The Dissidents: Autocrats! Vigilantes! Communists! And Cartoonists!

by Derf Backderf

From the award-winning author of My Friend Dahmer and Kent State comes a timely graphic novel about racism, violence, and political turmoil in the early 20th century, when a handful of cartoonists and journalists pushed back against a corrupt administration to defend the rights of free speech

“WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE . . . BUT WE FORGOT.”

It’s 1916. President Woodrow Wilson―a deeply divisive authoritarian who is also a white supremacist with open contempt for constitutional rights―sits in the Oval Office.

Racial tensions, unprecedented economic inequality, a groundswell of support for unionization, and the rise of both a reactionary far right militia and a growing radical opposition shake the very foundations of American society. A pandemic is two years away. And the 1900s have only just gotten started.

“AMERICA IS A COUNTRY ON THE BRINK OF CHAOS.”

The Dissidents follows a group of real and influential political cartoonists who worked for the magazine The Masses―Art Young, Boardman Robinson, Cornelia Barns, and others, dominant in their day but now forgotten―as well as a fictional young German immigrant from Cleveland, Joe Hertle, who has come to New York to make his name.

They rub elbows with the great opposition voices of the day, such as journalists Max Eastman and John Reed, and the radical provocateur Emma Goldman. What they document in their cartoons and illustrations is a country spiraling into darkness, under attack by German saboteurs and private militias, plagued by racism, and rocked by class war.

For the crime of documenting the times they live in, these cartoonists are indicted for sedition and put on trial by the U.S. government―with twenty-year sentences hanging over their heads. Two others are forced to flee the country into exile. Another is incarcerated by the U.S. army and scheduled for execution!

Award-winning author Derf Backderf raises the bar for visual storytelling in this gripping, layered, and perceptive original graphic novel, told through the lens of the political cartoonists whose work shaped our history and also held a mirror to it. Finding a personal connection as a journalist who started out as a political cartoonist, he opens a door to our past and crafts a story that pulls from the strongest elements of his previous work. In The Dissidents, Backderf delivers an utterly unique account of U.S. history, making connections to the events of today as they relate to the seeds that were sown over a hundred years ago.

The Dissidents is his magnum opus. It is a gripping tale of political passion, artistic ambition, love, and betrayal, with great characters and unexpected twists. It’s a suspenseful and fascinating American story that is almost completely forgotten today―and a terrifying and relevant warning from the past.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction, History, Politics, Adult, Historical

344 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2026

About the author

John Backderf is a Eisner-award-winning American comics creator, also known as Derf Backderf. He is most famous for his recent graphic novels, especially My Friend Dahmer, the international bestseller which won an Angoulême Prize, and earlier for his comic strip The City, which appeared in a number of alternative newspapers from 1990–2014.

Derf has been nominated for multiple Eisner, Harvey and Ignatz awards and a Rueben Award. In 2006, he won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for political cartooning. Backderf has been based in Cleveland, Ohio, for much of his career.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma]

I thank the author, the publisher Abrams ComicArts and Net Galley for the early look at The Dissidents: Autocrats! Vigilantes! Communists! And Cartoonists! (published September 15, 2026) by Derf Backderf.

You know, I thought Kent State was Backderf's masterpiece. And it is. But why can’t you have two masterpieces? And I say this is even better, due for awards and a wide readership. It certainly is one of my top graphic novels of 2026, without question. Will it appeal to everyone? It caters to my tastes: Comics history, political resistance, relevance to today. The Dissidents is about how the comics/cartoon industry prior to WWI, and particularly political cartoonists publishing in a radical anti-autocratic publication, The Masses, became a potent--though ultimately failed--voice against capitalism, autocracy, and America’s participation in that war.

Another point of this book, implied more than stated, is that history repeats itself. One thing Backderf is getting at here is that our present autocratic moment is very similar to what happened more than a century ago. 47 is on record as admiring Woodrow Wilson’s autocratic moves as president, but he is not mentioned here in this book. We are left to make our own comparisons, but there is plenty to work with, and these parallels are disturbing. Wilson, unlike 47, was elected with the help of the left on a relatively progressive platform, including a pledge against no new wars, but when he went back on that decision, and entered America into that conflict, he crushed opposition to it, jailing dissidents of all stripes.

