In the early 1980s the British comic scene underwent a massive shift. Not too long before there had been dozens of weekly comics, but now they were dying off at such a rate that we were led to wonder if it had all been a delicious Dream of Plenty and we were waking up to the cold, pointy, musty-smelling reality of a comic-starved world.
And then came Warrior, created and curated by comics guru Dez Skinn. This was actually Mr Skinn’s second publication of that name: the first version, published in the mid-1970s, was a six-issue fanzine that mostly featured reprints of older strips.
I’ve no idea how well the Warrior fanzine was received, but the second incarnation of Warrior, however, was an instant classic.
But why is this monthly(ish), black-and-white anthology comic still so highly-regarded by comic fans and creators? Was it because most of its competitors were still mostly aimed at kids and Warrior‘s stories had their sights a little older? Partly, yes, I think that certainly was a factor.
More than that, though, it was the sheer quality of the contents. Most of Warrior‘s strips were pretty good, but a few were absolutely outstanding. So good, in fact, that they very undeniably eclipsed the rest of the comic’s contents to the point where material that would have shone in any other publication felt almost ordinary by comparison.
Alan Moore, Garry Leach and Alan Davis’s reinvention of Marvelman remains one of the greatest and most influential superhero stories ever published, while Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta has transcended its comic-book origins with its eponymous hero’s mask having become a world-wide symbol for anti-authoritarian factions. And I’ll add Alan Moore and Steve Parkhouse’s brilliant The Bojeffries Saga to that list, too.
You will notice a common element in all three of those stories: Alan Moore. He was absolutely cooking with gas on all twelve cylinders in the early 1980s, with his Future Shocks, Time Twisters, Halo Jones and D.R. and Quinch having already blasted their way through 2000AD, Captain Britain knocking it out of all the parks in Marvel UK’s The Daredevils, and Swamp Thing, Batman: The Killing Joke and Watchmen lurking in the very near future.
And, yes, singling him out might sound massively unfair to the other creators involved in Warrior, but the truth is no one could touch him. And it didn’t hurt that his scripts were drawn by some of the top artists in the business.
He was also the only creator to have their work appear in every regular issue of Warrior. Steve Moore and David Lloyd take second place in that regard, only missing one issue each, although it’s worth nothing that Steve Moore is far and way the winner in terms of Warrior content quantity.
Of note: Only two of the fortyish creators credited in Warrior are female: Jenny O’Connor (credited as Zelda Estrella and Just Jenny) and Elitta Fell — both letterers.
The behind-the-scenes history of Warrior is surely an adventure in itself. There’s a dark, complex, and potentially very actionable tell-all tale about this just itching to be published, believe me, but it’s one that’s way beyond the scope of this article. And even wayer beyond my meagre ability to relate.
However, for more on the background of Warrior, and the history of Marvelman/Miracleman in particular, I highly recommend that you take a look at Poisoned Chalice: The Extremely Long and Incredibly Complex Story of Marvelman (and Miracleman) by Pádraig Ó Méalóid.
Anyway… This in-depth look at the comic’s content is a cut-down version of a list that’s in development for a future issue of the Journey Planet fanzine.
I hope you find something useful and/or informative here, and — as always — do please let me know if you spot any errors or glaring omissions!
Warrior #1 (Mar 1982, 50p)
Fantastic FIRST issue — 6 new action heroes
- Cover: Laser Eraser & Pressbutton by Steve Dillon
- Laser Eraser
Illustration by Garry Leach - Freedom’s Road
Editorial by Dez Skinn - Marvelman: A Dream of Flying
By Alan Moore & Garry Leach - The Mightiest Man in the Universe
Feature by Dez Skinn - The Spiral Path
By Steve Parkhouse - A True Story?
By Steve Moore & Dave Gibbons - The Legend of Prester John
By Steve Moore & John Bolton - V for Vendetta: The Villain
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Zelda Estrella - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Spawn from Hell’s Pit!
By Steve Moore, Dez Skinn & John Bolton (reprinted from The House of Hammer v1#8, April 1977) - Laser Eraser & Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Warriors All!
Feature: Behind the scenes
Axel Pressbutton is back, boasts the cover… and it’s a safe bet that just about every potential reader responded with, “Never heard of him.” But there’s no denying the appeal of that cover even if we have zero clue who those characters are.
