PRESS RELEASE: SAMIDOON
Stories of Resistance Take the Spotlight in Your First Look at SAMIDOON: COMICS FOR A FREE PALESTINE
A charity comics anthology featuring fiction, autobiography, and poetry to support the Palestine Red Crescent Society!
Samidoon: Comics for a Free Palestine is an anthology of new short comics from an international community of Palestinian creators and their allies that speak to the Palestinian ability to remain steadfast and survive after the events of the past year, and the past 75 years.
The stories within speak to Palestinian existence and resistance: from sharing family histories to reflections on being of Palestinian descent in diaspora to translations of poetry and folklore to real and fictionalized accounts of standing up for what is right and the future of a Palestine that is free from the river to the sea!
“I'm proud of how a global community of writers and illustrators came together for this important cause to create Samidoon,” said author/illustrator Salam Zahr. “The wide range of comic styles is an invitation to all to connect with these powerful stories.”
“Samidoon is a special and powerful work; a passionate collection of our Palestinian voices and community reaching together to a better future,” said cartoonist Iasmin Omar Ata. “I’m honored to be a part of this project that has such strength infused into it.”
This 64-page collection features contributions from over 25 comic writers, artists, cartoonists, colorists, and letterers including Ignatz award-winner Iasmin Omar Ata (Nayra and the Djinn), Jordan Alsaqa (Cooking with Monsters), Omar Abed (The Book that Almost Rhymed), Marguerite Dabie (The Hookah Girl and Other True Stories), Jameeleh Shelo (Laith the Lion goes to Palestine),Palestine Book Award winner Mohammad Sabaaneh (Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine), Fuad Alymani, Reem Alnatsheh, Dania Omari, Salam Zahr, GLADD award-winner Jacoby Salcedo (This Land is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story), Fortune Wesson, Johanna Taylor (The Ghostkeeper), Jodie Troutman (Star Trek: Celebrations), Megan Huang (The Scale Trade), Ringo-nominated Anas Abdulhak (Etheres), Lambda Literary Award-nominated Alina Wahab (Nectar), Rebecca Michaud (Potions 101), Duck Drew, Matthew Palacios (Darklighter), Lorenzo Hall (TMNT: Black, White, and Green), James Marsh (Transformers: Beast Wars), Cris Jackson (The Rose Prince), Danny Lore (Bloodline: Daughter of Blade), Rebecca Ann (The Press Guardian), and David Mariotte (Transformers vs. the Terminator).
Many creators drew from their real life, telling autobiographical stories in the comics format. "With the story I've written, I appreciated the chance to highlight the men in my family,” said writer Jordan Alsaqa. “Jacoby and Fortune's work has done a wonderful job of capturing my childhood memories, and I hope even these brief snapshots can highlight the depth of personality and spirit of Palestinian men that rarely gets shown in western media."
Samidoon: Comics for a Free Palestine features a cover by Dania Omari, with logo design by Jeeda Shupassi.
Samidoon is currently available for pre-order in physical and digital formats until May 31st, 2025 at samidoonanthology.com with a release planned for later in 2025.