Banned 70s comic Action returns in new archival collection from Rebellion

Rebellion is republishing the original, uncensored issues of Action, a comic so controversial in the 1970s that it was pulled from shelves following a moral panic.

The new archival collection, Action: Before The Ban, will collect the influential comic’s initial run for the first time in decades.

Action was the brainchild of creators Pat Mills and Geoff Kemp, who were tasked with launching a new boys’ adventure anthology for IPC. Launched nearly fifty years ago in 1976, the comic’s formula of gritty, modern realism applied to action stories made it an instant success. Strips like the shark-attack horror Hookjaw, the violent secret agent story Dredger, and the tough-as-nails football strip Look Out For Lefty quickly found an audience, but also drew fierce criticism.

The comic’s unrelenting violence sparked a media frenzy. Tabloids, including The Sun and the Daily Mail, denounced the anthology, while moral campaigner Mary Whitehouse and the pressure group “Delegates Opposing Violent Education” lobbied IPC to have it shut down. The campaign was successful; within a year of its launch, Action was removed from circulation. It would later return, but as a heavily sanitised version of its former self.

Despite its short, incendiary life, the comic’s impact was profound. It lit a fire under the British comics scene, proving there was an appetite for more mature and challenging stories. The creative spark of Action directly paved the way for the creation of 2000 AD and is often cited as a catalyst for the subsequent “British Invasion” of comic talent into the American market.

Now, Rebellion is celebrating this firebrand comic with Action: Before The Ban. Volume 1 of the new archival series collects the first twelve issues from 1976, presenting them with their original colour pages and some of the editorial content that caused such a stir. The collection also features brand-new introductions from co-creator Pat Mills and series writer Steve MacManus.

The collection is available in both a standard edition and a webshop-exclusive version featuring a cover by Don Lawrence & Geoff Campion. Both can be found on the official 2000 AD webstore.