And who’s the silhouetted figure tucked away at the bottom of the edge-strip? It’s Marvelman, of course! And I’m pretty sure that most of the comic’s targeted readers responded in the same way they did with the cover star. I’d certainly never heard of him.
Creator-wise, a swarm of Moores and Steves dominate this debut issue (Steve Moore masquerades as Pedro Henry for the Laser Eraser & Pressbutton strip), but there’s plenty of other talent on show.
Warrior #2 (Apr 1982, 50p)
SIX ACTION-PACKED HERO STRIPS INSIDE!
- Cover: Marvelman
by Garry Leach - Twilight World
Illustration by Jim Baikie - Marvelman
By Alan Moore & Garry Leach - The Life, Death & Earlier Days of Axel Pressbutton Esquire
Feature by Dez Skinn - V For Vendetta: The Voice
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Zelda Estrella - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: River of Corpses… Tower of Death
By Steve Moore, Dez Skinn & John Bolton (reprinted from The House of Hammer v2#4, January 1978) - Madman: Vision of Stasis
by Paul Neary - The Spiral Path
By Steve Parkhouse - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
The Marvelman strip bears a copyright notice declaring that the character is in no way associated with Marvel comics.
Unlike in issue #1, Father Shandor and The Spiral Path feature their titles across the top of every page of their strips, a trick sometimes used by comics designers to disguise that the pages were originally drawn for comics with a different aspect ratio.
This issue sees the debut of the Dispatches column, containing news and — later — readers’ letters. There’s also a half-page strip by Dez Skinn & Steve Dillon advertising the movie Roar.
Warrior #3 (Jul 1982, 50p)
SEVEN ACTION-PACKED HERO STRIPS INSIDE!
- Cover: Madman
By Paul Neary - Marvelman: When Johnny Comes Marching Home
By Alan Moore & Garry Leach - The Spiral Path
by Steve Parkhouse & Geoff Senior - Madman
By Paul Neary - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: The Devil’s Dark Destiny
By Steve Moore, Dez Skinn & John Bolton (reprinted from Hammer’s Halls of Horror v2#9, June 1978) - Zirk: Silver Sweater of the Spaceways
By Steve Moore & Brian Bolland - V For Vendetta: Victims
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Steve Craddock - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
Laser Eraser & Pressbutton‘s psychotic supporting character Zirk is the first Warrior character to be granted his own strip.
Dispatches features the first of the readers’ letters, printed in a typeface that’s far too small for me to read at my current age.
This issue’s back cover is an ad for Quality Comics’ London store, and features a line-art version of next issue’s cover.
Warrior #4 / Summer Special (Aug 1982, 50p)
52 PAGES! SEVEN COMIC STRIPS ALL BRITISH!
- Cover: Character Montage
By Steve Dillon & Garry Leach - Marvelman: The Yesterday Gambit
By Alan Moore, Steve Dillon, Paul Neary & Alan Davis - The Spiral Path: Caed
by Steve Parkhouse - V For Vendetta: Vaudeville
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Madman
By Paul Neary - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: City of the Tombs
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - John Russell Fearn’s Golden Amazon
Adapted by David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Dispatches
- Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & David Jackson
Now, it was a bit sneaky pretending that issue #4 is actually a Summer Special! A note in Dispatches reads, “A last minute switch has left us 16 pages short, plus two mystery characters” and that all would be explained in the next issue.
The Marvelman and Pressbutton strips interrupt their regular tales with, respectively, glimpses into the future and the past.
The Marvelman strip credits the character’s creator Mick Anglo for the first — and only — time.
The Golden Amazon strip is based on the character created by the prolific writer John Russell Fearn. It’s unclear whether permission was obtained, or even sought.
Warrior #5 (Sep 1982, 50p)
THE MAGAZINE OF VERY WEIRD HEROES!
Cover: V for Vendetta (photo) by Dez Skinn
- Marvelman: Dragons
By Alan Moore & Garry Leach - V For Vendetta: Versions
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - All Change
Feature by Dez Skinn - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: The Empire of Sin
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - Madman
By Paul Neary - The Spiral Path: The Drowning Woman
by Steve Parkhouse - Dispatches
- Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: Vertigo
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Steve Craddock
The All Change feature explains the issue #4/Summer Special situation: the original intention had been to produce the Special as a separate issue but they realised that it wouldn’t work for marketing reasons: in the British comics scene of the time Summer Specials were traditionally only published by more established comics… Warrior just hadn’t been around long enough for the newsagents to have heard of it.
