The Four Color Media Monitor

The Herald of Scotland reported about a graphic novel based on the history of a St. Bernard dog that served in the army:

With a wet nose, soft, floppy ears and a huge appetite, he was the unlikeliest of wartime heroes.

But for the men of the Thorodd, a Norwegian whaling boat put into service as a minesweeper during the Second World War, their loyal St Bernard dog, Bamse, was as much a crewmember – and vital part of the war effort – as they were.

As they served their nation in its desperate hour of need, the dog became an unlikely symbol of freedom, loyalty and comradeship.

While locals in the Scottish towns where the crew was stationed came to regard the big St Bernard as a comforting distraction from the war and one of their own.

The touching story of how Bamse the St Bernard became a regular sight in Scottish towns at the height of the Second World War – and officially recognised for his bravery - has now been turned into a ‘Commando’ style comic book.

It is the latest in a series of Scottish WW2 wartime tales to be given the graphic novel treatment by writer Colin Maxwell, whose previous comics have featured the real life drama of a 1939 dogfight between the Luftwaffe and British Spitfires in the shadow of the Forth Bridge, and the heroic true story of the Polish submarine, ORP Orzel.

Maxwell's certainly got some clever ideas you don't see USA creators doing often. Yes, animals can make for an excellent spotlight just as much as humans, so congratulations to the guy for writing a special focus on animals who've proven heroic just as much as the humans themselves who fought during WW2.

Labels: Europe and Asia, history