Action (comic)

First published on 7 February 1976, Action was clearly aimed at working-class teenage boys, and the kids in the target audience loved it. But the older generation was not impressed with the gritty tone, overt violence and graphic gore of this controversial offering from IPC.

The first storyline introduced readers to a British secret agent called ‘Dredger’ (“There’s only one rule for Dredger – there are no rules!”) who happens to be onboard a plane when it is hijacked by Arab assassins intent on killing a political rival. “You’re dead, pal! Dead!”, he shouts at them as he mows them down with his gun, Dirty Harry-style.

Action also presented the WWII exploits of ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’, unusual in that the hero was a German – a ruthless Panzer tank commander (“The Panzers crush. The Panzers smash. The Panzers kill!”)

The biggest star of the comic, though, was ‘Hook Jaw’ – a giant man-eating shark drawn in glorious colour (mostly red) with graphic scenes of decapitation and limb-crunching carnage.

Described as “the sevenpenny nightmare” by The Sun, the comic was attacked on Nationwide and debated in the House of Commons which ultimately led to its cancellation in October 1976 with 200,000 copies of issue # 37 pulped.

A watered-down version of the comic reappeared in December, limping on until November 1977 when it was absorbed by Battle comic.

Other popular strips included:

• BlackJack – boxer Jack Barron (loosely based on Muhammad Ali) suffered worsening eyesight after every fight and risked going blind completely
• Death Game 1999 – presented a lethal future sport (a-la Rollerball) played by condemned prisoners
• Green’s Grudge War
• Hells Highways
• Kids Rule OK! – anarchic and violent gangs of children running riot in a dystopian near-future London
• Look Out For Lefty – a sympathetic view of ultra-violent football hooliganism featuring brawling, womanising footballer Kenny Lampton
• Magnum Force
• The Running Man – athlete Mike Carter is injured in a bomb explosion and given a new face via plastic surgery. Now he found himself pursued by the police