The feature also previews some characters from upcoming strips Twilight World and The Bojeffries Saga.
This issue also contains a bonus second V for Vendetta strip.
Warrior #6 (Oct 1982, 50p)
THE MAGAZINE OF RATHER WEIRD HEROES!
Cover: The Spiral Path by Steve Parkhouse
- Marvelman: Fallen Angels, Forgotten Thunder
By Alan Moore, Alan Davis & Garry Leach - The Spiral Path
by Steve Parkhouse - Madman
By Paul Neary & Mick Austin - Van Helsing’s Terror Tales: Mrs Murphy’s Murders
By Steve Moore & Dave Gibbons - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: The Vision
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton: Oasis
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
The ad inside the front cover for this issue is for the Halls of Horror All-Comics Winter Special, hence the inclusion of the Van Helsing’s Terror Tales strip in this issue.
Warrior #7 (Nov 1982, 50p)
THE MAGAZINE OF QUITE WEIRD HEROES!
Cover: Marvelman by Mick Austin
- Marvelman: Secret Identity
By Alan Moore, Alan Davis & Garry Leach - The Spiral Path
by Steve Parkhouse - Madman
By Paul Neary & Mick Austin - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: The Hordes of Hell
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: Virtue Victorious
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Steve Craddock - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
Mick Austin’s breath-taking Marvelman cover for issue #7 won the prestigious 1984 Eagle Award for Favourite Cover and considerably raised the comic’s — and character’s — profile.
Warrior #8 (Dec 1982, 50p)
THE MAGAZINE OF AWFULLY WEIRD HEROES!
Cover: Father Shandor, Demon Stalker by David Jackson
- Marvelman: Blue Murder
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - The Spiral Path
by Steve Parkhouse - Stir Crazy
By Hunt Emerson - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Hand of Glory
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: The Valley
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton: Oasis
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
Rather impressively, this 52-page issue contains nine full-page ads for Quality Communications / Quality Comics! But we can almost forgive that because it also includes a strip by the legendary Hunt Emerson.
Warrior #9 (Jan 1983, 50p)
THE MAGAZINE OF JOLLY WEIRD HEROES!
- Cover: Axel Pressbutton
By Mick Austin - Marvelman: Out of the Dark
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - The Spiral Path
By Steve Parkhouse & John Ridgway - Warpsmith: Cold War, Cold Warrior
By Alan Moore & Garry Leach - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Angel of Death
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: Violence
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
Mick Austin’s cover is reproduced on the back, sans text adornments… This was the first issue of Warrior I ever saw (in Dublin’s long-gone and much-missed comics shop The Alchemist’s Head) someone before me had put it back on the shelves the wrong way around, and I was instantly drawn to it.
Warrior #10 (Apr 1983, 60p)
THE MAGAZINE OF UTTERLY WEIRD HEROES!
- Cover: Warpsmith
By Garry Leach - Marvelman: Inside Story
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - V For Vendetta: Venom
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Warpsmith: Cold War, Cold Warrior
By Alan Moore, Garry Leach & G. George - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: The Quick and the Dead
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - The Spiral Path
by Steve Parkhouse & John Ridgway - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
The price leaps up by twenty per cent this issue, but it’s worth it for that cover.
60p for 52 pages comes to 0.87 pence per page. By comparison, a contemporaneous issue of 2000AD (#310, cover-dated 2 Apr 1983) cost 18p for 32 pages, which comes to 0.31 pence per page, although it’s worth considering that Warrior‘s paper was of rather higher quality. Then again, 2000AD had a couple of full-colour interior pages!
The credits for V for Vendetta include a handwritten addition: “And Phil Reid”
Warrior #11 (Jul 1983, 60p)
THE MAGAZINE OF VAGUELY WEIRD HEROES!
