108. SOPHIE SCHOLL: The fire within
Sophie Scholl (1921-1943) was a German activist who is famous for speaking out against the Nazi regime. Scholl was a member of a protest group called The White Rose, which was formed by her brother Hans, and some of his university friends. The group mainly consisted of students in their early twenties who were fed up with the totalitarian rule of the government. The Nazis controlled every aspect of society – the media, police, military, judiciary system, communication system, all levels of education and all cultural and religious institutions. The White Rose distributed leaflets urging their fellow Germans to oppose the regime through non-violent resistance.
On 22nd February 1943, after the release of the sixth White Rose leaflet, Sophie, Hans and fellow member Christoph Probst were arrested by the Gestapo and convicted of treason. They were executed that same day by guillotine. Sophie was 21 years old.
UPDATE: The source of this quote has been disputed. It’s been sourced on Wikiquote, but on further investigation by some readers, it can’t be 100% confirmed. It could have originated from a 1991 play about Scholl written by Lillian Garrett-Groag.
- Thanks to Elise for submitting this quote.
- Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is a 2005 German movie that depicts Scholl’s last days and trial. It was nominated for best foreign film at the Oscars. I found the entire film on YouTube, although I’m not sure how long it will remain up.
- In case you missed it last week, someone made a short film based on one of my comics.
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Gav –
Just when I think you can’t get any more powerful, any more relevant, any more brilliant…
…your candle burns yet more brightly.
Really every time I read this famous quotes I fell touch, but this one just make me feel ashamed, my country is going to plummet (i live in Mexico by the way) and I’m just sitting here feeling sorry for my people.
I guess I really need to re-think some things, thanx for the quote is beautiful n_n.
No te sientas sola. Hay algunos de nosotros en los Estados Unidos que aman a México y quiere ver su éxito. No te desesperes. Juntos podemos encontrar soluciones.
I know that feeling exactly. I am from India and I see my country bouncing between the same political parties both corrupted to the core waiting for their turn in power. I wish I could start something to change everything.
The same way in Iran dude. Things are getting messed up every minute of every day.
I guess we are all just looking at our world crumble, country by country. Devastating. But slowly, hopefully not too late, I feel a global conscience begin to awaken.
I think the same as you Victor, it’s time for us to develop a global conscience. My country Ecuador is going through the same problems. I’d wish everyone act up and fight injustice but I guess I have to start by myself
If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when? – Hillel
It’s interesting how all of these folks from the far corners of the world, even from countries that are supposedly dire enemies, are all kind of in the same boat. Makes me think that we’re sort of all in it together, and that’s not such a bad thought to have.
I guess that’s because countries and people are not enemies; only governments.
That’s exactly it. Our crazy self-serving governments are enemies. Not the people. We are in this together.
i think that every single one of you has the power to change the world. I don’t know why people can’t see that. Every change that has happened started with one person. Luther King, Ghandi, Mandela, Lincoln, Malala Yousafzai. One individual. You. Myself. I am also pretty scared of starting something, I always were. But why? Why are we always so scared of failing on something? Does it matters anyway if we “win”? The important part isn’t the path?
No estás solo Bysamy. Si nos unimos podemos combatir el cancer politico que está afectando México.
Actualmente estoy haciendo un proyecto que quiere ayudar a las personas de hablahispana para que puedan emprender en cosas que les apasionen y sustentarse economicamente para vivir de forma excepcional.
La página es seleyenda.com. Espero puedas darle un vistazo y poder difundir el mensaje.
yo soy español y tampoco estamos mejor aqui, yo he tenido que dejar los estudios por una mezcla de depresion profunda y falta de dinero para pagar la matricula.Me siento muy pequeño e inutil, incapaz de hacer nada, siquiera de encontrar un trabajo, pero tengo la suerte de estar rodeado de gente que sigue viviendo aqui. I might not get up tomorrow, or the day after, but I will keep trying. And I`ll keep trying just to be at your height. Thanks gente, and thanks Gav, for giving me a small hope that makes me get up from the bed whenever I need it
Holy crap.
My thoughts pretty much EXACTLY.
That’s exactly what I said.The last frame sent shivers down my spine.
I received some bad news all week long, problems at work, problems at work. My moral was pretty low because I didn’t know how to respond to it. Now I do.
Keep up your great work.
Life is always on the edge of death.
and of course, I love your works.
Love it!
This one really rubs me the wrong way. It says to me that not caring about someone else’s cause is a failure of the person receiving the message, when it is actually the failure of the messenger to make a convincing case. If someone doesn’t care about your cause, then perhaps you should rethink your message. Also, the choice of the individual to remain indifferent is a right that should be protected. It’s called “freedom”, and it used to mean something.
“Also, the choice of the individual to remain indifferent is a right that should be protected.”
Seriously? Are you high right now? NOBODY is infringing your right to remain indifferent. Nobody is forcing you to do a damn thing. If Gav posts a comic that suggests that being indifferent is a stupid, lazy, and even evil thing to do, there is no coercion in that – you’re still free to be indifferent!