Racist, autocratic, and brutal were Wilson and his extremist followers, including an extra-legal group of thugs sent to beat up and deport any opposition to his policies. This group was not the Gestapo, and not ICE, but the American Protective League who targeted “hyphenates” (such as German-Americans, for instance), jailing and deporting all radicals and immigrants under the Sedition Act and Espionage Act. They wanted to rid the country of all who were not born here. Bankers and lawyers (somewhat like DOGE) using financial records, were deployed by the administration to hunt down and intimidate--and worse--to quell dissent.

Backderf here writes an historical fiction book, deeply researched, focused on how a group of brilliant political cartoonists (actual cartoonists, you can read more about them at the end of the book) were jailed (sometimes for up to 20 years!) for taking positions opposing Wilson, and some had to escape the country. Many of their careers were destroyed. Truth was being silenced everywhere, led by Wilson’s machine.

So this is comics history, a tribute to cartoonists largely forgotten today who exercised freedom of speech through cartoons! We see in this book some of the actual cartoons from The Masses that were seen as offensive. We see the cartoonists in conjunction with other dissidents such as Emma Goldman, John Reed (played by Warren Beatty in his film, Reds), Jane Addams (once the most loved and admired woman in the US, with the possible exception of Eleanor Roosevelt, vilified initially for her opposing the war, later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her opposition), Eugene Debs.

Our mc cartoonist (fictional) Joe becomes a moderate success with The Masses, and we see the story largely through his eyes, effectively. So Wilson declared war on Germany and promised a million volunteers on the first day, but he only got twenty k, so he instituted a draft that was opposed by the left. The anti-conscription movement the cartoonists advocated was seen as sedition, and Emma Goldman was jailed for it.

There is a lot in this book that is packed into these few years, including the Russian Revolution, which leftists supported, but it split the movement within as Lenin and then later Stalin were brutal against their own people.

Wilson does get some historical credit for leading the charge to defeat Germany and end the war, and he was instrumental in helping establish the League of Nations, but at the same time he also was brutal to his own people. 1917 is one of the darkest periods of repression in American history. Women picketing outside the White House for the Right to Vote were savagely beaten, imprisoned and tortured in what is known as the Fourteen Nights of Terror. 1919 was brutal for American black people in what is known as the Red Summer (or summer of blood) that targeted them. During this time women fought for the right to vote, and were successful; amazing that a group of misogynists here want to take away that right for women in this country.

This is one of three great anti-fascist, anti-war books I have read this summer: Daniel Kraus’ Angel Down (also about WWI) and War and Peace by Tolstoy (about Napoleon’s autocratic drive to conquer the world). A very engaging story!! Bravo!

*You want to know about 1919? Read 1919 by Eve Ewing:
https://eveewing.com/1919

*WWI: 20 million killed; 50 million worldwide died of the flu

*The Sedition Act was repealed 1n 1920; The Espionage Act remains on the books today. The latter was intended to prohibit interference with military operations or recruitment, to prevent insubordination in the military, and to prevent the support of enemies of the United States during wartime.

*The Masses. Here you can get access to actual issues opposing the rich and powerful and greedy.
https://dlib.nyu.edu/themasses/

*Contemporary attacks on cartoonists today:
https://www.cartooningforpeace.org/wp...

*Art Young, whom is mentioned here as one of the very best political cartoonists of all time, has his collected cartoons in To Laugh That We May Not Weep:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...

*Adam Hochschild: “There are many ways today feels eerily similar to the Red Scare period of 1917 to 1921. Several major candidates for both the Republican and Democratic nominations for president in 1920 campaigned on platforms promising mass deportation. Other politicians thundered about immigrants polluting the purity of American blood. "

And in his second term, Woodrow Wilson’s administration, both before and after Wilson was disabled by a stroke, did things that 47 would like to do. Under the sweeping provisions of the Espionage Act, passed by a compliant Congress, it closed down some 75 newspapers and magazines and put hundreds of Americans in jail solely for things they wrote or said.

[Valerie Book Valkyrie]

September 10,2026 Pre-Read Notes:
If you're a fan of political cartoons, or even entertain just a glimmer of interest, Backderf's soon to be released graphic novel may tickle your historical/political funnybone. Aside from the Archie comic books read as a child, I've only recently thumbed through a few "graphic novels" such as Watchmen (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
and Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic and can't say I'm a fan of the medium.

