Continuing from some of my past posts showing off some of the know finished British comics greats from my childhood next up we have..........
Johnny Red's first apperance was in the 100th issue of Battle Picture Weekly dated 29th January 1977 writern by Tom Tully who wrote the story for its full run with art work from the legend that was Joe Colquhoun before he left to do the art for Pat Mills Charleys War. The art was then taken on by John Copper till the stories end.
The Story revolvers around the central character of Johnny RED Rebourn a 19 year old RAF pilot cadet who is dishonourably discharged from the service after striking a senior officer.(in later parts of the story this changes to killing a senior office in an air crash?)
Cast out Johnny becomes a member of a merchent ship's crew taking part in the ocean going convoys from the UK to Russia.
On one convoy the ship is bombed and the pilot of there catapult Hurricane fighter is killed, With the ship doomed Johnny takes the pilots place and is launched off the ship in the Hurricane.
After a dog fight with a few Dorniers he finds himself over Russia where he meets up with a squadron of Russian fighters called the Falcon squadron.
Johnny then becomes part of the Falcons later becoming there leader.
The story is mainly about Johnny and the Falcon squadron taking part in the war on the eastern front with Johnny not only fighting the Germans but also having a fairly troubled time with the Soviot political officers or Commissars.
Later parts of the story see Johnny back in the UK flying for the RAF and the USSAF.
The story can be quite dark at times and shows the grim state of warfare that took place both on the ground and in the air on the eastern front in the early 1940's.
The story ran for about 5 years and was reprinted in the battle again after the original had run had finished. The sorry ran for a 3rd time once the Battle comic had merged with the Eagle comic where it finially ended its print run in a weekly comic.
Joe Colquhoun art work is as always great, filled with loads of detail and much better in black and white then in colour this also carried on when John Copper took over the art once Joe left to do Charley's War.
saddly I do not have any copies of the Joe Colquhoun issues which are part of my comic book wish list and as soon as i get a copy it will be added to the blog asap.
Below is a full episode taken from the reprints from the Eagle comics in the late 1980's to early 1990's and features art work by John Copper.
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