Beasts of Burden

They are often seen consulting with "Wise Dogs", local shamanic elders of their community.

• Imagesize — 250 • Publisher — Dark Horse Comics • Writers — Evan Dorkin • Artists — Jill Thompson Benjamin Dewey • Creators — Evan Dorkin Jill Thompson • Letterers — Jill Thompson (2003–2005) Jason Arthur (2006–2016) Nate Piekos (2018–present) • Editors — Scott Allie (2003–2016) Daniel Chabon (2018–present) • Tpb — Animal Rites • Isbn — 978-1-5958-2513-1 • Tpb2 — Neighborhood Watch • Isbn2 — 978-1-5067-1410-3 • Tpb3 — Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men • Isbn3 — 978-1-5067-0874-4 • Tpb4 — Occupied Territory • Isbn4 — 978-1-5067-2039-5

The characters made their first appearance in a story titled "Stray" (written by Evan Dorkin with art by Jill Thompson) in The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings. They made subsequent appearances in The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft, The Dark Horse Book of the Dead, and The Dark Horse Book of Monsters. Dorkin stated that he came up with the concept after being asked by Dark Horse editor Scott Allie to write a story for the horror anthology The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings. Evan Dorkin, 2010 In 2009 the characters appeared in their own four-issue miniseries. The following year the characters appeared alongside Hellboy in a one-shot crossover issue titled Hellboy/Beasts of Burden: Sacrifice. Three new Beasts of Burden short stories appeared in the fourth, sixth, and eighth issues of the relaunched Dark Horse Presents series during 2011 and 2012, all of which were later reprinted in the Beasts of Burden: Neighborhood Watch one-shot. The publishing schedule slowed down after that with only two issues from 2013 to 2017. Evan Dorkin, 2014 Late 2017, Dorkin wrote on his blog that Thompson was almost finished with the first issue of a two-part story, The Presence of Others, and artist Benjamin Dewey was working on a four-issue story titled Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men. Dorkin confirmed on his Twitter account that more stories were planned for both Thompson and Dewey. In 2019, The Presence of Others was published with Jill Thompson on the first issue and Benjamin Dewey on the second, and the Occupied Territory four-issue miniseries with Benjamin Dewey was published in 2021.

• Ace, a Husky, courageous and bitten by a werewolf in "A Boy and His Dog" • Jack, a Beagle, has some sensitivity to the paranormal • Pugsley, a Pug, who is outspoken, snarky and cynical, often gets told to shut up by the others • Rex, a Doberman, who is often afraid • The Orphan, a male orange tabby cat who is ownerless. He is the only non-canine to attend dog funeral services. He possesses street smarts. • Whitey, a Jack Russell Terrier who has a tendency to vomit or wet himself when frightened • Dymphna, a former witch's familiar introduced in The Unfamiliar • Miranda, a black dog who can cast spells

A gang of neighbourhood cats that work with the apprentices introduced in "Something Whiskered This Way Comes" and as allies in "The Presence of Others". • The Get Away Kid, ownerless tuxedo cat with a reputation for escape • Muggsy, a calico cat who is a "first lifer" (a cat that hasn't used up any of its nine lives) • Sleeping Bob • Johnny Whiskers

• Cian • Emrys, an Old English Sheepdog • Lundy, a Scottish Terrier • Dempsey • Brigid

• Red, a dog • Holstein, a cat

• Date — Story — Appeared in… — Writer — Artist — Letterer — Notes • August 27, 2003 — Stray — The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings — Evan Dorkin — Jill Thompson — Jill Thompson • July 7, 2004 — The Unfamiliar — The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft • June 1, 2005 — Let Sleeping Dogs Lie — The Dark Horse Book of the Dead • December 13, 2006 — A Dog and His Boy — The Dark Horse Book of Monsters — Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer — Jason Arthur • September 16, 2009 — The Gathering Storm — Beasts of Burden #1 — Evan Dorkin • October 21, 2009 — Lost — Beasts of Burden #2 • November 25, 2009 — Something Whiskered This Way Comes — Beasts of Burden #3 • December 23, 2009 — Grave Happenings — Beasts of Burden #4 • October 27, 2010 — Sacrifice — Hellboy/Beasts of Burden: Sacrifice — Evan Dorkin and Mike Mignola • September 21, 2011 — Food Run — Dark Horse Presents #4 — Evan Dorkin • November 23, 2011 — Story Time — Dark Horse Presents #6 • February 1, 2012 — The View from the Hill — Dark Horse Presents #8 • August 1, 2012 — RECOLLECTS: * Food Run * Story Time * The View from the Hill — Beasts of Burden: Neighborhood Watch • March 12, 2014 — Hunters and Gatherers — Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers • May 4, 2016 — What the Cat Dragged In — Beasts of Burden: What the Cat Dragged In — Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer • August 22, 2018 — Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men — Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men #1 — Evan Dorkin — Benjamin Dewey — Nate Piekos • September 26, 2018 — Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men #2 • October 24, 2018 — Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men #3 • December 19, 2018 — Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men #4 • May 1, 2019 — The Presence of Others — Beasts of Burden: The Presence of Others #1 — Jill Thompson • June 5, 2019 — Beasts of Burden: The Presence of Others #2 — Benjamin Dewey • April 7, 2021 — Occupied Territory — Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1 — Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer — Benjamin Dewey • May 5, 2021 — Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #2 • June 2, 2021 — Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #3 • July 7, 2021 — Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #4