MikeDixonUK 5 Posted October 6, 2011 (edited) Unfortunately I'm too young to be aware of the WWI and WWII war comics that were popular between around the 50s to 70s (other than being vaguely aware of them) - but today I bought a book of war comic cover art (The Art of War - by David Roach to be precise.) And to my great surprise I found this chap: Clearly this discovery demands that I start a new OFF Career with the specific objective of doing the most dashing and heroically dangerous thing each every sortie, hopefully with custom skins if I can find some good pics! (And a yellow and orange polka dot scarf of course!) Ah the joys of having such a common surname! Edited October 6, 2011 by MikeDixonUK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted October 6, 2011 . I had completely forgotten about the DD comics! Thanks for reminding me Mike, or should I say 'Dogfight'. . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shiloh 12 Posted October 6, 2011 Clearly this discovery demands that I start a new OFF Career with the specific objective of doing the most dashing and heroically dangerous thing each every sortie, hopefully with custom skins if I can find some good pics! (And a yellow and orange polka dot scarf of course!) Ah the joys of having such a common surname! This is all great Mike but you should really consider losing the polka dot scarf. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeDixonUK 5 Posted October 6, 2011 This is all great Mike but you should really consider losing the polka dot scarf. What! But surely all the snazziest of snazy chaps wear polka dots? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NS13Jarhead 6 Posted October 6, 2011 What do you think of the silhouette of the Albatros D.III. It looks like it's got Taube wings! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dej 17 Posted October 6, 2011 (edited) What do you think of the silhouette of the Albatros D.III. It looks like it's got Taube wings! Never mind that, dig those crazy ailerons on that Sopwith Camelport 28 on the second cover! Edited October 6, 2011 by Dej Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted October 6, 2011 . Yup. That and the two-winged Fokker DR1 with it's pilot banging away at said Sopwith Camelport 28. . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gaw 5 Posted October 6, 2011 Zounds...these are priceless collectors items....the hunt starts now!!! Thank You!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Von Paulus 8 Posted October 7, 2011 I just loved Dogfight Dixon, when I was young. Unfortunately, like most of my other comics, I've lost them. I know a place where I can still buy them, in Portuguese. But now they are expansive. Collector's item. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UK_Widowmaker 571 Posted October 7, 2011 We always knew you were the heroic type Mike! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flyby PC 23 Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) So who's the Mark of Doom then? A man with a fanatic passion to shoot down historically inaccurate flight models? It couldn't be WM could it? Edited October 7, 2011 by Flyby PC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DukeIronHand 8 Posted October 7, 2011 Thanks for the pics. Guess I'll have to re-read my WW1 books - I never realized the pistol played such a prominent part in aerial combat! Hope the Devs are paying attention here so this may be modeled for P4. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lewie 7 Posted October 7, 2011 If Mike stops using his Polka dot scarf, how will the Black baron know who shot him down? I like the Sopwith Camel with the full trailing edge length ailerons, I'll be it's a snappy performer in the roll axis. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33LIMA 972 Posted October 7, 2011 What this proves to me is that if P4 ever gives the Germans parachutes, there should be a 'Steal' hotkey on pressing which your otherwise-doomed British pilot leaps across, knocks the hastily-drawn Luger from the Hun pilot's hand and grabs his Heinecke (as opposed to his Heinneken)! Used to buy these (mostly the 'Commando' range) but don't remember Dogfight Dixon; I have re-acquired most of my childhood Biggles books tho, including the WW1 titles. Anyway now we know where they got the inspiration for the finale of Flyboys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hauksbee 103 Posted October 7, 2011 In a slightly different vein, but similar spirt, here's "BILL BARNES:Air Adventurer" from between-the-Wars. Two of them (in the bottom row) carry the imprint of "Air Trails". I read Air Trails as a kid and I remember it as being a model airplane mag. (that meant balsa-sticks-and-paper.) Nor do I recollect the character 'Bill Barnes' Himself. Looking at these, I think Air Trails published them in 'Pulp Fiction' format. Now, those I remember. When I was about 10, and visiting one of the grandparents, I could take .25 cents and walk all the way down to the end of the street, round the corner and get an ice cream at the drug store. (two scoops). The other great treat was the news rack with all the Pulp Titles. It was three magazines high (about belt-buckle high) and ran from the front door, all the way to the back wall. Filled with mags. bearing lurid, exciting illustrations (never photography) and screaming headline type. Great stuff. There were always several WWI flying titles (Yank Falcons In France!) and a dozen others covering the rest of aviation, a lot of westerns (variations on "Six-Gun Justice!), espionage: (Agent G-9 & The Shadow) and then the True Crime\Detective mags, every one sporting a gorgeous girl with shredded clothes over a great set of hooters being menaced by the psychopath-of-the-month. From time to time I'd pick one up. I was always disappointed.There was just page after page of text. Maybe a few spot illustrations, but basically text. Great stuff indeed, but, hot covers or no, it was nothing to forfeit an ice cream cone for; . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33LIMA 972 Posted October 8, 2011 nice one Hauksbee, love some of those imaginary(?) planes on the covers. Makes me want to re-install Crimson Skies! (PS from your sig, are you a fan of 'Plain Tales from the Hills', too?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hauksbee 103 Posted October 8, 2011 (PS from your sig, are you a fan of 'Plain Tales from the Hills', too?) Don't know of it. Tell me more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33LIMA 972 Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) This the one I had in mind, sorry but I thought you had in mind a dashing Indian Army officer (or something of that ilk, whoever Mrs Hauksbee's husband was, has been a good few years since I read it): http://en.wikipedia....cue_of_Pluffles He's not very 'PC' of course and I'm no 'culture vulture' but I've always been a fan of Kipling, 'The Man Who Would Be King', 'If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, and blaming it on you...' and all that. Plus wasn't it Kipling who wrote the immortal lines, relevant to OFF, 'They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old...in the morning and at the setting if the sun, we will remember them.' Edited October 8, 2011 by 33LIMA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33LIMA 972 Posted October 8, 2011 ...and while I'm in a Kipling-esque mood, this is worth repeating, as meaningful today as it was a hundred years ago: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hauksbee 103 Posted October 9, 2011 This the one I had in mind, sorry but I thought you had in mind a dashing Indian Army officer (or something of that ilk.... Nope. That's all new. I took the name from Francis Hauksbee, an early experimenter with electricity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted October 9, 2011 I've read a lot of Bill Barnes, all fairly recent reprints, not the originals of course. What I find attractive about those stories is that they're cyberpunk long before that word existed. The hero always had the latest technology projected a decade or so into the future, before his rivals who had to make do with current stuff only a few years into the future compared to the real world. Nothing in these stories lacked a contempoirary point of departure. So Bill's adversaries always had the latest Schneider Trophy planes only with guns, but Bill had another 500 horsepower. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
