Tornado (comic)
Encyclopedia
Tornado was a short-lived weekly British
comic
published for 22 issues by IPC Magazines
between March 1979
and August 1979. After the cancellations of the Starlord
and Action titles IPC launched Tornado as a way to use up stories already commissioned for the other titles. Like Action it was a mixed title featuring War, Detective, Horror and Science Fiction
stories. Tornado was printed on the low quality newsprint stock used by 2000 AD
and also had 5 stories of 5 to 6 pages per issue. The title also had a 'superpowered' editor, like Tharg, 'The Big E' who was portrayed in photo-strips by a rather portly Dave Gibbons
.
with the latter's 127th issue. The only characters to transfer were Blackhawk
, Wolfie Smith and Captain Klep, the star of a one-page comedy strip. Both Blackhawk and Wolfie Smith had their storylines considerably modified to more closely fit the sci-fi tone of 2000 AD. Blackhawk was kidnapped by aliens and forced to compete in an outer space gladiators' arena, and Wolfie Smith was menaced by an ancient force under a stone circle. By September 1980, 2000 AD had finished presenting stories with the Tornado characters.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comic
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
published for 22 issues by IPC Magazines
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
between March 1979
1979 in comics
-Year overall:* The "Demon in a Bottle" storyline, by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and John Romita, Jr., runs through Iron Man ....
and August 1979. After the cancellations of the Starlord
Starlord
Starlord was a short-lived weekly British science fiction comic published by IPC in 1978 as a sister title to 2000 AD, which had been launched the previous year in anticipation of a science fiction boom surrounding Star Wars....
and Action titles IPC launched Tornado as a way to use up stories already commissioned for the other titles. Like Action it was a mixed title featuring War, Detective, Horror and Science Fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
stories. Tornado was printed on the low quality newsprint stock used by 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
and also had 5 stories of 5 to 6 pages per issue. The title also had a 'superpowered' editor, like Tharg, 'The Big E' who was portrayed in photo-strips by a rather portly Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
.
Stories
Main stories were:- The Mind of Wolfie Smith written by Tom TullyTom Tully (comic writer)Tom Tully is a noted British comic writer mostly of sports and action stories. He is probably most famous as the longest-running writer of the popular football-themed strip Roy of the Rovers, which he wrote for much of Roy Race's playing career until the weekly comic closed in 1993.-Biography:From...
, with art by Vincente Vano, was the story of a young boy whose telepathic and telekinetic powers suddenly emerge, leading him to become a runaway.
- Angry Planet written by Alan Hebden, with art by Massimo BelardinelliMassimo BelardinelliMassimo Belardinelli was an Italian comics artist best known for his work in the British science fiction comic 2000 AD.-Biography:...
, was set in the late 21st century on a Mars that had been made habitable by humans. The story told of the struggle of the first generation of genetic 'martians' to free themselves from exploitation by Earth.
- Wagner's Walk was a WW2 story much in the 'Action' style as the hero is an escaped German POW fleeing the Red Army.
- BlackhawkBlackhawk (UK comic)Blackhawk was a Tornado comic strip created by Gerry Finley-Day that was one of three strips to transfer to 2000 AD after the two merged.-Plot synposis:...
, written by Gerry Finley-DayGerry Finley-DayGerry Finley-Day was a prolific British comics writer from the 1960s to the 1980s, best known as the creator of Rogue Trooper.He started out at D. C. Thomson & Co., before becoming the editor of IPC's girls' title Tammy in 1971, for which he wrote strips such as "Ella on Easy Street" and "The Camp...
with art by Alfonso Azpiri, was the story of a Nubian Galley slave who rescues his ship from pirates. Granted his freedom and a commission as a Centurion, Hawk forms his own legion out of other slaves who are then treated as a type of "Dirty DozenDirty DozenDirty Dozen may refer to:Chemistry* The first group of compounds identified as Persistent organic pollutants.Music* Bonkers 12: The Dirty Dozen, a compilation album* Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a New Orleans jazz band* D12, an American hip hop group...
".
- Victor Drago was a pseudonymous revival of Sexton BlakeSexton BlakeSexton Blake is a fictional detective who appeared in many British comic strips and novels throughout the 20th century. He was described by Professor Jeffrey Richards on the BBC in The Radio Detectives in 2003 as "the poor man's Sherlock Holmes"...
, IPCIPC MediaIPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
's long-running fearless detective, written by Bill Henry with art by Mike Dorey.
Merger
Tornado was merged with 2000 AD2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
with the latter's 127th issue. The only characters to transfer were Blackhawk
Blackhawk (UK comic)
Blackhawk was a Tornado comic strip created by Gerry Finley-Day that was one of three strips to transfer to 2000 AD after the two merged.-Plot synposis:...
, Wolfie Smith and Captain Klep, the star of a one-page comedy strip. Both Blackhawk and Wolfie Smith had their storylines considerably modified to more closely fit the sci-fi tone of 2000 AD. Blackhawk was kidnapped by aliens and forced to compete in an outer space gladiators' arena, and Wolfie Smith was menaced by an ancient force under a stone circle. By September 1980, 2000 AD had finished presenting stories with the Tornado characters.