Robot Archie And The Time Machine by E. George Cowan/Ted Kearron (graphic novel review)
This book, ‘Robot Archie And The Time Machine’ by E. George Cowan/Ted Kearron, goes back to the UK’s ‘Lion’ comic 1968-1969 and two of its summer specials. There’s a lot of good material in Britain’s own comicbooks, and ‘Lion’ always had some SF stories. Of them all, ‘Robot Archie’ received a significant tribute on the cover of ‘Albion’ by Alan Moore, Leah Moore, and John Reppion back in 2004 and is currently in need of some restoration. Oddly, this run of Robot Archie graphic novels doesn’t start off with the early issues but much later. Archie’s creator, Professor C.R. Ritchie, has given him a rook-shaped time machine, and he takes his nephew Ted Richie and his best friend, Ken Dale, into a medieval period. Archie, resembling a mediaeval knight, becomes involved in aiding the peasants and subsequently forms an alliance with the local tyrant, Hugo the Black Wolf, to fight another tyrant. Archie demonstrates immense strength and only falters once due to a ruptured fuse in his back. Ted and Ken rarely refer to him as ‘Archie’, as it is merely a term of endearment.
When they arrive in the future, overshooting their own time, Archie transforms into a one-robot fighting machine, capable of defeating robots of all sizes in a battle-ravaged London. His internal armour is quite impressive, and you have to wonder at his design. The narrative identifies his brain as electronic, and the term ‘computer’ only appears later. Once again, his vulnerability lies in the back panel, and he was fortunate enough to be rebooted by a nearby primate. Despite having a sword, Archie rarely uses it.
Ah, except for the third adventure in this book, when Archie takes the castle into the 18th century and needs to remove the bracken that they land in. Archie also stops some highwaymen and discovers that things aren’t quite what they appear. This comicbook from the 1960s boasts an impressive concept. This is also the story where Archie finally gets a little irritated with Ted and Ken moaning all the time, although he does rescue them from a London prison and sorts the problems out. He also creates a mechanical expanding horse to transport them all around. It must be expanding, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to move it outside of the Rook Time Machine.
For those who are unaware, British comics used to produce summer specials, designed to provide children with a special treat during their holidays. These would invariably feature one-off stories about their favorite characters. They often sold pretty well, making them harder to find if you missed them. The first story here dates back to the 17th century, when they meet Blackbeard and redeem themselves when Archie takes on a Spanish armada. The second story goes even further, with the last of the dinosaurs and primitive man. Whoever was editing let some dialogue slip. Archie always speaks of himself in the second person. ‘Archie will do this.’ Instead, he repeatedly uses the pronoun “I”. Although it takes a little time for acceptance, you know this ideology is acceptable when not used.
Those who first encountered these tales in the 1960s are the obvious target audience for these books. The ‘Robot Archie’ series captivates readers with its relentless action and captivating story pace. I wish they had started from the beginning instead of diving straight into the time travel stories. Obviously, this is a reaction to a certain Time Lord, although you do have to wonder if Warren Magazines in the USA adopted the castle for their own ‘Rook’ series, which had a similar MO.
I should point out that Robot Archie wasn’t the only robot in British comics. I would love to see ‘The Iron Man’ in ‘Boys’ World’ undergo a similar transformation. Before anyone brings up ‘The Rebel Robot’ from ‘Smash!’ comics, it should be noted that he was more akin to a cyborg due to the presence of a human brain.
GF Willmetts
July 2024
(pub: Rebellion/Simon & Schuster, 2024. 144 page large graphic novel softcover. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-83786-169-9)
check out website: www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Robot-Archie-and-the-Time-Machine/E-George-Cowan/9781837861699
