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Our Fighting Forces
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<h2 id="publication-history">Publication history</h2> <p><i>Our Fighting Forces</i> began with an October-November 1954 <a href="/facts/Cover_date/G5kawzeV">cover date</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Writer-editor <a href="/facts/Robert_Kanigher/FCxaXG5y">Robert Kanigher</a>'s work appeared in most issues of the title. Artist <a href="/facts/Alex_Toth/ctGffC0v">Alex Toth</a> worked with writer/editor <a href="/facts/Archie_Goodwin_(comics)/YatwLM4y">Archie Goodwin</a> on the story "Burma Sky" in <i>Our Fighting Forces</i> #146 (Dec. 1973–Jan. 1974) and Goodwin praised Toth's art in a 1998 interview: "To me, having Alex Toth do any kind of airplane story, it's a joy for me. If I see a chance to do something like that, I will. He did a really fabulous job on it".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> "Burma Sky" was reprinted in black-and-white decades later in <i>Genius Illustrated: The Life and Work of Alex Toth</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Jack_Kirby/R2BS6MWY">Jack Kirby</a> wrote and drew issues #151 to 162 featuring <a href="/facts/The_Losers_(comics)/qW5MBVsl">The Losers</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> Other contributors include artists <a href="/facts/Jack_Abel/eazbUwBj">Jack Abel</a>, <a href="/facts/Ross_Andru/UP48oRGw">Ross Andru</a>, <a href="/facts/Ken_Barr/6QTr7bDe">Ken Barr</a>, <a href="/facts/Gene_Colan/wWmTd2h0">Gene Colan</a>, Ed Davis, <a href="/facts/Mort_Drucker/cG9AUzpr">Mort Drucker</a>, <a href="/facts/Mike_Esposito_(comics)/Bb8KRXds">Mike Esposito</a>, <a href="/facts/Ric_Estrada/rgK0ejhX">Ric Estrada</a>, <a href="/facts/George_Evans_(comics)/J2pJM9rg">George Evans</a>, <a href="/facts/Jerry_Grandenetti/sruEPHUR">Jerry Grandenetti</a>, <a href="/facts/Russ_Heath/B3dP8sE9">Russ Heath</a>, <a href="/facts/Bruce_Jones_(comics)/Tjpd2CAD">Bruce Jones</a>, <a href="/facts/Joe_Kubert/Ba1qp3KF">Joe Kubert</a>, <a href="/facts/Irv_Novick/5aGQ4L1H">Irv Novick</a>, <a href="/facts/John_Severin/02dsBmAV">John Severin</a>, <a href="/facts/Tom_Sutton/P1a44blP">Tom Sutton</a>, <a href="/facts/Frank_Thorne/p2kPz6C1">Frank Thorne</a>, and <a href="/facts/Wally_Wood/Uor60WEf">Wally Wood</a>, some of whom would also script. The series was cancelled as part of the <a href="/facts/DC_Implosion/pxzUD3Bs">DC Implosion</a> with issue #181 (September–October 1978).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>An <i>Our Fighting Forces</i> <a href="/facts/One-shot_(comics)/qjRJyDqH">one-shot</a> was published in November 2010.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="recurring-features">Recurring features</h2> <p>Features published in <i>Our Fighting Forces</i> include: </p> <ul><li>Gunner and Sarge (from issue #45 [May 1959] to issue #94 [August 1965]) — two "Mud-Marines" and their white <a href="/facts/German_Shepherd/Gelj32Pb">German Shepherd</a> dog Pooch on a small island in the Pacific.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></li> <li>The Fighting Devil-Dog Lt. Larry Rock (the brother of <i><a href="/facts/Our_Army_at_War/Ju1zLkcD">Our Army at War</a>'s</i> <a href="/facts/Sgt._Rock/9fzCnh3k">Sgt. Rock</a>) (from issue #95 [October 1965] until #98 [February 1966]) — Marine wounded at the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Corregidor/Ht5M1pya">Battle of Corregidor</a> by <a href="/facts/Shrapnel_(fragment)/hY6dz3rP">shrapnel</a> in his head that literally makes him see red on a Pacific island.</li> <li>Capt. Phil Hunter (from issue #99 [April 1966] until #105 [January–February 1967]) — Green Beret in the <a href="/facts/Vietnam_War/W0gfbGTE">Vietnam War</a> searching for his twin brother Nick, a pilot shot down by the <a href="/facts/Viet_Cong/hkoWcwRy">Viet Cong</a>.</li> <li>Lt. Hunter's Hellcats (from #106 [March–April 1967] until #123 [January–February 1970])— Capt. Hunter's father Ben in World War II who formed a unit of military prisoners (a comics copy of <i><a href="/facts/The_Dirty_Dozen/MapnoDSw">The Dirty Dozen</a></i>).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/The_Losers_(comics)/qW5MBVsl">The Losers</a> (issues #123 [January–February 1970] to #181 [September–October 1978]) — DC Comics war heroes<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> who had lost their own features: <ul><li>Capt. Storm of the Navy who appeared in his own series <i>Capt. Storm</i> which lasted 18 issues.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></li> <li>Johnny Cloud of the <a href="/facts/Army_Air_Forces/0mtva6Cw">Army Air Forces</a> who appeared in <i><a href="/facts/All-American_Men_of_War/q0hNTEhn">All-American Men of War</a></i>.</li> <li>Gunner & Sarge of the Marines who appeared in their own feature in <i>Our Fighting Forces</i>.