Today, officially is the launch of Samidoon: Comics for a Free Palestine. This volunteer charity comics project is the long-gestating effort of Palestinian comics creators and their allies to tell some important stories of resistence, resilience, joy, and life!
You might be wondering, what is Samidoon? Well, we've put together a handy explainer for you!
What is Samidoon? Arabic for steadfast, brave, surviving, persevering. Samidoon: Comics for a Free Palestine is a 64-page anthology of new short comics from a mix of Palestinian creators and their allies that speak to the Palestinian ability to remain steadfast and survive. After print and production costs, all proceeds for the life fo the book will be donated to the Palestine Red Crescent Society to help those on the ground in Gaza, the West Bank, and across Palestine. samidoonanthology.com
The graphic also includes the book's logo and iconography of watermelons and olive branches.Featuring stories by Anas Abdulhak, Omar Abed, Jordan Alsaqa, Fuad Alymani, Rebecca Ann, Iasmin Omar Ata, Marguerite Dabie, Duck Drew, Lorenzo Hall, Megan Huang, Cris Jackson, Danny Lore, David Mariotte, James Marsh, Rebecca Michaud, Reem Natesh, Dania Omari, Matthew Palacios, Mohammad Sabaaneh, Jacoby Salcedo, Jameeleh Shelo, Johanna Taylor, Jodie Troutman, Alina Wahab, Fortune Wesson, Salam Zahr. samidoonanthology.com
The graphic also includes the book's logo and iconography of watermelons and olive branches.
Any money earned beyond our production costs (mostly the printing) will be donated to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
Check out our beautiful cover by Dania Omari, logo design by Jeeda Shupassi!
The collection cover depicts a Palestinian man on a boat, seemingly moving at piece despite many waves in the colors of the Palestinian flag. Art by Dania Omari, logo by Jeeda Shupassi.
And our stories: Al' Aqwaa by Jameeleh Shelo, Johanna Taylor, and Jodie Troutman!
A comics page in a watermelon graphic. Palestinian children realizing they have amazing super powers like speed, strength, levitation, fire, ice, and force fields. Comic by Jameeleh Shelo, Johanna Taylor, and Jodie Troutman.
Call to Action by an anonymous writer, Rebecca Michaud, Duck Drew, and Matthew Palacios!
A comics page in a watermelon graphic. The comic is about being stirred to taking action in seeing journalists, protestors, and people trying to survive against evil. By an anonymous writer, Rebecca Michaud, Duck Drew, and Matthew Palacios.
First Time for Everything by Dania Omari!
A watermelon border around a comics page. A text heavy comic featuring a person peeking around the edge of a large dividing wall in a stark black and white landscape. By Dania Omari.
Here and Now by Lorenzo Hall, James Marsh, and Cris Jackson!
A watermelon border around a comics page. A comic of a young woman in Palestine visiting places in her memory and in the reality of how they are now. By Lorenzo Hall, James Marsh, and Cris Jackson.
Past, Present, Future by Iasmin Omar Ata!
A watermelon border around a comics page. A comic drawn from a real family photo of Iasmin's family leaving Palestine 50 years ago, reflecting on the similarites to photos today. By Iasmin Omar Ata.
The Falcon by Megan Huang!
A comic page in a watermelon border. A metaphorical comic about a falcon who has a darkness stealing its eggs. By Megan Huang.
The Men I've Known by Jordan Alsaqa, Jacoby Salcedo, and Fortune Wesson!
A comic page in a watermelon border. An autobio comic about the memories of the Palestinian men in Jordan's family. By Jordan Alsaqa, Jacoby Salcedo, and Fortune Wesson.
The Nameless by Marguerite Dabaie!
A comic page in a watermelon border. An autobio comic in which young Marguerite learns from an early age that as a Palestinan, they're treated differently. By Marguerite Dabaie.
Together We Rise by Omar Abed and Salam Zahr!
A comic page in a watermelon border. A comic page depicting a young Palestinian-American boy feeling the contrast between the Palestine of his family's history, the destruction he's witnessing, and the swiftness with which it feels his peers have lost interest. By Omar Abed and Salam Zahr.
An untitled comic by Fuad Alymani!
A comic page in a watermelon border. A comic about a house, now occupied by a Jewish settler, interrogating who the house used to belong to. By Fuad Alymani.
Plus comics by the celebrated Mohammad Sabaaneh and more comics to be shown off soon by folks like me and Becca, Anas Abdulhak, Alina Wahab, Reem Natesh, and Danny Lore!
A comic in a watermelon border. A political cartoon of two people holding containers in front of them. The larger figure catches missles and bombs in a helmet like rain. A smaller child in the corner's pot remains empty. By Mohammad Sabaaneh.
Please check out the book!
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