Laika

• Title — Laika • Publisher — First Second Books • Date — 2007 • Origisbn — 1596431016 • Writers — Nick Abadzis • Artists — Nick Abadzis

• Laika/Kudryavka • Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (1894-1971) – Premier of the Soviet Union (1953-1964) • Sergei Pavolovich Korolev (1907-1966) – the "Chief Designer of Rockets"; head of the Special Design Bureau 1 (OKB-1) • Vasily Pavlovich Mishin (1917-2001) – Deputy Chief Designer of OKB-1 • Boris Evseyevich Chertok (1912-2011) – Head of Control Systems of the Special Design Bureau 1 (OKB-1) • Academician Anatoli Arkadyevich Blagonravov (1894-1975) – Academician and Soviet space scientist; Chair of the State Commission Overseeing Biological Launches • Dr. Vasily Vasilevich Parin (1903–1971) – Head of Physiology in the Institute of Therapy, USSR Academy of Medical Sciences • Dr. Alexandr Dmitrievich Seryapin (1918–2009) – Biophysicist, Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Medicine • Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Vladimir Ivanovich Yazdovsky (1913-1999) – Soviet space medicine scientist; head of the Biomedical Medicine Group at IBMP • Air Force Captain Dr. Oleg Georgievich Gazenko (1918-2007) – Soviet space medicine scientist at IBMP

• Tatiana – a maid; briefly adopted Laika • Liliana – Tatiana's daughter • Katya Korovina – Tatiana's cousin • Mikhail Korovin – Laika's second owner, an ill-mannered boy. • Mr. Korovin – Mikhail's father • Gertruda – A stray; befriends Laika. • Viktor and his wife – grocery-stall owners in a Moscow market • Yelena Alexandrovna Dubrovsky – Head of IBMP department for canine training and handling

Abadzis notes that his intention was to avoid anthropomorphism in portraying the central canine character. Thus Laika's traits of trust and eagerness to please are portrayed through her non-verbalised behaviour, and the reactions of the more sympathetic humans with whom she comes in contact. Mistreated as a young dog, Laika shows a need to gain human affection and approval that leads her through a harsh training regime to death in space. Even the empathetic Yelena accepts that animals will die in the space programme, though bitterly regretting that her "special dog" is the one to be sent with no hope of survival. Many of the incidents portrayed by Abadzis, such as Laika being taken home by a senior officer to play with his children shortly before the launch, are recorded as having actually occurred. The graphic novel concludes with a real-life statement of regret by Oleg Gazenko, made in 1998: "Work with animals is a source of suffering to all of us. We treat them like babies who cannot speak. The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We did not learn enough from the mission to justify the death of the dog".

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