Comments on: Alan's War: extraordinary graphic novel memoir of a US GI who arrived in Europe at the end of WWII and stayed http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 25 May 2013 13:59:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-317718 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-317718 If you like this you might also check out Bill Mauldin's "Up Front". Not a comic per se, but he was a cartoonist for Stars and Stripes through many different campaigns in the European theater. Just throwing out another recommendation in this vein for people who like comics and true life insight into the "Last Good War". If you like this you might also check out Bill Mauldin’s “Up Front”. Not a comic per se, but he was a cartoonist for Stars and Stripes through many different campaigns in the European theater. Just throwing out another recommendation in this vein for people who like comics and true life insight into the “Last Good War”.

]]> By: jetsetsc http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-317978 jetsetsc Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-317978 I liked the way Pynchon described the occupied "zone" in Gravity's Rainbow. My great uncle was US Army and assigned as a mayor of a small German town in the US zone right after the war. His experience was nothing like as anarchic, but he's got some great slides of the period. -J I liked the way Pynchon described the occupied “zone” in Gravity’s Rainbow. My great uncle was US Army and assigned as a mayor of a small German town in the US zone right after the war. His experience was nothing like as anarchic, but he’s got some great slides of the period.
-J

]]> By: Bionicrat2 http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-317996 Bionicrat2 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-317996 Newsarama posted an interview with the writer/artist today: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/100828-Alans-War.html Newsarama posted an interview with the writer/artist today:

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/100828-Alans-War.html

]]> By: Gbaji http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-318257 Gbaji Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-318257 Sounds remniscent of Lars von Trier's <em>Zentropa</em>, in which a young American (of German descent) looks up his family and gets a job in (immediate) post-war Germany. The Byzantine politics of the fractured society bewilder our hero, who is exploited in every possible way until he at last loses it, grabs a machine gun and demands explanations from everyone. I saw the movie just after spending a year studying in Austria, and I yelped for joy at the end. Sounds remniscent of Lars von Trier’s Zentropa, in which a young American (of German descent) looks up his family and gets a job in (immediate) post-war Germany. The Byzantine politics of the fractured society bewilder our hero, who is exploited in every possible way until he at last loses it, grabs a machine gun and demands explanations from everyone.

I saw the movie just after spending a year studying in Austria, and I yelped for joy at the end.

]]> By: urshrew http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-318515 urshrew Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-318515 The picture on the cover alone is worth the purchase, I think. I'm glad to see a post-war examination of Europe out there. That's a fascinating time for political theorist, if not for arm chair military buffs. The picture on the cover alone is worth the purchase, I think.

I’m glad to see a post-war examination of Europe out there. That’s a fascinating time for political theorist, if not for arm chair military buffs.

]]> By: smgrady http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-317753 smgrady Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-317753 This reminds me how different our present Middle East endeavors are from other conflicts. Maybe the rule should be: we're only allowed to go to war if we can all shake hands and bum around in the region after. This looks very interesting. This reminds me how different our present Middle East endeavors are from other conflicts. Maybe the rule should be: we’re only allowed to go to war if we can all shake hands and bum around in the region after. This looks very interesting.

]]> By: buddy66 http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-317761 buddy66 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-317761 Thanks for the tip. I am late in warming to ''graphic novels,'' but have read/viewed some very good ones of late. This should be interesting because I was in postwar Germany at roughly the same time as Cope. The masterpiece of the genre is Thomas Berger's <i> Crazy In Berlin. </i> It is also a stylistic masterpiece, worthy of being designated Literature with a capital ''L.'' In fact, IMHO it's the very best WWII novel by an American, despite its taking place in the immediate weeks after VE Day. Thanks for the tip. I am late in warming to ”graphic novels,” but have read/viewed some very good ones of late. This should be interesting because I was in postwar Germany at roughly the same time as Cope.

The masterpiece of the genre is Thomas Berger’s Crazy In Berlin. It is also a stylistic masterpiece, worthy of being designated Literature with a capital ”L.” In fact, IMHO it’s the very best WWII novel by an American, despite its taking place in the immediate weeks after VE Day.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-317769 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-317769 I came upon Maus by accident one day. What an intro to the world of graphic novels. This one you're recommending excites me. I can't wait to get a copy. I came upon Maus by accident one day. What an intro to the world of graphic novels. This one you’re recommending excites me. I can’t wait to get a copy.

]]> By: Potoman http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-318038 Potoman Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-318038 Nice to see Alan's War on Boing Boing. I've known this for a few years because it's published here by a very good indie french publisher named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Association">l'Association</a>. If you like this kind of graphic novels, i would also recommend <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epileptic_(graphic_novel)">Epileptic</a> (published by Fantagraphics in the US i guess) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persepolis_(graphic_novel)">Persepolis</a> (Pantheon). Nice to see Alan’s War on Boing Boing. I’ve known this for a few years because it’s published here by a very good indie french publisher named l’Association. If you like this kind of graphic novels, i would also recommend Epileptic (published by Fantagraphics in the US i guess) and Persepolis (Pantheon).

]]> By: JMEYERS http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-318570 JMEYERS Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-318570 I'm a HUGE fan of Guibert and this book looks amazing! Did you see the video of the way he created the art for the book? He literally DRAWS WITH WATER then puts a single drop of ink to let it bleed across the page. Saw this on the :01 blog yesterday and my jaw is STILL on the floor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIMdBK8yr_g I can't believe he did the entire book that way! I’m a HUGE fan of Guibert and this book looks amazing! Did you see the video of the way he created the art for the book? He literally DRAWS WITH WATER then puts a single drop of ink to let it bleed across the page. Saw this on the :01 blog yesterday and my jaw is STILL on the floor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIMdBK8yr_g

I can’t believe he did the entire book that way!

]]> By: buddy66 http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-318157 buddy66 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-318157 Sorry, I clumsily implied that <i> Crazy In Berlin </i> is a graphic novel; it is not. It's just a plain old work-of-genius novel in the post-WWII occupation genre. Sorry, I clumsily implied that Crazy In Berlin is a graphic novel; it is not. It’s just a plain old work-of-genius novel in the post-WWII occupation genre.

]]> By: Beedie http://boingboing.net/2008/10/28/alans-war-extrarordi.html#comment-317913 Beedie Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-317913 Thanks for posting this, Cory. It looks like something I'll have to add to my list. Thanks for posting this, Cory. It looks like something I’ll have to add to my list.

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