Sturmtruppen
Sturmtruppen is the name of a successful italian series of antiwar comic books,written and drawn by Bonvi,the artistic nickname for Franco Bonvicini,starting as 4-frame comic strips back in the 70's and evolving into fully sized collector books up to the 90's and first decade of the third millenium.
These comic books were about the misadventures of an anonymous German army corp in various war theatres of World War 2,by portraying the daily life,sufferences,problems and joys of the average,anonymous soldier.
What made the comic hilarious to read,was the fact that all texts and dialogues are written in an improper,german-mocking italian,usually achieved by adding a final "-en" to most italian words,or by exchanging "b"'s with "p"'s and "v"'s with "f"'s to achieve a "german sounding" italian.
According to some people,this is yet another expedient of the author aimed at emphasizing the servilism and the authority imposed on the poor soldiers,down to the point of denying them the right of using a "normal" language.
The stories and characters themselves are based partly on the military experience of the author himself,and partly on military literature,folklore nd of course stereotype,by introducing caricaturial characters such as the "Sergenten" (sergeant),a sadic,brutal and cruel veteran completely absorbed into the system and obsessed with "duty" and "discipline".Other characters include the "Mediken Militaren" (military medic),a high ranked career officer of the medical corps who has actually studied as a veterinary but because "animals refused being cured by HIM,he was assigned to the closest human category: the soldiers",as the text said!
Or the hilarious "Sottotenenten di Komplementen" (complement 2nd Lieutenant),a highly incompetent young officer who has obtained his rank through nepotism and bureocracy inside the army itself.
Also featured is the so-called Italian ally,"Il Fiero Alleaten Galeazzo Musolesi" (the proud ally Galeazzo Musolesi),a name clearly mocking bothBenito Mussolini and Galeazzo Ciano,and the character being a dishonest and cowardly man always trying to steal from and take advantage of his "allies".
The subject of the stories themselves carry a lot of criticism towards war,military bureocracy,mentality and abdurdity (also by references to the famous Catch 22) and also the message that "everyday" life isn't much different from the military life.
The monologue of an anonymous soldier muttering to himself "Kuesta maledetta najen dovra pur finiren.Ne ho piene le tasken di dofer dire Signorsi'a un kualsiasi graduaten.Non fedo l'oren di ridifentaren un cifilen kualsiasi e poter diren 'Signorsi' a un kualsiasi superioren"
which traslates more or less as:
"This damned military service will have to end sometime.I've grown tired of having to say 'Yes sir' to anyone with a higher rank.I can barely wait to rebecome
an anonymous civilian and being able to say 'Yes Sir' to any of my superiors...".
gives a clear idea of the black humour and Kafkian atmosphere of this comic book.