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Articles by Derf Backderf
The Dissidents - The Comics Journal
Whether we like it or not, entertainment has become the continuing education for most of America’s adult population. I’m sure I’m not the only one who learned about the Tulsa Race Massacre from the Watchmen TV series, or the crimes against the Osage Tribal Nation from Killers of the Flower Moon. There’s a whole slew of narratives considered too obscure or subversive for public or private education to cover, which leaves it up to artists to make sure those stories aren’t forgotten.
Dissidents Autocrats! Vigilantes! Communists! And Cartoonists!
Praise "This is masterful documentation of a sobering history that reverberates to the present day." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Backderf’s strong character work and passion for the subject matter result in a deeply compelling examination of dissent, censorship, and democratic fragility, with strong appeal to readers of political history, journalism, and socially engaged comics." —Library Journal, Starred Review "Backderf’s artwork, in striking black and white with occasional spot...
Boek | Dissidenten - Derf Backderf
“WE HEBBEN DIT AL EENS MEEGEMAAKT. . . MAAR WE ZIJN HET VERGETEN.” Het is 1916. President Woodrow Wilson – een autoritair leider die de samenleving diep verdeelt, en tevens een blanke racist met openlijke minachting voor grondwettelijke rechten – zit in het Oval Office.
The Dissidents: Autocrats! Vigilantes! Communists! and Cartoonists!
. Sept. 2026. 344p. ISBN 9781419772559. $29.99. HISTORY COPY ISBN Backderf ( Kent State) turns his attention to a neglected chapter of American radical history in this ambitious narrative centered on the artists, writers, and activists associated with the early 20th-century socialist magazine The Masses.
Mi amigo Dahmer
Ayuda Buscar en la ayuda Buscar en la ayuda
Kent State (Paperback) | ABRAMS
Four Dead in Ohio ISBN: 9781419765469 Publication Date: September 30, 2025 From Derf Backderf, the bestselling author of My Friend Dahmer, comes the Eisner and ALA/YALSA Alex Award-winning tragic and unforgettable story of the Kent State shootings, told in graphic novel form.
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio Book Review
age 15+ Powerful account of national tragedy. Parents need to know that Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio is a graphic novel chronicling the events leading up to the shooting of four college students in May, 1970. Author-illustrator Derf Backderf uses a journalistic style to spotlight the four dead students. Swearing is frequent: "bastard, "hell," "s--t," "f--k." Sexual content is minimal, a few casual embraces between college kids.
Interficial Intelligence: The Moments That Met Me By Chuck D, 240 pgs.
May 20, 2025 Most of us get a kick out of posting selfies with pals on Instagram. Chuck D blows that out of the water by publishing a sketchbook of key moments with artists and friends. A student of graphic design before starting Public Enemy, the Hard Rhymer’s vibrant panels recall narrative work by heavyweights like Raymond Pettibon, Ralph Steadman, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
KENT STATE wins an Eisner!
KENT STATE won an Eisner Award, for Best Reality-based Book. This is the big one, and I'm over the moon about it. Disclosure: that's not the actual trophy. Haven't received it yet. I'm using an old Eisner here as a prop. Full disclosure: I fell asleep! It was a remote ceremony because of the plague, Pacific Time, and I dozed off and awoke with a start at 2 am. Only then did I see the first congratulatory texts. Classic. My big moment and zzzzzz. Honestly, my first reaction was relief.
A Kent State artifact, a yearbook like no other
This is a copy of the 1971 Kent State yearbook, The Chestnut Burr. It's the edition that documents the events of May 4, 1970. A crucial piece of source material for me. It's a remarkable book, and the only university publication that documented the tragedy. Immediately after the massacre, the university was closed, and all students were ordered to be off campus (and, in fact, across the city limits!) by 5 pm or face arrest.
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio, By Derf Backderf, 288 pgs.
For those who don’t know, in 1970 a group of National Guard soldiers were sent to Kent, Ohio to hover over the anti-war protests happening at the college. After a couple of days of mild unrest, the soldiers blindly opened fire on students. Thirteen seconds later, several were injured and four students were dead. Most of the students were just walking to class. This comic (graphic novel, if you must) covers the shooting and the events that lead up to it.
Announcing the Shortlist for the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize
Today, The Beat is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize. The Cartoonist Studio Prize is an annual award from Vermont’s Center for Cartoon Studios. Over the years, The Beat has been honored to announce the nominees and winners, and this year, we’re especially proud to be the media partner for the award. There are two categories for the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize: print and digital.
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio
On Monday, May 4th, 1970, the National Guard opened fire on Kent State students peacefully protesting the Vietnam War. Thirteen seconds and sixty-seven shots later, four students were dead and nine more wounded. Derf Backderf recounts the weekend leading up to, and the events of, that tragic day. Rising political and social tensions, both in the state and nationwide, coupled with angry students and fed-up, sleep-deprived Guardsmen, created a ticking time bomb which exploded into Monday’s events.