However, for me political comics - those noteworthy single frame "commentaries" - a generations old staple of The New Yorker magazine as well as other, some now defunct, publications are another breed altogether. I'm looking forward to more than just thumbing through this particular graphic novel! Per the gr book page, "It’s a suspenseful and fascinating American story that is almost completely forgotten today―and a terrifying and relevant warning from the past." Well, likely not "forgotten", afterall something never learned can not be forgotten. Such is the situation since History has been obliterated from many school curricula. The price, of course, is that History will repeat it's aweful self.

You can watch a wonderful interview with Chris Hedges and the author, "Derf" Backderf, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkZ1t...
💛🧚‍♀️🙋🏼👍

[Steve]

"The Dissidents" is Derf Backderf's ("Kent State," "My Friend Dahmer") masterpiece. It is a story from one hundred years ago that is urgent, extensively researched, and brilliantly drawn.

In "The Dissidents," Backderf creates a fictional cartoonist, Joe Hertle, to dramatize and explore the artists behind the turn of the century radical magazine "The Masses."

According to the NYU Library's "The Masses" collection, "The Masses" was "a richly illustrated radical magazine, [that] was published monthly in New York from 1911 until 1917, when it was suppressed by the government for its anti-war and anti-government perspective. The Masses blended art and politics and included fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and illustrations by many of the leading radical figures of the day."

"The Masses" employed some of the most brilliant political cartoonists in American history, notably Art Young, Robert Minor, and Boardman Robinson. These cartoonists are Backderf's heroes and wants to tell their story.

As the story opens in 1916, on the eve of the U.S.'s entry into WWI, it is a Golden Age for political cartooning, and the cartoonists of "The Masses," if not always widely read, are brilliantly and brutally criticizing the government, capitalism, and the drumbeats of war.

In addition to wanting to tell us about these political cartooning heroes, Backderf is also telling the story of an earlier era that is strikingly similar to our own.

With the U.S. entry into WWI in April 1917, voices of dissent were crushed. The American Protection League, an unauthorized, illegal, secret vigilante force, attacked anyone whose loyalty was suspect, particularly immigrants. The APL attacked workers on strike for better wages, and the APL and White mobs killed and attacked Black towns.

"The Masses" faced harassment and censorship. Government authorities revoked their license to mail copies of the magazine to their subscribers, almost immediately bankrupting them. The cartoonists and writers scattered, some escaping to Mexico or elsewhere. Some were tortured for resisting the draft. Art Young and the other leaders were indicted twice under the Sedition Act and the Espionage Act.

Backderf has Boardman Robinson say, "It's stunning how quickly... and how easily... America has slipped into despotic rule." The story of the attempts to silence these brave, brilliant artists might be simply disheartening and depressing. However, the lasting impression one is left is the utter courage and bravery of these people despite overwhelming oppression. They disagreed with each other on many points, some eventually supported the U.S.'s war effort, others supported the Bolsheviks, others opposed both. But their courage in speaking out against attempts to silence them is what sticks with the reader.

"The Dissidents" is Backderf's masterpiece, and it is brilliantly and beautifully drawn. Although the cast of characters is quite large, Backderf caricatures everyone so distinctly that telling people apart is not difficult. Where "Kent State" was completely in black and white, in "The Dissidents" Backderf uses color sparingly to direct our attention. He also reproduces some of the most compelling cartoons from "The Masses," which makes us want to learn even more about them (here the notes at the end of the book are a helpful guide). The lessons for our own time are inescapable.

Highest recommendation

[Brenda]

The great Yogi Berra once said: "It's like Déjà vu all over again." And reading this informative, creative, and engrossing graphic novel was a history lesson that I never learned. Woodrow Wilson's tactics of suppressing the free press, lining the pockets of big business, and disenfranchising the already disenfranchised are unmatched only by the person who currently occupies the [w]hite [h]ouse. Thanks to Andrew M. for loaning me his copy, as I purchased my copy as an ebook. Don't do that. You gotta hold this book with both hands and take in the glorious political cartoons that excoriate the politicians and fat cats with surgical precision. This is a book for our time.

[Dan]

My thanks to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for an advance copy of this historical graphic novel that tells of those who proudly said no, no to policy, no to the same old ideas, no to those in power, the price many paid, and the legacy that left, and what we can see happening today.

