Adam Riches

“When the Comics Went to War” by Adam Riches and published by Mainstream Publishing is an authoritative history of British war comics from the first publications to appear in the 1880s through to the last new titles to appear in the 1990s. The book has a wealth of interesting material from Victorian times, the end of the Empire, through both World Wars and up into the Cold War and modern times, when titles like “The Victor”, “Valiant” and “Warlord” had circulations of over two million copies a week. Tragically these books, like all British boys comics, have all now disappeared.

The early sections of the book covering the Victorian and Boer War periods are particularly appealing as they cover areas where there is very little detailed academic research. The story of the “penny dreadfuls” is fascinating, with the book following in detail the birth of the genre with Edwin Brett’s “The Boys of England” through to its evolution into what we would recognise today as the comic book. There are some interesting sociological points to be drawn, particularly the parallels between the persecution of the “penny dreadfuls” and later scares – be that the “Seduction of the Innocents comics panic” of the 1950’s or the “video nasties” furore of the ‘80s. Lord’s Shaftesbury’s comments of 1878 on the malign influence of these early comics are particularly revealing. Speaking about the “dreadfuls” his concerns were that they were “…creeping not only into the houses of the poor, neglected and untaught but into the largest mansions; penetrating into religious families and astounding careful parents with its frightful issues”. Never has the class basis of censorship been so perfectly and elloquently laid bare.

The book is well written although the language tended to become a touch turgid and repetitive in parts, but not enough to become overly distracting. A nice art paper is used throughout and this highlights the many and beautiful illustrations to excellent effect. Overall this is a superbly put together package and a truly fascinating read.… (mehr)