</li></ul></li></ul> <h2 id="collected-editions">Collected editions</h2> <ul><li><i>America at War</i> includes <i>Our Fighting Forces</i> #49: "Blind Gunner!" by <a href="/facts/Robert_Kanigher/FCxaXG5y">Robert Kanigher</a> and <a href="/facts/Jerry_Grandenetti/sruEPHUR">Jerry Grandenetti</a> and <i>Our Fighting Forces</i> #102: "Cold Steel for a Hot War!" by Kanigher and <a href="/facts/Jack_Abel/eazbUwBj">Jack Abel</a>, 247 pages, July 1979, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0671249533</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Showcase_Presents/zbekt0LC">Showcase Presents</a>: The Losers</i> collects <i>G.I. Combat</i> #138 and <i>Our Fighting Forces</i> #123–150, 456 pages, April 2012, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 1-4012-3437-2</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/USS_Stevens_(DD-479)/76W4bguX">U.S.S. Stevens</a>: The Collected Stories</i> includes "U.S.S. Stevens" stories from <i>Our Fighting Forces</i> #125–128, 132, 134, 136, 138–141, 143, and 148, 424 pages, July 2016, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0486801582<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></li> <li><i>The Losers by Jack Kirby</i> collects <i>Our Fighting Forces</i> #151–162, 240 pages, March 2009, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 1-4012-2165-3<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Jack_Kirby_bibliography/RsTvt7Am">Jack Kirby bibliography</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/2018010101/http://comicbookdb.com/title.php?ID=7411"><i>Our Fighting Forces</i></a> at the Comic Book DB (archived from <a href="http://comicbookdb.com/title.php?ID=7411">the original</a>)</li> <li><a href="http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/our-fighting-forces"><i>Our Fighting Forces</i></a> at Cover Browser</li> <li><a href="http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=1535"><i>Our Fighting Forces</i></a> and <a href="http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/comic.php?comicid=69210"><i>Our Fighting Forces</i> one-shot</a> at Mike's Amazing World of Comics</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Our Fighting Forces at the Grand Comics Database <a href="https://www.comics.org/series/1025" target="_blank">https://www.comics.org/series/1025</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Overstreet, Robert M. (2019). Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (49th ed.). Timonium, Maryland: Gemstone Publishing. p. 918. ISBN 978-1603602334. <a href="978-1603602334" target="_blank">978-1603602334</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Cooke, Jon B. (Spring 1998). "Archie's Comics - Archie Goodwin talks about DC in his last interview". Comic Book Artist (#1). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. <a href="http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/01goodwin.html" target="_blank">http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/01goodwin.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Arndt, Richard J. (April 2018). ""Nice" Is the Word: A Few Words on Archie Goodwin". Back Issue! (#103). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 10. <a href="/wiki/Back_Issue!" target="_blank">/wiki/Back_Issue!</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Our Fighting Forces at the Grand Comics Database <a href="https://www.comics.org/series/1025" target="_blank">https://www.comics.org/series/1025</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>McAvennie, Michael (2010). "1970s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. Jack Kirby also took on a group of established DC characters that had nothing to lose. The result was a year-long run of Our Fighting Forces tales that were action-packed, personal, and among the most beloved of World War II comics ever produced. <a href="978-0-7566-6742-9" target="_blank">978-0-7566-6742-9</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Our Fighting Forces at the Grand Comics Database <a href="https://www.comics.org/series/1025" target="_blank">https://www.comics.org/series/1025</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Our Fighting Forces one-shot". Grand Comics Database. <a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/779009" target="_blank">https://www.comics.org/issue/779009</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Irvine, Alex "1950s" in Dolan, p. 73 <a href="/wiki/Alexander_C._Irvine" target="_blank">/wiki/Alexander_C._Irvine</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Irvine, Alex "1950s" in Dolan, p. 73 <a href="/wiki/Alexander_C._Irvine" target="_blank">/wiki/Alexander_C._Irvine</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Irvine, Alex "1950s" in Dolan, p. 73 <a href="/wiki/Alexander_C._Irvine" target="_blank">/wiki/Alexander_C._Irvine</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Markstein, Don (2010). "Captain Storm". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. <a href="http://www.toonopedia.com/capstorm.htm" target="_blank">http://www.toonopedia.com/capstorm.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"U.S.S. Stevens: The Collected Stories". Grand Comics Database. <a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/1661481" target="_blank">https://www.comics.org/issue/1661481</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"The Losers by Jack Kirby". DC Comics. March 11, 2009. Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. <a href="http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/the-losers-by-jack-kirby" target="_blank">http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/the-losers-by-jack-kirby</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>