Storm and his creator Don Lawrence
Don Southam Lawrence, born 17th November 1928 in London.
Readers of comics well known as graphic artist of nearly photorealistic comics like Olac, The rise and fall of the Trigan Empire and Storm, of course.
Don Lawrence
After school and military service Don Lawrence visited an academy of art. Very soon he realised that the 'real' art was not the right job for him. He just wanted to draw comics.
The first real comic was Marvelman, a british couterpart to the american super heroes. A bunch of other comics followed, most of them Western, but also some historical adventure comics.
Later he had the oportunity to participate at Thunderbirds are go, a science-fiction comic series. But all these comics based only on TV stories.
He had his breakthrough with The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire after texts of the well known SF author Mike Butterworth. After all Don Lawrence could draw a comic the way he liked, in the tradition of the drawer Frank Bellamy.
Trigan
As so many stories Storm started in a different way than its later development. After changin his publisher Don Lawrence met Martin Lodewijk. But the first story was written with Vince Wernham. Together they developed the predecessor of Storm: Commander Grek.
Unfortunately the publisher was not pleased. Characters and story were 'too weak' and Commander Grek was not published.
Storm - Commander Grek
Together with Martin Lodewijk Don Lawrence searched for another author. The first story of Storm, The vanished ocean, was a cooperation with Philip (Saul) Dunn who already had published some SF books.
This first story has quite a similarity to Commander Grek. Storm returns to Earth after a journey through space. The oceans have vanished and mankind has fallen back to barbarianism. Redhair, Storms companion, also made it from Grek to Storm.
The Marin Lodewijk wrote The new world. The next adventure Don Lawrence wrote with Dick Matena and Kevin Gosnell. The nineth story he wrote totally on his own.
The Martin Lodewijk came back. The heroes Storm and Redhair were sent to a journey through worlds nobody heard about. This teamwork of Don Lawrence and Martin Lodewijk made a new beginning for Storm. The new adventures, beginning with story number ten, were named by Martin Lodewijk with: The Pandarve Chronicles
The story of STORM
Books 1 to 5
STORM is an astronaut, somewhere in the 21. Century. During a routine flight there is a cosmic twister and STORM is thrown thousands of years into the future. He finds earth as a savage and barbarian planet, carrying only pieces of civilisations that have passed away a long time ago. Very soon STORM realises that there is no return to his own time.
A list of titels available in Germany follows. The actual books are on the left side. On the right you can find the titles of the first publicaton. These books are only available at collectors exchanges.
Book 1, "Das verschwundene Meer", first published as "Die großen Phantastic-Comics" Book 3.
Drawings: Don Lawrence, Text: Saul Dunn.
Storm has to investigate the large red mark of the planet Jupiter. This journey ends in a disaster and Storm returns to earth thousands of years later. The seas have disappeared, the whole face of the earth has changed. Mankind has been droped back to barbarianism. Storm is imprisoned but is able to escape with a woman called "Redhair". She accompanies our hero on his search for the reason of all the changes.
Book 2, "Die neue Welt", first published as "Die großen Phantastic-Comics" Book 6.
Drawings: Don Lawrence, Text: Martin Lodewijk.
Storm and Redhair are captured again. They are sold to a circus as slaves and Storm is trained as a gladiator. In the next city a friend of Storm is killed in a manipulated fight. Very angry Storm hits the local champion. To escape the death penalty Storm is given to the city as their new champion. Redhair is held back as hostage so that Storm fights in the "Palais of Death" for the city. An old guard leads Storm and the warriors of other cities into a giant fortress. After a short time Storm takes the lead as he realises that the figth against the Palais is only the fight against the automatic defense of the station. Storm takes over the station and rescues Redhair. After trying to kill Storm and Redhair the Guard tries to capture the station but he fails and destroys it. Storm and Redhair are wandering on to uncertainty.
Book 3, "Das Volk der Wüste", first published as "Die großen Phantastic-Comics" Book 9.
Drawings: Don Lawrence, Text: Dick Matena.
On their journey through a desert Storm and Redhair are brought to a city by Prov, a scientist, and his accomplice Bajo. Prov has designed a new human race that can survive in the desert. He transformed many people into "Whites". He wants to have Storm and Redhair as his "Adam and Eve" for his new race. Finally Storm and Redhair are able to escape and can help the "Whites".
Book 4, "Die Grüne Hölle", first published as "Die großen Phantastic-Comics" Book 12.
Drawings: Don Lawrence, Text: Dick Matena.
By an accident Storm and Redhair come to the "Green Hell" - a phantastic jungle of four levels. This world is controlled by Azurians, a highly technified but fearce species from an other planet. They subjugate the people of the earth for centuries. Storm and Redhair want to help the oppressed mankind and they manage to escape the Azurians.
Book 5, "Kampf um die Erde", first published as "Die großen Phantastic-Comics" Book 15.
Drawings: Don Lawrence, Text: Dick Matena.
Storm takes over the fight against the Azurians. With the help of Mordegai and his subjects Storm can activate the humans against the extraterrestrians. He and Redhair succeed in driving the Azurians away from Earth. Imprisoned Azurians on Mars are staying in the solar system to live together in peace with the human beings.
