Big Ben (comics)
Encyclopedia
Big Ben is a comic book
character who first appeared during Alan Moore's run on Marvelman
in Warrior and then went on to star in an eponym
ous series in the same title, written by the character's creator Dez Skinn
.
was editor of Mad magazine
, House of Hammer, Tarzan, etc.
However, the character did not appear until 1983
in Warrior when Skinn asked Alan Moore
to introduce him as a supporting character in Marvelman
, to segue into reprinting the original Ian Gibson
drawn material (which later appeared in the 1984 Warrior Summer Special) and then in his own strip (drawn by Will Simpson and David Hine
).
Because of their frustration over the success of the revamped Marvelman
, Marvel Comics attempted to acquire rights in the name by launching a UK comic starring Ben Grimm
, also titled Big Ben.
Big Ben ("The Man With No Time For Crime!") was revamped by Moore as a failed result of the same project that produced Marvelman. No longer a lithe superspy, he was portrayed as an almost neanderthal fool, much to Skinn's dismay. He had great strength, durability and could fly, but was prone to constant hallucinations. But in his subsequent solo strip he reverted to the original superspy version of John Steed
from The Avengers
, complete with a bowler hat, a carnation and at all times carrying an umbrella
as part of his armament. One later episode also spoofed The Prisoner
with a Patrick McGoohan
-like Welsh character named Dai the Death.
In his own comic series, to resolve the physically differing Moore version, he is revealed to be an alien shapeshifter
, one of a race of being who featured in the tie-in Skinn and Grant Morrison
written Warrior strip, The Liberators
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character who first appeared during Alan Moore's run on Marvelman
Marvelman
Marvelman, also known as Miracleman for trademark reasons in his American reprints and story continuation, is a fictional comic book superhero created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher L. Miller & Son. Originally intended as a United Kingdom home-grown substitute for the American...
in Warrior and then went on to star in an eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous series in the same title, written by the character's creator Dez Skinn
Dez Skinn
Derek "Dez" Skinn is a British comic and magazine editor, and author of a number of books on comics. As head of Marvel Comics' operations in England in the late 1970s, Skinn reformatted existing titles, launched new ones, and acquired the BBC license for Doctor Who Weekly...
.
Overview
Big Ben was created for the aborted "British Super-Heroes" title in 1977 while Dez SkinnDez Skinn
Derek "Dez" Skinn is a British comic and magazine editor, and author of a number of books on comics. As head of Marvel Comics' operations in England in the late 1970s, Skinn reformatted existing titles, launched new ones, and acquired the BBC license for Doctor Who Weekly...
was editor of Mad magazine
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
, House of Hammer, Tarzan, etc.
However, the character did not appear until 1983
1983 in comics
-Events and publications:* Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird found Northampton, Massachusetts-based Mirage Studios.* Chicago-based First Comics makes a strong entree into the publishing field, putting out four ongoing titles, American Flagg!, E-Man, Jon Sable Freelance, and Warp!; featuring the talents...
in Warrior when Skinn asked Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
to introduce him as a supporting character in Marvelman
Marvelman
Marvelman, also known as Miracleman for trademark reasons in his American reprints and story continuation, is a fictional comic book superhero created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher L. Miller & Son. Originally intended as a United Kingdom home-grown substitute for the American...
, to segue into reprinting the original Ian Gibson
Ian Gibson (artist)
Ian Gibson is a British comic book artist, best known for his 1980s black-and-white work for 2000 AD, especially as the main artist on Robo-Hunter and The Ballad of Halo Jones, as well as his long run on Judge Dredd.-Biography:...
drawn material (which later appeared in the 1984 Warrior Summer Special) and then in his own strip (drawn by Will Simpson and David Hine
David Hine
-Biography:Hine has been working in comics since the early 1980s. For Crisis he drew the series Sticky Fingers in 1989, and wrote and drew a number of short pieces in 1990 and 1991...
).
Because of their frustration over the success of the revamped Marvelman
Marvelman
Marvelman, also known as Miracleman for trademark reasons in his American reprints and story continuation, is a fictional comic book superhero created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher L. Miller & Son. Originally intended as a United Kingdom home-grown substitute for the American...
, Marvel Comics attempted to acquire rights in the name by launching a UK comic starring Ben Grimm
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, also titled Big Ben.
Big Ben ("The Man With No Time For Crime!") was revamped by Moore as a failed result of the same project that produced Marvelman. No longer a lithe superspy, he was portrayed as an almost neanderthal fool, much to Skinn's dismay. He had great strength, durability and could fly, but was prone to constant hallucinations. But in his subsequent solo strip he reverted to the original superspy version of John Steed
John Steed
John Steed is a fictional character and the central protagonist on the popular British series The Avengers and The New Avengers, played by Patrick Macnee and Ralph Fiennes in the movie....
from The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
, complete with a bowler hat, a carnation and at all times carrying an umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
as part of his armament. One later episode also spoofed The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
with a Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
-like Welsh character named Dai the Death.
In his own comic series, to resolve the physically differing Moore version, he is revealed to be an alien shapeshifter
ShapeShifter
ShapeShifter is an Application Enhancer plugin for Mac OS X developed by Unsanity that allows the user to make system-wide modifications to the appearance of the operating system's graphical interface by applying GUI skins through “injection” into running code and without modifying system files,...
, one of a race of being who featured in the tie-in Skinn and Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
written Warrior strip, The Liberators
The Liberators
The Liberators was a science-fiction comic book series based on concepts created by Dez Skinn and Will Simpson for the British anthology title Warrior. The series was intended as a far-future continuation of Skinn's proposed shared continuity 'Warrior-verse', established in the Big Ben strip which...
.