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BORDERx: A Crisis in Graphic Detail
A comics anthology to benefit the south Texas Human Rights center.
The BORDERx Anthology Project has attracted artists from around the world. Argentina, Egypt, South Africa, The United Kingdom and of course the U.S.A. We are artists and writers united who are willing to stand in the face of oppression and to denounce it in words and pictures. We use comix as our medium and we have partnered with several organizations and individuals to put the current policies on record. By diving deep into the details, we seek to bring context and depth beyond the headlines. The anthology collects funds for the South Texas Human Rights Center who provide water stations, search and rescue as well as forensic recovery for migrants who take the treacherous journey to cross the border in search of a better life. We have also partnered with Project Amplify and Asylum Seekers Advocacy Program (ASAP) to bring sworn testimonies from migrants to the page. This full color comic anthology features talented artists both established and undiscovered.
The BORDERx Anthology Project has attracted artists from around the world. Argentina, Egypt, South Africa, The United Kingdom and of course the U.S.A. We are artists and writers united who are willing to stand in the face of oppression and to denounce it in words and pictures. We use comix as our medium and we have partnered with several organizations and individuals to put the current policies on record. By diving deep into the details, we seek to bring context and depth beyond the headlines. The anthology collects funds for the South Texas Human Rights Center who provide water stations, search and rescue as well as forensic recovery for migrants who take the treacherous journey to cross the border in search of a better life. We have also partnered with Project Amplify and Asylum Seekers Advocacy Program (ASAP) to bring sworn testimonies from migrants to the page. This full color comic anthology features talented artists both established and undiscovered.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2020
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8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 29, 2020
BORDERx surprised me in that I picked it up expecting - out of a sense of necessity - to read about the pressing hardships and injustices suffered in detention centers at the border. And I mean, that's in there. There's also a lot of... joy? And beauty, and hope, I guess. There are a ton of stories, and each has a different art style. There are the (incredible) first-hand sworn testimonies of children separated from their parents - which is heart wrenching - but also more nonfiction and fictional stories too. I did want to learn more about the topic, but I also felt hopeful and - impressed by all the people trying to do justice. It's a real eye-opener. The graphic novel format makes it easy to understand, and also just helps you REALIZE what people are going through. It's a beautiful and well-crafted book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to broaden their understanding of the border crisis, or just the world at large. It's a real labor of love created by a huge group of people and artists and activists, and it really comes through. I both enjoyed and learned from it.
May 21, 2020
This is a truly impressive comic anthology. While there have been charity anthologies in the past, the organization of BORDERx is proof of how much this anthology succeeds as an academic work of sociological, historical, and artistic value.
The first two sections, "The Exhibits" and "The Response," establish the thesis of this work: what is happening on the southern border of the United States constitutes a humanitarian, legal, and moral crisis. Comics in "The Exhibits" are based off sworn testimony from migrant children who have faced abuse at the hands of the United States government from June 2019 - even though the case itself, FLORES v. BARR, has been ongoing since the 1980s (with the name of the Attorney General changing over time). The longevity of this case alone should provide sufficient evidence of federal malfeasance. Section two, "The Response," highlights some of the work that many non-profits and charitable organizations (like the South Texas Human Rights Center) do to help migrants. If Section One is damning evidence of an uncaring American public, Section Two demonstrates how that is not the case; there are some angels among us who look past status and nationality to see the inherent humanity in those coming to our borders.
Section three, "The Context," provides exactly that - a broader context to the crisis. Some of the stories focus on individual experiences of those who are tangentially related to the detainees in some way. In Phoebe Cohen's "As Long As They Come Here Legally," we see the experience of a woman who is protesting the conditions (and operation) of the detainee camps considering her own family's path to the United States and how closely it resembles the experience of those coming now to the southern border. Anyone remotely aware of the bloody history of the 20th century should be able to clearly see the comparisons between immigrant experiences. In my own piece (not to toot my own horn), "...But It Does Rhyme," I show a long American history of detention centers and concentration camps. My goal in this comic is to demonstrate that the camps on our border are not sui generis; historically, the United States has often relied on such programs to control and contain groups of people it deems some sort of threat. Overall, "The Context" puts on display the historical undercurrents that allow the federal government to establish detention camps in the first place.