America for all its talk of freedom and independence sure seems to like the taste of boot leather. People will give up much to be accepted, to be among the in crowd, to maybe get a chance at that big brass ring. Most never do, left behind, of blamed for those things that go wrong. However it is those who stand up and go NO, who seem to suffer the worst. Loss of family, loss of jobs, loss of freedom. All in the interest of someone else's interest. Usually money, usually control. We talk of freedom, but hate the nail that sticks out. And more than a few are willing to hammer it down. This graphic novel deals with issues from over one hundred years ago. Issues we still grapple with, and with technology changing quickly, something that is getting harder and harder to protest. The Dissidents: Autocrats! Vigilantes! Communists! And Cartoonists! by Derf Backderf is a story of a country at war, a country at change, a country with a racist president, and though a century apart, a country that deals with people who say no in many of the same ways.

The book starts in a country a decade more into the new century, but one with many of the same problems we deal with today. Immigrants who aren't American, the threat of war, job uncertainty, and what protest actually is. Joe Hertle is the son of German immigrants, as American as anyone, even in the looming shadow of World War I. Hertle wants to be a political cartoonist, to draw the issues of today, to poke fun of those in power, and those who fight the bad fight. A brawl at a union haul leaves him wounded, but bound and determined to be a success. To do so, Joe goes to New York, to The Masses magazine, the preeminent magazine of humor and political cartoon s. Joe meets people that later become famous, Emma Goldman, John Reed and others, falls in love, and soon into trouble. No one, likes people who complain, who say that America is not the best. And these forces are only getting stronger as war comes closer, ready to erupt in ways no one was prepared for.

Derf Backderf is probably one of the most interesting comic creators working today. True Crime, slice of life, and history, Backderf has created many interesting works, all different, focusing on the people involved. Backderf has a real gift for mixing fiction and real, characters and situations and showing not only what life is like, but lessons that can be taken from these situations. Backderf has done an incredible amount of research, and yet the story never seemed like a lecture, or a teaching lesson, but a story about real people, and really bad things. The art really fits the writing. Clear characters, which must have been exhausting for there are quite a lot of people in this book. Yet the story never drags, all these people and motivations are explained, and one learns quite a bit. All while enjoying a fascinating tale.

A book that really shows what graphic novels can do. Tell the truth, show history not in easy to digest, safe ideas, but the uncomfortable truth. The real reality of acquiescing to power, of not asking questions., just wearing hats and laughing at old men with old ideas. A really important graphic novel that I will be sure to suggest. And think about.

[Book Club of One]

American author Derf Backderf, best known for the graphic narrative My Friend Dahmer (2012) follows up Kent State (2020) with The Dissidents: Autocrats! Vigilantes! Communists! And Cartoonists!. Focused on the United States in World War I era, Backderf dramatizes real events through the fictional character Joe Hertle, who is works as an artist for newspapers, and is looking to break in to political cartoons. His family immigrated to Cleveland from Germany just after he was born.

Through Hertle, we are introduced to major figures of the political opposition of early twentieth century America. Hertle accompanies reports to talks or public speaking engagements. These include Emma Goldman, John Reed, Max Eastman and Eugene V. Debs.

As Hertle pursues political cartoons more seriously he joins the orbit of The Masses. Started in 1911, The Masses was an illustrated socialist monthly that built each issue through hours long collaborative meetings. From the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914, it was highly critical and vocal in its opposition. The magazines contributors or managing staff included Art Young, Boardman Robinson, Cornelia Barns and many others.

At first this freedom of expression, while not fully unhindered, could be published and distributed through the mail. However when the US entered World War I in April 1917, Wilson swiftly passed repressive measures to outlaw dissent. It was accompanied but widespread de-Germinization, where names were changed, businesses were attacked or destroyed and individuals were abused or even killed without punishment by the perpetrators.

The Masses was accused of being seditious and put on trial. Much of the narrative here details the changes to the United States as it went from a society at least tolerant of different ideas to one hyper fixated on war. Any criticism could and frequently was severely penalized with loss of jobs, assault or imprisonment. These were codified in the Espionage act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918.

Backderf shows Joe trying to remain strong in his beliefs and commitments against this regressive state. He is forced to make the choice between ideals and safety. We see many others involved in The Masses in similar straits.

