Comic book to be created to support Ukrainian refugees

A 96-page anthology Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds with stories by top comic books creators is helping to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees on the Zoop crowdfunding platform. 

«My job is about putting together books of stories, often stories about heroes, about good triumphing over evil. For nearly two months, a vicious battle has been waged against the people of Ukraine, against innocent men, women and children. These acts are nothing less than war crimes, nothing less than genocide. And having watched the endless news accounts I knew I had to do something, anything to help in some small way», – editor Scott Dunbier said in the video announcement.

Dunbier said that the comic book community is filled with good and decent people, «and our moral compasses are at least partially shaped by growing up reading comics, which brings us to Comics for Ukraine».

All funds raised by the book (with the exception of printing, credit card fees, marketing) will be sent to Operation USA, an international disaster relief and development agency.

«Projects such as Comics for Ukraine play a vital role in building our capacity to provide critical relief where needed most. Proceeds from this project will have a direct impact on the lives of those deeply affected by the ongoing war—improving conditions for Ukrainian refugees in Poland and other nearby countries via the provision of emergency grants and in-kind material aid», – said Mary Dolan, Director of Communications at Operation USA.

There will be 7 editions of the book. Some of the stories will also be about the Russian-Ukrainian war. 

More than 30 artists will contribute, including Stan Sakai, Kurt Busiek, Dave Gibbons, Louise Simonson, Matt Wagner and others.  

The book can be pre-ordered here. There are difference price categories for hardcovers and those signed by one or more of the contributors. 

Earlier this month, Canada’s The Globe and Mail published a comic by Ukrainian illustrators Anna Ivanenko and Jenya Polosina “Plans for War Time” about how their lives changed from January 24 to February 24.   

After the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian comics publishers, authors, translators, editors, illustrators, typesetters, bloggers and readers made a call to not buy russian comics and to stop all economic connections with russia. 

Illustration by Alex Ross