By Dan Casey
“War. War never changes.” The opening lines of the Fallout series may seem glib at a glance, but there is truth in those four words. History is cyclical by nature and, at times, it seems like we’re doomed to repeat it. Although it has been 238 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution and the spirit of that era are capturing the national imagination right now, both in terms of entertainment and in our political landscape. It is a phenomenon that has not gone unnoticed, and today we are proud to exclusively announce that writer Brian Wood will be plumbing the depths of the era’s rich history with Rebels, a new ongoing series from Dark Horse Comics launching in April 2015. Teaming up with illustrator Andrea Mutti and colorist Jordie Bellaire, Wood’s forthcoming series will explore the lives of soldiers, ordinary colonists, and the extraordinary men and women that lived and died during the Revolutionary War era.
With the announcement of Rebels, the question remains: why are we so focused on this period of time? Moreover, why is it important to write about and for people to learn about? Wood, himself, was born and raised in Vermont, as he explained over e-mail. “This history was not only around me in the form of landmarks and street names and graveyards and so on, but it was a real focus in school,” he said. “We learned it all, both the local history and the national history of this era. Even typing about it now, it gives me goosebumps. I love this stuff. So for me personally, its always been there.”
As for why the American Revolution is smack dab in the middle of the national zeitgeist, Wood says that you can lay the blame/thanks at the feet of the Tea Part movement. “What they do with it is mostly a perversion, a gross one, but it has caused a response and part of that response has been a focus on and an appreciation for the actual history, not the twisted version,” said Wood. “We have all these books now (including the excellent The Whites Of Their Eyes by Jill Lepore), we have the television show Turn on AMC, we have Assassin’s Creed… so for every idiot who shows up at some hateful rally in a tricorn hat, we have people who are seriously looking at his history through the perspective of the time we live in now.”
“War. War never changes.” The opening lines of the Fallout series may seem glib at a glance, but there is truth in those four words. History is cyclical by nature and, at times, it seems like we’re doomed to repeat it. Although it has been 238 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution and the spirit of that era are capturing the national imagination right now, both in terms of entertainment and in our political landscape. It is a phenomenon that has not gone unnoticed, and today we are proud to exclusively announce that writer Brian Wood will be plumbing the depths of the era’s rich history with Rebels, a new ongoing series from Dark Horse Comics launching in April 2015. Teaming up with illustrator Andrea Mutti and colorist Jordie Bellaire, Wood’s forthcoming series will explore the lives of soldiers, ordinary colonists, and the extraordinary men and women that lived and died during the Revolutionary War era.With the announcement of Rebels, the question remains: why are we so focused on this period of time? Moreover, why is it important to write about and for people to learn about? Wood, himself, was born and raised in Vermont, as he explained over e-mail. “This history was not only around me in the form of landmarks and street names and graveyards and so on, but it was a real focus in school,” he said. “We learned it all, both the local history and the national history of this era. Even typing about it now, it gives me goosebumps. I love this stuff. So for me personally, its always been there.”
As for why the American Revolution is smack dab in the middle of the national zeitgeist, Wood says that you can lay the blame/thanks at the feet of the Tea Part movement. “What they do with it is mostly a perversion, a gross one, but it has caused a response and part of that response has been a focus on and an appreciation for the actual history, not the twisted version,” said Wood. “We have all these books now (including the excellent The Whites Of Their Eyes by Jill Lepore), we have the television show Turn on AMC, we have Assassin’s Creed… so for every idiot who shows up at some hateful rally in a tricorn hat, we have people who are seriously looking at his history through the perspective of the time we live in now.”
Read the rest of the article at the Nerdist!
