Vietnam Journal Book Eight: Brain Dead Horror (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780982654927)

Don Lomax has established himself with Vietnam Journal, his project of two decades which continues today. The series is a rarity in comics in that it appeals not only to comic fans but also to those outside the traditional realm of comics. But Don is by no means a one trick pony. For nearly 40 years he has had comics and cartoons appearing in a score of national magazines on a regular basis including Easyrider, CARtoons, Heavy Metal, Overdrive, Police and Security News, American Towman, and many others. His work in the adult magazine realm is legendary with story illustrations, comics, and cartoons appearing in virtually every "slick", "girly magazine" imaginable. But he also worked for most of the major comic book imprints including Pacific, Marvel, First, Americomics, Fantagraphics, Eros and others. He said he enjoyed working on American Flagg written by Alan Moore and inking Tom Sutton's pencils on Sleepwalker from Marvel. A multi-talented creator, Don also did some work on Munden's Bar which was a regular feature in First Comics' Grimjack series. Based on his success on Vietnam Journal, he was brought in to write Marvel Comics' The 'Nam. Lomax based Vietnam Journal on his experiences on his tour of duty in Vietnam in the mid 1960's. He utilizes a war correspondent, to chronicle the combat experiences of the soldiers. Each issue spotlights a soldier or event with the narrative flowing to create story arcs. The School Library Journal provides an insightful summary of the series. "Sent to Vietnam to report on the conflict, Scott "Journal" Neithammer expects to do no more than produce another sterilized war report. However, he soon realizes that, "the real story was in the bush with the slime, the stink, the constant fear and frustration." Each episode is a mix of the absurd and horrific as Journal befriends an ever-changing cast of doomed soldiers. As he confronts the death, illogic, and contradiction around him, he becomes as conflicted as the war itself, finally losing his journalistic objectivity in a fit of frustrated rage. The black-and-white artwork is powerful, and Journal's world is a rumpled fusion of realism and caricature. "