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Beasts of Burden is a Dark Horse Comics team of animals, created by writer Evan Dorkin and aritist Jill Thompson, that investigate different paranormal events that occur in their small neighborhood of Burden Hill. The group consists of five dogs named Ace, Rex, Jack, Whitey, and Pugsley, and a cat named Orphan (later they are joined by another cat named Dymphna, a former witches familiar). The group is often seen consulting with "Wise Dogs", local shaman-like elders of their community.

The characters made their first appeared in a story titled Stray (written by Evan Dorkin with art by Jill Thompson) in The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings. The 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.

I wanted to write a haunted-house story, but not along traditional lines. After a few false starts I hit on the idea of a haunted doghouse, which became my pitch for Stray. Scott like it and wanted me to draw it. I draw animals about as well as I breakdance, but Scott believed in me. Which was really nice. Luckily for us all, I convinced him to approach Jill Thompson instead

— Evan Dorkin, 2010

In 2009 the characters appeared in their own 4-issue mini-series.
In 2010 the characters appeared alongside Hellboy in a one-shot issue titled Hellboy/Beasts of Burden: Sacrifice. <br.>In 2011 it was annouced that three new Beasts of Burden stories would appear in the relaunched Dark Horse Presents series in issues 4, 6, and 8.

A CG-animated film adaptation is currently in the works with filmmaker Andrew Adamson scheduled to direct.

Bibliography

Comics

• The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings (story Stray) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft (story The Unfamiliar) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• The Dark Horse Book of The Dead (story Let Sleeping Dogs Lie) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• The Dark Horse Book of Monsters (story A Dog and His Boy) by Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, and Jill Thompson.
• Beasts of Burden (4-issue mini-series) by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson.
• Hellboy/Beasts of Burden: Sacrifice (one-shot) by Evan Dorkin, Mike Mignola, and Jill Thompson.

Collected editions

• Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites (June, 2010) Collects the stories Stray, The Unfamiliar, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, A Dog and His Boy, and issues #1-4 of the mini-series.

Notes

1. Dorkin, Evan and Jill Thompson. "Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites". Dark Horse Books, 2010.
2. Dorkin, Evan and Jill Thompson. "Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites". Dark Horse Books, 2010, p.169.

• Dark Horse Comics superheroes
• Fantasy comics
• 2003 comic debuts
• Animal superheroes