Beasts of Burden

Beasts of Burden
Cover to Beasts of Burden #4 (Dec 2009) by Jill Thompson
Publication information
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Genre
Creative team
Writer(s)	Evan Dorkin
Artist(s)	Jill Thompson
Creator(s)	Evan Dorkin Jill Thompson
Collected editions
'Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites	ISBN

Beasts of Burden is a comic book series created by writer Evan Dorkin and artist Jill Thompson, and published by Dark Horse Comics. The title centers on an eponymous team of intelligent animals that investigate different paranormal events that occur in their small neighborhood of Burden Hill. The group consists of five dogs named Ace, Rex, Jack, Whitey, and Pugsley, and a cat named Orphan (later they are joined by another cat named Dymphna, a former witches familiar). The group is often seen consulting with "Wise Dogs", local shaman-like elders of their community.^[1]

The characters made their first appearance in a story titled Stray (written by Evan Dorkin with art by Jill Thompson) in The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings. They made subsequent appearances in The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft, The Dark Horse Book of The Dead, and The Dark Horse Book of Monsters.

Dorkin stated that he came up with the concept after being asked by Dark Horse editor Scott Allie to write a story for the horror anthology The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings.^[2]

In 2009 the characters appeared in their own 4-issue mini-series.^[3] In 2010 the characters appeared alongside Hellboy in a one-shot issue titled Hellboy/Beasts of Burden: Sacrifice.^[4] In 2011, three new Beasts of Burden stories appeared in the fourth, sixth and eighth issues of the relaunched Dark Horse Presents series, all of which were later reprinted in the Beasts of Burden: Neighborhood Watch one-shot.^[5]

Bibliography

Comics

• The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings (story Stray) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft (story The Unfamiliar) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• The Dark Horse Book of The Dead (story Let Sleeping Dogs Lie) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• The Dark Horse Book of Monsters (story A Dog and His Boy) by Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, and Jill Thompson.
• Beasts of Burden (4-issue mini-series) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• Hellboy/Beasts of Burden: Sacrifice (one-shot) by Evan Dorkin, Mike Mignola, and Jill Thompson.
• Dark Horse Presents (vol.2) #4 (story Food Run) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• Dark Horse Presents (vol.2) #6 (story Story Time) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• Dark Horse Presents (vol.2) #8 (story The View From The Hill) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• Beasts of Burden: Neighborhood Watch (3 stories from Dark Horse Presents) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers (one-shot) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.

Collected editions

• Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites (June, 2010) Collects the stories Stray, The Unfamiliar, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, A Dog and His Boy, and issues #1-4 of the mini-series.

Film

A CG-animated film adaptation was announced via Reel FX Creative Studios with filmmaker Andrew Adamson scheduled to produce^[6] and writer Darren Lemke attached to write the screenplay.^[7] On February 20, 2013, it was announced that Shane Acker will direct the film, with Mike Richardson and Aron Warner joining Adamson as producers.^[8]

Partial List of Awards & Recognition

• 2004 Eisner Awards: Won Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (Interior Art)
• 2005 Eisner Awards: Won Best Short Story
• 2007 Eisner Awards: Won Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (Interior Art)
• 2010 Eisner Awards: Won Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (Interior Art)
• 2010 Eisner Awards: Won Best Publication for Teens
• 2010 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Best Continuing or Limited Series^[9]
• 2011 National Cartoonist Society: Won Best Comic Book Artist (Jill Thompson)^[10]
• 2011 Anthony Awards: Nominated for Best Graphic Novel^[11]
• 2011 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Graphic Album - Reprint^[12]
• 2011 Harvey Awards: Won for Best Graphic Album Previously Published^[13]

References