Winter Warrior: A Vietnam Vet's Anti-War Odyssey

by Eve Gilbert, Scott Camil

Young Scott Camil grew up in Florida in the 1960s hating Commies and wanting to fight for his country. After graduating from high school, Camil decides to join the marines and is plunged into the thick of combat in Vietnam. Upon his return to civilian life, Camil has a moment of revelation and adopts a new cause: telling the American people the truth about what's going on in Vietnam. In Eve Gilbert's Winter Warrior, each panel is an exquisitely imagined interpretation of Camil's story, capturing the brutal reality of the war and the bleak political reality on the domestic front. Winter Warrior recounts both the personal journey of one American and his need for political engagement when his conscience collides with American foreign policy during the height of the Cold War.

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, War, History

112 pages, Hardcover

Published October 29, 2019

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eve Gilbert adapts and illustrates the first-person account of Vietnam War veteran and anti-war activist Scott Camil, based on her own recent interview with him and one he previously made in 1992 as part of an oral history project.

The first third of the book consists mostly of Camil confessing to war crimes he committed or witnessed during his time as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War. Frankly, by the time he returned to the U.S., I was so disgusted with him as a person that I considered setting the book aside, but I did not. Unfortunately, despite his subsequent attempts to be a whistleblower about the crimes being committed and his activism in trying to stop the war, I just could not get past his complicity. Indeed, as his narrative progressed, he continued to do highly questionable things and exhibit behaviors that made me wonder about his credibility in general.

Oral histories are important and can be powerful, but they also have the reliability issues of any eyewitness testimony in that human memory can be malleable and changeable, subject to internal and external influences. One way to counteract such veracity issues is to provide corroborating testimony and supporting evidence, but Gilbert presents Camil's words alone, free of context.

While I find his story interesting and troubling, I am left with too many doubts and questions to make this a satisfying experience.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic memoir is not an easy read, but it is a powerful one. With humility and brutal honesty, a former soldier looks back on his life and reflects on what made him choose to start a chapter of Vietnam Vets Against the War. His story delves into a part of history often ignored or glossed over.

[Bonnie_Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but intense, this book is about one man's life story - his rough upbringing, his time as a US Marine in Vietnam, and his immediate activities after leaving the Marine Corps. It is unflinching and brutally honest. Scott Camil freely admits his complicity in allowing men, women, and children to suffer horrendously. He also admits that part of him really enjoyed getting to hurt, kill, and destroy. He knows he is imperfect and deeply flawed, which I think comes across in this book. Eve Gilbert's art is described as "impressionistic," which I think is the right word for her style. She puts a lot of details into every page, which I think adds to the overall experience. The book is brutal but insightful - well worth the read.

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant - and horribly relevant - memoir of a veteran and his campaign for peace. Gilbert articulates Camil’s anger beautifully - the art weirdly reminds me of a bizarro Jack Chick tract and in many ways that absolutely fits the narrative, because it’s a book that reclaims that sort of stubborn certainty to suggest that just maybe there might be some ambiguity in these things. Highly recommended

[John Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A vietnam vet turned anti war activist tells his story. I really enjoyed it, only 3 star but can’t make everything 5 star, ya know. Eve Gilbert’s artwork is cool. For me the most interesting part of Camil’s story was his activist work, multiple arrests and trials, dealing with FBI under cover agents in his movement. Yer.

[Sonic · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sincerity of the author is incredible, and the art of Eve Gilbert does a great job making a dark (and ugly at times) story a manageable read without holding back the intensity that the story deserves.

[no elle]

do not support the troops, the government, cops, fbi, cia!!

[Sandy]

Sincere and very graphic.

[Scott Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible story about Scott Camil's transition from atrocious experiences in Vietnam to bring an anti-war enemy of the state. I loved it!

[Emile Girard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more. Great premise and shows the real aspects of modern imperialism, but I wish it went further.