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Posts: 7773
Nov 21 14 10:59 AM
I know I recently reposted this in a thread devoted to the Nam, but no self-respecting Mike Golden thread can do without a Nam post and as I have run out of Golden scans, this is my last contributon.
The Nam Magazine (b&w): 1-6by Doug Murray & Mike GoldenThe portrayal of the Vietnam conflict by Murray and Golden is about as realistic and well-balanced as one could possibly hope for from an American comic under the strictures of the comic code and produced in the mid 80s, when the memory of the Vietnam was still relatively fresh and raw.They do a fine job of showing ordinary guys under extraordinary circumstances. Young - at times well-intended and/or misguided - men prone to bravado, bad judgement, reckless heroism, fierce camaraderie, substance abuse, cowardice, doubt and fear fighting a pointless war in an alien, hostile environment.Pages from Nam #2: The night, the jungle, the unseen enemy and a burst of action.(All issue numbers mentioned here are from the original colour comic numbering. The scans are form Nam b&w #1, chap 2).Murray and Golden obviously made an earnest attempt to depict the conflict in all its shades of moral ambiguity and from all sides, while catering to a relatively young (and biased) audience. They don’t glamorise the conflict or war in general for that matter, for which I give them major kudos and fortunately, the mag doesn’t resemble in the slightest the kind of mindless, jingoistic burlesque of Sgt. Fury and co. In fact, it shows just how ridiculous war mags like those are.No punches were pulled in this sequence from #5, 'Humpin'the Boonies', in which the GIs enter a "pacified" village. Yer fadder's war comics these ain't! (Nam b&w #3, chap 1)I picked up the entirety of Golden’s run in b&w in the Nam magazine 1-6, which reprints the colour issues 1-12. I actually think the artwork and the subject matter is better served in b&w, particularly as the original comics had some pretty bad and inappropriate colouring. The crisp b&w reproduction brings out all the great detail and nuance of Golden’s work.Golden’s artwork here is quite amazing, a unique mix of Will Elder and Jack Davis, with a smidgen of Will Eisner thrown in for good measure. Golden perfectly illustrates warfare as long periods of mind-numbing tedium and discomfort, punctuated by sudden bursts of blood-curdling terror and violence (I paraphrase). #8, 'In the Underground' is one of the best of the run, showing the war carried out in the tunnels by so-called tunnel rats. It's claustrophobic, gut-turning and tense. (Nam b&w #4, chap 20).He imbues all his characters with a unique look and personality and his subtle but superb command of facial expressions perfectly conveys the gamut of emotions experienced by the cast in their day-to-day struggle for survival in Vietnam, which to many of the grunts was as alien as the mountains of the moon.I am, however, quite amazed that his depiction of blacks with thick, rubbery lips didn’t cause an uproar at the time. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest because his other ethnic types are portrayed with a similar degree of caricature but I would’ve thought this would be a more sensitive matter.#9, 'Pride Goeth' is another powerful issue, showing the ferocity and insanity of the conflict (Nam b&w #5, chap 1).#9 ends with the senseless death of one of the main characters. His death is quick, unexpected and moving. No last moment heroism or stirring words. Just a sniper shot. Snap! Lights out. Sad.... The inks are mainly handled by Armando Gil (whatever happened to him?) and John Beatty. I much prefer the latter’s lush, finely wrought inks but curiously enough Beatty’s sparser, more rigid, straight-forward inks work better in b&w. Sometimes Gil is so cluttered and detailed that colour is needed to bring out highlights and details.
Irony and subtly are the first casualties in the eternal battle of wits between people divided by a common language. So read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks...
....Quoting other people is no substitute for thinking for yourself...
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