Back in 1987, fresh of their acclaimed run on their original creation Dalgoda, Dennis Fujitake and Jan Strnad brought out another science fiction series, this one adapting Keith Laumer’s beloved Retief stories. These humorous tales focus on a Jame Retief, a dedicated member of the diplomatic corps who finds a way to success while navigating not only the strange habits and languages of alien species, but also the even stranger habits and language of bureaucracy. Wielding wit, charm, wisdom, and a strong right hook, Retief violates every rule in the book in his quest for peace and justice. Fujitake’s whimsical art creates a fully-realized version of not just Retief but the aliens and their habitats. The six issues that he drew, each adapting a single one of Laumer’s short stories were the first comics adaptation of these tales, and while others would come later, these are the ones that people remember. Now the full series is available in Keith Laumer’s Retief!. a new paperback edition just released by About Comics.
While the stories may be science fiction, its take on diplomatic bureaucracy is grounded very much in reality. Keith Laumer, who already had several years of US Air Force service under his belt, started his science fiction career while serving as a diplomat for the US Foreign Service, and brought his insider’s view of diplomacy, it’s struggles and its foibles. (Laumer would also create the influential Bolo and Imperium sagas—expansive futures exploring honor, duty, and the moral burdens of power.)
Fans of Fujitake’s art (and there are many) should take delight in the cover, a previously-unseen piece created during the original run of the series, intended for an issue that was never produced. Bedecked with a new logo designed by the mighty Steve Vance, it puts a strong front on a book of top-notch material. Following in the wake of last year’s release of The Dalgoda Omnibus, which was About Comics’ best-selling new book by a wide margin, expectations for this book run high.
This new edition has been produced under license from Sabrina Laumer and Dennis Fujitake,
- 7″x10″ black-and-white, 188 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1949996913
- ISBN-13 : 978-1949996913
- Available through Amazon or your favorite online bookstore, or special-orderable through your favorite local book shop.