To mark Remembrance 100, and to help build public awareness of the fantastic work and sacrifices of those serving in the armed forces over the last century, the Forces Network is launching a global search to find the most inspirational person in UK military history, and immortalise them in an exclusive, first of its kind comic book…
Anyone from the UK or around the world is invited to share their stories of past or present British military figures who have inspired them and email details to fantasticforces@bfbs.com. The winning story will be made into a comic book, written and illustrated by renowned artist Mike Collins and writer Ferg Handley, who have worked with Marvel, DC Comics and DC Thomson.
Fictional superheroes have been the focus of comic books for decades, with military-related titles such as Captain America and Charley’s War flying off the shelves. But now, for the first time, one lucky person can nominate a serviceman, woman, or veteran who they believe is a real life superhero and have their story embedded on these iconic pages.
The inspiring story can be about an individual who served in WW1, WW2 or more modern conflicts and once created, this exclusive comic will be released for public download on forces.net from 9th November, to tie in with Remembrance 2018.
Mike Collins has been drawing strips for Marvel Comics since the 1980s, with titles including; Spider-Man, Transformers, Doctor Who, and Zoids. He also worked with DC Comics on their key titles – Batman, Superman, Flash, Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League. Writer Ferg Handley has been writing military-related comics for 20 years – including more than 300 scripts for DC Thomson’s, Commando.
Coronation Street’s Antony Cotton who is an ambassador for the competition shares his inspirational story: “My inspirational story is that of my close friend Andy Grant. Andy lost his leg as a result of an explosion five months into a tour of Afghanistan. Since then he has climbed some of the world’s highest mountains, learnt to ski, surf and is the fastest man in the world on one leg.
“I was inspired by him not only for refusing to be beaten by his injury, but also for his determination to be bigger, better, stronger and faster than ever before. He is a real life superhero. It is so important that we remember the stories of these individuals and this is a fantastic opportunity to make sure one of them lives on forever on the pages of a comic book.”
The competition is open until 21st September and entries can be submitted in both written word and video format. The competition will be judged by an expert panel including; Antony Cotton, Mike Collins, Ferg Handley, Forces Network CEO Simon Bucks and a representative from the British Military.
