Patriotic British Heroes

[Lew Stringer]

A friend and I were recently talking about patriotic heroes who have appeared in British comics. It's not the sort of thing that would appeal to me at all, so between us we only came up with a few of them. I'm sure there must be more. Can anyone think of any to add to this list? I'm thinking of heroes that are specifically patriotic as part of their character, ie: wearing a Union Jack or somesuch, or promoting Britain in some way. (Ignoring that crappy BNP character that allegedly appeared in a propaganda rag of theirs last year.) Not yer basic anti-foreign heroes like Captain Hurricane.

Patriotic Paul (Lot-O-Fun?)

Union Jack Jackson

Captain Britain

True Brit (Beezer)

World Cup Willie (strip in TV Comic, based on the football mascot)

any others?

Lew

[felneymike]

Hmm, as the comics i collect are from around 1892 to 1940... all of them!

However i can't really think of anything specific, Sexton Blake was often offered masses of money and high position by foreign leaders, especially the Kaiser, to emigrate but always refused... in an early story he also worked for free for a sailor in the navy, saying he preferred to work for such a man than to "accept banknotes from those careless of the honour of old England!"

I suppose Lord Snooty kind of counts too... showing that while Britain is a society where class is considered important to a comical degree, nobody likes a snob, either.

[colcool007]

Dan Dare

Bulldog Drummond

Gorgeous Gus

Sparky Morton

are my offerings.

[stevezodiac]

Wasn't there a strip in the Victor set during the days of Nelson's Navy called Cameron RN? I loved it. He may be a contender for a patriot fighting for king and country.

[Jonny Whizz]

I'd say, rather paradoxically, Jonah! Just think of all the enemy ships he destroyed. Admittedly, he destroyed an awful lot of British ships as well!

[Lew Stringer]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I'm thinking more along the lines of patriotism being their defining attribute, rather than just military heroes serving King & country. Characters like Captain Britain or True Brit or World Cup Willie.

Lew

[philcom55]

I'd say that John Bull - as depicted with his 'union flag' waistcoat in publications like Punch and many early comics - was probably the Granddaddy of all patriotic heroes.

- Phil Rushton

[Lew Stringer]

I'd say that John Bull - as depicted with his 'union flag' waistcoat in publications like Punch and many early comics - was probably the Granddaddy of all patriotic heroes.

- Phil Rushton

It was really characters from comic strips that we were thinking about, rather than magazines, but visually John Bull is the right kind of character yes.

Lew

[Digifiend]

Musso the Wop and Addie and Hermy from 40s Beano and Dandy make fun of Italian and German leaders, and Lord Snooty, Pansy Potter, and Desperate Dan all fought Nazis in that era. I'd say those are all patriotic - although in Dan's case it's American patriotism, despite being a British originated character in a British comic.

[STARBOY]

There was also Maxi Man in 2000AD he had a Union Jack (well Union Flag to be correct) on his chest and wasn't there a character called Burgess in New Statesman that represented either England or the UK as the new state of the USA in CRISIS? What about Big Ben from Warrior no flag but very London/English - Also didn't Captain Britain in a story arc visit an alternate Earth/history and there was a Captain UK, Captain England, Kaptain Briton, Captain Caladonian etc (might have been the US comics - the FF had a Scottish hero Saltire (I think) it was pretty tame and borderline patronising - aren't they all?) Also Jack Staff when Paul Grist published uinder Dancin' Elephant press could be a UK comic - In Scotland there was a Newspaper strip called Captain Clyde (River Clyde) by Grant Morrison ?

[Phoenix]

Musso the Wop and Addie and Hermy from 40s Beano and Dandy make fun of Italian and German leaders......I'd say those are all patriotic

I don't think this is what Lew is getting at, Digi. There is simply no way that the strips which made fun of some of the leaders of the Axis powers could possibly be portraying them as British heroes. The cartoon strips themselves had a patriotic basis and did, of course, help to raise morale by persuading children that our enemies were ridiculous buffoons, but our parents were certainly not fooled.

[Digifiend]

I meant that it's showing the enemy suffering. That Germany and Italy weren't going to win. It was propaganda, saying Britain will win the war, mocking the enemy's patriotism.

[philcom55]

To be honest I can't think of any other examples myself. The odd thing is that there have probably been more patriotic British heroes of this type in US comics over the years than there have ever been in the UK!

- Phil Rushton

[Phoenix]

It was really characters from comic strips that we were thinking about, rather than magazines, but visually John Bull is the right kind of character

I stand by my point, Digi. I've allowed for the patriotism within your strips, but poking fun at German and Italian leaders isn't the same thing at all as offering a picture of a British hero who would stick it up 'em, a policy that would have been heartily approved of by Lance-Corporal Jones. I would also dispute colcool's suggestion of Dan Dare because, although he is British, he is not strictly speaking a patriot as he is really defending the entire planet. Such interplanetary squabbles are only seen from the British point of view because the adventures are being presented to British children. An equivalent, and perhaps more enlightening, situation can be seen in the assorted adventures of Doctor Who, because many of his adventures take place in our country but, of course, he isn't British.

[colcool007]

Phoenix, that's a fair point, but I must admit that my selection of Messrs Dare, Digby, Guest et al is heavily influenced by this beautiful Bolland cover

I always thought that the flag was the Union Flag and by implication, that Dare was fiercely patriotic. Whereas you say that it is world patriotism, I still feel that it was always something forever British.