Big Ben (comics)

Infobox comics character
character_name = Big Ben

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imagesize = 250
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caption = Big Ben featured of the cover of Warrior issue 20
by Garry Leach
publisher = Quality Communications
debut = "Warrior" #9 (1983)
creators = Dez Skinn
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sortkey = Big Ben (comics)

Big Ben is the name of a comic book character who first appeared during Alan Moore's run on "Marvelman" in "Warrior" ["Warrior" #9] and then went on to star in an eponymous series in the same title, written by the character's creator Dez Skinn. ["Warrior" #19-26]

Overview

Big Ben was created for the aborted "British Super-Heroes" title in 1977 while Dez Skinn was editor of "Mad" magazine, "House of Hammer", "Tarzan", etc.Fact|date=August 2008

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". [comicbookdb|type=title|id=14406|title="The Thing Is 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".

Animation

Skinn has recently started development on a "Big Ben, The Man With No Time For Crime" animated TV series. [ [http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2899 Lying in the Gutters] , Rich Johnston, Comic Book Resources]

Notes

References

* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/b/bigben.htm Big Ben] at the International Catalogue of Superheroes
*comicbookdb|type=character|id=17677|title=Big Ben