Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat

Four-Fisted Tales is a highly entertaining and informative book that taught me all sorts of things about animals in combat. Apparently, the US military has been using dolphins for all sorts of missions (allegedly, because lots of info about it is classified) for decades. Among the many things I also learned from this book are that World War I soldiers marshaled fireflies to help create natural light at night that did not give up their positions, rats can be trained to be highly effective at detecting land mines, and slugs were used to protect soldiers from mustard gas. Also, there are fascinating stories about animals like dogs and bears that not only served as mascots for specific units but also got involved as actual combatants. Truth is truly more fascinating than fiction. 

From a heroic tale about a messenger dog named Satan.

What really makes these tales work is the masterful artwork that portrays various species not only with accuracy but also feeling, as well as detailed depictions of vehicles, buildings, landscapes, and other realistic features that make the environs of each panel live and breathe. Consequently, Four-Fisted Tales invites multiple re-readings, as it is easy to breeze through the whole book due to its fascinating subject matter and clear storytelling, but it also features intricate artwork that can be pored over again and again. Additionally, the war stories are compelling in and of themselves, without sugar-coating so even the more whimsical tales remind readers of the grim realities of battle.

This book's creator Ben Towle is a professor of illustration at The Columbus College of Art and Design. He has been nominated for 4 Eisner Awards, and is known for comics that tell fantasy tales, like Oyster War, and others that are nonfiction graphic novels like Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean. He speaks about his work on Four-Fisted Tales in this interview.

A 2022 Eisner Award nominee for Best Publication for Kids, this book has been well-reviewed. Rob Clough wrote, "Towle tells stories that are cruel and absurd as well as frequently funny and even inspiring, and it’s important to acknowledge that it’s all part of the war experience." Greg Burgas opines that it illuminates "a neat aspect of a depressing part of history – war ." Publishers Weekly called it an "undeniably captivating book."

Four-Fisted Tales was published by Dead Reckoning, and they offer more information about it here.

I had the pleasure of getting a copy of the book from Towle at HeroesCon this past weekend. He drew a lightning bug in my copy, and he is a swell fellow!

Amelia Earhart: The Broad Ocean

Amelia Earhart is famous for being the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and also for disappearing into thin air during her attempt to circumnavigate the globe. She rode a crest of celebrity, along with other air pioneers such as Charles Lindbergh, in the early days of the 20th century. At the time air travel required brave, lucky, and expert pilots and mechanics to operate and maintain the machinery. Because she was a woman Earhart's lifestyle and exploits were looked at as scandalous by some at the time, but she was also regarded a groundbreaking heroine.

Those aspects are some of the main foci of Amelia Earhart: The Broad Ocean, which deals with the preparations for her transatlantic trip from a small town of Trapassey, Newfoundland. While there waiting for the right weather conditions, the setting and details of the situation are delineated as part of a news story gathered by Grace Goodland, a young local reporter. The story does a great job of being compelling while giving us lots of great facts and information about the race among women aviatrixes (Earhart had some stiff competition) to make the long trip across the Atlantic.

Sarah Stewart Taylor, the author, is better known as a mystery writer whose series of Sweeney St. George novels have earned her an Agatha Award nomination. Here is an interview with Taylor where she explains what went into creating this graphic novel. The art was provided by Ben Towle, 2004 nominee for an Eisner Award for New Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition. His spare style conveys great emotion and atmosphere, and the black, white, and blue palette really pops on the page. These interviews with Comic Book Resources and Good Comics for Kids lend more insight into his work on the book.

A product of The Center of Cartoon Studies, this graphic novel is well composed. It has a great introduction from Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot a space shuttle, and detailed endnotes about the historical figures and events. Accordingly, this book has been well reviewed. Booklist named it to their Top 10 List of Biographies for Youth. In a New York Times book review Tanya Lee Stone wrote that "kids are going to eat this book up," but took some issue with the mix of fictional elements with the historical facts. Brigid Alverson called it "a rich resource for school and library use." Librarian blogger Stacy Dillon called it "stunning and interesting."

Publisher Disney/Hyperion provides a discussion guide and some other information about the book here. Some preview pages are available here from Deep Glamour.