THE LIONS OF WAR: BKV ON PRIDE OF BAGHDAD

[MattBrady]

It’s a Vertigo style animal story through and through.

That’s not to say that it has magic, and a bear in a trench coat, smoking. No – Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon’s Pride of Baghdad goes back to that original definition of the DC imprint that the line has recently begun to fully embrace, that is, Pride is a story that makes you, in a sense, feel vertigo. Safe to say then, it’s not a funny animal story, and it’s not a self-aware animal story. Yes, it has talking animals, but…

Inspired by the events of early 2003 when, during the initial attack and invasion of Baghdad, Pride of Baghdad tells the story of the four lions who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo and roamed free in the city for a period of time. In that story Vaughan saw the potential for a graphic novel, and…the fruits of his and Henrichon’s labors hits on September 13th. We spoke with the writer about the story.

Newsarama: Probably the first question that will spill out and answer many others – how did we get here? Was this something that, when you saw it on the news, you thought there was a good story there from the lions’ POV, or did it develop more slowly than that?

Brian K. Vaughan: Comics has always had a pretty rich tradition of telling meaningful stories with anthropomorphized animals. I thought experimenting with that genre in a standalone graphic novel would be a good way to push myself, get away from my usual dumb pop-culture references and shocking cliffhangers. At the same time, I was also hungry to write something that addressed my conflicted feelings about the Iraq War. When I read reports of a pride of four lions escaping the Baghdad Zoo during the American bombings, everything just kind of fell into place.

I pitched the book way back in 2003, at the height of Dixie Chicks paranoia, when even asking questions about the war was seen as treasonous, so I'm very grateful to Vertigo for being so supportive of an overtly political story about a conflict that's still ongoing. No matter what other projects I write down the line, Pride of Baghdad will probably always be the work I'm most proud of.

NRAMA: Before we get too deeply into it, we probably should make this clear that, while the middle is your story, the beginning point and end point are known, right? Not to spoil it for anyone, but this is historically accurate, and…well, the ending follows history…

BKV: This is inspired by a 100% true story, though artist Niko Henrichon and I obviously needed a great deal of creative license to tell the tale from the lions' perspective. And yes, the finale is also inspired by true events, but this is really a story about Iraq, not about a bunch of talking lions, and as the war is still ongoing, it's probably too early for any of us to decide whether or not the ending will be a happy one.

NRAMA: Speaking of the actual story, how much research went into this for you, in terms of what the lions would find in Baghdad? From reading it, it’s a pretty…interesting tour of the city and its pre-occupation sites…was there really a bear in Hussein’s palace?

BKV: Believe it or not, there really was a bear in the Republican Palace, most likely belonging to the late Uday Hussein. Another bear escaped the Baghdad Zoo and eventually mauled and partially ate three civilians. I learned all of this from talking with amazing people like Mariette Hopley, an I.F.A.W. "rescue veterinarian" who spent time in Iraq after the war began. I spent weeks reading about the region, studying the history of Iraq, learning everything I could about lions, gathering tons of photo reference. But really, Niko did all of the heavy lifting.

NRAMA: Overall, for you – and noting that you said you have conflicted feelings about the war, what did you want to come through in the story? On one level, and no offense meant, it can almost seem rather pointless – lions escape, have one final adventure, and…well…the end. But…there’s more isn’t there?

BKV: Sure, you can read this as just a kickass adventure that happens to star animals, like Watership Down or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. And while I love those books, I was definitely more inspired by something like Animal Farm, which was a cool story when I first read it in fifth grade, but one that became much more than that as I reread it over the years.

Pride of Baghdad is a parable, but it's not a preachy polemic where I try to shove my half-baked beliefs down readers' throats. I wrote this story not because I have all the answers, but because I wanted to ask myself hard questions about the Iraq War, the nature of occupation, and the price of freedom.

NRAMA: To ask the multiple questions, you needed multiple voices. Can you give quick character sketches of the lions…who are they and how do they react to the freedom and the city?

