THE REVELATOR is proud to reprint this Klassic Komix from one of the earliest and greatest innovators in the medium of graphix arts and wordless books. First published in 1917, Debout Les Morts is as relevant today as it was a century ago. Please see the associated commentary by David A. Beronä for background on Frans Masereel’s graphical work against war.
Frans Masereel (July 31, 1889 – January 3, 1972) was born in Belgium but lived most of his life in France. He is widely credited with inventing the ‘wordless novel,’ in which he used woodcuts to tell a story in pictures. In the best known of these, Passionate Journey (1919), the life of its protagonist is followed through a series of 167 woodcuts; Thomas Mann wrote the introduction for the 1920 German edition. His work influenced subsequent artists Lynd Ward, Art Spiegelman, Will Eisner, and Eric Drooker.