A timely graphic narrative pointing to troubling moments from history with echoes to our present.

Recommended to readers of history, civil liberties or the individual against the power of the state.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[KC]

Book Review: The Dissidents by Derf Backderf

The Dissidents is less a traditional narrative and more a focused look at a very specific moment in American media history, when political cartooning and radical publishing briefly occupied the same volatile space. The story follows a newspaper man who gets pulled into the orbit of The Masses, a socialist magazine known for its sharp, often confrontational cartoons, and from there the book shifts into a portrait of the artists and ideas shaping that publication.

What stands out pretty quickly is how much Backderf cares about this material. There is a level of detail here that goes beyond surface-level research, and it shows in the way the book lingers on process, personalities, and the day-to-day mechanics of putting out a politically charged publication. The cartoonists feel like the real focus, and the story is at its most engaging when it is watching them work through ideas and figure out how to turn politics into something visual and immediate.

That care also helps ground the rising tension. As World War I ramps up, the pressure on dissenting voices starts to close in, and the book captures that shift without overdramatizing it. It is less about big, explosive moments and more about the slow realization that the space for this kind of work is disappearing.

At the same time, the structure can feel a bit loose. It reads more like a series of connected snapshots than a tightly driven story, and that makes it harder to stay anchored to any one character. The emphasis is clearly on the movement and the history rather than individual arcs, which works intellectually but keeps things a little distant emotionally. The art reflects that same sense of care. It is expressive but controlled, with a lot of attention paid to period detail and clarity. The inclusion and emphasis on the cartoons themselves is a strong choice, and it reinforces how central they are to the book’s purpose.

Overall, The Dissidents feels like a project driven by genuine passion. It may not be the most immersive or tightly plotted graphic novel, but the level of thought and care behind it carries it a long way, especially if you are interested in the history of political art and publishing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Kyle]

Backderf's latest graphic novel, like his earlier works, is clearly designed for the moment in which we live. While this is mostly a work of historical non-fiction, the themes of government suppression of liberties and deportation of "undesirables," as well as the rise of violent vigilantism certainly still ring true in 2026. Just like the cartoonists of The Masses who faced the death of their niche left-wing industry, the media in 2026 faces a similar challenge of how to combat government overreach while still trying to providing a living for their families in a capitalist society. As such, the work is an excellent love letter to the power of media (especially to political cartoons) and their necessary importance in a democratic society. The true highlight of the book were the excellent reproductions of the powerful images produced by the talented cartoonists of The Masses, along with some interesting analysis of their work as art.

If there is one area where the work does not quite reach its full potential, it would be that the main character of Joe Hertle (a fictional person based on Backderf's grandparents and his own struggles to find his voice in the cartooning industry several generations later), is a bit of a dry vessel who mostly just observes and witnesses history. Thus, there is a lack of tension with regard to the plot as Backderf tries to cut a middle ground between pure non-fiction and historical fiction to an extent where the historical fiction part really did not seem to carry much weight or resonance with me. Perhaps it would have been a stronger entry to highlight one of The Masses cartoonists (Art Young would be my choice) to make them the center with which the work revolves around that would allow the book to more aptly develop a standard plot with a main character that actually existed in history. It seems that since Backderf wanted to include the oppression of "hyphenates" such as his grandparents, that he had to invent a fictional cartoonist for The Masses in order to emphasize this unfortunate aspect of American history.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

[Joanne]

Exceptionally drawn and richly researched, The Dissidents is Derf Backderf at his best. Rather than simply recounting history, he creates Joe, a fictional young cartoonist whose admiration for the contributors to The Masses, a radical socialist magazine of the early 20th century, allows readers to experience firsthand the passion, idealism, and sacrifices of a remarkable generation of artists.

Those artists lived through a period that feels surprisingly familiar 🙄—a global pandemic, revolution, world war, widening inequality, censorship, and politicians eager to pit working people against one another while protecting the powerful. Many endured poverty, surveillance, blacklists, and persecution, yet they continued to fight with the only weapons they had: pencils, sketchbooks, and an unwavering belief that art could challenge injustice.

What impressed me most was how Backderf transformed what could have been a dry history lesson into a gripping graphic narrative. His artwork and razor-sharp social commentary are as compelling as ever. Whether or not you share the politics, it’s hard not to admire the courage of artists who literally risked everything for their convictions.