BKV: Zill is the oldest male lion, a “benevolent opportunist” who's willing to live under any kind of keeper, so long as he's fed on time. Noor is a reform-minded young lioness who wants to earn freedom from her cage, rather than be released by some outside force of nature. Safa is an older female lion who vividly remembers the dangers of the wild, and would happily trade a little freedom for security. And Ali is a young cub, one who's never known a life other than the zoo.

Clearly, we're using all this as metaphor, and while other animals in the story are inspired by Saddam loyalists or looters or insurgents or religious extremists, because Pride of Baghdad is based on a true story, our graphic novel isn't a paint-by-numbers allegory where each character is a clear-cut stand-in for some facet of modern Iraq. There's a fair amount of ambiguity to the proceedings, like life.

NRAMA: How did you go about finding your inner “lion voice” as well as the voices of all the other animals? Was it a matter of figuring out what was most important to the animals, and then radiate out from there, in terms of their symbols and topics of conversation, or something different…?

BKV: I have no idea, to be honest. I guess I really didn't approach writing talking animals any differently than I approached writing talking machines in Ex Machina or teenage witches in Runaways or grumpy bioengineers in Y: The Last Man. You just imagine what the world looks like through their eyes, and then you sit in front of your keyboard and make up lies until they start to sound true.

NRAMA: Even though there are humans in the story, not one human face appears in the entire story, even in key scenes – why choose to go that direction?

BKV: With fiction, audiences can watch endless horrors inflicted on human beings, even children, but put a dog in danger, and watch people walk out in droves. Similarly, I think it's hard for even the most sympathetic person to truly feel for the civilian victims of foreign wars we see on TV, but strangely, many of us can somehow bridge that emotional gap when it comes to seeing innocent animals suffer. I wanted to write about war from the perspective of noncombatants, and because animals transcend race or creed or nationality, having them be our sole protagonists hopefully allowed us to tell a story that's universally relatable.

NRAMA: What are the lions after? What are they seeking once they realize they’re free?

BKV: Well, there's no McGuffin, if that's what you're asking. They're not trying to find a magical amulet or whatever. Like everything I've ever written, it's just a story about a group of characters who want to do the right thing, but have no idea what that is.

NRAMA: On the production side, how did you get hooked up with Niko on this? Obviously, not any artist can sit down and draw horses and all the other animals in the story with the realism he did…

BKV: I actually pitched Pride to Vertigo before I'd found an artist. It was my ever-diligent Y editor Will Dennis who recommended Niko Henrichon for the book. I was really impressed by his work on the graphic novel Barnum, but it was Niko's lavishly illustrated sample drawings of realistic-yet-expressive animals that convinced us he was the only artist for the job.

Sometimes, painted covers can feel like a bait and switch when you eventually open up the book, but all 136 pages of our graphic novel are literally just as breathtaking as Niko's cover. He's a monster of art, along with being a fantastic guy.

NRAMA: That last line, as spoken by the soldier – I’m not going to say it here as to not spoil things any further, but…there are a few ways to take it – literally, with loud irony, with cynicism…any thoughts about it on your end? Was it your invention, or was it what was said at the actual event?

BKV: No, the words are all mine, though my intention is really much less important than your interpretation. There's not a single "moral" to the story that I'm hoping everyone will walk away with. As a matter of fact, I don't care what people think about the book, as long as they find themselves still thinking about it when it's done.

[Groovie Mann]

have this on mail order comics re-order. though i'm not a huge BKV fan(only digging the runaways) i am looking forward to reading this.

[KyleCowstar]

I'm really considering this purchase. Looks great.

[Grassy]

This looks and sounds amazing.

[FastFood]

I've been thinking that the comics industry needed to start gravitating towards the graphic novel/trade paperback more versus the periodic monthlies.

This looks like an excellent example of how a longer graphic novel can say something meaningful while delivering an entertaining story.

Prove me right, BKV. Prove me right.

[dethmtlmetro]

hmmmm... very tempting. And the art looks beautiful.

[Kid Omega]

This sounds intriguing… I cannot wait!

[hgpc]

Can't wait to have it. One of the most expected books of 2006 for me.

[SalCipriano]

Absolutely Stunning!

[mlk2]

I'm a BKV fan and the art looks great, So I'll definitely buy this.