AWKSD’s best albums, books, and movies of 2020
Before we get to the list, I’m very excited to show you this new merch. I call this the AwkwardSD Tendencies hat since it’s inspired by punk band Suicidal Tendencies’ iconic “SUICIDAL” hat. AwkwardSD Tendencies is the perfect holiday gift for you, and/or the cool-as-hell dirtbag in your life. These are scientifically proven to double your street cred. I have a very limited number of these made, so if you want one, let me know ASAP.
Exclusive Preview: BREAKWATER by Katriona Chapman
avery hill, breakwater, excerpt, katriona chapman 0 Today we have an exclusive preview of Katriona Chapman’s second major graphic work, Breakwater from Avery Hill Publishing. At an old art deco picture house, Chris finds a new friend… then has to decide if she has room in her life for one. In Breakwater, Chapman explores the joys and drawbacks of choosing a casual job over a career path, mental health issues, and the burden that comes with letting other peoples’ problems into your life.
This Month @ SOLRAD: November 2020
Today is the day – Election Day is here in the United States, and soon we figure out how deep the rabbit hole goes. The time is simultaneously hopeful, scary, and weird, a combination sure to lead to both indigestion and migraines in equal measure. As the publisher of SOLRAD, I’m very pleased with the work we’ve been able to accomplish so far this year. In our first year of publication, we’ve done a massive amount of work, and I think the results speak for themselves.
SOLRAD Presents: More Seasons of Gary #06
More Seasons of Gary collects anecdotes about the artist’s father in 4-panel comic strips organized by the time of year they occurred and those evocative colors. As the strips progress, the delivery and tone shifts from punch line driven gags to nuanced, long-form stories that reflect the loving but sometimes challenging relationship between father and son.
SOLRAD Presents: Pelican Bastards #08
PELICAN BASTARDS is about a quartet of madcap seabirds — Ivan, Glen, Jamie, and Claude — who realize that they can exploit their bird powers and get away with all stripes of mischief, mayhem, and murder. MICHAEL AUSHENKER began his career as the author/illustrator of the picture book Get That Goat! (Landmark Editions).
How Can You Run When You Know? Ryan Carey Reviews KENT STATE: FOUR DEAD IN OHIO By Derf Backderf
If the state of Ohio ever decides to start naming a cartoonist laureate every year as Vermont does, Derk Backderf would be the natural choice to be first awarded. His graphic novels touch on themes that extended well beyond the state’s borders, of course — particularly his 2015 book Trashed — but they are all rooted in his experiences growing up in the Buckeye State, and all have that hardscrabble sensibility that the industrial midwest inculcates in nearly all its residents.
Boek | Kent State - Derf Backderf
KENT STATE Op 4 mei 1970 schoot de Nationale Garde onbewapende studenten neer die op de universiteit van Kent State protesteerden tegen de oorlog in Vietnam. In een dodelijk spervuur van zevenenzestig schoten werden vier studenten gedood en negen gewond. Het was de dag waarop Amerika geweren inzette tegen zijn eigen kinderen – een schokkende gebeurtenis die in ons nationale geheugen gebrandmerkt is.
Derf Signed Books
$24.95 ISBN: 9781419714535 Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days Published: Abrams ComicArts - November 3rd, 2015
Kent State (Hardcover) | ABRAMS
Named a “Best Book of the Year” by New York Times, Forbes, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and NPR! An Eisner Award Winner An ALA/YALSA Alex Award Winner From Derf Backderf, the bestselling author of My Friend Dahmer, comes the tragic and unforgettable story of the Kent State shootings, told in graphic novel form.
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio
Gr 8 Up–In the midst of the divisive Vietnam War, Ohio’s Kent State University was a haven for free thinkers and creatives who were fed up with compulsory enlistment and didn’t believe that the United States’ military involvement in Vietnam was about “keeping Communism at bay.” On April 30, 1970, Nixon informed the nation that the United States would be invading Cambodia and that the war would ramp up instead of winding down.
Śmieci
Co tydzień wystawiamy przed dom kubeł ze śmieciami, a po jakimś czasie jego zawartość w magiczny sposób znika. Ale wbrew temu, co może nam się wydawać, nie ma w tym nic nadnaturalnego. „Śmieci”, kolejne po obsypanym deszczem nagród „My Friend Dahmer” dzieło Derfa Backderfa, to swoista oda do najbardziej gównianego ze wszystkich zawodów – fuchy śmieciarza. To opowieść o wybuchowych przygodach dwudziestokilkulatków zawodowo zajmujących się sprzątaniem z ulic niekończących się stosów odpadów.
