Comics about Romans?

[Zarjazzer]

Maybe you've spotted a gap in the blessed "market" for a Roman themed comic with battling barbarian babes.

I suppose it's because Romans are traditionally seen as the Imperialist oppressors "maahnnn" by writers. Not very sympathetic (see Ben Hur, Quo Vadis even Gladiator is against Rome and they also nailed up Jesus so never high on the moral list of Hollywooders) and generally  stand(in stories)as a metaphor for political decadence and arrogant abuses of power.

Let that be a lessoon to you Mister Bliar! 

[Daveycandlish]

You might try getting in touch with Dan Dare/Eagle magazine Spaceship Away as they used to sell (non-authorised) reprints of Heros.

[maryanddavid]

I have a Lion summer special somewhere that reprints Heros the Spartan its 75 of 76, reprinted in greyscale, still looks great,  Hawke reprinted Fraser of Africa in the late Eighties, well worth a look as well.

If your a bit more adventurous complete volumes of the Eagle from the sixties can be bought for as low as 40 quid Bellamy art, and Look and Learn can be got cheap, with tonnes of Roman stuff, I got a near complete collection for £50, the kids are using them now, some of the Tech stuff is out of date, but the historical bit are great.

David

[Colin YNWA]

Maybe you've spotted a gap in the blessed "market" for a Roman themed comic with battling barbarian babes.

I suppose it's because Romans are traditionally seen as the Imperialist oppressors "maahnnn" by writers. Not very sympathetic (see Ben Hur, Quo Vadis even Gladiator is against Rome and they also nailed up Jesus so never high on the moral list of Hollywooders) and generally  stand(in stories)as a metaphor for political decadence and arrogant abuses of power.

Let that be a lessoon to you Mister Bliar! 

Yeah I think you got it there. That's why my great Roman story (and most of them) are about an outsider in the Roman army. Arh The Thracian if only people had the chance to be exposed to you're mighty workings... nowt wrong with a bit of self delusion is that now.

Its incredibly simple to dismiss the Roman's as an evil Empire (well lets be honest!) but placed in the context of their time they are no more evil or veil than most. In many way more progressive. Its a very easy trap to fall into to judge figures or institutions from history by todays standards which leads to silly judgements and poor history.

That said I defo think that's why much fiction about Rome makes them the bad guys or vilifies its leaders and politics.

[Mike Gloady]

I agree about it being lazy HISTORY - but, as I'm always being told while mumbling about "historical inaccuracies" in Hollywood treatment of the past, bad history and bad art aren't the same thing. 

It's bad history to say imperialism=bad, but as a viewer of a drama how can you think any other way?  The viewer of the movie HAS a modern standpoint. 

[Emperor]

I heartily endorse these statements as attempts to restore some kind of balance to Imperial representation in the media:

It's bad history to say imperialism=bad, but as a viewer of a drama how can you think any other way?  The viewer of the movie HAS a modern standpoint. 

Its incredibly simple to dismiss the Roman's as an evil Empire (well lets be honest!) but placed in the context of their time they are no more evil or veil than most. In many way more progressive. Its a very easy trap to fall into to judge figures or institutions from history by todays standards which leads to silly judgements and poor history.

[Richmond Clements]

Its incredibly simple to dismiss the Roman's as an evil Empire (well lets be honest!) but placed in the context of their time they are no more evil or veil than most.

Well, this comes from ignoring one of the most basic rules in storytelling- that is: there is no such thing as a bad guy.

[Rio De Fideldo]

Asterix- these Romans are crazy.

[Zarjazzer]

It's a toughie as Rome has such a bad press. I think one way is like th e new movie make the Roman soldiers just ordinary. Geezers doing a thankless job in a big machine. We tend to sympathise with the little guy even if he is slave owning serial vomiter.

Or make the baddies so horrendous any human rule seems better say, demonic/vampiric/lovecraftian forces.

[Emperor]

It's a toughie as Rome has such a bad press. I think one way is like th e new movie make the Roman soldiers just ordinary. Geezers doing a thankless job in a big machine. We tend to sympathise with the little guy even if he is slave owning serial vomiter.

Or make the baddies so horrendous any human rule seems better say, demonic/vampiric/lovecraftian forces.

Good points all round, it is really those at the top who are giant parasitic bastards (hmmm I'm sure there is also room for a little political parallels there) and the soldiers were drawn from all corners of the empire and I'm sure would have had a variety of opinions about their masters in Rome.

I also like the idea of the site of a Roman Legion forming the testudo as some foul extra-dimensional monstrosity unfolds itself into our lower realms.

[Mike Gloady]

Let's not forget that most of your bog standard legions were drawn, not from upper class Roman nobility, but from the provinces themselves.  Hence lots of fellas stationed on Hadrian's Wall from North Africa getting letters from their mum's including thick socks so they'll stay warm.

[TordelBack]

Hence lots of fellas stationed on Hadrian's Wall from North Africa getting letters from their mum's including thick socks so they'll stay warm.

Aye, Vindolanda's as good a mircocosm of the Empire as you're likely to find.  I brought my Mum there once, who generally considers anything more than 50 years old to be of no consequence, and even she was interested.

[Emperor]

Hence lots of fellas stationed on Hadrian's Wall from North Africa getting letters from their mum's including thick socks so they'll stay warm.

Aye, Vindolanda's as good a mircocosm of the Empire as you're likely to find.  I brought my Mum there once, who generally considers anything more than 50 years old to be of no consequence, and even she was interested.

Went there last Summer and it was excellent, as is most of the Roman Wall sites. A big treat was spotting Ron Embleton's excellent illustrations of Roman life cropping up all over the place in museums.

[Martin Jameson]

Bloody Romans! What have they ever done for us??

[Mike Gloady]

Those Vindolanda tablets are just a beautiful little window into the lives of real people in the distant past.  Full of affecting details.