| Vietnam Journal | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the first issue ofVietnam Journal, November 1987. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Apple Comics |
| Schedule | bimonthly; irregular |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | November 1987 - April 1991 |
| No. of issues | 16 |
| Main character(s) | Scott "Journal" Neithammer |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Don Lomax |
| Written by | Don Lomax |
| Artist(s) | Don Lomax |
| Collected editions | |
| Vietnam Journal - Book One: Indian Country | ISBN 978-1545270318 |
| Vietnam Journal - Book Two: The Iron Triangle | ISBN 978-0941613323 |
| Vietnam Journal - Book Three: From the Delta to Dak To | ISBN 978-1942351887 |
Vietnam Journal was awar comic book series written and drawn byDon Lomax and published byApple Comics from November 1987 to April 1991.[1]
After the cancellation of the original series, Apple Comics published a number ofVietnam Journallimited series andone-shots through 1994. Lomax continued the series in various forms, and in 2017,Caliber Comics revived the series withVietnam Journal: Series Two, featuring all-new work by Lomax. Ultimately, enough material was created to furnish ten collections.
The story follows Scott Neithammer, nicknamed "Journal" by the American soldiers, a freelance reporter in theVietnam War obsessed with reporting from the point of view of theG.I., whatever the consequences.
Series creatorLomax wasdrafted in 1965 and served inVietnam with the 98th Light Equipment Maintenance Company. During his tour of duty, he made notes and sketches which later were incorporated intoVietnam Journal.[2]
Vietnam Journal and its collected editions were positively reviewed byMilitary Book Club andPublishers Weekly,[2] which wrote, "Lomax bases his fictional work on his real experiences in Vietnam in 1966... with powerful results. It is Lomax’s concern for average soldiers that, in the end, makes his work significant."[3] The British comics website DownTheTubes.net praised the "hard-hitting" series for its "gritty storytelling that might appeal to fans ofCharley's War andBattle Picture Weekly."[4]Comic Book Resources wrote that, "Even today,Vietnam Journal is one of the most gritty and brutally honest war stories ever published."[5]
Vietnam Journal collections published byiBooks, and edited byHilary Hughes and Dwight Jon Zimmerman, were nominated for a 2004Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project.[6]
After the demise of the original series, in 1992 Apple published a number of comics continuing the adventures of Scott "Journal" Neithammer:
Vietnam Journal was revived as a monthly full-page strip from 2002 to 2006 byGallery magazine.[4]
Vietnam Journal collections were re-issued byiBooks in 2004.
The entireVietnam Journal series was re-published in graphic novel form throughTransfuzion Publishing in 2011[4] (and later republished byCaliber Comics in 2017–2019).
Vietnam Journal: Series Two, featuring all-new material by Lomax, was published for 15 issues by Caliber Comics starting in 2017.