.R.A to defeat Nazi spies in “The Green Island Menace” in Sub-Mariner #9. Even more surprising is a 1980s Spider-Man story featuring the I.R.A. resulting in a bomb threat against the Marvel New York offices, prompting their staff to evacuate onto the street.
The presence of Irish elements persists throughout comic book history. “Rookie” in Red Ryder and “Minuteman” in Master Comics also fought against Nazi Spies and infiltrators in Ireland during the Second World War. Discover Irish characters in a variety of historical portrayals, too, such as in Prince Valiant and The Thrilling Adventures of Robin Hood, as well as Eamon de Valera, Hero of Ireland.
In Ireland itself, Irish comics were produced to challenge the foreign imports in the 1950s. The Leprechaun, Sarsfields the Name, Sarsfields the Man, and Éire – Sean is Nua provided alternatives to the “avalanche of imported comic papers which are doing great harm to youth”.
American and European portrayals of Irish conflict expanded from the 1970s onwards, mirroring contemporary interest in the Troubles, and this book examines these portrayals, speaking to the very strong and disappointing stories, and considers the incredible underground works that came from Northern Ireland in the 1970s, such as The Hand by John Kindness, and then later seminal portrayals of the Troubles from Northern Ireland, such as Troubled Souls and Holy Cross.
James Bacon is an Irish train driver living in London, a comic fan from Dublin who has been active in the Irish comic book community and who has written about comics for over thirty years. James has won both a Hugo Award and an Alfie Award for co-editing the fanzine Journey Planet He’s also a hugely appreciated contributor to downthetubes, reporting on various events around the UK and Ireland.
Irish Conflict in Comics in the 20th Century: Rebellion, Nazi Spies, and The Troubles is his first book. His second will be the forthcoming Irish Hysteria over Horror Comics in the 1950s, which will also be published by Limit Break Comics.
Limit Break Comics is a comic collective that planted its roots in Dublin, specialising in genre fiction comics. Its members include Paul Carroll, Gareth Luby, Gary Moloney, Seamus Kavanagh, James Killian, Mari Rolin, Alice Coleman, Colin O’Mahoney and John McGuinness.
As a collective, Limit Break engages in programming at events, crowdfunding campaigns, and the publishing of comics. It was awarded Best Publisher in the 2021 ICN Awards, and nominated as Best Publisher in the European Science Fiction Society Hall of Fame Awards in 2023.
Limit Break are also releasing The Dark in the Tower at Dublin Comic Con, a new one-shot comic by Seamus Kavanagh, and Meouch #3, featuring everyone’s favourite murder cat is back!
“The third issue is our bloodiest adventure yet,” says the team, “with Frankie holding nothing back to protect the ones he loves and put an end to the dastardly Doggo Shady.”
The creative team of Paul Carroll and Gareth Luby on Meouch are joined by returning colourist Rebecca Nalty and new letterer Rob Jones.
In The Dark in the Tower, Seamus Kavanagh, joined by John McGuinness and Alice Coleman, tell an obscure tale of the lengths one will go to, even when they know they shouldn’t, to make their heart’s desire a reality.
• Limit Break Comics is online at limitbreakcomics.com
• Dublin Comic Con | Saturday 9th August – Sunday 10th August 2025 The Convention Centre Dublin (theccd.ie), Spencer Dock, Dublin1 | Web: dublincomiccon.com
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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.
Categories: Books, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
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