As Backderf notes, “(Woodrow) Wilson has muzzled the greatest political cartoonists of our time, just when they’re needed the most,” a line that perfectly captures both the urgency of the era and the chilling effects of government overreach. He shines a light on a fascinating but little-known chapter of American history that raises enduring questions about the First Amendment, governmental propaganda, and the unique ability of political cartoonists to challenge authority and hit folks in the feels. The Dissidents is both a fascinating work of graphic history and a passionate defense of political cartooning itself—arguably Backderf’s most meta work to date—and one that feels destined to educate cartoonists for years to come.

Includes almost 40 pages of notes/bibliography for further reading.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews]

Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Comic Arts for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A president who rolls back policy and re-segregates the employees of the federal government. A president who goes after his political enemies. A president who goes after the fourth estate, journalists. A president who promises to keep America out of war, who turns around on his campaign promise as soon as he’s in office. A president who cracks down on immigrants with a paramilitary force. Sound familiar? Of course, it does. We learned about it in American History class, right? That’s what Woodrow Wilson did in the early part of the 1900s.

The Dissidents is a fantastic graphic novel based upon the lens of the journalists and political cartoonists who held a mirror up to society through their work. It’s a different way of looking back at history while quite literally drawing parallels to current events. What we’re seeing today is a direct result of some of the actions taken by the government more than 100 years ago. The book combines the intersection of art and politics and is a warning from the past.

I really appreciate Derk Backderf’s storytelling and illustrations which naturally take the form of the way political cartoons looked back in the day as well as today. This is the sort of book that makes one angry at the injustice the political cartoonists had to deal with back then and in our current climate.

[Emma]

The Dissidents was my first exposure to Derf Backderf, and I now see why he's so well-regarded! A perfect balance of information and storyline, set during the WWI era in American publishing--specifically the relatively small world of political cartoonists. We all learn the broad strokes of WWI in school, but seeing the homefront from a media perspective reveals startling truths that have been smoothed over with time (looking at you, Woodrow Wilson). Themes of autocracy, anti-immigrant policy, censorship, and war propaganda strongly mirror modern times to a rather alarming degree. Readers will have much to chew on with the colorful personalities that dominated the newspaper scene in the late teens. Famous political cartoonists like Art Young, Robert Minor, Boardman Robinson, and Cornelia Barns rubbed shoulders with political dynamos such as anarchist Emma Goldman and socialist Eugene Debs. Backderf has created an effective and engaging peek into a forgotten era of censorship and political turmoil. An excellent visual alternative to wordy historical texts, The Dissidents is a sharp and effective graphic novel that warns of the dangers of repeating history.

Thanks to Abrams ComicArts and Netgalley for providing an ARC of The Dissidents. My review is, as always, truthful and unbiased, and I hope it helps introduce readers to new books they will love!

[Lisa Mills]

Wow.
Why am I only learning about the tumultuous and repressive state of American life of 1917-1920 now, in my 60s? Much thanks to Mr. Backderf for bringing to life (again) the courageous journalists and political cartoonists who challenged the Wilson administration’s autocratic policies. Emma Goldberg, Art Young, and the entire crew of The Masses lived interesting and consequential lives that inspired me in several ways.

First, Backderf tells readers in the intro, “We have been here before.” I am not sure I am comforted by that idea, but I am hopeful that American democracy will persevere through the autocratic and greedy administration currently at the helm. It is not the first time powerful men have bent the political realm to feed their own pockets and maintain power and force compliance through strong-arm tactics.

Second, Backderf reminds me that Americans are stubborn, resilient, and hard to silence. When enough people question unjust policies and corrupt politicians, the ship can be righted. It’s painful, unfair, and some people pay dearly for the cost of maintaining a democracy. But we can and WILL endure.

Excellent read. I am passing on my copy to a friend and buying another copy for my classroom.

[Rod Brown]

History repeats itself.

A president who vows to keep the United States out of war goes back on his word, moving to suppress the free press that criticizes him, demonizing socialists and immigrants as traitors to be deported, and unleashing a paramilitary force to demand citizens present papers on the streets or face detainment.

And it all happened more than a hundred years ago under a guy named Woodrow Wilson.

