[Marxism] Wobblies! A Graphic History ... Paul Buhle and Nicole Schulman

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

PRESS RELEASE from Verson, the publisher

A vibrant history in graphic art of the “Wobblies,” published for the 
centenary of the founding of the Industrial Workers of the World.

The stories of the hard-rock miners’ shooting wars, young Elizabeth 
Gurly Flynn (the “Rebel Girl” of contemporary sheet music), the first 
-sit-down strikes and Free Speech fights, Emma Goldman and the struggle 
for birth control access, the Pageant for Paterson orchestrated in 
Madison Square Garden, bohemian radicals John Reed and Louise Bryant, 
field-hand revolts and lumber workers’ strikes, wartime witch hunts, 
government prosecutions and mob lynching, Mexican-American uprisings in 
Baja, and Mexican peasant revolts led by Wobblies, hilarious and 
sentimental songs created and later revived—all are here, and much, 
much more.

The IWW, which has been organizing workers since 1905, is often cited 
yet elusive to scholars because of its eclectic and controversial 
cultural and social character. Wobblies! presents the IWW whole, 
scripted and drawn by old-time and younger Wobbly and IWW-inspired 
artists.

What They Say About Wobblies!

“Tell the bosses to go to hell and buy an extra copy of this wonderful 
history. Give it to an exploited friend or just leave it in a public 
place. On the centenary of the IWW, we should be replanting the seeds 
of rebellion.” —Mike Davis, author of City of Quartz and Planet of 
Slums

“When I was in graduate school, we longed for “Classic Comics” of some 
of our more inaccessible historical tomes.  Paul Buhle and Nicole 
Schulman have gone way beyond that with Wobblies! A Graphic History. 
Carefully researched, interesting, informative and accessible, this 
book could not be more timely.” —Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. 
Warshawski novels

“America, contrary to what you might have been led to believe, has a 
deep indigenous radical tradition. Wobblies! excavates an essential 
part of American history that has been conveniently overlooked in 
recent years, and does so with style, great graphics, and no punches 
pulled.” —Luc Sante, author of Low Life and Evidence

The Wobblies made a unique and remarkable contribution to American 
culture and the everlasting struggles for freedom and justice, with 
effects that reach very far, and should in the future as well.  The 
excitement and inspiration of their creative and courageous work is 
brilliantly captured in this wonderful graphic history.” —Noam Chomsky, 
author of Hegemony or Survival

“Paul Buhle and Nicole Schulman shine an illuminating spotlight on a 
dimly lit corner of American history with their Wobblies! A Graphic 
History—and, even better—it’s chock full of great images. The Wobblies 
never stood so tall.” —Bill Griffith, artist, Zippy the Pinhead

“Wobblies! is an entertaining and richly instructive history of the 
IWW, a story told largely through illustrations whose styles vary from 
spare to surreal. Some of the stories and biographies are familiar, 
others obscure or little known. But the lessons are stark: even the 
most progressive activists today suffer little for their convictions, 
and our dreams and expectations and goals are narrow and shriveled 
compared to those of the Wobblies who provide our inspiration.” —David 
Newby, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO

“Political cartooning has experienced a genuine revival in recent 
years, led in part by the remarkable editor-artists of World War 3 
Illustrated. This new book connects some of today's most exciting 
cartoonists—Seth Tobocman, Sabrina Jones, Fly, Kevin Pyle, Nicole 
Schulman, Peter Kuper and many others—with one of the great dramas of 
the labor movement—the rise and fall (and rise?) of the Industrial 
Workers of the World. Wobblies! A Graphic History of the Industrial 
Workers of the World is more than a superb-looking coffee table book; 
it is an introduction to a critically important chapter in American 
history, and a graphic guide to grassroots political organizing. This 
book is highly recommended to fans of cartooning and class warfare.” — 
Kent Worcester, a regular contributor to The Comics Journal and the 
coeditor of “Arguing Comics: Literary Masters on a Popular Medium” 
(2005)


Paul Buhle is Senior Lecturer at Brown University, a member of the 
Organization of American Historians, a columnist, a journalist, and the 
author of many books including From the Lower East Side to Hollywood.

Nicole Schulman is an artist and activist on the editorial board of 
World War 3 Illustrated, to which she frequently contributes work. Her 
comics and illustrations have appeared in publications such as the New 
York Times, and are in the permanent collection of the Library of 
Congress. She lives in New York City.

Contributors include Carlos Cortez (former editor of the Industrial 
Worker), Harvey Pekar (author of American Splendor), Peter Kuper 
(current artist of Mad’s Spy vs. Spy), Sue Coe, Seth Tobocman, Chris 
Cardinale, Ryan Inzana, Spain Rodriques, Trina Robbins, Sharon Rudahl, 
and the circle of artists for World War 3 Illustrated.


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