"Rat Pack" | |
---|---|
Publisher | IPC Magazines |
Publication date | 8 March 1975 –8 July 1978 |
Genre | |
Title(s) | Battle 8 March 1975 to 3 January 1976 3 April to 7 August 1976 29 January to 8 July 1978 18 September 1979 to 7 June 1980 |
Main character(s) | Major Taggart Matthew Dancer Kabuk 'The Turk' Hasan Ian 'Scarface' Rogan Ronald Weasel |
Creative team | |
Writer(s) | Terry Magee Eric Hebden Gerry Finley-Day Peter Harris S. Conforth Ken Mennell R. Marsh Alan Hebden Brian Bullen |
Artist(s) | Carlos Ezquerra Alan Philpott Ken Houghton Colin Page Massimo Belardinelli Johnny Johnson Eduardo Feito Bill Lacey Vanyo John Cooper Eric Bradbury |
Editor(s) | Dave Hunt |
"Rat Pack" is a British comic war story published in the weekly anthology Battle Picture Weekly from 8 March 1975 to 8 July 1978 by IPC Magazines. Set during World War II, the story follows the eponymous unit, compromised of a penal military unit of four criminals recruited by British Army officer Major Taggart to undertake deadly missions.
After Pat Mills and John Wagner were charged with creating Battle Picture Weekly for IPC Magazines. Gerry Finley-Day was one of the writers they turned to after positive experiences working with him on girls' comics, particularly Tammy . Finley-Day was later be honest that the concept "was simply a rip-off of" war film The Dirty Dozen . The editorial team originally wanted Carlos Ezquerra to draw the strip after spotting his work in DC Thomson titles. After some difficulty locating the uncredited artist via his agent, Ezquerra agreed to work on the strip, but only around his extant DC Thomson work until he could be sure Battle Picture Weekly was a success. [1]
As a result of Ezquerra's commitments numerous artists filled in on the strip, including Massimo Belardinelli, while the format of standalone six-page stories saw several writers rotate on the strip. [2] It nevertheless a hit with readers. [1] "Rat Pack" appeared in the first issue of Battle in March 1975 and initially ran until January 1976, [3] but would return periodically due to reader demand. [4] Alan Hebden would eventually become the main writer. He remembered he felt there were too many characters, and frequently pitched killing off Rogan as he "was the deserter and nobody ever liked that". [5]
From 29 January 1977 the strip featured a crossover with Major Eazy (who took command of the Pack after they abandoned Taggart and were then forced to rescue him by new commanding officer Eazy), and was renamed as "Major Eazy versus Rat Pack" in reference to the antagonistic relationship between the characters; it was the first crossover between characters in Battle Picture Weekly - something which was rarely done in British anthologies at the time. Battle editor Dave Hunt would later admit the story was created as a solution to keep both popular characters in the comic while making room for new stories such as "Johnny Red". Ezquerra drew the strip but would later note he enjoyed Major Eazy's solo adventures more; like Hedben, he felt there were too many characters in "Rat Pack". [6] After a year out of the comic, the team returned for a final time after Terry Magee took over as Battle editor, this time as a serial [4] until June 1980. [3]
An episode of "Rat Pack" was reprinted by Egmont Publishing in a 2009 Classic Comics special edition of Battle Picture Weekly. [7] [8] The following year Titan Comics collected the first group of stories in the hardback Rat Pack: Guns, Guts & Glory (Volume 1); [9] despite the name, no further volumes followed.
Since 2016, the rights to the story have been owned by Rebellion Developments. [10] [11] Two years later in August 2018, they issued a new 3-part comic series Sniper Elite: Resistance by Keith Richardson and Patrick Goddard, a spin-off from the PlayStation 4 game Sniper Elite . The story, set in German-occupied France in 1941, included an appearance by the Rat Pack. [12] In 2020 Rebellion issued a collected edition of "Major Eazy vs. Rat Pack" as part of their Treasury of British Comics range, [13] while Garth Ennis would write a new story for the same year's Battle Action Special one-shot. [14]
Four inmates imprisoned in Wessex Military Prison's maximum security wing in 1941 - Kabul 'the Turk' Hasan (a Cypriot who attacked a superior officer), Ronald Weasel (a safecracker who attempted to rob a Paymaster's Office, Ian 'Scarface' Rogan (a deserter from the Highland Infantry) and Matthew Dancer (a Commando caught looting) find their cells unlocked and escape.
They find out they have been sprung by Major Taggart, who plans to turn them into a crack special operations team in return for being released from prison. Despite the four convicts hating each other almost as much as they hate Taggart and various attempts to murder, abandonment and exploitation the 'Rat Pack' carry out numerous successful missions behind enemy lines.
Title | ISBN | Publisher | Release date | Contents |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rat Pack: Guns, Guts & Glory (Volume 1) | 1848560354 | Titan Books | September 2010 | Material from Battle 8 March 1975 to 7 August 1976 |
Major Eazy vs. Rat Pack | 9781781088555 | Rebellion Developments | 30 September 2020 | Material from Battle 29 January to 23 April 1977 |
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic magazine. As a comics anthology it serialises stories in each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. Since 2000 it has been published by Rebellion Developments.
John Wagner is an American-born British comics writer. Alongside Pat Mills, he helped revitalise British comics in the 1970s, and continues to be active in the British comics industry, occasionally also working in American comics. He is the co-creator, with artist Carlos Ezquerra, of the character Judge Dredd.
Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra was a Spanish comics artist who worked mainly in British comics. He is best known as the co-creator of Judge Dredd.
Battle Picture Weekly was a British weekly boys' war comic published by IPC Magazines from 8 March 1975 to 23 January 1988, when it merged with the new incarnation of Eagle after 644 issues. Most stories were set in World War II, with some based on other conflicts, while factual features also focused on warfare.
Starlord was a British weekly boys' science fiction comic published by IPC Magazines from 13 May to 7 October 1978, when it merged with 2000 AD after 22 issues. The comic was created by Kelvin Gosnell, and was originally intended as a fortnightly sister title for 2000 AD with higher production values and an older audience, but late changes in production saw it converted into a weekly.
"The Thirteenth Floor" is a British science fiction strip character, appearing in titles published by IPC Magazines. The strip debuted in the weekly anthology Scream! on 24 March 1984, before continuing in Eagle until 28 February 1987. The stories were written by John Wagner and Alan Grant; art was provided by José Ortiz. Since 2016 the property has been owned by Rebellion Developments, who have revived the strip in several specials. The plot was set in a tower block called Maxwell Tower, controlled by an experimental sentient computer called Max located on the 13th floor of the flats. Max himself narrated the strip, and as befitting a computerised custodian of hundreds of people, was quite chatty and light-hearted. However, he was also portrayed as having a programming flaw; programmed to love and protect his tenants, he could remorselessly kill anyone who threatened or even just annoyed them.
"The Tower King" is a British comic strip, appearing in titles published by IPC Magazines. The story was published in the anthology Eagle from 27 March to 4 September 1982, written by Alan Hebden, with art by José Ortiz. The story was set in a dystopian London, where society has broken down.
Tornado was a British weekly boys' adventure comic published by IPC Magazines from 24 March to 18 August 1979. The comic was partly created as a way to use up stories already commissioned for the other titles, and was marred by a difficult production. Tornado sold poorly and was merged with 2000 AD after 22 issues.
Steve MacManus is a British comic writer and editor, particularly known for his work at 2000 AD.
Major Eazy is a British comic character, appearing in strips published by IPC Magazines. Eazy featured British comic war stories published in the weekly anthology Battle Picture Weekly from 10 January 1976 to 10 June 1978, written by Alan Hebden and drawn by Carlos Ezquerra. Set during World War II, the strips follow Eazy, an unconventional British Army officer with a laidback attitude.
The Steel Commando is a British comic character, appearing in strips published by IPC Magazines. Created by Frank S. Pepper, the character first appeared in the first issue of the short-lived boys' weekly adventure anthology comic Thunder, dated 17 October 1970. After Thunder ended in March 1971 the strip continued in Lion until 1974. The character is a robotic soldier fighting for the British Army in World War II; due to a programming error the mechanical man will only obey the orders of layabout Private Ernest 'Excused Boots' Bates.
"D-Day Dawson" is a British comic war story published in the weekly anthology Battle Picture Weekly from 8 March 1975 to 22 January 1977 by IPC Magazines. Set during World War II, the story follows Steve Dawson, a sergeant in the British Army left with an inoperable bullet next to his heart after being shot during the D-Day landings.
"The Bootneck Boy" is a British comic war story published in the weekly anthology Battle Picture Weekly from 8 March 1975 to 12 November 1977 by IPC Magazines. Set during World War II, the story follows Danny Budd, a youth from the fictional Northern England town of Tynecastle as he strives to join the Royal Marines.
"Death Squad" is a British comic war story published in the weekly anthology Battle from 12 July 1980 to 4 June 1981 by IPC Magazines. Set during World War II, the story follows a Wehrmacht penal military unit spared death sentences in return for service on the Eastern front. It was written by Alan Hebden and drawn by Eric Bradbury.
"Johnny Red" is a British comic war story published in the weekly anthology Battle Picture Weekly from 29 January 1977 to 17 January 1987 by IPC Magazines. Set during World War II, the story follows Johnny 'Red' Redburn, a British pilot leading the Falcon Squadron unit of the Soviet Air Forces on the Eastern Front. Written by Tom Tully and initially drawn by Joe Colquhoun, the strip was the longest-running in Battle's history, only ending in 1987 when financial constraints saw it switched to reprints.
"El Mestizo" is a British comic war story published in the weekly anthology Battle Picture Weekly from 4 June to 17 September 1977 by IPC Magazines. Set during the American Civil War, the story follows a mestizo slave turned mercenary returning from Mexico to America in 1862. The story was written by Alan Hebden and drawn by Carlos Ezquerra.
"Mind Wars" is a British comic science fiction adventure story published in the weekly anthology Starlord from 20 May to 7 October 1978 by IPC Magazines.
Eagle, sometimes referred to as The New Eagle and known at various points in its life as Eagle and Scream!, Eagle and Tiger, Eagle and Battle, Eagle and M.A.S.K. and Eagle and Wildcat, was a British boys' adventure comic published by IPC Magazines from 27 March 1982 to January 1994. A revival of the famous Eagle, the title was initially a weekly publication until turning into a monthly in May 1991. The title was finally cancelled in January 1994, after 505 issues.
"The Nightcomers" is a British science fiction strip character, appearing in titles published by IPC Magazines. The strip debuted in the weekly anthology Scream! on 5 May 1984, running until the comic was cancelled after the 30 June 1984 edition. The story was written by Tom Tully and drawn by John Richardson.