This week, the Beasts of Burden Omnibus, a 500+ page collection of one of my favourite series of the last 15 years, is released by our friends at Dark Horse Comics. As for why it’s one of my faves, well, who doesn’t love animals in supernatural situations?
Here’s the log line:
This eight-time Eisner Award-winning comic book series blending fantasy, horror, and humor features the adventures of paranormal pets investigating the horrors of Burden Hill.
When supernatural events threaten the quiet suburb of Burden Hill, it’s up to a determined group of ordinary dogs and cats to defend their home from demonic frogs, zombie roadkill and a rat cabal led by a dead mystic with an insatiable appetite for blood. This edition collects all four volumes of the eight-time Eisner award-winning horror fantasy series, including both Wise Dog adventure tie-in stories and a special guest appearance by Hellboy!
Award-winning comics creators Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese), Jill Thompson (The Sandman), and Ben Dewey (The Autumnlands) come together to share the lives of some unlikely heroes.
This volume collects the comic-book series Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, Occupied Territory, Neighborhood Watch, and Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men, published by Dark Horse Comics
To celebrate the February 18 release of Beasts of Burden Omnibus, co-creator and writer Evan Dorkin was kind enough to answer some email questions about the series, its new collected edition, and more.
Andy Burns: Amazingly, 13 years ago, you and I spoke about Beasts of Burden, and here we are again, talking about the new Omnibus. I wanted to start by asking how you have changed as a writer as you’ve returned to Beasts of Burden over the years.
Evan Dorkin: It’s hard for me to say. The schedule on Beasts hasn’t been optimum, to say the least, it’s always been a few issues here, a mini-series there and I can feel disconnected after a gap. I’m in the process of gearing up to write the next Burden Hill arc, which I started a while back but have had to push back. One thing that’s changed is that my scripting is a bit leaner, because I used to go overboard with descriptions out of anxiety. I always worry I’m not putting the point across. I don’t really know what else has changed. I’m too close to the work to really tell, and I haven’t been getting much writing done these past few years. The main thing is what I try not to change, which is the emotional aspect of the characters. And to keep things interesting and entertaining.
(Thanks for still being interested in the series, by the way. It’s appreciated)
Andy Burns: One of the things that I loved about the series is the camaraderie between the characters, all with their distinct personalities. How mapped out were they when you first started writing Beasts of Burden? And how did they change when you would revisit them?
Evan Dorkin: The characters weren’t mapped out at all, because the first story Jill and I collaborated on was supposed to be a one-shot. So the series evolved in fits and starts, especially at the beginning. By the time we did the third story we realized we had something bigger on our hands, and I started making notes to flesh everything out. But I never sat down and wrote backstories for the characters, and I haven’t spent a ton of time building the world. The world-building and character development more or less comes together as it’s needed in the stories. Ace, Dymphna and Jack are probably the characters going through the biggest changes, Ace dealing with his werewolf-tainted blood, Dymphna’s regret and grief over her former life and her lost children, Jack’s psychic visions and having a detrimental effect on his mental stability. The dogs and cats were originally written as types – “cowardly”, “stalwart”, “obnoxious” – but since becoming more “wise” to the world their inner lives have become more complex.
Andy Burns: When Beasts of Burden started, you and Jill Thompson worked together. Benjamin Dewey joined you for “Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men” and stuck around; his work is fantastic. How did Benjamin become part of this world?
Evan Dorkin: I was at a real loss to find someone after Jill stepped away from the interiors. We needed someone who could draw animals in an overall realistic style, but with expressive faces and mannerisms. And, if possible, could work in watercolours. We found Benjamin through artist Steve Lieber. Steve’s connected to a lot of talented people through the Helioscope Studio/Portland comics and cartooning scene. He recommended Benjamin when I reached out to him. Benjamin was available, and he basically saved the series. He’s illustrated nine issues and I love working with him. Sarah and I also worked with Benjamin on an issue of Marvel Snapshots, which Kurt Busiek put together for us. More people need to put eyes on Benjamin’s work. He’s immensely talented and he just gets better all the time.
Andy Burns: If you had to choose any particular moment from the entire run of Beasts of Burden collected in this omnibus as the perfect example of what you wanted to accomplish with the stories, what would it be?
Evan Dorkin: Probably “The View From The Hill”. The Burden Hill dogs come upon a small herd of lost sheep and the Bernese that’s shepherding them. The dogs talk to them, we find out something sad, then something disturbing. The end. It’s only 8 pages long but I think it encapsulates what we’ve done pretty well. The story went viral on Tumblr some years back, and most readers enjoyed it – which is why, I guess, it went viral. They liked the humorous parts with the character interaction; they were interested in what was happening, and they thought the ending was creepy and sad. We try to juggle the horror and humour and get people to care about these animals. And sometimes we do try to deliver the occasional gut punch.
Andy Burns: In my estimation, no comic book publisher puts out better collections, be it hardcovers or trade paperbacks, than Dark Horse. How does it feel to have these stories collected into one volume? As a fan, I know it’s something I’ve been waiting for.
Evan Dorkin: There’s such a high level of quality book design across the industry these days, something I never would have believed when I worked in a comic shop in the 80s. I’m grateful for the work Dark Horse has put into my collected work, the oversize hardcover volumes of Beasts of Burden, The Eltingville Club, Dork and Milk & Cheese books and the library edition of Blackwood. I love comic books but having these nice collections is a treat. And I’m very glad the Omnibus edition exists, it’s a nice, big chunk of a book which allows folks to get everything we’ve done so far in one package at a very decent price. I hope it helps us pick up some new readers to the series.
Andy Burns: Finally, I’ll conclude with the same question I asked you all the way back in 2012: are you reading anything, comics or otherwise, that Biff Bam Pop! readers should check out?
Evan Dorkin: I’m mostly reading a lot of Weird Fiction for inspiration and escapism. Old and new. Victorian ghost stories, Weird Tales, Cthulhu Mythos, straight horror, etc. Some folklore and non fiction here and there. Comics-wise, I’m years behind on my reading. Recently I went through a stack of pre-code horror collections along with some Kirby/Lee Atlas monster stuff. A few Gou Tanabe HPL adaptations. And a run of Gamer+Cat. Oh, and I’ve been going through the big Taschen Fantastic Four book. Jack Kirby FF for life.
Thanks to Evan Dorkin for his time and to Kaitlyn Nash from Dark Horse Comics for making this interview happen. You can order the Beasts of Burden Omnibus here.
