WWIII

Radical political movements come and go each decade, so while their publications endure only a fraction of that time, how the hell does a radical comic survive 25 years? Seth Tobocman and the gang are back with the 25th anniversary issue of World War 3 Illustration. For this monumental anniversary they chose Neo-Cons as their theme.

WW3 was founded by Tobocman and Peter Kuper in 1980 while they attended Pratt Institute. In an interview done in issue 233 of the The Comics Journal, Tobocman cites the reaction by ordinary, reasonable people during Iran-Hostage Crisis as a motivation to start the magazine.

"I remember these big buttons that said, FUCK IRAN on them. They were sold in grocery stores by very respectable people. So we wanted to do an anti-war comic book," Tobocman said.

Anti-war art is still a priority, but the 25th anniversary does touch on issues outside of the war on terrorism and Neo-cons. This diversity has always been WW3's strength. A rotating cast of editors ensures that it's not the same old lefties drawing the same old comics. This issue has 72 pages that are free of advertisements, and contains 18 separate works done by a unique artist or collaboration. Illustrations range from the bold, the beautiful, the dark, and the intricate. There's even color (though it's wasted on one of the lamest works--- "Richie Bush, the Poor Oligarch") and two photo essays. One is a touchy-feely tale about Palestinian art on Israel's "security fence" and the other is a collection of private photos from an American soldier-proof that during war people really do get their faces blown off.

The photo essays are a nice break from pages upon pages of illustrations that even a radical politicking, comic-book nerd would feel overwhelmed by, but the comics are the sustenance of WW3.

Graphic highlights include Tobocman's dramatic "Democracy in Fallujah" which tells an Iraq story we're not use to hearing. The Fallujah resistance is often referred to in the mainstream media, but seldom is it dissected to a point of understanding. Tobocman uses his vibrant, stencil-like imagery to suggest that the Fallujah resistance and not the American-sponsored election, was a more successful example of democracy. He's hardly convincing. His proof: only 2% of the city's original population voted and the resistance was a communal collaboration that was not dependent on a minority of madmen terrorists with arms but every-day people standing up for what was right. His illustrations are commanding, but the story is guilty of the same lopsided coverage that can be found in most media.

This lapse of judgment by Tobocman, when he unjustly promotes a dire situation simply because it's the opposition of his opponents.

The personal as political theme separates WW3's successful pieces from those clouded with bias. It is only when an artist lives and breathes an experience can they fully express the situation in their art. Critiquing the war on terrorism and understanding the Neo-con's rise to power are important, but it's easy to separate opinions from experiences. The latter are more compelling. Tobocman is the most obvious example. His seminal book, "You Don't have to Fuck People Over to Survive," is more engaging and convincing because he focuses primarily on issues that occur in his neighborhood, ones that he has taken part in personally.

Besides Tobocman's work, other standouts include N. Schulman's "DMZ" The DMZ stands for "demilitarized zone" and refers to the no-man's land located between the still technically at war, North and South Korea.

Another highlight is Ryan Inzana's "One Nation Under Fear." This piece dances dangerously close to being a redundant account about the ignorance of Christianity, but this tale of "god as fear" works because it's personal. Inzana has lived amongst religiously-minded people and remained objective about their decisions. Inzana attempts to understand the morally misguided instead of condemning them like most radical thinkers.

Not all pieces in WW3 are masterpieces, many like the one done by Tom Tomorrow are space-fillers that can be found in any low-rent alt-weekly. When you do encounter one, don't worry, there's still plenty of quality work. Treat these annoyances as speed bumps and not a head-on collision.

WW3 is the best publication of its kind because of its diverse selection of artists, no-holds-barred subject matter and durability, but it occasionally suffers the same basic flaw found in other forms of radical activism. Alternative viewpoints are refreshing, but also demoralizing because these views are the new truths. They're seldom questioned within the same circles, and it doesn't matter whether it's intentional or not. WW3's first 25 years are legendary and it will be interesting to see if they can overcome the activist dilemma during the next 25 years.