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“And Babies?”: The Representation of Mỹ Lai in Vietnam War Comics

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The My ˜ Lai Massacre holds a special place in the history of the Vietnam War.But the events of that day have never been made coherent, with a stable place within the American popular consciousness.This paper considers the ways in which this event-and its myriad understandings and misunderstandings-is represented in popular culture in general, and in comics in particular.I perform close analyses of two comics.In "Headcount" (Our Army at War #233 [1971]), My ˜ Lai is reimagined as Alimy, a fictional French town during the Second World War, and the massacre plays out against a different backdrop.In "Burn" (The 'Nam #75 [1992]), two Americans discuss the recent trial of Lt. Calley.My close analysis focuses on two questions: How is the My ˜ Lai Massacre used in comics?And to what end?
Author: H.E. Earle
Language: English
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4408902726
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Cites: 11
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