Gerry Finley-Day
Encyclopedia
Gerry Finley-Day was a prolific British comics writer from the 1960s to the 1980s, best known as the creator of Rogue Trooper
.
He started out at D. C. Thomson & Co., before becoming the editor of IPC
's girls' title Tammy
in 1971, for which he wrote strips such as "Ella on Easy Street" and "The Camp on Candy Island". Tammy's stories were full of cruelty and adversity, based on research showing that girls wanted stories that made them cry.
Finley-Day rose to become deputy managing editor of IPC's girls' comics department, but quit to become a freelance writer. In 1974 he was drafted in by Pat Mills
to help develop characters for Battle Picture Weekly
, launched the following year, for which he wrote "Rat Pack", "The Sarge", "The Bootneck Boy", "D-Day Dawson", "Return of the Eagle", "Sergeant Without Stripes", "Cold Steele", "Skreamer of the Stukas", "Glory Rider", "Cooley's Gun", "Action Force", and many others. He had a particular penchant for creating honourable German heroes, including "Fighter from the Sky", "Panzer G-Man", "Commando King", "Sea Wolf", and perhaps the best known, "Hellman of Hammer Force", which started out in Action and transferred to Battle after Action was merged into it. Other strips he wrote for Action include "Green's Grudge War" and "Dredger".
He was one of the mainstays of early 2000 AD, writing "Invasion!
", "Dan Dare
", "Ant Wars", "Harry Twenty on the High Rock", "Fiends of the Eastern Front
", and a couple of early episodes of "Judge Dredd
", and became their specialist in future war stories, first with "The V.C.s
", and then his most enduring character, "Rogue Trooper
", which still features occasionally, written by other writers - although Finley-Day returned to the character for a one-off story in 2010. He also wrote "Blackhawk" for Tornado, and several strips for the revived Eagle
, including "Saddle Tramp", "Sergeant Streetwise", "Jake's Platoon", "The Hand", and episodes of "The Collector
".
Finley-Day's signature style was the hardbitten solo action hero, typically an embittered renegade male between 35 and 50 years old, that became a defining feature of 2000 AD. In common with many creators of the day, his stories often incorporated elements of contemporary popular movies or television programmes. Harry Twenty, for example, was an escape story set on a maximum-security prison orbiting the earth, and had clear echoes of The Prisoner
TV series, starring Patrick McGoohan
(according to Finley-Day, he used to joke with his fellow creators that if McGoohan appeared at the reception of the IPC building, he was not to be let upstairs).
Finley-Day disappeared from the UK comics scene in the mid 1980s, allegedly after editorial disagreements with the 2000 AD management. Though he was severely under-appreciated during his time, many of his creations are now regarded as classic characters. Harry 20 on the High Rock was recently voted by readers of the 2000adreview fan site the best self-contained series to have appeared in 2000 AD throughout its 28 year history, closely followed by Fiends of the Eastern Front.
Rogue Trooper
Rogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
.
He started out at D. C. Thomson & Co., before becoming the editor of IPC
IPC
IPC may refer to:*International Poverty Centre, of the United Nations Development Programme*IPC International, a shopping center security company*Ikano Power Centre, a shopping mall in Mutiara Damansara, Selangor, Malaysia...
's girls' title Tammy
Tammy (comics)
Tammy was a weekly British comic for girls published by Fleetway in London from 1971 to 1984, at which point it merged with Girl. Other titles which had merged with Tammy before then include June, Jinty, and Misty ....
in 1971, for which he wrote strips such as "Ella on Easy Street" and "The Camp on Candy Island". Tammy's stories were full of cruelty and adversity, based on research showing that girls wanted stories that made them cry.
Finley-Day rose to become deputy managing editor of IPC's girls' comics department, but quit to become a freelance writer. In 1974 he was drafted in by Pat Mills
Pat Mills
Pat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
to help develop characters for Battle Picture Weekly
Battle Picture Weekly
Battle Picture Weekly, at various time also known as Battle Action Force, Battle and Battle with Storm Force, was a British war comic published by IPC Magazines from 8 March 1975 to 23 January 1988, when it merged with Eagle...
, launched the following year, for which he wrote "Rat Pack", "The Sarge", "The Bootneck Boy", "D-Day Dawson", "Return of the Eagle", "Sergeant Without Stripes", "Cold Steele", "Skreamer of the Stukas", "Glory Rider", "Cooley's Gun", "Action Force", and many others. He had a particular penchant for creating honourable German heroes, including "Fighter from the Sky", "Panzer G-Man", "Commando King", "Sea Wolf", and perhaps the best known, "Hellman of Hammer Force", which started out in Action and transferred to Battle after Action was merged into it. Other strips he wrote for Action include "Green's Grudge War" and "Dredger".
He was one of the mainstays of early 2000 AD, writing "Invasion!
Invasion! (2000 AD)
Invasion! was a series created by Pat Mills and mostly written by Gerry Finley-Day that appeared in the first 51 editions of the weekly comic 2000 AD....
", "Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
", "Ant Wars", "Harry Twenty on the High Rock", "Fiends of the Eastern Front
Fiends of the Eastern Front
Fiends of the Eastern Front was a story in the comics anthology 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Carlos Ezquerra. The series mixed vampires into the general horror of the Eastern front...
", and a couple of early episodes of "Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
", and became their specialist in future war stories, first with "The V.C.s
The V.C.s
The V.C.s was a future war series that appeared in the science fiction comic 2000 AD #140 - 178 . Written by Gerry Finley-Day, the first episode was drawn by Mike McMahon who designed the craft and the main characters. The main series artists were Cam Kennedy, Garry Leach and John Richardson...
", and then his most enduring character, "Rogue Trooper
Rogue Trooper
Rogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
", which still features occasionally, written by other writers - although Finley-Day returned to the character for a one-off story in 2010. He also wrote "Blackhawk" for Tornado, and several strips for the revived Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
, including "Saddle Tramp", "Sergeant Streetwise", "Jake's Platoon", "The Hand", and episodes of "The Collector
The Collector (comic strip)
The Collector was a comic strip published in the British comic book Eagle, from issue 1 to issue 48 , and occasionally thereafter in annuals or summer specials....
".
Finley-Day's signature style was the hardbitten solo action hero, typically an embittered renegade male between 35 and 50 years old, that became a defining feature of 2000 AD. In common with many creators of the day, his stories often incorporated elements of contemporary popular movies or television programmes. Harry Twenty, for example, was an escape story set on a maximum-security prison orbiting the earth, and had clear echoes of 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...
TV series, starring 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...
(according to Finley-Day, he used to joke with his fellow creators that if McGoohan appeared at the reception of the IPC building, he was not to be let upstairs).
Finley-Day disappeared from the UK comics scene in the mid 1980s, allegedly after editorial disagreements with the 2000 AD management. Though he was severely under-appreciated during his time, many of his creations are now regarded as classic characters. Harry 20 on the High Rock was recently voted by readers of the 2000adreview fan site the best self-contained series to have appeared in 2000 AD throughout its 28 year history, closely followed by Fiends of the Eastern Front.