Commando Cubs were originally a group of American kids sent to England as part of an overseas study of “the effects of the old-world culture on kids of different backgrounds.” But when the World War II reached the shores of the British Isles, the kids found themselves stranded. In 1943, their guardian, a British professor who conducted the study, sent them to the countryside. There, they saw the British commandos training. Inspired by what they saw, the boys started training like commandos and bought themselves commando-style uniforms. And while they only meant it as a game, through a series of mix-ups, they found themselves dropped in the middle of Nazi-occupied France. Although they made a few mistakes, they managed to stay alive and even score something of a victory. The experience was enough of a moral boost to inspire the boys to continue fighting the Nazis as Commando Cubs. Commando Cubs were made up of Ace Browning, their outgoing leader, Spud O’Shea, his Irish-American second-in-command, Horace Cosgrove II, the resident smart kid, Whizzer Malarkey, the chubby smart-alec whose accent suggested working-class Brooklyn, and Pokey Jones, the token African-American kid (whose depiction was either cringe-worthy or surprisingly progressive depending on the artists and writers involved).
Alias Commando Cubs
Real Names/Alt Names Ace Browning/Pokey Jones/Horace Cosgrove II/Whizzer Malarkey/Spud O’Shea
Description Commando Cubs were originally a group of American kids sent to England as part of an overseas study of “the effects of the old-world culture on kids of different backgrounds.” But when the World War II reached the shores of the British Isles, the kids found themselves stranded. In 1943, their guardian, a British professor who conducted the study, sent them to the countryside. There, they saw the British commandos training. Inspired by what they saw, the boys started training like commandos and bought themselves commando-style uniforms. And while they only meant it as a game, through a series of mix-ups, they found themselves dropped in the middle of Nazi-occupied France. Although they made a few mistakes, they managed to stay alive and even score something of a victory. The experience was enough of a moral boost to inspire the boys to continue fighting the Nazis as Commando Cubs. Commando Cubs were made up of Ace Browning, their outgoing leader, Spud O’Shea, his Irish-American second-in-command, Horace Cosgrove II, the resident smart kid, Whizzer Malarkey, the chubby smart-alec whose accent suggested working-class Brooklyn, and Pokey Jones, the token African-American kid (whose depiction was either cringe-worthy or surprisingly progressive depending on the artists and writers involved).
