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annabend's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
4.0
An anthology of art and graphic short stories for charity. Proceeds from the book will be donated to Voice of Children foundation to provide help to Ukrainian children being evacuated from hotspot regions in the east.
The first half collects short comics and one-page art from artists who have donated their time and talent to this anthology. There are a variety of takes on war and its effects in general, stories of characters from different walks of life and different regions in the world who have been impacted by war. It was strange to read in the context of russia's war in Ukraine—terrible that we can be connected by these dark truths.
I found the following stories particularly poignant:
Kateryna Kosheleva's "The Keepsafe" (in collaboration with David Andry & Tim Daniel) a story that highlights the incredible bravery of Ukrainian volunteers who risk their lives to evacuate people who cannot leave themselves.
Ennun Ana Iurov's "The Wait" (colors by Anna Papadopoulou) will be so relatable and painful to any Ukrainian abroad who could do nothing but wait for a message from a friend or family member to know if they survived February 24/25. This story is quiet and beautiful, perfectly capturing that strange atmosphere of going about your day while your inner world is on fire.
I appreciated Joe Corallo's and Sierra Barnes's "The Arrest and Exiles of Liudmyla Starytska-Cherniakhivska which highlighted the life and death of a 19th-century Ukrainian writer who became a victim of the Stalinist regime, simply for being a person who wrote and defended the right of Ukrainian culture to exist.
Bryan SilverBax's art piece of a Ukrainian soldier on the frontline (with amazing colour by Kate Carvajal) somehow managed to evoke the light and despair in one image.
I also liked the beautiful and imaginative high fantasy story "The Journey of Milosz and Myr" (Gabriel Valentin, Irlander Romero, et al) — the classic good vs. evil quest tale but with sunflowers. :) It was a lovely read, full of hope.
But, the true ultimate heart of this anthology is in the second half, where art from Ukrainian artists is featured alongside a personal note.
Like Mari Kinovych's (@marikinoo) illustration of the reality of childhood in Ukraine right now: a little girl reading by flashlight. Is she in a bomb shelter? At home, with no light and heat because Ukraine has to preserve power? Any of those could be true now.
Or Yana Strunina's (@yanastruninaart) "It Just Hurts" —a bright image of yet another packed suitcase. Yana explains that this is the second time since 2014 that she had to fit her whole life into the suitcase. What to keep? What to leave behind? What becomes essential when you don't know if you'll be back.
Anastacia's (@koshisty.pushisty) illustration of another "emergency" bag, this time with a cat haphazardly strapped in. Anastacia's brings a bit of humour to the terrible decision many Ukrainians had to make: take the family pet or is it best to leave it behind for its own good. Another difficult consequence of survival.
Mihail Dunakovskiy's (@dunakovskiy) illustration of Patron, a personal favorite, a tiny pup who has helped neutralize 90+ mines by now! A pup who became a symbol of unity, humour and hope to Ukrainians.
Inna Vjuzhanina's arresting hyper-realistic portrait of a personified, folkloric Ukraine: powerful, determined and angered, ready to curse her enemy.
And many, many more wonderful pieces and stories from: Nina Dzyvulska, Iryna Babenko, Olena Dziura, Iryna Potapenko, Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv, Marta Koshulinska, Polina Khrystiueva, Andy Ivanov, Yev Haidamaka, Gexis, and the young Tanya Vovk.
Each Ukrainian artist evoked a different aspect of the war, and together they form a united voice for the rest of our people.
One day, we'll see more Ukrainian writers and artists in the English-speaking world...and they won't have to talk about the war.
The first half collects short comics and one-page art from artists who have donated their time and talent to this anthology. There are a variety of takes on war and its effects in general, stories of characters from different walks of life and different regions in the world who have been impacted by war. It was strange to read in the context of russia's war in Ukraine—terrible that we can be connected by these dark truths.
I found the following stories particularly poignant:
Kateryna Kosheleva's "The Keepsafe" (in collaboration with David Andry & Tim Daniel) a story that highlights the incredible bravery of Ukrainian volunteers who risk their lives to evacuate people who cannot leave themselves.
Ennun Ana Iurov's "The Wait" (colors by Anna Papadopoulou) will be so relatable and painful to any Ukrainian abroad who could do nothing but wait for a message from a friend or family member to know if they survived February 24/25. This story is quiet and beautiful, perfectly capturing that strange atmosphere of going about your day while your inner world is on fire.
I appreciated Joe Corallo's and Sierra Barnes's "The Arrest and Exiles of Liudmyla Starytska-Cherniakhivska which highlighted the life and death of a 19th-century Ukrainian writer who became a victim of the Stalinist regime, simply for being a person who wrote and defended the right of Ukrainian culture to exist.
Bryan SilverBax's art piece of a Ukrainian soldier on the frontline (with amazing colour by Kate Carvajal) somehow managed to evoke the light and despair in one image.
I also liked the beautiful and imaginative high fantasy story "The Journey of Milosz and Myr" (Gabriel Valentin, Irlander Romero, et al) — the classic good vs. evil quest tale but with sunflowers. :) It was a lovely read, full of hope.
But, the true ultimate heart of this anthology is in the second half, where art from Ukrainian artists is featured alongside a personal note.
Like Mari Kinovych's (@marikinoo) illustration of the reality of childhood in Ukraine right now: a little girl reading by flashlight. Is she in a bomb shelter? At home, with no light and heat because Ukraine has to preserve power? Any of those could be true now.
Or Yana Strunina's (@yanastruninaart) "It Just Hurts" —a bright image of yet another packed suitcase. Yana explains that this is the second time since 2014 that she had to fit her whole life into the suitcase. What to keep? What to leave behind? What becomes essential when you don't know if you'll be back.
Anastacia's (@koshisty.pushisty) illustration of another "emergency" bag, this time with a cat haphazardly strapped in. Anastacia's brings a bit of humour to the terrible decision many Ukrainians had to make: take the family pet or is it best to leave it behind for its own good. Another difficult consequence of survival.
Mihail Dunakovskiy's (@dunakovskiy) illustration of Patron, a personal favorite, a tiny pup who has helped neutralize 90+ mines by now! A pup who became a symbol of unity, humour and hope to Ukrainians.
Inna Vjuzhanina's arresting hyper-realistic portrait of a personified, folkloric Ukraine: powerful, determined and angered, ready to curse her enemy.
And many, many more wonderful pieces and stories from: Nina Dzyvulska, Iryna Babenko, Olena Dziura, Iryna Potapenko, Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv, Marta Koshulinska, Polina Khrystiueva, Andy Ivanov, Yev Haidamaka, Gexis, and the young Tanya Vovk.
Each Ukrainian artist evoked a different aspect of the war, and together they form a united voice for the rest of our people.
One day, we'll see more Ukrainian writers and artists in the English-speaking world...and they won't have to talk about the war.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
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