Meanwhile over at The War Movie Buff...

I would have never considered to group Where Eagles Dare with Kelly’s Heroes, Inglorious Basterds, The Dirty Dozen, Guns of Navarone and The Eagle Has Landed as a subgenre of war films that are meant to be highly implausible.

However this is exactly what The War Movie Buff has done in his recent review of Where Eagles Dare.

I want to see it again now that I have the right perspective.

Moustache Monday!

Beating the British! Oh how the British enjoy combining personal grooming with a damn good thrashing.

When besting foreign fellows they take to these activities in a steady and almost workman like fashion.

Yet match them up against other English speaking peoples and they become somewhat over-excited even to the point of being dangerous. The moustache needs to consider this idiosyncratic condition carefully.

A well thought out and prepared course of action is required.

Is there no better way to beat the British than with a tidy moustache and big hair?

AAGH! of the Week. War Picture Library 71 Zero Hour

More WW2 Drawings.

This time lots of Russian hardware to be found at Engines of the Red Army in WW2 This website is truly a work of passion. Enjoy.

Moustache Monday!

The moustache of prophecy is usually quite rare - however the moustache of chilling prophecy is only found in lost legends.

Yet here is one before us...

The man who carries such responsibility must sometimes walk alone.

This is not a time to consider the things that we posses but the time to consider what we are yet to suppose.

Cover of the Week War Picture Library 109 Claws of the Tiger

You can feel the angst. Old mate's not getting up from this one. Rare to see blood as well.

That tank behind them is in a bit of strife as well.

War Picture Library 109 Claws of the Tiger says so much and it does it with a minimum of fuss. Even though to my eyes the two figures in the forefront may have been created either by a different artist or in a different medium (can anybody help me out here?) It really doesn't matter. This is a sterling effort.

I like the way that the artist wasn't compelled or directed to keep the image going to the edges of the original canvas. It doesn't need to. Everything the cover needs to say is right there.

Again, even though simple, the bold red of the title really works with the image. Thank goodness there's no annoying flash tag line spelling out what you should already know from the images. Right on the money. Only a 10/10 will do.

Moustache Monday!

A well placed moustache can take a normal moment of anger and with sufficient bile create a situation that is enough to make ones moustache curl.

Note this is more than a facial punctuation mark indentured by maturity, rank and well groomed facial hair.

This is in fact a purposely engineered and structured social method using state of the art moustache wax that can measure body temperature and evaluate the speed at which blood rushes through the veins. Guaranteeing an automated and non digital twirling at the most opportune moment.

This is not a trick. This is very serious.

A man with a tash must be in maximum command and control - are you?

Cultural Representations of the Fallen Soldier Display

The Laboratoire d'Histoire Visuelle Contemporaine is looking at the history and visual representations of the Fallen Soldier Display or Battle Cross - see below for the full email from Patrick Peccatte who is conducting the research.

I've provided him with a list of links that might help him out in his quest. If  you have any others please contact Patrick via email (peccatte@softexperience.com​).

Also I would appreciate it if you notify me (jovan3000@gmail.com) if you get in contact with Patrick. I would be very happy to learn that my blog has made a contribution in some way to an academic study.



Patricks's Email

Hello,
I am associate researcher at the Laboratoire d'Histoire Visuelle Contemporaine (visual studies) in Paris, France.
I am now working on the history and cultural representations of the Fallen Soldier Display (FSD) coined with an inverted rifle with bayonet and helmet.
This very popular symbol is also called Battle Cross, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Soldier_Battle_Cross
You can take a look on my article and slideshow on the subject (in French, sorry):
http://culturevisuelle.org/dejavu/346
http://culturevisuelle.org/dejavu/1132
I have found different covers of "war comics" with the FSD, see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickpeccatte/sets/72157629898674779/detail/

My question is simple:
do you know any other representation of the FSD in war comics ? Or do you know any person, archivist, group, etc. which can help me in search of the FSD in comics ?

With best regards

Patrick Peccatte

My Reply to Patrick
Hi Patrick

I am more than happy to help. If it's OK with you I will post your email to me as my next blog entry  - it can only help.

I've put together a list of websites and blogs that should be of some help. The 1st website that I've listed has every cover of each published UK war comic. My guess is that Steve Holland, Peter Richardson and The Book Palace will be your best bets for information concerning artists and illustrators.

I am more than happy to go through my collection on an ad hoc basis to see if there are any inside illustrations that match your research topic. As I find them I'll send them through to you.

Even though my French is terrible I had a look at you links this morning and I gather that your focus is on the American aspect of the FSD? Most of the links I've provided are British.  Just out of interest here is a link to the Australian War Memorial and traditions concerning our own ANZAC Day and 'reversed arms'. http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/customs/arms.asp

I hope you can find something that you can use in the following. Please stay in touch with regards to your progress.

The following commerical site is a very good resource for British war comic covers.
http://www.comicsmagazines.com/warpic1to100.htm

Steve Holland is a publisher of several books of British war comics. I imagine he would be an ideal source for further information.
http://bearalley.blogspot.com.au/

Peter Richardson is another blogger who has a strong interest in artists and original artwork that sometimes includes British war comics.
http://cloud-109.blogspot.com.au/

 Closer to home for you is the following French blog about the work of various artists and illustrators.
http://illustrateurs.blogspot.com

The Book Palace is another excellent website (and publisher) who might be able to help you out.
http://www.bookpalace.com/

Commando Comics are still being published by UK firm DC Thomson
http://www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk/Group-Commando.aspx?gclid=CIKj353A8K8CFU-HpAodFjOJXQ

If it helps with your research these comic books have been translated into other languages, two sites that might be able to help you out are:
Mike Eriksson's site is in English with links to his Swedish site
http://www.whereeaglesdare.eu/

King Viswa may be able to help you with war comics in Tamil
http://tamilcomicsulagam.blogspot.com.au

For movies with the images you are looking for try the war movie buff.
http://warmoviebuff.blogspot.com.au/

Cheers

Moustache Monday!

This is the intriguing story of two moustaches. On the surface of it they both appear to be enjoying the stations and privilege that rank and good grooming can bring. Both are of some rank. One with a cleft the other without. One is in command of the other. The other in command of others. Clearly the cleft is the senior man and can dominate the conversation.

However notice how the junior of the two still knows what's best for the men. He, as he should, knows that the scatter-brained and the feeble minded will need to find more than comfort in a stiff upper lip. They look for trust.

And where else to find it?

That is why dear children you must understand that even though two heads may be better than one - two moustaches bring a wealth of wisdom that will only be dismissed by the dim-witted and slack-jawed.

Cover of the Week War Picture Library 207 Be Tough, Be Cunning

Take that Nazi! How gratifying it is to see a jack-booted bad guy bite the big one at the hands of a determined, tough and cunning automatic wielding good guy.  You can tell by the shine of his boots that Hun boy was clearly up to no good and the hero has arrived to reduce the number of options opened to the Luger dropping fiend.

I'm very enthusiastic about this cover. It's all about the red and the render even though the door appears to be only pencilled in. There's good depth and animation in the composition of this picture. It all comes together perfectly with the title and the bared white teeth.

I'm keen to read War Picture Library 207 Be Tough, Be Cunning. In that respect the cover has already sold me on the story. And isn't that what it's supposed to do?

I know I'm a soft marker when it comes to these things, but when you've got quality like this to work with what else can you do? 10/10