The Graphic History Collective is announcing the launch of our third major comics project, tentatively titled, Direct Action Gets the Goods: A Graphic History of the Strike as Political Protest.
Throughout history, workers have used strikes to fight for fairness. But not all strikes are the same. Sometimes, workers put tools down and leave the factory, or people “slow down” on the job, or it’s weeks of pacing the sidewalk with placards waiting for negotiations. This new comics project will explore how and why workers’ use of the strike as a tool of political protest has changed over time.
We are pleased to be joined again by Dr. Mark Leier, professor of history at Simon Fraser University.
Now is a key time to create a comic book about strikes as a political tool. Austerity policies are putting pressure on working people to do more for less, and governments and courts are placing new legal restrictions on workers’ “right to strike.”
This new project will connect different histories and contexts and examine what strikes have in common: workers taking action together and exercising their collective power to change the world.
GHC comics are educational: our aim is to get radical history into the hands of people who may not otherwise encounter it. We mostly work on a volunteer basis although we do accept contributions and support from various groups and individuals. In the past, all money has gone to help pay honorariums to artists and to ensure we have been able to work with unionized graphic designers and printers.
For this new project, the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union has generously provided initial funding, allowing us to increase the honorarium we pay artists. We welcome additional support from other groups to expand the project.
Stay tuned for updates, including the announcement for our 2nd new project! Follow along on Facebook and Twitter, or contact us to sponsor the project and expand our reach.
Illustrate! Educate! Organize!