The Dissidents - by Derf Backderf (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"This is masterful documentation of a sobering history that reverberates to the present day."

-- "Publishers Weekly, Starred Review" (6/25/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"A magnificent book, forensically researched and beautifully drawn. In The Dissidents, a cartoonist invents a cartoonist to witness the giants of American social political cartooning. The story is of their contribution to a publication of dialectical art and reportage called The Masses. Their time is one of global upheaval--a pandemic, revolutions, a world war, and its partner, 'the enemy within, ' pitting working class people against one another, fueled by murderous corporate overlords and their lackeys and corrupt, moronic politicians. The artists' lives are fraught with ideological contradictions. They struggle against poverty whilst being persecuted, censored, and blacklisted. And through it all they carry their only weapons--a pencil and a sketchbook. This book is an inspiration for the artists of today, who expose bullies and will not be silenced."

-- "Sue Coe, artist and social activist" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"The Dissidents is a thoughtful examination of a largely forgotten moment in U.S. history and a reminder that the struggles of contemporary America are hardly new. Let us never stop fighting the autocrats. This is an important book for an important moment."

-- "Badiucao and Melissa Chan, You Must Take Part in Revolution" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"The Dissidents is a revelation and a masterpiece of visual storytelling. Derf Backderf places the reader in a time and place when the rights granted by the First Amendment were truly at risk--a story that mirrors much of what is happening in today's America. By putting the reader front and center, Backderf makes us feel what it is like to be an artist on the front line covering an authoritarian administration--taking risks, fighting back, and confronting those who threaten our essential rights as American citizens. The Dissidents demands to be read, and it must be. It is essential reading."

-- "Edel Rodriguez, Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"The Dissidents is Derf's very best work, and a rightly shocking masterpiece: His expert linework delivers history's haunting rhyme with nuance and gravity. Derf deftly illuminates a democracy in crisis, inviting readers to make modern connections while underlining the essential role of art in making our voices heard."

-- "Nate Powell, National Book Award-winning artist of the March trilogy, Save it for Later, and Diana" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"As William Faulkner noted: 'The past is never dead. It's not even past.' Derf Backderf's deeply researched, stunningly executed book underlines this in red. The Dissidents is a remarkable journey back in history, leading right up to our twenty-first-century doorstep. An ode to the power of art to shake the pillars of power, this tour-de-force graphic novel couldn't be more timely."

-- "Peter Kuper, author, Insectopolis and co-founder of World War 3 Illustrated" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"Derf Backderf's The Dissidents reminds us, in no uncertain terms, that history does, indeed, repeat itself. In this graphic novel, based on all-too-real events, German immigrant and political cartoonist Joe Hertle moves to New York City'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 artwork only reinforces this graphic novel's powerful message--there is nothing more precious and threatening than freedom."

-- "Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist and Hunger" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"Derf Backderf's latest graphic novel, The Dissidents, is absolutely brilliant. For anyone obsessed with comics, history, politics, corporate greed, propaganda, humor, art, humanity, and the necessity of speaking truth to power, this book is for you. It's part cautionary tale, part wake-up call, part inspiration, and 100% a damned great ride."

-- "Bill Sienkiewicz, Eisner Hall of Fame artist" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"If you're still not paying attention, Derf Backderf's latest book will remind you that this is a time for urgency. Weaving the art of the brilliant opinion artists from the early 20th century magazine The Masses with the life journey of a fictional young ambitious political cartoonist, Backderf brings to life an era when Americans forgot about our most important amendment."

-- "Ann Telnaes, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"War. Anarchists. Jingoism. A government suppressing the free press. Derf Backderf's masterful new book The Dissidents brings us back to a time both historical and of the moment with a fresh homage to cartoonists of yore. Drawn masterfully with his characteristic stark, original, detailed charm, The Dissidents is fascinating, entertaining, and disturbing. A must-read for lovers of history, cartooning, and what America is supposed to stand for."

-- "Jake Tapper, anchor and chief Washington correspondent, CNN" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

"You won't believe this story. Journalists arrested and government-sponsored violence in the streets? Derf Backderf shows us in The Dissidents that the suppression of history is why we're doomed to repeat it today. It also underscores what I constantly tell my students: Making comics is the most important thing you can do. The Dissidents should be required reading for students of all ages--and everyone else."

-- "Christopher Sperandio (aka Pinko Joe), artist and art professor" (3/26/2026 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Derf Backderf is the international bestselling, award-winning author of My Friend Dahmer, Trashed, and Kent State. He is the recipient of the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for political cartooning. His weekly comic strip, The City, appeared in more than 150 newspapers for nearly 25 years. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and, like one of The Masses political cartoonists George Bellows, is an alumnus of Ohio State University.