Laika by Nick Abadzis
Laika Is A Tender And Engrossing Work
Laika was the abandoned puppy destined to become Earths first space
traveler. This is her journey. Nick Abadzis masterfully blends fiction and
fact in the intertwined stories of three compelling lives. Along with Laika,
there is Korolev, once a political prisoner, now a driven engineer at the top
of the Soviet space program, and Yelena, the lab technician responsible
for Laikas health and life. This intense triangle is rendered with the pitch-
perfect emotionality of classics like Because of Winn Dixie, Shiloh, and Old
Yeller. Abadzis gives life to a pivotal moment in modern history, casting
light on the hidden moments of deep humanity behind history. Laikas story
will speak straight to your heart. Questions for Nick Abadzis Jeff
VanderMeer for Amazon.com: What inspired you to pick this particular
topic for a graphic novel? And why, for example, a graphic novel as
opposed to a strictly written account? Abadzis: Id known it was a good
story since I was about six years old. It had always been at the back of my
mind as a story to tell. In 2002, new information came to light about the
Sputnik II mission and specifically Laikas death. That was the spark,

although back then I envisaged something much shorter. It, uh, grew. Why
a graphic novel? Well, comics are my language. Its the medium that Im
most familiar and comfortable...so it was first choice. Amazon.com: What
most surprised you while researching Laika? Abadzis: There were a few
things. I had no idea there were so few Soviet engineers and scientists
involved in the nascent space program--not to trivialize their incredible
achievement but, in many senses, they just winged it, borne along in great
part by Korolevs force of will and political maneuvering. Also it was
interesting to find out how much the Soviet scientists cared for their
cosmodogs. Events conspired to make Laika a sacrificial passenger on
board Sputnik II, but they really did honor their canine cosmonauts. Theres
even a statue of Laika in Moscow. Perhaps this book will go some small
way to re-establishing her position in history: whatever the circumstances,
and whether you agree with what they did or not, she was the first earthling
in orbit around this planet. Amazon.com: Was there anything that didnt
make it into the graphic novel because it just didnt fit? Abadzis: There
was quite a bit, actually. I could have done with another hundred pages.
But Id taken a bit of time to write and thumbnail it (which I do at the same
time) and when that stage was finished, the publisher and I realized that
the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik launches was fast approaching. When I
first pitched the idea to Mark Siegel at First Second, neither of us realized
that it was so close. It felt like we needed to be a part of that, so I drew it
extremely fast--two hundred pages in a little over eight months. Its an
understatement to say that it was extremely hard work. What got left out
was a longer explication of Laikas origins; the scenes with Mikhail, her first
owner were much longer.... Originally, I did have an idea of doing three
books: Laika would be the first, Gagarin the second, and a full-on comic
strip biography of Korolev [the driven engineer on the project] would be the
final part that would bind together events seen in the first two. Maybe one
day. Certainly, elements of Korolevs life that I felt were important to the
story made it into the final version of the book. Amazon.com: Did you
worry about the sentimentality inherent in the situation? How did that affect
your decisions in creating the graphic novel? Abadzis: I suppose it would
have been easy to make it another cutesy, twee, and overly saccharine
dead-dog story but that wouldnt have been true either to my taste or to the
socio-political system and culture I was attempting to portray. Laika--the
real Laika--was a cute dog, as photographs attest. Theres no getting away
from it, and theres plenty of evidence to suggest her owners thought so,
too. I didnt want to anthropomorphize her, at least not to the extent that
she was spouting speech/thought balloons like, say Tintins Snowy (which
works just fine for those books). Having made that decision--which I didnt
really feel was an option, in any case--I knew that to really do it justice, Id
have to do a lot of research. The sentiment of the story, such as it is, would
take care of itself and be implicit in certain characters actions or words (or
not, as the case may be).... All that said, itd be disingenuous to suggest
that, in dealing with a true story that involves dogs and their owners (even
if they happen to be scientists in a Soviet cosmodog program), there
wouldnt be a bit of emotion. Theres plenty (and I hope the reader feels it).
But theres also the harsh reality of the time, the place and the confluence

of events that put Laika into space. Amazon.com: What are you currently
working on? Abadzis: Im currently working on a new graphic novel for
older readers called Skin Trouble, which is also for First Second. Ill leave it
to your imagination as to what thats all about, suffice to say itll be an
ensemble piece, character-wise. Ive also got a childrens graphic novel in
the works. Cant say anything about that at all, but Im looking forward to
drawing it.
Personal Review: Laika by Nick Abadzis
Laika was just a mutt wandering the streets of Moscow when she met with
destiny. She was brought into the burgeoning Russian space program and
became the first living thing from Earth to be launched into space, onboard
Sputnik 2 in November 1957. Unfortunately, the dog would only live about
four hours in the rocket, before excessive heat killed her. She might have
lived had the Russians taken more time to design the capsule inside
Sputnik 2, but the shuttle was rushed into production in just a month ---
Nikita Khrushchev was so impressed by the success of Sputnik 1 that he
called in top scientist Sergei Pavlovich to rush the next launch to coincide
with the 40th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution.
Laika remains one of the most famous dogs to ever live and a symbol of
the Cold War aggression between Russia and the United States. In Nick
Abadzis's graphic novel of the same name, Laika becomes so much more,
as do the human beings who catapulted her into history.
Abadzis, a British writer who spent months researching this book, even
journeying to Moscow, starts his story with Pavlovich's release from the
Gulag in the late 1930s. From then on, Abadzis jumps back and forth in
time with wild yet precise abandon, going from Pavlovich's near-death trek
to safety after his release from prison to the day of the launch of Sputnik 1
and back in easily followed vignettes.
He also gives Laika a backstory that parallels Pavlovich's. Since so little is
known about Laika --- even her breeding heritage is debated --- it's
conjecture on his part, but it's wonderfully imaginative and fitting. Laika
deserves a story of her own for the advancements in technology and
space exploration that she helped make possible.
Abadzis has a soft, reserved style, a rare gift for subtlety and
understatement. In an age of overcrowded pages and panels stuffed full of
long dialogue balloons, it's refreshing to read a graphic novel that is not
overwhelmed by wordiness.
It's clear, too, that Abadzis has done his research. LAIKA is filled with
fascinating details on the Russian space program and the people inside of
it. Pavlovich, still bitter about his false imprisonment and treatment in the
Gulag, had a near-impossible task laid out for him when he was

commanded by Khrushchev not only to construct a second rocket to
launch but also to make it even more newsworthy than Sputnik 1. The only
way to top the first event was to put a living thing in orbit.
Pavlovich lived up to his end of the bargain, but the cost to him is clearly
shown in LAIKA. It's a tender and engrossing work that deserves praise for
shedding light on one of the most noble and steadfast victims of the Cold
War.
--- Reviewed by John Hogan
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