On a dull, cold afternoon, a column of six early model Mark IV Panzers has halted on a forest road… and so begins a very grim new “Hellman” story by Garth Ennis, currently on Mike Dorey’s drawing board for the ten issue Battle Action series for Rebellion, out early next year.
It was 48 years ago this month that Action issue 37 was banned after some of the comic’s content caused public outrage, as Moose Harris documented in his The Sevenpeny Nightmare project, now hosted on downthetubes. When the title resumed publication, revamped, several strips had been pulled, or diluted.
“Hellman survived,” notes Mike Dorey, “and I’m still enjoying drawing him today.”
Mike Dorey is an artist and illustrator, who’s become something of a go to artist when it comes to breathing new life into classic British comic characters of late. Which should, perhaps, come as no surprise. Quite apart from being a brilliant artist, his breakout character Cadman, The Fighting Coward, created for DC Thomson, established a precedent for creating anti-heroes and anti-establishment figures.
Mike is well known for his work on the ground-breaking weekly Action comic, for which he co-created Hellman of Hammer Force, the first German military hero in the history of post- war British comics. He went on to draw the iconic Rogue Trooper for 2000AD.
Mike is noted for his dark, textured artwork, with an emphasis on line and form influenced by a study of Impressionist and Surrealist art. His strong draftsmanship is characterised by a bold and high-contrast style that makes his work instantaneously recognisable.
Illustrating fictional characters in real-life environments draws on Mike’s historical and literary knowledge and his keen eye for detail. As well as Cadman and Hellman, Mike’s meticulously researched and detailed historical creations include Wolverine, “Kampfgruppe Falken”, “Iron Annie”and “Sergeant Rayker” for Warlord; the latter about a black sergeant, Moses Rayker, in the US army (and military police) during World War Two, returning soon in Commando, also to be drawn by Mike.
Mike also drew ”Victor Drago” for Tornado, and, in the science fiction realm, as well as Rogue Trooper, drew “Bill Savage”/“Invasion”, Ro-Busters, and M.A.C.H. Zero in 2000AD and Computer Warrior in the revived EAGLE. In 2020 year, Mike worked with Garth Ennis to bring Hellman back, the revived war character first reappearing in Action 2020.
• Battle Action 2024 Issue Three is on sale next week. Grab a copy here from the 2000AD webshop. | Buy Issue One | Buy Issue Two
• Mike Dorey is online at mikedorey.co.uk
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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: British Comics, Comic Previews, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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