The terrifying and topical anti-war comic

Raymond Briggs combines the most delicate compassion with some of the most vehement denunciations of nuclear weapons.

It’s possible that you, as a child of the 1980s, will recall an album that was all over the place around the middle of the decade. The pacifist spirit and soft-coloured style of Raymond Briggs’ When the Wind Blows made it a must-have in bookstores, because it was a best-seller, but it also became a regular in all kinds of school environments: libraries, schools and classrooms all had a copy of this anti-nuclear comic.

During the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of its first and only publication in our country, which took place in 1984 (just two years after its initial publication), Blackie Books has reissued this album, which appears to be friendly. However, it is actually a brutal plea for pacifism that has no problem showing the crudest images by surprise. For this reason, we suggest that if you approached it at school with the expectation of hearing a reassuring fable with a moral, the conclusion of the story might have been ingrained in your mind.

The plot is really straightforward: a retired English couple, the Bloggs, are listening to the news with apprehension when they learn that a nuclear strike by Russia is about to take place. They promptly initiate the process of making preparations in order to safeguard themselves against the potential nuclear winter. When they compare the tense worldwide political environment of the early eighties with the Second World War that they experienced when they were younger, their ignorance is compounded by the fundamental misinformation that they receive from institutions. As a consequence, the narrative is tranquil, with a sense of humor that is almost conventional, and it emanates an awfully tense calm up until the point where it achieves its extremely tragic conclusion.

One that would have been impossible without the deeply personal touch that Briggs, who is most well-known for his novels for children, which are not devoid of gruesome elements, brought to the story. Briggs’s friendly, almost naïve style goes hand in hand with the traditional British school of cartoonists, and which is evident in ‘When the Wind Blows’ in the grotesque portraits of the warring parties, in contrast with the peaceful domestic scenes in which the Bloggs talk about how to protect themselves from radiation as well as how to organize turns to urinate in a basin if the bomb falls at some point.

A special edition to commemorate
In terms of size and format, the edition that was published by Blackie Books is identical to the one that was distributed in Spain in the 1980s; nevertheless, it includes a few additional features. In spite of the fact that it acknowledges the outstanding translation that Rosa Montero had done at the time, it also features an introduction written by Paco Roca and an epilogue written by Daniel López Valle. In addition to that, it has a lengthy interview with Briggs that was conducted by Paul Gravett for The Comic Journal in February of 2003.

Each and every one of these works is tremendously helpful in putting Briggs’ work into context and underlining its significance. The creative values of the work are emphasized by Roca and López Valle, as well as the historical context of the work. The appearance of “When the Wind Blows” as a peculiar oasis of sensitivity among a plethora of comics that spoke about the nuclear holocaust, but in a tone of action and sarcasm, is one example of this. In spite of the fact that this subject is not necessary in order to enjoy the novel, having an awareness of the degree to which the Cold War was at a very sensitive point is helpful in gaining an appreciation of how silly and lethally adorable the characters’ reactions are to the horrifying reality that surrounds them from the beginning of the story.

The interview, on the other hand, is when the true essence of the work is extracted. It is there that Briggs’ influences are traced, more in the long tradition of British satirical comics than in children’s stories (as much as his fame comes from there) and also where valuable information is discovered, such as that the Bloggs, protagonists of the story, are based on his parents … and that ‘When the Wind Blows’ was not the first story that Briggs drew about them (nor would it be the last, since he would also publish ‘Ethel and Ernest: A True Story’, already directly based on his real parents). Additionally, he discusses a few adaptations, beginning with a radio soap opera and finishing with a play. He begins with those adaptations.

In addition, there was the well-known animated feature, which was directed by Jimmy T. Murakami (referred to as “The Magnificent Seven of Space”) and was sold in the same manner as the album itself. Through Movistar Plus+, you will have access to the fantastic music that was composed by Roger Waters and features a primary theme that was composed by David Bowie.

With its gloomy combination of traditional animation and stop motion for the “realistic” scenes, it connects perfectly with the original comic and makes it abundantly clear, just like the original comic, which easily makes it onto the list of the best books published in 2024, that there is no everyday or endearing situation that can cushion the horrors of war.

The terrifying and topical anti-war comic

Raymond Briggs combines the most delicate compassion with some of the most vehement denunciations of nuclear weapons.

By ki0nk

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