Looters and The Glasgow Looking Glass
New stories...
Looters!
So, Looters!, my fifteenth published story in Commando, was out last week. It’s my first foray into the trenches of the First World War after thirteen stories set during the Second World War and one during the Falklands Campaign.
The Looters in question are stretcher bearers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (my old regiment) – stealing valuables from the bodies strewn across No Man’s Land. The idea for this story came from watching a TV show that was only shown when I was a child, The Monocled Mutineer. That TV show, starring Paul McGann, was based on fact and followed an uprising amongst the British troops during the war. McGann played Percy Toplis, who along with other soldiers stole weapons and mutinied before deserting. In that TV show there are scenes where stretcher bearers steal from corpses. The TV show caused such a fuss at the time for its portrayal of the British military that it was never again shown on British TV. If you can find it online I’d recommend watching it for the insight into one of the less well-known events of the First World War.
In my story, Looters!, we follow one particular private who rules the roost in the trenches where he’s based. He encourages others to steal and fences the stolen goods. When a fallen officer’s wife receives her husband’s belongings and finds that a valuable locket is missing, it prompts her brother, a Member of Parliament, to start a campaign against looting on the front lines. Enter our hero, a Corporal in the Military Police, who is sent undercover to investigate. He soon finds himself facing both the carnage of the war and the menaces of the looters. However, biding his time, he uncovers a larger plot and makes it his one-man crusade for justice.
Researching this story was fascinating. Looting was largely overlooked by officers during the First World War, and for those that were caught for their crimes, there were a number of cruel (and sometimes fatal) punishments. I also learned a lot about the trench system and how soldiers were rotated between the front line, reserve trenches and rear.
Looters! Is Commando number 5837, the interior artwork and cover are by Alejandro Garcia Mangana.
The Glasgow Looking Glass
The Glasgow Looking Glass is another project I’m working on at the moment. It was a comic publication printed and distributed in Glasgow in 1825. Similar to the later ‘Punch' newspaper, the Looking Glass contained satirical comic strips and cartoons, poking fun at the personalities and events of the day. The publication contains some of the earliest use of speech bubbles and perhaps the first use of the phrase 'to be continued' in any serialised publication. Its name was changed to The Northern Looking Glass when it began to cover topics beyond the city of Glasgow. It was produced by caricaturist William Heath and printed by John Watson Printers.
With 2025 being the two hundredth anniversary of the Glasgow Looking Glass, several writers and artists have come together to produce a modern version of the publication. Printed on newsprint and tabloid sized, it reflects the design of the original publication. Taking inspiration from modern politics and society, the new Looking Glass contains cartoons and comic strips on modern topics. The strips are similar to those found in current newspapers and satirical publications such as Private Eye or Viz.
Writers and artists involved in the project include John McShane, Pete Renshaw, Jim Stewart, Dave Alexander, Lew Stringer, David Cranna, Chris Connelly, Stephen White, Grum Murtagh, Derek Scott, Nic Rossert, Chris Manson, Connor Tierney, Julie Campbell, Colin Maxwell and others. Amongst them, the creators have produced work for publications such a The Dandy, Viz, Beano, Marvel, Commando and numerous other comics.
The Glasgow Looking Glass can be pre-ordered through a Kickstarter Campaign which runs until the last Sunday of April. More info here - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maximized/the-glasgow-looking-glass-200th-anniversary-comic
So, that’s all for now. I’ll be at the Commando and British Weekly Comics Swapmeet in Glasgow on Saturday 29th March, where I’ll be available to sign Commandos, sell you comics and provide a preview of The Glasgow Looking Glass.
Until next time…
Colin