- Cover: V for Vendetta
By David Lloyd - Marvelman: Zarathustra
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - The Spiral Path
by Steve Parkhouse & John Ridgway - The Legend of Prester John
By Steve Moore, John Stokes & John Bolton - V For Vendetta: The Vortex
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd, “Jenny & Steve” - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
Absent since issue #1, The Legend of Prester John returns. The first two pages of the strip are a mostly-text recap of the story, with illustrations taken from episode 1 — hence the credit for that episode’s artist John Bolton.
Warrior #12 (Aug 1983, 60p)
THE MAGAZINE OF RARELY HEROIC WEIRDOS!
- Cover: The Bojeffries Saga
By Steve Parkhouse - The Bojeffries Saga
By Alan Moore & Steve Parkhouse - The Spiral Path
by Steve Parkhouse & John Ridgway - The Legend of Prester John
By Steve Moore & John Stokes - V For Vendetta: This Vicious Cabaret
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Young Marvelman
By Alan Moore & John Ridgway - Laser Eraser and Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
No Marvelman this month, but The Bojeffries Saga debuts, plus we get a very nice Young Marvelman strip. And it’s almost silent, too, with only a couple of sound-effects and two one-word speech balloons! (Yes, I know that in general comics are always silent and that the sounds only appear in our heads, but still…)
Speaking of noise in comics, this issue’s V for Vendetta is a landscape-mode musical prelude to Book Two. The musical notation appears beneath the panels and is credited “Music by David Jay – transcribed by Mr. Licquorice.”
Binders for Warrior and Halls of Horror are advertised for the first time. They cost £3.75 each, which is pretty expensive with issues themselves still only 60p.
Warrior #13 (Sep 1983, 60p)
THE MAGAZINE OF RIPPING ADVENTURES
- Cover: Zirk
By Garry Leach - Marvelman: Cat Games
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - Twilight World
Feature by Steve Moore & Jim Baikie - The Bojeffries Saga
By Alan Moore & Steve Parkhouse - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Lords of the Abyss
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - Tales of the First Empire: The Shroud, The Spire and the Stars
By Steve Parkhouse & John Ridgway - The Legend of Prester John
By Steve Moore & John Stokes - V For Vendetta: The Vanishing
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Zirk: The All-Girl Amazon Batallion
By Steve Moore & Garry Leach - Dispatches
The second books of both Marvelman and V for Vendetta debut in this issue. Sadly, neither would see completion in Warrior.
Also debuting in this issue is Steve Moore and Jim Baikie’s Twilight World, which had been teased since issue #2.
Warrior #14 (Oct 1983, 60p)
ALONE AGAINST THE TWILIGHT WORLD!
- Cover: The Twilight World
By Jim Baikie & Garry Leach - Marvelman: One of Those Quiet Moments
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - Dreams of Empire, Nightmares of Pressbutton
Feature by Steve Moore - Twilight World
By Steve Moore & Jim Baikie - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: How Hard the Heart
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: The Veil
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Ektryn
By Steve Moore & Cam Kennedy - Dispatches
Ektryn debuts in this issue: she’s the clone-mother of Mysta Mystralis, AKA Laser Eraser… In the Dreams of Empire, Nightmares of Pressbutton feature Steve Moore explains the plan to tie many of Warrior‘s strips into a shared universe.
The back cover of this issue features the first appearance of the ingenious advert for Warrior badges (buttons to our US-based readers), reproduced here:
In what way was it ingenious? Well, instead of making the badges in the usual way, it was cheaper to have the ad show the badges at actual size, get the comic’s printer to run off a bunch of extra covers and use them to make the badges. Thus, an advert becomes the very thing it’s advertising. I love that!
Warrior #15 (Nov 1983, 60p)
HARDBOILED HEROICS IN THE 51st CENTURY!
- Cover: Laser Eraser & Pressbutton
by Mick Austin - Marvelman: Nightmares
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - Sweat Shop Talk: Pedro Henry
Feature by Steve Moore - Twilight World
By Steve Moore & Jim Baikie - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Ordeal by Fire
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: Video
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Laser Eraser & Pressbutton
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon - Dispatches
In the first instalment of the behind-the-scenes feature Sweat Shop Talk, Steve Moore interviews Pedro Henry. Or Pedro Henry interviews Steve Moore. One of those, definitely.
Warrior #16 (Dec 1983, 60p)
BRITAIN’S TOP FANTASY COMIC MAGAZINE!
- Cover: Marvelman
by Mick Austin - Laser Eraser & Zirk
Illustration by Garry Leach - Marvelman: The Approaching Light
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - Sweat Shop Talk: Dez Skinn
Interview by Steve Moore - Twilight World
By Steve Moore & Jim Baikie - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: The Depths
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: A Vocational Viewpoint
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Elitta Fell - Laser Eraser & Pressbutton: Christmas on Depravity
By Steve Moore & Alan Moore (Reprinted from Sounds magazine, 26 December 1981) - Dispatches
In this issue’s Sweat Shop Talk feature Dez Skinn reveals the origins of Warrior — and many of his other creations, including Starburst, assorted Marvel UK titles, and of course The House of Hammer, AKA Hammer’s House of Horror, AKA Hammer’s Halls of Horror, AKA Halls of Hammer, AKA Hammer’s Hall of Horror Houses of Hammer Horror (there’s a possibility I made that last one up).
The Laser Eraser & Pressbutton story was drawn by Alan Moore (under the pseudonym Curt Vile), reprinted from a December 1981 issue of Sounds, with Steve Dillon’s cover illustration for Warrior #1 patched in.
Warrior #17 (Mar 1984, 60p)
WINNER OF 9 EAGLE AWARDS
- Cover: Father Shandor
by David Jackson - Marvelman Family: The Red King Syndrome
By Alan Moore & John Ridgway - Sweat Shop Talk: Alan Moore
Interview by Steve Moore - Jaramsheela
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - Twilight World
By Steve Moore & Jim Baikie - Home is the Sailor
By Steve Parkhouse & John Ridgway - Dispatches
This is the only regular issue of Warrior not to contain a V for Vendetta strip.
The Marvelman strip also takes a break, but in its stead we have a Marvelman Family strip. In the Eclipse collection Miracleman Book 2: Red King Syndrome the strip is split into two parts: the first appearing as a prelude, the second inserted between the chapters “Nightmares” and “The Approaching Light.”
Likewise, Father Shandor takes a sabbatical for this issue, with his strip replaced by a spin-off; a standalone Jaramsheela tale.
Warrior #18 (Apr 1984, 70p)
BRITAIN’S TOP FANTASY STRIP MAGAZINE
- Cover: Demon at the Gates
by Steve Parkhouse - Marvelman: I Heard Woodrow Wilson’s Guns…
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - Sweat Shop Talk: Garry Leach
Interview by Steve Moore - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: A Day in the Life, a Day in the Death
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: The Vacation
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd, Just Jenny & Tony Weare - The Demon at the Gates of Dawn
By Steve Parkhouse - Zee-Zee’s Terror Zone: One Man’s Meat…
By Martin Asbury (reprinted from The House of Hammer #v1#5, October 1976) - Dispatches
Two new strips in this issue: We’re told that The Demon at the Gates of Dawn was created back in 1977 (seems forever ago now, but it was only seven years before this issue, and only ten years after Pink Floyd’s kinda-similarly titled first album).
Zee-Zee‘s Terror Zone is intended to be a try-out strip for new creators or those who’ve not yet contributed to Warrior, although this first strip is a reprint.
Warrior #19 (Jun 1984, 70p)
THE AWARD-WINNING COMIC MAGAZINE!
- Cover: V for Vendetta
by David Lloyd & Garry Leach - The Bojeffries Saga: Raoul’s Night Out
By Alan Moore & Steve Parkhouse - Sweat Shop Talk: Mick Austin
Interview by Steve Moore - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Dealings with Devils
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: Variety
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Big Ben
By Dez Skinn & William Simpson - Swordspell: The Judgement of the Trinity
By Alan Booth & David Jackson - Dispatches
This V for Vendetta cover won the 1985 Eagle Award for Favourite Cover.
No Marvelman in this issue, but the good news is that The Bojeffries Saga has returned! Hooray! It might be my favourite thing Alan Moore has ever written.
Big Ben gets his own strip, and the infamous Marvelman Special #1 is advertised… This was to cause a lot of trouble not very far down the line.
The back cover of this issue reprints Mick Austin’s Eagle-Award-Winning cover for issue #7.
