| Dear Steve, Hellman, one of the best stories to live on in Battle. However is it just me or is the last episode a case of 'And with one giant leap Hellman was free' 'cos it looks like someone wanted to get the story finished as quickly as possible. Just check out the panels set in the prison camp to see what I mean. If the story had continued in a pre-ban Action I'd hate to have seen what Stalin would've done if he'd got his hands on Hellman, Max and Dekker. It's nice to think that Wagner's Walk was influenced by Hellman and I've got to admit its the only Tornado story I'd be interested in seeing in a reprint form. Matt |
| Steve says: Couldn't agree more Matt. Hellman went down a great route in the final days and was then rushed off stage before the curtain fell. See also Dredger and Spinball. You get the idea that Battle tried to lose the Action stories as their popularity declined. Hellman was always going to reach a conclusion at the end of the war, and as soon as that was over, it was wrapped up quickly. Dredger and Spinball both turned into utter bollocks and had to be disposed of swiftly. As for Stalin, he'd never catch Hellman. |
| Dear Steve, Just wanted to say, nice one. I'm 40, read Action as a kid, thoroughly enjoyed it, whilst unable to understand the fuss, I mean, for God's sake, the media were playing hell about Grange Hill and the language used, when I distinctly remember knowing the meaning of just about every commonly used swear word at the time, as well as hearing them on a day-to-day basis. I remember also the Sun (was it?) centre-page headline The Sevenpenny Nightmare, and thinking "Shit, are my parents gonna let me continue buying it?" Fortunately, they were more enlightened than the powers-that-be. Superb site - Well done. All the very best, Paul Dyson |
| Steve says: Thanks a lot chap! Guess there's a bunch of us late thirties guys who all have a thing for this violent comic of the 70s. I was just reading the Dredd Megazine and looking at some of the graphic content now available to kids, particularly in things like Blood of Satanus by Pat Mills. There's life in the old dog yet I suppose. Then there's 2000AD, where tits and four letter words are no longer taboo...flippin' 'eck Tucker! |