Derf Backderf masterfully dramatizes real events by having a fictional cartoonist hang out with the actual people who were put on trial under sedition and espionage laws for daring to make cartoons that disagreed with the President's mandated point of view.

It made me angry and sad, but I couldn't stop reading once I got going. (Though I did take my time going through the extensive end matter, absorbing the multitude of details over the course of four days.)

I'm already sure this will be one of my top graphic novels of the year and will appeal to readers with an interest in history and/or politics.


Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.

[Cynthia]

I've read Derf Backderf before, & have always appreciated his artwork & story telling.....& "The Dissidents" is real good too. This graphic novel goes back to cover events from 1916 to 1919, mostly in the USA, but some other places get mention too. This is an excellent way to learn history! Here we learn about Woodrow Wilson's regime, the suppression of freedom of speech & freedom of the press, with much attention to the political cartoonists. We see the US entry into WWI, the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, & learn about the APL & BOI of that time period, & mistreatment of immigrants then too......... I learned a LOT by reading this! The 'about the book' afterword at the end, highlighting the players, publications, & groups involved is a 'must read'! American history buffs will certainly appreciate this.......& now that I consider it again......I wonder if a 5 star rating might even be more accurate! It was a very good, quick, rewarding read!
I did receive an e-ARC from publisher Abrams ComicArts via NetGalley, providing me an opportunity to read it & offer my own fair/honest review.

[Lee Post]

Derf Backderf follows up his haunting and exhaustive exploration of the Kent State Massacre with a historical journey to the 1910s. He looks at an era where the giants of editorial cartooning molded the nations opinions on politics and war. Through the lens of a young artist from Cleveland, he looks at the personalities that defined the era and the early socialist movement and worker's rights movement in the Unities States. The book moves from an exploration of these artists and activists to how the United States marched towards its involvement in World War I and how the movements and people that opposed the war were, at best cast, aside, and, at worst, persecuted and destroyed. Backderf's illustrations are clear and impactful, with liberal use of illustrations and editorial cartoons from the era and an appendix that shows the immense amount of research he performed to bring this hidden period of history into the spotlight.

Thank you to the the publisher Abrams ComicArts and Net Galley for the advance copy.

[Melissa Orth]

Not a topic I’m overly interested in but I’ll read anything by Backderf because I know I will always learn something.

The Dissidents covers the tumultuous period in the early 20th century when Wilson used his political power and ruthless cronies to crack down on anyone, from labor movements to political cartoonists, who disagreed with the government. Of course hyphenates or anyone really who was not white DAR certified American were also targeted. This history is told through the eyes of a fictional rookie political cartoonist.

This title strongly seems like a personal project of Backderf’s as he repeatedly champions the long folded anti-establishment magazines of this time.

As much as I like history, I would have preferred more political cartoons used to illustrate (see what I did there har har?) the history. Still this book fills a hole in America’s history.

[Alicia]

So powerful. I had the pleasure of attending a panel with Backderf during ALA and got a signed copy of this one (having read all of his previous books and regularly buy additional copies of My Friend Dahmer in our HS library, which I told him).

This is a timely graphic novel that features cartoonists from the early 1900s who were using their skills to publish political cartoons to get Americans thinking about what was happening in their backyards and around the world, but instead of being heralded, the government tried them for sedition and pushed out punishments including prison and exile.

His style is captivating, the amount of original cartoons is fascinating, showing the amount of research and fact finding that went into this work. So smartly presented and done.

[Violet]

I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Welcome to 1916! White supremacist Woodrow Wilson is president. Also happening are the increasing racial tensions, economic instability, war and the fight for the right to unionize. Sounds kinda familiar, doesn't it?

The Dissidents sends us back in time to 1916, two years before the Spanish influenza, and smack dab in the middle of growing fear of communismand the ever growing private far right militias. Through Joe Hertle, a stand in for Backderf, we are immersed in the lives of the most influential political cartoonist of this time period. We get to live the reality of the people of this time period: the fear of war, the growing hatred towards immigrants and the fight for the right to unionize.

