The series is written by Thierry Lamy.
The strongest selling point of "Thailand" is undoubtedly the art. The series is illustrated by Laurence Picot, and her work here is exceptional. She adopts a clean, clear-line style (ligne claire) that is heavily reminiscent of Hergé (Tintin) and the early works of Jean-Claude Mézières (Valerian).
By the late 1930s, Grubert had been seconded to the borderlands of northern Thailand—the rugged highlands near Chiang Rai and the fringes of what would become the Golden Triangle. His mission: train the fledgling Thai Border Police (Tahan Phran) in long-range reconnaissance and jungle survival. Veterans of that era speak of a tall, lean German with sun-bleached hair who carried a modified Mauser Kar98k and insisted on patrols carrying nothing but rice, salt, and 48 rounds of ammunition. major grubert thailand
His crowning local legend involves the 1938 Wa Hills Incident. When a Shan bandit leader began raiding Thai villages, Grubert is said to have led a platoon of 20 Thai irregulars on a 10-day foot pursuit across unmapped ridges. They surprised the bandit camp at dawn, not with gunfire, but with a captured enemy bugle call—disorienting the guards so completely that Grubert’s men took the camp without a single Thai casualty. The story, likely embellished, captures his reputation for psychological warfare and economy of force.
For journalists or armchair detectives looking to crack the "Major Grubert Thailand" cold case, here is a roadmap: The series is written by Thierry Lamy
First, a crucial distinction: "Major Grubert" is not a household name like Jim Thompson (the "Silk King" who vanished in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands). Unlike Thompson’s well-documented disappearance in 1967, the Grubert narrative is fragmented.
Based on declassified signals intelligence (SIGINT) and anecdotal reports from Cold War veterans, "Major Grubert" is believed to have been a mid-ranking intelligence officer—possibly affiliated with West German Bundeswehr intelligence (the BND) or a NATO-aligned Eastern European defector program—operating out of Thailand between 1978 and 1985. Example profile:
Thailand during this era was a "spy haven." With the fall of Saigon in 1975, Bangkok became the new backroom for the Cold War in Southeast Asia. The CIA, KGB, MSS, and various European agencies set up shop. It is within this volatile chessboard that Major Grubert played his final game.
The Verdict: A Gorgeous, Nostalgic Trip for Sci-Fi BD Fans Rating: 4/5 Stars
"Thailand" is a visually stunning album that captures the golden age of French sci-fi comics. It is a book written by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. While it may not break new ground in terms of narrative complexity, it succeeds wildly as a loving tribute to the genre.