World War 3 Illustrated Web Comics

Egyptian artist Ganzeer has made an appeal to artists for public art next week denouncing the crimes of SCAF. His post, reprinted in its entirety, below:

http://ganzeer.blogspot.com/2011/12/mad-graffiti-week-jan-13-25-appeal-to.html

This is an appeal to help save lives. The Egyptian Military Council has unleashed a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests by the Egyptian people, calling for the resignation of the military council and a cancellation of the sham elections that they’ve been running under their supervision. Soldiers have shown us no mercy, hitting fallen women with their batons, stomping on skulls with their boots, and shooting unarmed civilians dead. I’ve seen this happen with my own eyes and was unable to stop it. It’s a soul-shattering pain like no other.

The lies being disseminated by military-controlled media are as equally painful. Nothing hurts more than such shameless injustice. I fear the military’s strategy will only lead my country to an armed civil war. In an effort to keep our struggle peaceful, I hear by call on artists everywhere to support the Egyptian revolution with their art. As the genius that is Alan Moore once said, “[a satire] destroys you in the eyes of your community, it shows you up as ridiculous, lame, pathetic, worthless, in the eyes of your community, in the eyes of your family, in the eyes of your children, in the eyes of yourself, and if it’s a particularly good bard, and he’s written a particularly good satire, then three hundred years after you’re dead, people are still gonna be laughing.”

Our only hope right now is to destroy the military council using the weapon of art. From January 13 to 25, the streets of Egypt will see an explosion of anti-military street-art. If you are a street artist elsewhere in the world, please do what you can in your city to help us. Even if you are not a street-artist. If you’re a comicbook artist, a musician, or filmmaker, whatever artistic talent you have can be of big help. If you can do something before the designated date, please do! We need all the help we can get.

Finding “inspiration” is not at all difficult. A quick visit to scaf-crimes.blogspot.com will do the trick. On behalf of Egypt’s street-art community, allow me to thank anybody in the world willing to help. Your art may very well save lives.

From Seth Tobocman:

I was invited to speak at the Komikazen Festival of reality-based comics, which happens every November in Ravenna, Italy. I hadn’t expected the politics of lower Manhattan to follow me to Komikazen, but when I was there I felt I was surrounded by the politics of the U.S., Egypt and in fact the whole world.

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Which Side Are You On?, a new book with illustrations by WW3I artist Chris Cardinale, is having a release party Saturday at Bluestockings Books!

We just got back from hanging art at the Sixth Street Community Center, where the release party for the new issue of World War 3 Illustrated will be held Friday night. It felt a little weird to be in a gallery all day as Occupy Wall Street protestors have been engaging with running battles with cops basically across downtown Manhattan. Meanwhile we are assuming that capitalism is not going to be overthrown by Friday night and that our release party will go forward as planned.

It was fun to realize that Sixth Street Community Center used to be a synagogue, but has also been a home to many World War 3 Illustrated artists over the years, as testified by the mural painted by Seth Tobocman, Sabrina Jones and Chris Cardinale in the cafe.  While we worked Seth told me a story I hope he someday shares about how a certain very high profile cartoonist who was starting an anthology of adult comics at the same time Seth was starting WW3I got mad at him about a dispute over a saddle-stapler…..

I’ll meet you after the jump to show you the rest of the photos from the gallery space! Read More »

The Village Halloween Parade, the largest public parade in the United States, invited Occupy Wall Street to participate this year.

World War 3 Illustrated decided to make some art to help out!

Join us tonight on 6th Ave between Canal and Grand between 4:30 and 5pm!

Peter Kuper’s “Put the Spider on a Diet!” mounted on foam core. More after the jump!
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cover by magdy el shaffee

World War 3 Illustrated #42

$7.00 (US)

ISBN 978-1-60309-101-5

Pre-order through Top Shelf
WW3 #42: TAHRIR (LIBERATION): FROM THE MID-EAST TO THE MID-WEST
Edited by Seth Tobocman, Ethan Heitner and Jordan Worley

Nothing gives us more hope than the uprisings we see taking place around the world. We see the spirit of rebellion spreading from Tunisia to Cairo to Libya to Wisconsin. These events remind us that human rights should be universal. We are elevated and humbled by this vision. We are reassured that all human beings want the same things; peace, prosperity, freedom of expression and self-governance. In a word TAHRIR (LIBERATION).

In Cairo’s Midan Tahrir, Liberation Square, Egyptians did not go home after the protest. They did not settle for promises of reform. They took over the center of their city and started building the society they wanted. In the end the reality of liberation overwhelmed the old regime. Their victory has aroused a new spirit of revolt.

WORLD WAR 3 ILLUSTRATED #42 is dedicated to the possibilities for liberation around the world and here in the U.S.

This issue will feature artwork by the new generation of Arab cartoonists, including new work by Magdy El Shafee, making his U.S. debut. His graphic novel Metro, banned by the old Egyptian regime, will be published by MacMillan in 2012.

We are also proud to present work from artists present at the massive protests in Madison, Wisconsin, including Mike Konopacki, Nick Thorkelson, Paul Buhle and Sue Simensky.

Other artists in the issue include Eric Drooker, Peter Kuper, Sabrina Jones, Jordan Worley, Seth Tobocman, Ahmad Nady, Malik Sajad, Mazen Kerbaj, Tayseer Barakat, Ethan Heitner, Edd Baldry, and many others. — A 144-Page Softcover, Perfect-Bound Anthology, 7” x 9” published by WW3 and distributed by Top Shelf.