Warrior #20 (Jul 1984, 70p)
BRITAIN’S TOP FANTASY STRIP MAGAZINE
- Cover: Big Ben
By Garry Leach - Marvelman: A Little Piece of Heaven
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - Sweat Shop Talk: Getting in on the Act
Feature by Dez Skinn - The Bojeffries Saga: Raoul’s Night Out
By Alan Moore & Steve Parkhouse - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Revelations
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - V For Vendetta: Vincent
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd, Tony Weare & Jenny - Big Ben
By Dez Skinn & William Simpson - Dispatches
The background for this cover is a collection of monochrome stills from assorted spy shows: The Avengers, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., James Bond and The Prisoner. The image is repeated on the back cover, and on the back of the following issue, too.
This issue’s Sweat Shop Talk features contributions from Steve Parkhouse, Steve Moore, John Bolton, Hunt Emerson, Dave Gibbons, Bryan Talbot, Brian Bolland, David Lloyd and Dez Skinn. If you want to learn how to get into comics in the 1980s, this is where you begin. Although you’d be a tad late now.
Warrior #21 (Aug 1984, 70p)
THE MANIC MEGASTAR OF SPACE RETURNS!
- Cover: Axel Pressbutton
By Mick Austin - Marvelman: … And Every Dog its Day
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - Zee-Zee’s Terror Tales: The Mirror
By E. Sanchez Abuli, Garry Leach & Joan Boix - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: The Kingdom of the Mad
By Steve Moore & David Jackson - Big Ben: The Gnomes of General Zurich
By Dez Skinn & William Simpson - V For Vendetta: Visitors
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Laser Eraser & Pressbutton: Brides of the Sluzzgreep
By Steve Moore & Alan Davis - Dispatches
This issue sees the final appearance of Marvelman in Warrior, ostensibly because of Marvel Comics’ objections to the character’s name. After this, the story was on hiatus until issue #6 of the Eclipse Comics’ series — by now safely renamed Miracleman — published in February 1986.
This might (I’ve not checked, to be honest) be the last time the character appears under the name Marvelman.
Warrior #22 (Sep 1984, 70p)
BRITAIN’S TOP FANTASY STRIP MAGAZINE
- Cover: The Liberators
By Geoff Senior - The Liberators: Death Run
By Dez Skinn & Geoff Senior - Sweat Shop Talk: Frank Bellamy
Interview by Dez Skinn & Dave Gibbons - Bogey: Only You
By Antonio Segura, Dez Skinn & Leopoldo Sanchez (reprinted from Cimoc #9, November 1981) - V For Vendetta: Vengeance
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Jenny - Big Ben: Dai the Death
By Dez Skinn & William Simpson - Dispatches
This is the only regular issue of Warrior that doesn’t contain any content by Steve Moore.
The Frank Bellamy interview in this month’s Sweat Shop Talk was conducted with the late artist in 1973 for the fan magazine Fantasy Advertiser, reprinted here for the first time.
The V for Vendetta 12″ single — a recording of “This Vicious Cabaret” from issue #12 — is advertised in this issue. It’s credited to “David J” — in the original episode’s credits it’s “David Jay.” The 12″ release comes with a reproduction of the relevant episode.
Warrior #23 (Oct 1984, 70p)
BRITAIN’S TOP FANTASY STRIP MAGAZINE
- Cover: Bogey
By Jim Baikie & Garry Leach - Bogey: For Old Time’s Sake
By Antonio Segura, Dez Skinn & Leopoldo Sanchez (reprinted from Cimoc #16, June 1982) - Sweat Shop Talk: Brian Bolland
Interview by Dez Skinn - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: The Triumph of the Goat
By Steve Moore & John Ridgway - V For Vendetta: Vicissitude
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - Big Ben
By Dez Skinn & William Simpson - Dispatches
The Quality Badges from Warrior #12 make another appearance on the back page.
Warrior #24 (Nov 1984, 70p)
BRITAIN’S TOP FANTASY COMIC MAGAZINE!
