Where We Live: Las Vegas Shooting Benefit Anthology

by J. H. Williams III, Jamie Mckelvie (Artist), Wendy Wright-Williams, Jeff Lemire (Artist), Cliff Chiang (Artist)

Overview

On October 1, 2017, Las Vegas, Nevada suffered the worst mass shooting in modern American history, resulting in 58 deaths and over 500 injured. It broke my heart. Las Vegas is my home. I felt like something needed to be done to help in a unique way.” — JH WILLIAMS III, Artist & Curating Editor

This “unique way” was the genesis of the WHERE WE LIVE anthology—a riveting collection of both fictional stories and actual eye-witness accounts told by an all-star line-up of the top talent working in comics today. All the creators have graciously volunteered their time and talent to help bring some sense to this senseless act and, in the process, raise money for the survivors and their families.

The book will include a variety of perspectives with key themes exploring gun violence, common sense gun control, value of a compassionate society, mental health stigmatization, aftermath of tragedy and how individuals & communities persevere and an appreciation of Las Vegas as a vibrant community.

100% of the proceeds for the WHERE WE LIVE anthology will be donated to Route 91 Strong, a non-profit organization.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534308220
Publisher:	Image Comics
Publication date:	06/05/2018
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 16 Years

Editorial Reviews

07/09/2018
Including 95 comics by nearly 200 creators, this massive, powerful volume documents a wide array of voices and stories raised in protest against gun violence, created as a response to the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Eyewitness Lee Schoeppner’s memories of the tragedy are single frames: a bloody cowboy hat, a gunshot, his wife running. “When I think back, I see static images. I guess that’s my mind’s way of coping,” says Schoeppner, whose story is captured panel by panel in “Lee—Haunted.” Some entries feel raw and furious, such as “Untitled,” a rant from Brian Michael Bendis (Avengers): “Every time we go on goddamn Twitter or Facebook, the world reminds us it’s gone to shit! But! None of us know what to do.” Other pieces paint historical contexts for Americans’ relationship with guns, including “Reconstruction” by Malachi Ward (Expansion), about how African-Americans used guns to defend against white supremacist mobs. But, often, few words are necessary: a heart-stopping page by Mike Mignola (Hellboy) shows a person destroying a machine gun in front of a pile of blood-red skeletons. The figure shouts only one word: “Enough!” The crowd of creators in this packed volume shouts along—enough—with its rallying call to action. (June)

Publishers Weekly

LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED) — The graphic anthology 9-11: Emergency Relief raised money for the Red Cross. The recent Love Is Love supported victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, while Puerto Rico Strong assisted Hurricane Maria disaster relief. Now Las Vegas residents and curators J.H. Williams III (Batwoman; The Sandman: Overture) and wife Wendy Wright-Williams offer a collection of 75 short comics from creators around the world in response to the 2017 mass shooting, the worst in modern American history. Eyewitness accounts, quirky parables and allegories, commentaries from varied viewpoints, and fictional entries about violence, victims, and community comprise this devastating, kaleidoscopic work compiled by former DC/Vertigo editor Dennis, with assistant Michael Perlman. The more than 160 contributors, including numerous comics luminaries-Neil Gaiman, Mike Mignola, Gail Simone, and Fábio Moon as well as curator Williams-present various art styles that collectively exhibit beauty, thoughtfulness, and visceral punch in depicting tragedy and compassion: how “Everything matters. Everyone matters.” Proceeds will be donated to Route 91 Strong. Verdict This wrenching and inspiring read deserves prominent display in all public and high school libraries to encourage meditation, understanding, and discussion among everyone willing to look beyond the headlines.

From the Publisher