And yet you felt compelled to post a complaint. Either your sense of irony is critically underdeveloped, or (and I must consider this possibility) it’s very well developed and you’ve just trolled me. Hmmmm.
indifference or blindness to how thoroughly one’s freedoms and autonomy are being stripped from them? it’s not about niche causes, it’s about our inability to see the big picture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTj9AcwkaKM
It’s not condemning anyone for choosing to be indifferent.
It’s condemning people who aren’t, but who are afraid to act on it, hoping other people will bear the risk of speaking (and acting) out.
The message of this quote is not that someone who doesn’t join someone else’s cause is a bad person. If you don’t feel it from within you are in your right to not join. The message of the quote is that if you live your life hiding from conflict and not raising your voice against any injustice, all in the hope that you’ll end up living a “safe and secure” life, then you are just stupid. Because “life is always on the edge of death”. To try to live meekly is to not live at all.
When I read this comic I thought Wow! this is perfect. So relevant and so powerful. “I choose my own way to burn.” I thought who wouldn’t get that. And still here is someone who took the message completely in the wrong way.
You can’t say I choose not to burn, because like it or not burn you will. So rather burn brightly and fearlessly in a short time than to burn slowly and weakly for a long time.
Aditya, what you say makes sense. Thank you for the clarification. And thank you for being gracious in your criticism of my post. As exemplified by the rest of the replies, all too often people malign those they don’t agree with. I believe that the greatest virtue is tolerance, even of those people you find intolerable.
What good is tolerance without love?
You should be ashamed to stand by and let the freedom of others be infringed upon because your freedoms are still safe. Freedom is not defined solely by the freedoms you hold, causes you define as belonging to others belong to us all. And you have the freedom to choose your causes, the cause the woman in the comic chose was hers, even if it took her time to realize it. If you wish to live in a society, you have to care about what happens to the society you live in. If you can’t be bothered, you also have the freedom to leave society and be indifferent by yourself.
I think you missed the last line.
“I chose my own way to burn.”
It’s not about any cause, or one’s choice in whether or not to participate in that cause.
It’s about living in a greater sense. Not just giving up, rolling over, and being small. About taking a larger view, a larger stance. Standing up for something, anything, that ignites you.
Chosing your own way to burn…
Hey I can’t find the original quote. Do you have a German translation? As a German I would love to read it in Sophie’s and my native tongue
Same here, I could find a lot of English versions of this quote, but barely any in German. Not sure if this means the quote is not correct, or if it is just not very well known in Germany.
I concur, cannot find this vote in German, which is strange…
This really struck me. Beautiful work as usual but this one…made my soul burn
The use of color here is impeccable. Thank you for doing what you do.
I think this is the strongest cartoon you’ve done so far. Keep up the awesome work!!!
Right in the feels
As a German I learned a lot about the Nazi regime in school and we also heard about the resistance. Since then I have the deepest respect for people who dare to speak up against something that seems all-powerful – because I know most people including myself would not be able to do so.
It is great to see that Sophie Scholl’s words – although translated and applied to our world – are no less powerful now than they once were in our country’s darkest times.
I’m really impressed by what you do Gavin, keep it up!
Oh my gosh, Gavin, you make me cry everytime. This is so powerful.
“Der wahre Schade entsteht durch jene Millionen, die überleben wollen. Jene ehrenwerten Menschen, die nur in Ruhe gelassen werden möchten; die nicht wollen, dass ihr kleines Leben von etwas größerem als ihnen selbst durcheinander gebracht wird. Jene ohne Ecken und Kanten. Jene, die nie aus eigener Willenskraft handeln, aus Angst davor, über ihren Schatten zu springen. Jene, die keine Unruhe stiften, sich keine Feinde schaffen wollen. Jene, für die Leidenschaft, Wahrheit, Freiheit, Ehre, Prinzipien nur Literatur sind. Jene, für die alles relativ ist, die Entschuldigung eines Menschen ohne Werte. Jene, die das Absolute nicht kennen, weil ihre Seele es nicht erfassen kann. Jene, die ein bescheidenes Leben führen, sich bescheiden vereinen und bescheiden sterben. Der gemäßigte Mensch geht so an das Leben heran: Hält man es klein, verliert man auch nicht die Kontrolle darüber. Wenn man keinen Lärm macht, findet der Schwarze Mann einen nicht. Und das ist eine trügerische Hoffnung, denn auch sie werden sterben, jene Menschen, die all ihren Mut zusammennehmen, um sich hinter ihrem kläglichen Dasein zu verstecken, nur um sicher zu sein. Sicher?! Wovor? Leben bewegt sich immer an der Grenze zum Tod. Die engen Straßen führen wie die großen Alleen zum selben Ort, und kleine Kerzen brennen genauso ab wie lodernde Fackeln. Ich wähle meinen eigenen Weg zu verlöschen.