[Chrissy]

The Dissidents is packed with fascinating people, lost history and political bad behavior that has been papered over and forgotten. I wasn't particularly interested in the topic of political cartoons going into this read, but it's about so much more than that. Much of the censorship governmental overreach is scary to learn about, and even scarier to recognize in our current situation. Backderf's art is not to my particular taste, but fits the story he is telling and is extremely well done. My only quibble is the huge cast of characters that is difficult to sort out, but each is introduced clearly, and has a biography in the backmatter, so I was satisfied in the end. This is more than a book about cartoons. It's important, timely, and should be read by anyone who is paying attention.

[Relena_reads]

It's a bit uncanny to hear Derf Backderf's voice out of a long-dead cartoonist's mouth, but this is as important a story today as it was at the time Joe walks off the page at the end of the story.

America has a great capacity for forgetting its history, especially the parts that do not uphold American ideals, and so much of this history will appear new to readers even though it's never been particularly hidden. By focusing on a cartoonist who was at the edge of much more well-known portions of history, Backderf immerses us in the everydayness of standing up against an autocratic government and asks, "Which of these characters are you brave enough to be?"

This is a powerful book and I hope it's taught widely.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC.

[Roxane]

Derf Backderf's The Dissidents, reminds us, in no uncertain terms, that history does, indeed, repeat itself. In this graphic novel, based on all-to-real events, iGerman immigrant and political cartoonist Joe Hertle moves to NYC's East Village where he falls in with all manner of socialists, artists, communists and cartoonists. The story is as compelling as it is didactic; it is painfully timely and absolutely necessary. The stunning art work only reinforces this graphic novel's powerful message—there is nothing more precious and threatening than freedom.

[Kathy]

The Dissidents is an outstanding piece of historical record. It tells the forgotten and overlooked history of political dissidence in the US before and during World War I. This topic absolutely needs more attention, and this excellent, compelling and powerful graphic novel fills the gap in an accessible and thought-provoking way. The historical notes at the end are also an excellent resource that will make this ideal for adaptation in high school and university classrooms or for personal reading.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

[Chuk]

The book looks great and is up to the usual high standards set by Derf Backderf's other work. Tons of research obviously went into it and it's lightly fictionalized (to give us a viewpoint character whose life is similar to Derf Backderf's own ancestors (and whose career has parallels to his own)). I learned a lot of history from this.

[Alexis Berman]

Thank you to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

Once again Derf Backderf has written a masterpiece nonfiction graphic novel. And this one has perfect timing. The year is 2026 and we constantly see that what the people want is not what the government is giving them. In fact, it is the exact opposite. This book gets into the Dissidents that fight against tyrannical governments and individuals. And it reminds the reader that throughout history the Dissidents never give up, never back down, and ultimately persevere in trying circumstances. 4.25 stars.

[Jak Krumholtz]

Backderf puts in some passionate research and tells a hundred year old story of cartoonists exercising free speech while propaganda runs the land and groups of thugs empowered by President Wilson illegally push against immigrants and perceived radicals.

I pre-ordered as soon as he Backderf announced it and was surprised to get it several weeks prior to publication! Interesting Goodreads now has me enter such info on reviews before they come out.

[Rebecca Larsen]

I arrived at this graphic with no previous knowledge of the American cartoonists of the First World War and their contributions to anti-propaganda. What an incredible learning curve! I feel like a door has opened to an incredible world that I know so little of, and it has given me a rich appreciation for the art of cartooning, particularly political cartooning,

Fantastically illustrated, this is a must read for any lover of historical graphics.

[Adam Parrilli]

Derf Backderf is THE master when it comes to historical graphic novels. Take this tale regarding the plight of cartoonists before, during, and after WWI, for example. On paper not necessarily a topic that would pique my interest, but Backderf makes the reader care and beautifully illustrates complex material. Brilliant. RECOMMENDED!

[Tracey]

Important read and great graphic novel, I would have rated it five stars if I hadn't just started reading American Midnight which is about the same topic but broader and I just got to the part that address what this book covers and let's say the author of the graphic novel did Emma Goldman a disservice for no reason other than a difference of opinion.

[Rob Townsend]

One of the best books I've read this year. It's a chilling parallel to the current administration's efforts to destroy the Firsts Amendment and it's practitioners. A valuable history lesson beautifully rendered by Derf Backderf. Highly recommended.

[doowopapocalypse]

New to Backderf's work, but for research, execution, and illustrations, Dissidents ranks with Rick Geary's work among the top graphic nonfiction pieces.