Punk rock & mobile homes
Derf Backderf Punk Rock & Mobile Homes De excentrieke, boomlange Otto Pizcok woont op het caravanpark van zijn oudoom in een saaie Amerikaanse industriestreek. Hij laat zich ‘de Baron’ noemen en gedraagt zich als iemand uit een ander tijdperk, ook al levert hem dat pesterijen en gegniffel op van de patsers en cheerleaders van zijn school. Hij keurt hen geen blik waardig. Hij ziet alleen de wulpse Terry Workman staan. Samen met twee vrienden wordt Otto vaste klant bij concertzaal The Bank.
How Reading True Crime Stories Helps Us Face Our Own Fears
He stashed them in the trunk. He hid them under a sweater, an old baseball hat, deep in the back of his car. He tortured them to the point of rot and decay. He held them tightly. He broke their spines. The Godfather. Black Mass. Underboss. Boss of Bosses. Hitman. Ratman. Rifleman. Whitey. These are the titles that my grandfather, Puppy, loves––worn paperbacks, sometimes held together by a rubber band, always about crime, that he reads in the car, waiting for my grandmother inside the supermarket or TJ Maxx.
Derf Backderf on the story before the story of My Friend Dahmer
My Friend Dahmer is the true story of my teenage friendship with the strange boy who would become the most depraved serial killer since Jack the Ripper. If you’re expecting a grisly horror film about necrophilia and cannibalism, that’s not what my story is. This is the story before that story, about a deeply disturbed kid who spiraled into madness while the adults in his life stood by, oblivious or uncaring.
50 Must-Read True Crime Books
What is it about true crime books that are so addicting? Is it a voyeuristic, “train wreck” sort of reading experience? Is it an opportunity to understand trauma and the dark impulses of human nature? Is it the chance to play detective and investigate real crimes? Whatever the reason, it’s not a stretch to say that true crime books are extremely popular, and so I’ve pulled together 50 titles that are sure to keep you reading past your bedtime.
ABRAMS Returns to New York Comic Con 2017 - Booth #2228
Abrams authors and artists attending this year’s New York Comic Con include Derf Backderf (My Friend Dahmer), John Jennings (Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation), Mark Evanier (Kirby: King of Comics (Anniversary Edition)), Nathan Hale (One Trick Pony), Chris McDonnell (Steven Universe: Art & Origins), Mariko Tamaki and Brooklyn Allen (Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power!), Gary Gerani (Planet of the Apes: The Original Topps Trading Card Series), Jo Whittemore (Supergirl: Age of Atlantis), Barry Lyga...
The Best Things We Read in 2015
We certainly read a lot of bad things this year—but we also read a bunch of stuff that was great. Here are our picks for the best books, essays, articles and Urban Baby blog posts of 2015. Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command by Sean Naylor Even if you don’t care about military history, there are so many true yet impossible-sounding and confounding anecdotes of waste, mismanagement, incompetence, and incredibly poor planning in here to make it worthwhile.
Boek | Trashed - Derf Backderf
Elke week zetten we ons afval op de stoep en het verdwijnt als vanzelf! In werkelijkheid gaat het anders, natuurlijk.
Trashed (Paperback)
Every week we pile our garbage on the curb and it disappears like magic The reality is anything but, of course. "Trashed," Derf Backderf's follow-up to the critically acclaimed, award-winning international bestseller "My Friend Dahmer," is an ode to the crap job of all crap jobs garbage collector. Anyone who has ever been trapped in a soul-sucking gig will relate to this tale.
Punk Rock & Trailer Parks
PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS, Derf Backderf's first full graphic novel, is an evocative, hilarious, and ultimately poignant book that is set in and around recession-ravaged Akron, Ohio, in 1979, at the peak of the Rubber City's unlikely and lively punk rock scene, a pop culture phenomenon that spawned distinctive acts such as Devo, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, the Waitresses and so many other groups that Melody Maker referred to Akron as "the new Liverpool." The fictional PUNK ROCK &...
Punk Rock & mobile homes
parution 14 février 2014• éditeur Çà et là• Public Ado / Adulte• Mots clés Chronique sociale, Autour du 9ème art, Independant Notre noteCHEF D'ŒUVRETRÈS BONBONBOF. MOYENBIDE ScénarioCHEF D'ŒUVRETRÈS BONBONBOF. MOYENBIDE dessinCHEF D'ŒUVRETRÈS BONBONBOF. MOYENBIDE L'histoire : Au début des années 80, la ville de Richford, située en banlieue d'Akron, voit dans un club de sa ville, The Bank, de plus en plus de groupes punk et new wave jouer. Otto Pizcok est lycéen et effectue sa dernière année.
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