Drawing Protest Graphic Narratives for Youth and Social Justice

Contributions by Michelle Ann Abate, Mohit Abrol, Frederick Luis Aldama, Brianna Anderson, Arianna Banack, Katharine Capshaw, Samantha Ceballos, Debra Dudek, Ramprasad Dutta, Dalila Forni, Gabrielle Atwood Halko, Alison Halsall, Christian Hines, Aaron Kashtan, Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang, Sayanti Mondal, Bruce Mutard, Jesús Montaño, Rosa Nam, Ruth Quiroa, Anu Sugathan, Jongsun Wee, Lance Weldy, Tara West, and Yasmin Zahran
Drawing Protest: Graphic Narratives for Youth and Social Justice examines comics from countries and cultures around the world that engage pressing sociopolitical issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Coedited by Michelle Ann Abate and Frederick Luis Aldama, this collection brings together over twenty scholars from around the world who analyze a wide range of global comics tackling issues like racism, disability, homophobia, mental health, xenophobia, war, poverty, and climate change.
In an era marked by rising authoritarianism, climate crisis, and systemic inequality, comics for youth do more than reflect our world. These essays show how such works offer the critical and imaginative resources we need to envision and build a more just future. Drawing Protest delivers foundational studies of many as-yet-unconsidered creative works while introducing fresh analytical frameworks for understanding social justice comics. Chapters will serve as touchstones for future scholarship and offer concrete strategies for educators who want to use comics to foster critical thinking and awareness in K-12 and college classrooms.
Whether in the form of graphic novels, comics memoirs, or works of graphic nonfiction, these texts challenge norms, amplify marginalized voices, and build visual-verbal storyworlds that foster empathy, understanding, and critical thought among young readers.