Sections four and five, "The Ruminations" and "The Posters," are where the reader will find the most artistically expressive pieces of BORDERx. Here, creators play with the themes that surround this crisis and apply them to short comics in a wide variety of genres, from science fiction to horror to slice-of-life, and a stunning collection of WPA-style posters. They are wonderful examples of the value of the arts - they can bring awareness without exhortation or clobbering a reader over the head with a message, but the message is there for those who will listen.
BORDERx marks an important milestone for charity anthologies. Where many charity anthologies have presented their cause celebre as is - that is, "you know about this, you know it is a problem, and here are some stories about it," BORDERx breaks ground in its authentic attempt to present the facts and context of the matter at hand. It assumes a level of vague, general awareness in its readers and acts as an educational opportunity. The end result is that the reader will come away from BORDERx with a deeper and more detailed understanding of a situation that merits greater attention, and - most importantly - will be prepared to discuss and debate the migrant crisis thoughtfully and intelligently. For this reason alone, I highly recommend BORDERx to anyone who enjoys comics and anyone looking to better understand the crisis on our border.
The first two sections, "The Exhibits" and "The Response," establish the thesis of this work: what is happening on the southern border of the United States constitutes a humanitarian, legal, and moral crisis. Comics in "The Exhibits" are based off sworn testimony from migrant children who have faced abuse at the hands of the United States government from June 2019 - even though the case itself, FLORES v. BARR, has been ongoing since the 1980s (with the name of the Attorney General changing over time). The longevity of this case alone should provide sufficient evidence of federal malfeasance. Section two, "The Response," highlights some of the work that many non-profits and charitable organizations (like the South Texas Human Rights Center) do to help migrants. If Section One is damning evidence of an uncaring American public, Section Two demonstrates how that is not the case; there are some angels among us who look past status and nationality to see the inherent humanity in those coming to our borders.
Section three, "The Context," provides exactly that - a broader context to the crisis. Some of the stories focus on individual experiences of those who are tangentially related to the detainees in some way. In Phoebe Cohen's "As Long As They Come Here Legally," we see the experience of a woman who is protesting the conditions (and operation) of the detainee camps considering her own family's path to the United States and how closely it resembles the experience of those coming now to the southern border. Anyone remotely aware of the bloody history of the 20th century should be able to clearly see the comparisons between immigrant experiences. In my own piece (not to toot my own horn), "...But It Does Rhyme," I show a long American history of detention centers and concentration camps. My goal in this comic is to demonstrate that the camps on our border are not sui generis; historically, the United States has often relied on such programs to control and contain groups of people it deems some sort of threat. Overall, "The Context" puts on display the historical undercurrents that allow the federal government to establish detention camps in the first place.
Sections four and five, "The Ruminations" and "The Posters," are where the reader will find the most artistically expressive pieces of BORDERx. Here, creators play with the themes that surround this crisis and apply them to short comics in a wide variety of genres, from science fiction to horror to slice-of-life, and a stunning collection of WPA-style posters. They are wonderful examples of the value of the arts - they can bring awareness without exhortation or clobbering a reader over the head with a message, but the message is there for those who will listen.
BORDERx marks an important milestone for charity anthologies. Where many charity anthologies have presented their cause celebre as is - that is, "you know about this, you know it is a problem, and here are some stories about it," BORDERx breaks ground in its authentic attempt to present the facts and context of the matter at hand. It assumes a level of vague, general awareness in its readers and acts as an educational opportunity. The end result is that the reader will come away from BORDERx with a deeper and more detailed understanding of a situation that merits greater attention, and - most importantly - will be prepared to discuss and debate the migrant crisis thoughtfully and intelligently. For this reason alone, I highly recommend BORDERx to anyone who enjoys comics and anyone looking to better understand the crisis on our border.
August 24, 2021
Moving, powerful, complicated and many times infuriating real life stories about lives marked with the Border and immigrant experience. Beautiful work, with many layers and voices (the advocates, the children in cages, the parents, the kids of immigrant parents, the lawyers, the helpers, etc). Still relevant, because Trump is gone, but the border and migrant humanitarian crisis continues.
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September 17, 2020This multi artist collaboration to support human rights is both gorgeous and harrowing. Highly recommend!
May 18, 2020
deep and powerful
i liked the many views of one of the harshest experiences in our time. its imagery challenges our world and our actions in it
i liked the many views of one of the harshest experiences in our time. its imagery challenges our world and our actions in it
June 10, 2020
I can't be impartial, I'm the editor, that said, it's a wonderful collaboration from over 70 international comic book creators that focuses deeply on the border crisis from a variety of vantage points. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews