The Wire Fence, I finally have time to make a post about my own comic. A lot went into this one-shot, kind of like a sandwich. We’ve got a central idea (what really conquered the wild west) and the condiments and garnish. Nothing that’s meant to line up with too many historical events, but I try my best with how flexible it was. Don’t worry no spoilers.
Why The Wire Fence?
But like any tool there’s plenty of history that paints barbed wire as good or bad. With it, anyone including freed slaves could own land for farms. Of course, that also meant cutting off others’ homes like the hundreds of Plains nations and thousands of bison.
American Bison
It’s why bison are so prized by hunters, from the Plains nations to the American government. Only problem was, the latter hunted so many bison, they nearly went extinct. Two hunters actually noticed this and took the steps necessary to preserve the species to keep hunting. Between Buffalo Bill and Teddy Roosevelt, they ended up making most bison today more like modern day Mongolians. Only instead of every Mongolian being related in some way to Genghis Khan, they have a bit of domestic cattle in them. But it’s not like anybody can tell the difference between a pure bison and a beefalo. Besides, there were loads more efforts, especially by the Plains nations, considering how sacred bison are to them.
White Buffalo Cow Society
A white bison actually plays a big role in The Wire Fence. That’s because the rare pigmentless animal is several Amerindian religion’s sacred bull, particularly the Lakota. The white buffalo calf is said to be both a blessing and a warning about great changes upon the Earth, as told by the Lakota’s cultural prophet Ptesáŋwiŋ, the White Buffalo Calf Woman. But what the white bison Dignity represents is up to the reader. …I said: no spoilers.
The White Buffalo Cow Society is mainly just a background element, but it plays an important part in the outlaw hero B.B.Q.’s backstory. All that you need to know is that it was an all-women’s society of at least two Plains nations. Traditionally, that didn’t include the Lakota since they were those nations’ rivals/enemies. I used my artistic license to link the traditional societies to the more modern ones dedicated to protecting women and children from domestic abuse.
I’ll leave B.B.Q.’s full backstory to your imagination until the comic comes out.
Black Hills Gold Rush
The only other reason Black Hills has weight was because Sioux like the Lakota lost their legal territory. When they had the right to fight back, President Grant quietly took down the territory treaty. By then, the Lakota had to go to the reservations or take the fight with Sitting Bull. At the very least, the survivors got a chance to restore the bison populations that were devastated. Grant did just about everything to screw Indians over.
What Are Cowboys Supposed To Do Anyway?
Here’s just a little indulgence when it comes ranching. I’m sure people think that cowboys are sharpshooting gunmen due to Clint Eastwood. But here’s the thing, most real cowboys were cattle herders. Their jobs were transporting cows to wherever they needed to be: farms, butchers, etc. So when I found out that barbed wire could harm the bison, that also means it can help them. Rather than tame the untamable, work around the legal hurdles to help restore their place. Of course, that’s anything but easy, not that I had the time to get into everything about bison ranching. Because let’s face it, you wanna see what a real cowboy does, not sit around for a lecture.
The Wire Fence: An Anti-Western
So there you have it, The Wire Fence is an urban fantasy taking place near the tail end of the American Frontier. I don’t mean magic, not even with how B.B.Q. uses barbed wire (that’s not a spoiler). It’s a fun way to imagine what the Wild West can mean to us readers. Why indulge in the tropes like revenge on a gang, or rub in people’s faces the realities of that setting? Nothing against them either. But that’s not why we like the West; it’s the freedom of the wilderness and the chance to start anew.
So please if you’re interested, consider ordering off of CEX’s website, Amazon, or Omnibus.