Reading ScaryDuck memories of 2000AD got me thinking back to the comics I used to read when I was a boy. The two that I remember most clearly are Warlord and Action.
Warlord was published in 1974 (when I was 7 years old) and was a war comic for boys, featuring Lord Peter Flint, codename Warlord. It was definitely the comic you had to read if you were a boy in those days. Somehow, I don’t think a comic consisting solely of war stories would be allowed now. There were free gifts attached to the cover, though all I can remember about those is codebooks for sending secret messages. Jim Wilkinson, Andrew Payling and I were all members of the Fireball Club, a “secret agent” club that was run through Warlord comic.
Action came out in 1976 and was much more controversial. It had ultra-violent stories like Hookjaw, about a shark with a harpoon sticking through its jaw, and Deathgame 1999, which was about a rollerball-like game. These were obviously influenced by the films “Jaws”, “Deathrace 2000” and “Rollerball”, which were in the cinemas around that time, but which young boys would be unable to see due to their “X” rating. Hookjaw was printed with blood shown in red ink, which made it even more exciting (and gory). Fabulous! Action got into trouble with WH Smith and Menzies later in 1976, due to the violence in the stories and was banned/suspended for 6 weeks, returning with much less violence. I think I lost interest at that point.
Reading up on these comics on the net, it would seem that Action was the predecessor for 2000AD with many of the same editors, writers and artists. I wasn’t fanatical about 2000AD, but enjoyed some of the stories. 2000AD is now owned by Rebellion a UK computer games company.
Fireball appeared in a comic called Bullet, not Warlord, although the two eventually amalgamated in the late 70’s. Fireball was Lord Peter flint’s nephew.
You’re absolutely right, of course. They seem to have been “brother” publications, though Warlord stands out in my mind more than Bullet (http://www.26pigs.com/bullet/index.htm).
I was 7 in 74 too! Me and my mates all loved Warlord and Battle, and if you didn’t wear khaki, you just didn’t fit! Mind you, we did live in Aldershot…!
I’m desperate to get hold of an old member’s wallet and all the other fireball club goodies. where do I go!?
No idea where you’d get any of the Fireball Club stuff now, though a quick Google did show that issues 1-147 of Battle, including the wallet went for more than £240 back in 2000. There are several copies of Battle fo sale on Ebay too, but I doubt they all have their freebies.
hey, guess what? i was seven in 74 too. I was reminiscing the other night with my wifes friends hubby and he, being a bit younger than me had never heard of Bullet or Fireball and my nine year old daughter overheard me telling him about the pendant and how my evil younger sister threw it into the corner of the room after a row and i never saw it again. it was as if it had somehow sailed through the wall. Anyway, what i was wondering was, does anybody have or know of any pictures of the fireball pendant, because my daughter today asked me if i was upset when i lost and wanted to know what it looked like, i tried to draw it but it didn’t come out right. I didn’t even know she was listening to that conversation till today. cheers guys.