Derf Backderf, the creator of My Friend Dahmer and Kent State, has announced his newest graphic novel: The Dissidents, the true story of a group of radical cartoonists who were persecuted by the U.S. government during the turmoil of the early 20th century. Abrams will publish the 288-page, full color hardcover on September 15, 2026, with an MSRP of $29.99.
Art Young, Boardman Robinson, and Cornelia Barns were among a group of artists who drew satirical cartoons for The Masses, a socialist magazine that was an important voice of dissent in the 1910s. The country was in turmoil, with rich factory owners violently suppressing strikes, the prospect of war looming, and racism and anti-immigrant sentiment raging. Under pressure from President Woodrow Wilson, Congress passed the Espionage Act, which effectively suspended freedom of speech. The Masses was shut down and many of its staff, including some of the cartoonists, were charged with criminal offenses and faced prison sentences of up to 20 years.
“These cartoonists and their story has long been an obsession of mine, ever since I discovered their work when I was a student at Ohio State University and hanging about the archive that would later become the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum,” Backderf said on Facebook. “Their cartoons reached out from the past and grabbed me. They were the first underground cartoonists. Their courage is inspiring and their influence is profound, even if their names and work has been forgotten by all but a few. And they paid a heavy price for their incendiary work.”
Abrams ComicArts will also publish the just-announced Diana, by Nate Powell (see “‘March’ Artist Nate Powell Announces New Solo Graphic Novel”).
Source: ICv2
