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Putain de Guerre |
| 2026-01-18 |
Putain de Guerre
Goddman this War! is a comic by Jacques Tardi, and historian Jean-Pierre Verney.
Tardi for me was initially Adèle Blanc-Sec. I was a kid, reading comics sitting on the floor of the book and comics section, while my mother was shopping. Tardi's style was immediately recognizable, but I avoided Adèle, it looked like it was meant for grown-ups. Maybe it is, I'll have to check again, I am drawn to Steampunk now, and I grew up.
I remembered having read Tardi comics about the Great War, I was also happy when I saw his work used in Steel Inferno.
When I started making terrain for Trench+Crusade I turned to photographs of the Great War available online, for example Images Défense for photographs in the archives of the French Army. I meanwhile ordered the two comics Tardi made for visuals and narrative line.
I want to have a french slant on the Great War, because T+C comes out of an american mind. The Heretic troopers have ww2 german helmets. Why? "so you immediately know that they are the bad guys". A bit later we're fed with Prussian stosstruppen, with spiked helmets. Okay.
There are zero Adrian Helmets in the T+C rulebook (did not check the warband book). Russia had 9 million casualties in the Great War, France and Germany each 6 millions, Austria-Hungary 5 millions, the British Empire 3 millions, Italy 2 millions, US 300 thousands.
We see ww2 german helmets, ww1 Pickelhaube german helmets, one or two images with british Brodie hats. Some yeomen look like ww2 soviet troopers. Nothing french, nothing austrian.
I understand that room is needed for penitents, giant flies, and other niceties, but the Great War Ghost has been invoked. Blood was spilled and that Hell is of our own industry.
It's alright because the game is supposed to be miniature agnostic and is loose, still some wonderful clay in our hands. I have a box of poilus on the way, maybe I could use them as Avignon heretics.
On the right is an alternate cover for "Goddamn this War!". The two french soldiers in it are in their 1914 uniforms, no steel helmets, still in their "garance" trousers. Note the firing port as a box between the sand bags.
The "Grande Guerre" has exacted a large price on France. It is massively present in its bibliography and iconography, so many items to take inspiration from.