- Cover: Untitled
By John Bolton - Laser Eraser & Pressbutton: One of Those Days in Downtown Delta Five
By Steve Moore & Alan Davis - Axel Pressbutton: Axel S
plashes Out
Feature — uncredited - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Queen of Sin
By Steve Moore & John Ridgway - Sweat Shop Talk: John Bolton
Interview by Dez Skinn - V For Vendetta: Vermin
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Elitta Fell - Big Ben: The Reality
By Dez Skinn & William Simpson - Dispatches
- How to Make a Zirk
By Garry Leach
The Pressbutton text feature — Axel Splashes Out — discusses the plans for a US-published reprint title. The feature is uncredited, but it opens with a quote from Pedro Henry so I figure it’s a pretty safe bet that Steve Moore was behind it.
Warrior #25 (Dec 1984, 90p)
NEW STORIES — NEW FEATURES — NEW LOOK / THE AWARD-WINNING FANTASY MONTHLY
- Cover: Ektryn
By Garry Leach - Ektryn: The Poet and the Flowers
By Steve Moore & Cam Kennedy - Laser Eraser & Pressbutton: One of Those Days in Downtown Delta Five
By Steve Moore & Alan Davis - Father Shandor, Demon Stalker: Neither Heaven nor Hell
By Steve Moore, John Bolton & John Stokes (portions reprinted from The House of Hammer #8, October 1977) - Sweat Shop Talk: Censorship
Feature by Dave Reeder - The Many Worlds of Cyril Tompkins, Chartered Accountant
By Carlos Trillo & Horacio Altuna - V For Vendetta: Valerie
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd, Tony Weare & Just Jenny - Big Ben
By Dez Skinn, William Simpson & David Hine - Dispatches
Although it’s not mentioned on the cover, this issue sees the merger with Warrior of Quality Comics’ other semi-regular title Halls of Horror.
The price jumps from 70p to 90p, a lot of money at the time but still not even a twenty-fourth of what I paid for my copy back in 2012.
Warrior #26 (Jan 1985, 90p)
THE WINNER OF 14 EAGLE AWARDS
- Cover story: Zirk
By Steve Moore & Garry Leach - The Liberators: Night Moves
By Grant Morrison & John Ridgway - Bogey: The Money-Go-Round
By Antonio Segura & Leopoldo Sanchez (reprinted from Cimoc #17, July 1982) - Sweat Shop Talk: Horror Comics
Feature by Dave Reeder - The Many Worlds of Cyril Tompkins, Chartered Accountant
By Carlos Trillo & Horacio Altuna - V For Vendetta: The Verdict
By Alan Moore, David Lloyd & Just Jenny - The Black Currant
By Carl Critchlow - Big Ben
By Dez Skinn, William Simpson & David Hine - Dispatches
The final regular issue of Warrior. V for Vendetta was concluded in the DC Comics reprint, starting with issue #7, dated January 1989.
Marvelman Special #1 (1984, 75p)
62 BIG PAGES OF SUPERHUMAN ACTION!
- Cover story: The Marvelman Family
By Mick Austin - Marvelman: The Saturday Morning Pictures
By Alan Moore & Alan Davis - The Marvelman Family and the Invaders from the Future
By Mick Anglo & Don Lawrence (reprinted from Marvelman Family #1, October 1956) - Marvelman and the Dreams
By Mick Anglo & Roy Parker (reprinted from Marvelman #285, February 1959) - The Young Marvelman and the Moon of Doom
By Mick Anglo & Roy Parker (reprinted from Young Marvelman #312, August 1959) - Marvelman and the Foam Fanatic
By Mick Anglo & Don Lawrence (reprinted from Marvelman #185, March 1957) - Big Ben Versus King Arthur
By Edgar Henry & Ian Gibson
Only the framing story for this special issue (“The Saturday Morning Pictures”) and the Big Ben tale are original: the other four strips are reprints.
The Big Ben strip was originally produced in 1977 for Dez Skinn’s aborted magazine British Super-Heroes, but this was its first publication.
The Quality Badges from Warrior #12 make another appearance on the back page.
Warrior 1996 Spring Special (75p)
FREE THIS ISSUE: COMICS INTERNATIONAL #67!
- Cover: Untitled
By Frank Bellamy - The Liberators: Night Moves
By Grant Morrison & John Ridgway - Bogey
Illustration by Antonio Segura - The Liberators: Angels and Demons
By Grant Morrison & John Ridgway - Big Ben
By Dez Skinn & William Simpson
Not actually an issue of Warrior that comes with a free copy of Comics International: it’s really the other way around.
