EXTRACTS: The Art of Commando (illustrators special) © 2019 The Book Palace (144 PAGES in Full edition)

24 populated the covers of Fleetway’s war comics. Commando covers seemed more influenced by the iconography of US pulp magazines than any of its competitors. The strength of Barr’s work was such that, when there was more work than he could handle and artists such as Chaco were deputed to fill the gap, they adopted a lot of Barr’s trademarks to maintain the stylistic integrity of the look he had created. As the frequency and quantity of Commando releases was increased, more artists were recruited to fill the breach and the distinctive look of the early years was, to a certain extent, watered down. By 1968 Barr had moved to the USA, affairs of the heart and a new client base beckoned, but, aside from his own brief return to cover duties in the mid-nineties, the influence he exerted on the title was huge and remains to this day. Barr's debut wrap-around covers for Commando depicted well-muscled heroes, in direct contrast to the usual uniformed anonymity of other UK war comics.