Drawing the Line: Indian Women Fight Back is a comics anthology by fourteen Indian women. The 162 page anthology contains personal reflections on and reactions to the 2012 gang rape of a Delhi medical student. The anthology came together as a result of a comics workshop held in the wake of the massive protests that swept across India in the aftermath of the case:
“As a part of the national conversation happening in India around women’s rights, feminist publisher Zubaan Books (New Delhi) teamed up with The Goethe Institut (Germany) for a week-long workshop with a group of Indian women, aged 20 – 45. The result was something remarkable.”
The Kickstarter, from Ad Astra Comix, aims to bring Drawing the Line to North American readers and to sponsor workshops “with organizations who feel this book offers their membership an opportunity for education and advocacy around women’s issues.”
And in addition to being a socially and politically important book, Drawing the Line looks really damn good. The book is printed in black and white, with a wide variety of styles and modes, and most of these cartoonists have yet to have much exposure in North America — new comics; good comics!
Backer tiers include $25 for a copy of the book and $40 to receive a copy of the book while also sponsoring a workshop. Why are these workshops so important?
“At a time when white feminism is struggling to embrace intersectionality in a meaningful way, titles like Drawing the Line offer western feminists an opportunity to engage with the lived experiences of Indian women in other parts of the world. For South Asian women living in the diaspora, Drawing the Line represents an opportunity to compare similarities and differences between diasporic life and the experience of women still in India.”
Yeah, that’s why.
Check out the Kickstarter and their Press Kit for more information on the project.
