Monday, November 5, 2012

Interlude: War Comics Month!

Hey everyone! In honor of Veterans Day coming up here in the USA next week (November 11th, though it is being observed on the 12th this year due to it falling on Sunday), I am going to be reading War comics all through the month of November! And I want you to get in on it as well.

While War comics are a tiny subgenre now, they used to be a thriving part of the comics markets both here in the United States as well as in the UK and continental Europe. While War comics are often derided as jingoistic or simplistic, some of the most compelling and human stories of war are told in their pages. Many of the most popular War comics including Sgt Rock, Haunted Tank, Nick Fury & His Howling Commandos, the Unknown Soldier, and others were written and drawn by veterans who drew upon their experiences to show both the horrors of battle and the courage and bravery of the soldier. As a comics fan I think that raising awareness of these stories is a small way to honor the service and sacrifice of our servicemen and women who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice in order to protect us and our way of life.

I am using the hashtag #WarComicsMonth on Twitter and Google+ to share my thoughts and I need your help to keep the discussion going. So please feel free to read or promote your favorite War comics stories and use the hashtag to get in on the topic. I will RT or Share any posts I see with the hashtag.

A great source for pre-Code, public domain War comics (along with tons of comics from other genres) is Comic Book Plus, which has a built in reader so that you can read the comics right in your browser. Plus they are all free and legal.

Thanks for listening and I hope you will take a few minutes to read, tweet, and share your thoughts on your favorite War comics.

No comments: