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]

    “ I wanted to write a haunted-house story, but not along traditional lines. After a few false starts I hit on the idea of a haunted doghouse, which became my pitch for Stray. Scott liked it and wanted me to draw it. I draw animals about as well as I breakdance, but Scott believed in me. Which was really nice. Luckily for us all, I convinced him to approach Jill Thompson instead. ”

    —Evan Dorkin, 2010

    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

    Date Story First Appearance in... Writer Artist Notes
    August 27, 2003 Stray The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings Evan Dorkin Jill Thompson [6]
    July 7, 2004 The Unfamiliar The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft [7]
    June 1, 2005 Let Sleeping Dogs Lie The Dark Horse Book of the Dead [8]
    December 13, 2006 A Dog and His Boy The Dark Horse Book of Monsters Evan Dorkin
    and Sarah Dyer    		 [9]
    September 16, 2009 The Gathering Storm Beasts of Burden #1 Evan Dorkin [10]
    October 21, 2009 Lost Beasts of Burden #2 [11]
    November 25, 2009 Something Whiskered This Way Comes Beasts of Burden #3 [12]
    December 23, 2009 Grave Happenings Beasts of Burden #4 [13]
    October 27, 2010 Sacrifice Hellboy/Beasts of Burden Evan Dorkin
    and Mike Mignola    		 [14]
    September 21, 2011 Food Run Dark Horse Presents #4 Evan Dorkin [15]
    November 23, 2011 Story Time Dark Horse Presents #6 [16]
    February 1, 2012 The View from the Hill Dark Horse Presents #8 [17]
    August 1, 2012 Recollecting:
    • Food Run
    • Story Time
    • The View from the Hill
    		 Beasts of Burden:
    Neighborhood Watch    		 [18]
    March 12, 2014 Hunters and Gathers Beasts of Burden:
    Hunters and Gathers    		 [19]

    Collected editions

    Date Title Stories Collected ISBN Notes
    June 30, 2010 Beasts of Burden:
    Animal Rites
    • Stray
    • The Unfamiliar
    • Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
    • A Dog and His Boy
    • The Gathering Storm
    • Lost
    • Something Whiskered This Way Comes
    • Grave Happenings
    		 ISBN 9781595825131 [20]

    Film

    A CG-animated film adaptation was announced via Reel FX Creative Studios with filmmaker Andrew Adamson scheduled to produce[21] and writer Darren Lemke attached to write the screenplay.[22] On February 20, 2013, it was announced that Shane Acker will direct the film, with Mike Richardson and Aron Warner joining Adamson as producers.[23]

    Awards and recognition

    References

    1. ↑ Dorkin, Evan and Jill Thompson. "Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites". Dark Horse Books, 2010.
    2. ↑ Dorkin, Evan and Jill Thompson. "Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites". Dark Horse Books, 2010, p.169.
    3. ↑ Manning, Shaun (July 16, 2009). "Dorkin & Thompson's 'Beasts of Burden'". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 19, 2911. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
    4. ↑ Manning, Shaun (April 20, 2010). "C2E2 EXCLUSIVE: "BEASTS OF BURDEN/HELLBOY"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
    5. ↑ "BEASTS OF BURDEN RETURNS IN DARK HORSE PRESENTS #4". Dark Horse. May 10, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
    6. ↑ "The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    7. ↑ "The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    8. ↑ "The Dark Horse Book of the Dead". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    9. ↑ "The Dark Horse Book of Monsters". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    10. ↑ "Beasts of Burden #1". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    11. ↑ "Beasts of Burden #2". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    12. ↑ "Beasts of Burden #3". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    13. ↑ "Beasts of Burden #4". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    14. ↑ "Hellboy/Beasts of Burden". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    15. ↑ "Dark Horse Presents #4". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    16. ↑ "Dark Horse Presents #6". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    17. ↑ "Dark Horse Presents #8". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    18. ↑ "Beasts of Burden: Neighborhood Watch". Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    19. ↑ "Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gathers". Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    20. ↑ "Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    21. ↑ "BEASTS OF BURDEN HEADED TO HOLLYWOOD!". Dark Horse Comics. June 13, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
    22. ↑ Kit, Borys (June 28, 2011). "Comic Adaptation 'Beasts of Burden' Taps 'Jack the Giant Killer' Writer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
    23. ↑ "Shane Acker to Direct Beasts of Burden". ComingSoon.net. February 20, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
    24. ↑ "2010 Harvey Awards", Harvey Awards, 2010
    25. ↑ Gold, Mike. "National Cartoonist Society Winners Announced", ComicMix, May 29, 2011
    26. ↑ "Beasts of Burden nominated for 2011 Anthony Award", Dark Horse Comics, May 19, 2011
    27. ↑ "2011 Eisner Awards Nominess". Comic-con.org. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
    28. ↑ "2011 Harvey Awards". Harveyawards.org. Retrieved March 2, 2012.