[andrew9976]

I can't wait to read this. I don't understand why anyone would hesitate.

[LIEFELDISGOD]

The art looks amazing, and the story sounds interesting.

I don’t mind political satire from either side of the spectrum. My only problem is that subtle satire seems to be a thing of the past. Propaganda and drum beating seem to be all anyone’s concerned with these days.

I’d like to check this out, though.

Vaughn’s a talented writer, but I hope it doesn’t turn into “look and the peaceful, nurturing, enlightened Iraq that the stupid and barbaric Americans destroyed” type of deal.

I think Vaughn’s better than that. I’ll probably check it out.

[Starpilot]

Great looking art. Love the bright, washed-out tones. You can almost feel the desert heat. May have to pick this up.

[NightRiver]

This is going to be an excellent read, Glad i preordered it!

Though, I didnt appreaciate the spoilers in the interview.

[spiderrob8]

Not really thinking of getting it. It sounds like it will be somewhat biased and left leaning. (or my spider-sense is tingling at any rate). I get enough of that, ad naseum I would prefer a work more in the middle. AFterwards, if I hear differently, I might get it, because the basic idea sounds interesting and I like the art.

[American Caesar]

Smooth -- repro'd from pencils, right? And of course, BKV is a modern deity.

[Mick]

Look at that gorgeous art.

[KingPagla]

I pre-ordered this based soley on the solit and BKV's name, and boy, I'm glad I did.
Those are some stunning pages.

[GuitarSmashley]

Had it on pre-order for a few months now and can't wait to hold it in my hands and in my brain.

[Northstar04]

I thought the interview gave a little too much away about the story. No matter......thanks for the article and I will be getting this. It sounds very promising.

[KyleV]

Not really thinking of getting it. It sounds like it will be somewhat biased and left leaning. (or my spider-sense is tingling at any rate). I get enough of that, ad naseum I would prefer a work more in the middle.

Based on what, exactly?

I'm actually curious, so I hope that doesn't come across as antagonistic. It seems that more often than not many comic book readers assume that most comic book writers are left leaning and, because of this, incapable of writing anything unbiased.

I mean, he might live in L.A., but he did grow up in Ohio! (Um...that's a joke, since I grew up there, too).

[whippis]

I'm down. Dig BKV in general (Ex, Y, Runaways, Hood).

The final selling point:
"Pride of Baghdad is a parable, but it's not a preachy polemic where I try to shove my half-baked beliefs down readers' throats. I wrote this story not because I have all the answers, but because I wanted to ask myself hard questions about the Iraq War, the nature of occupation, and the price of freedom."

Too often people tend to move beyond healthy skepticism, legitimate criticism or philoshopical musing and into hostile, thoughtless and often mean-spirited assaults on things they with which disagree. Glad to see BKV has the courtesy and the decency to share his questions with us in this manner rather than forcing his POV on us. I hope the book lives up to that claim. His inspiration, Animal Farm, certainly wasn't a philosophical questioning but a scathing indictment.

[Michael Hawk]

Looks very nice. However, considering that it's hardcover, I won't be picking it up until a softcover version is released.

[Evil Rick Shea]

I've had the good fortune of reading Pride of Baghdad a few months early and I simply can't say enough great things about this amazing book. It really is one of the best things I've ever read and I'm convinced it's going to be a book that's talked about for years to come. It really does live up to and surpasses all the hype, and I know everyone will really enjoy it.

It's right up there with Maus, Watchmen or any of the other excellent examples of what this medium can achieve. I was pretty skeptical of talking animals, but as always, Brian K. Vaughan proves he's worthy of all the awards and praise. I ordered 100 copies of this exceptional graphic novel and know that I'll easily sell all of them with my money back guarantee that I'm sure I won't have to use.

If you're on the fence on this book, trust me, you need to read this. It's something you can pass to your non-comic reading friends to get them excited about comics.

Evil Rick Shea
Famous Faces & Funnies
Melbourne, FL

[Regulator]

Originally Posted by hgpc

One of the most expected books of 2006 for me.

I expected a lot of books this year!