The first Liberators strip — “Night Moves” — is reprinted from Warrior #26, while the Big Ben strip carries on from that issue (after a one-page recap).
Warrior #0 (Jul 2018, £15.95)
SIX NEW ILLUSTRATED TALES OF HEROIC FANTASY — PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE!
- Cover: Laser Eraser & Pressbutton
By Steve Dillon - Charlie Farnsbarns: Space Mercenary
By Steve Moore & Steve Dillon (reprinted from Doctor Who Weekly #17 & #18, 6 & 13 Feb 1980) - New-Raven
By David Lloyd (reprinted from Hulk Comic #1, 7 Mar 1979) - Steranko & Spielberg
Feature by Dez Skinn - The Saga of Caed, Celtic Mage
By Steve Parkhouse (reprinted from Hulk Comic #6 & #8, 11 & 25 April 1979) - Codename: Speedmaster
By Dez Skinn & Ian Kennedy (reprinted from Adventures with Scalextric Catalogue, 1981) - Marvelman: Back in Roman Times
Uncredited reprint: source unknown - Father Shandor: Spawn from Hell’s Pit!
By Steve Moore, Dez Skinn & John Bolton (reprinted from The House of Hammer v1#8, April 1977) - Big Ben
By Edgar Henry & Ian Gibson (reprinted from Marvelman Special #1, 1984) - Our Cast of Characters
Feature by Dez Skinn - And Finally We Got There!
Feature by Dez Skinn
This publication purports to be a dummy issue compiled by Dez Skinn in October 1981 from existing strips that would give potential investors, distributors and contributors the flavour of the comic he intended to publish.
Charlie Farnsbarns is Abslom Daak, New Raven is Night Raven and Caed, Celtic Mage is The Black Knight, all hailing from Marvel UK comics that were under Dez Skinn’s editorship at the time.
In a probably unintended callback to the cover of Warrior #4, there are seven strips within this issue, not six as promised.
So that was Dez Skinn’s Warrior. The comic didn’t even last for three years, but it sure made an impact. It led the charge for a whole hefty plethora of British comics aimed at the more mature reader, including Crisis, Deadline, Strip, Revolver, Judge Dredd Megazine, Toxic!, Blast, Meltdown, Overkill, and A1 (to my mind the only “adult” anthology comic of the era that comes close to Warrior in terms of attitude, quality and impact).
So, boiling it all down, was Warrior actually any good?
Oh yes.
Updates and corrections:
20231013: Richard Sheaf (of the forever-indispensible Boys Adventure Comics blog) has pointed out that I misspelled John Ridgway’s name throughout this article. Whoops! That’s now been corrected. Richard’s also informed me that issue #21’s Terror Zone strip “The Mirror” incorrectly credits artist Joan Boix as “Joan Boix.” I’ve now corrected that… However, Joan Boix’s real name is Juan Boix Sola Segales, so there’s no change to the number of Warrior‘s credited female creators!
Rusty Staples 
“Bogey By Jim Baikie & Garry Leach”
Great cover, given more significance by the passing of both creators 😦
“The Black Currant By Carl Critchlow”
I believe this character pops up in Thrud in the pages of White Dwarf a few years down the line…
“A1 (to my mind the only “adult” anthology comic of the era that comes close to Warrior in terms of attitude, quality and impact).”
Well, it’s not as if Zirk, Warpsmiths, Bojeffries and Jaramsheela turn up in the pages of A1 (did I miss any?)
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“The Golden Amazon strip is based on the character created by the prolific writer John Russell Fearn. It’s unclear whether permission was obtained, or even sought.”
It’d take a bit of tracking down, but I seem to remember that Fearn was one of a number of classic pulp sf writers whose work was adapted by Harrier Comics later in the 1980s. One of their issues had a feature on previous comics based on Fearn characters, which namechecked the Warrior strip. I think it’s unlikely (but not impossible) that they would have done this if it was unauthorised.
On the subject of Marvelman, I believe ‘Poisoned Chalice’ establishes that Moore and Skinn had fallen out irrevocably by mid-1984 but used the (completely justifiable and warranted) threat of legal action by Marvel as convenient cover for why it was no longer running in Warrior.
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