Dǎs KämpF

by Vaughn Bodē

Dǎs KämpF est une des premières bandes dessinées américaines underground, datant de 1963.

Joyau oublié, ces planches en noir et blanc assorties de lettrages mettent en scène des soldats américains, allemands et russes dans des situations diversement saugrenues, avec un graphisme rond très lointainement dérivé de Walt Disney. Sous l’apparence d’une parodie de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et de la Guerre froide, Bodé propose une vision burlesque d’un univers d’ordre et de hiérarchie, où les soldats, agités de passions souvent mesquines, suivent les ordres sans trop savoir pourquoi.

Chez Bodé, il n’y a pas de bons et de mauvais. Il n’y a que des individus vivant l’expérience de l’absurde militaire, sur lesquels le jeune auteur, alors âgé de 21 ans, porte un regard alternativement moqueur, acerbe, blasé, cruel, ou attendri.

51 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Vaughn Bodē was an American underground cartoonist and illustrator known for his character Cheech Wizard and his artwork depicting voluptuous women. A contemporary of Ralph Bakshi, Bodē has been credited as an influence on Bakshi's animated films Wizards and The Lord of the Rings. Bodē has a huge following among graffiti artists, with his characters remaining a popular subject.

Reviews

[Bob Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of many Underground Comix !

[Eric S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short comic book is a funny and very satirical look at war. It’s a collection of 100 drawings and single sentence observations, originally done by Vaughn Bode in 1963 after his short time in the army. It was reissued in 1977, and that’s the copy I have. This is a re-read for me; initially it was a 5 star read, but I’m not as interested in comics anymore. Many of these illustrations are way over the top and that’s what makes them so funny. Bode's artwork is an excellent example of the style of early 1960s underground comics. He is very good at making an illustration detailed while keeping it simple. Most of the illustrations and one-line comments are done for laughs and anyone can enjoy them.

I love the way Bode states obvious facts in his short, offhand one-line sentences. Here's one of my favorites:

"War is being ordered to do something REAL stupid and not being able to complain afterwards 'cause you get killed."

He also says things people think about but normally wouldn't say out loud, such as:

"War is shooting an enemy guy mainly 'cause he's standing behind your company commander."

He also makes a few philosophical observations, like:

"War is sometimes wondering whether there could ever be intelligent life on this planet."

This comic is probably funnier for veterans like me because on some level we identify with the main characters. It brings back memories of good and bad times. Also for most of my growing up, the Germans were ALWAYS the BAD GUYS. So it was nice to see them portrayed as just regular soldiers dealing with war.

Read and have a good laugh.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

After learning about Vaughn Bode's horrific stint in the army, his use of German soldiers in this comic makes sense.