Weird War Tales
From Hey Kids Comics
| Weird War Tales Vol. 1 | |
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250x450px Issue #1 of Weird War Tales (September-October 1971). Art by Joe Kubert. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Anthology |
| Publication date | September-October 1971 - June 1983 |
| Number of issues | 124 |
Weird War Tales was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September-October 1971 to June 1983.
Publication history[edit | edit source]
The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was an anthology series that told war stories with science fiction, horror, mystery and suspense elements. Changes in the Comics Code Authority made the use of horror elements possible.[1] Each issue was hosted by Death, usually depicted as a skeleton dressed in a different military uniform each issue. The title's name was inspired by editor Joe Orlando.[2] Walt Simonson's first professional published comic book work appeared in Weird War Tales #10 (January 1973).[3] Roger McKenzie and Frank Miller's first collaboration was on a two-page story published in Weird War Tales #68 (October 1978).[4] Recurring characters began to appear late in the series run, notably the "G.I. Robot", and the return of "The War that Time Forgot" which originally ran in Star Spangled War Stories. Writer J. M. DeMatteis and penciler Pat Broderick created the Creature Commandos in Weird War Tales #93 (November 1980).[5]
In Weird War Tales #101 (July 1981), the G.I. Robot is deployed to a Pacific island alongside the Marines to fight the Japanese military. Although the robot is technically named "Jungle Automatic Killer - Experimental Number 1" (J.A.K.E. 1), it is given the nickname of the G.I. Robot. J.A.K.E. 1 is destroyed in Weird War Tales #111 (May 1982) but is replaced by J.A.K.E. 2, which continues to fight on various Pacific islands, including Dinosaur Island. It later teams with the Creature Commandos.[6]
Other stories would often feature robot soldiers, ghosts, the undead, and other paranormal characters from different eras of time.
Revival[edit | edit source]
| Weird War Tales Vol. 2 | |
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250x450px Issue #1 of Weird War Tales (June 1997). Art by Glenn Fabry. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Anthology |
| Publication date | June 1997-September 1997 |
| Number of issues | 4 miniseries issues, and a one-shot special |
Weird War Tales was revived for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint in 1997. It was published as a four-issue limited series, followed by a single-issue special in 2000.
Collected editions[edit | edit source]
- Showcase Presents: Weird War Tales collects Weird War Tales #1-21, 576 pages, December 2012, ISBN 1-4012-3694-4
- The Steve Ditko Omnibus Volume 1 includes stories from Weird War Tales #46, 49, 95, 99, and 104-106, 480 pages, September 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3111-X
- Creature Commandos collects Weird War Tales #93, 97, 100, 102, 105, 108-112, 114-119, 121, and 124, 288 pages, December 2013, ISBN 978-1401243821
See also[edit | edit source]
- Weird Western Tales, a sister title dealing in Weird West stories.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
With the Comics Code Authority relaxing its decades-long stance on censoring the use of monsters and the undead in mainstream comics, DC placed an emphasis on the horror of combat with Weird War Tales.
- ↑ Daniels, Les (1995). DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes. Bulfinch Press. p. 153. ISBN 0821220764.
'Carmine Infantino and I found out that the word weird sold well.' [editor Joe] Orlando recalls. 'So DC created Weird War and Weird Western.'
- ↑ Cooke, Jon B. (October 2000). "Simonson Says The Man of Two Gods Recalls His 25+ Years in Comics". Comic Book Artist. No. 10. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 18.
- ↑ Weird War Tales #68 at the Grand Comics Database
- ↑ Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 189 "A battalion of horror icons created by the U.S. government to aid the American war effort made its debut in an off-beat story by writer J. M. DeMatteis and penciler Pat Broderick."
- ↑ Greenberger, Robert (2008), "G. I. Robot", in Dougall, Alastair, The DC Comics Encyclopedia, Dorling Kindersley, p. 134, ISBN 0-7566-4119-5
External links[edit | edit source]
- Weird War Tales at the Comic Book DB
- Weird War Tales vol. 2 at the Comic Book DB
- Weird War Tales and Weird War Tales vol. 2 at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
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