Tag: Vietnam

Brian Herskowitz talks about making the Vietnam War television show Tour of Duty

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Brian Herskowitz talks about the Vietnam War show Tour of Duty

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Check out the show here  https://amzn.to/3aD11YZ

Interview Summary

Brian Herskowitz has been a screenwriter for years and has taught the subject too. When he first started in Hollywood, one of his first assignments was working on the popular Vietnam War show “Tour of Duty” which ran from 1987-1990. He became a producer and writer on the show. He’s also written other screenplays, done some acting, and has worked in the entertainment industry for years. We talked about the show, the show’s approach to history, veterans, screenwriting, and about his screenwriting book “Process to Product”.

1:04 – Brian talks about how he got involved with the show Tour of Duty. (Note: I stated his screenwriting book was published in 2019 but it was published in 2014.)

2:48 – Brian talks about how the show progressed and dealt with real issues.

7:56 – Brian talks about the historical consultants and approach to authenticity of the show.

13:26 – Brian talks about the mail the show got from veterans.

14:31 – Brian talks about why the show was cancelled and China Beach.

17:57 – Brian talks about the chemistry of the characters.

20:21 – Brian talks about the approach to the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in the show.

25:29 – Brian talks about the characters of Zeke and Lt Goldman.

26:09 – Brian talks about audience response to episodes where the US sometimes doesn’t get put in a positive light.

29:49 – Brian talks about Steve Philip Smith, a veteran who was an executive producer on the show.

32:31 – Brian talks about how the actors stepped back in time from the 80s to the late 60s.

34:33 – Brian talks about the environment in the 80s for Vietnam War stories.

38:25 – Brian talks about Magnum PI and its connection to the Vietnam War.

40:34 – Brian talks about people who had trouble with the show’s subject matter.

43:42 – Brian talks about the interracial marriage story line in the show.

47:16 – Brian talks about the kinds of stories that wrote for the show.

49:47 – Brian talks about censorship and the deaths of children and drug use in the show.

51:36 – Brian talks about changes in the use of violence in movies and shows.

56:10 – Brian talks about video games and we discuss how troops play military video games.

1:02:15 – Brian talks about veterans writing screenplays.

1:08:14 – We discuss the movie “Taking Chance.”

1:10:56 – Brian can be found at brianherskowitz.com.

1:12:09 – Brian discusses a few more details about the show Tour of Duty.

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/3aD11YZ

https://amzn.to/2PUQNJG

https://www.brianherskowitz.com/

Contact Information

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar1945 and on Instagram @crisalvarezswarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Guests: Brian Herskowitz

Host: Cris Alvarez

Check out this book here   https://amzn.to/2PUQNJG

Check out the show here  https://amzn.to/3aD11YZ

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

WWII Royal Navy military history graphic novel – “The Stringbags” – (Dead Reckoning, 2020) – Garth Ennis interview

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Check out this book here   https://amzn.to/2XdDsj2

Garth Ennis is a successful and prolific writer whose best known works are with such comic books as the Preacher and The Boys. However he’s also written many war comics. His latest work is The Stringbags which focuses on a WWII aviation arm of the British Royal Navy. The crews flew in archaic machines to do the jobs that needed to get done. We spoke about this Fairey Swordfish unit, his graphic novel, and a bit about war comic book history.

(The audio player is at the bottom of the post.)

0:44 – Garth talks about writing war comics and reading them when he was a kid in Northern Ireland.

3:34 – Garth talks about his interest in WWII and other conflicts.

4:33 – Garth talks about the development of his writing.

5:47 – Garth explains why he wrote about the Stringbags.

14:00 – Garth talks about how he created the characters that conducted the historical operations.

15:56 – Garth talks about the operation against the Bismark.

17:34 – Garth discusses the thematic focus of his graphic novel.

20:15 – Garth talks about the types of pilots who flew the Swordfish.

22:58 – Garth talks about where the Swordfish flew from and technical details about the plane.

25:46 – Garth talks about how much the Stringbags are celebrated in the UK.

27:20 – Garth talks about Swordfish loses in WWII.

29:56 – Garth talks about the manufacture of the Swordfish and the Albacore.

31:52 – Garth talks about the armament and the radar of the Swordfish.

34:55 – Garth how he did his research for the graphic novel.

37:02 – Garth talks about the additional research he’s done for the novel.

40:50 – Garth talks about the first air museum he saw Ireland.

45:19 – Garth talks about his revival of the war comic Johnny Red and how he helps the reader differentiate between fact and fiction.

48:58 – Garth talks about his surprise that men flew in the Swordfish against much more modern weaponry.

50:51 – Garth talks about the German praise for the Swordfish crews.

53:46 – Garth talks about the promotion of war comics in comic book stores.

56:29 – Garth talks about pitching the revival of the comic book Enemy Ace.

58:55 – Garth talks about the historical accuracy of his war comics and The Stringbags.

1:01:16 – Garth talks about the support the Naval Institute Press gave to the novel.

1:01:55 – Garth talks about the war projects he’d like to write about going forward.

1:05:18 – Garth can be found by looking for him on Amazon, Marvel, DC, Dynamite, Avatar, and Aftershock.

 

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/2XdDsj2

https://www.deadreckoning.org/book/the-stringbags/

https://www.amazon.com/Garth-Ennis/e/B000APF7BM/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar1945 and on Instagram @crisalvarezswarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Guests: Garth Ennis

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: military, history, military history, conflict, war, interview, graphic novel, war comic, Stringbags, Ireland, war comics, Vietnam, Alan Muir, Swordfish, torpedo bomber, Royal Navy, British, Taranto, Bismark, Channel Dash, Tuskeegee Airmen, Tirpitz, aviator, strike arm, torpedo, Charles lamb, Fairy Swordfish, WWII, world war two, world war 2, deflection shooting, Grumman Avenger, Albacore, radar, Taranto, Lancaster Bomber, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Hastings, Charnhorst, DC comics, Enemy Ace, Preacher, Dynamite Entertainment, Aftershock, Avatar, TKO, Night Watches, Axis

Check out this book here   https://amzn.to/2XdDsj2

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.