Ich liebe den frühen Morgen. Ich liebe es, mit einem Mann Wange an Wange zu tanzen. ”
Somebody asked for the original german version. Here it is.
And as always: Great job man! I love your work!
Thanks a lot. Do you know the original source of that quote?
I believe the point is that the original source of that quote is ms. Sophie Scholl
Oh, rly? I meant, where can I find the orginal source, from which Sophie Scholl is cited. A letter by her or anything else. Because up to now, I am not convinced that the actual source is in fact Sophie Scholl.
I concur, seems like this is from someone else or from a movie about her.
ok, by now I am pretty sure that this is from “Sophie Scholl – The final days” and is something that the character said which was written for her. Not an original quote from Sophie Scholl.
It’s sourced on her Wikiquote page:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sophie_Scholl
through a book that you cannot publicly access. No primary source available whatsoever. I might be wrong but then please show me the primary source for that statement.
And don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Sophie Scholl, the artwork and the message (and combination of both). But I cannot stand all these unsourced “quotes” on the internet.
The book, it is quoted from ( O2 : Breathing New Life Into Faith) is
available on Google eBooks (see Website URL).
Still, this is not a valid source and the fact, that the German version
is nowhere to be found, but in these comments and a very shady forum
makes me wonder. I will try to look up the two excisting books containing
Scholls letters in the library, but I wont have time for that before friday.
exactly, go to http://books.google.de/books?id=6mxhMtbu7VkC&lpg=PP1&dq=O2%3A%20Breathing%20New%20Life%20Into%20Faith&pg=PA63#v=onepage&q=scholl&f=false
to page 63 and you will see that this is “quoted” without giving any source, most likely due to the numerous mis-attributions all over the (English) web (as it appears in only ONE forum post in german where the say they “transcribed” it and it is from a “scene”.).. Pretty obvious to me that this is not from her.
And “T.” took the quote from the shady forum, as you can see by the common misspelling of”Schade” instead of “Schaden”. So, down to one single, source that says its transcribed.
Maybe its from the 1982 film “Die weiße Rose”
If you google the first line with “Schaden” instead of “Schade”
you will find a few entrys for Lillian Garret-Groags play
“The White Rose”.
I just crossread the whole german script of “The final days” and could
not find the script.
well, still there is no primary source for the quote.
I am not trying to prove you wrong, just sorting out
possible sources.
Yeah, I spent several hours searching for the source of the quote and didnt find one besides that shady forum someone already mentioned. Yesterday I was tired and didn’t search for further sources after finding this translation. So as much I’d like to attribute it to ms. Scholl I rather think that it originated from another source, most likely a play or a movie about her. Although I want to point that after reading the White Rose’s pamphlets it sounds much like something she COULD have said or written.
sure, if I wrote a piece of art about her I would also make it sound like her.
So the best lead seems to be Lillian Garret-Groags play “The White Rose” which also would explain the English-only occurences of that quote. I would really ask Gav to at least include some side note to his description that the origin is disputed.
I’ve put a note in the post above. Wikiquote is generally good with sources which is why I didn’t investigate further. Thanks everyone for the help.
You know, I’m curious why it is such a big deal. The quote is beautiful, the comic is stunning, and the message is timeless. At worst it is from a piece of art about said person, written for an actress playing said person. Why make a big deal about it? After some 70 years you can’t really expect much veracity in a quote people. Take the message and stop worrying about the source.
Forest and trees, you know.
really? wow, that comment is just completely thoughtless. or wait, let me say it in the words of a famous quote: “Quoting on the internet is completely unreliable and you should always strive to stick to the truth, as words will get twisted in someone’s mouth until they are unrecognizable.” – Benjamin Franklin.
“We should love every person like they are our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. And we should do everything to protect that what we love.” – Adolf Hitler. What? It’s not from him but from some fictional text? A come on, after 70 years… Not a big deal, let’s just spread this quote as is! Forest and trees, you know.
Hey Gavin, In case you or anybody else is a fan of Coldplay, I just wanted to point out that the White Rose movement was one of the inspirations for their latest album, Mylo Xyloto.
Great work as always. Gave me a shiver down my spine!
-Ankit
Good call!
Hi Gavin,
I live on a little speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean called Fiji, which is full of laid-back, friendly, beautiful people. That aside, we have a whole ton of problems which include being “governed” by a tyrannous dictator.
Being employed by a women’s rights NGO, we are regularly trying to push the boundaries when it comes to dealing with our so called “Government” but we come across all sorts of obstacles, the biggest one being people who are content to let their country continue it’s downward spiral; who choose to turn a blind eye to the violations of rights that happen on a daily basis; who choose to be part of the band of misfits that are running the country into the ground in their struggle for power.
While I understand that most are just scared, want to err on the side of caution or feel they have no say/don’t have a part to play in the matter, I really hope that one day the majority will choose to stand up and take back what is theirs and not just sit idly by and let it all happen.
Apologies for the rant…and thank you for the beautiful depiction of the quote, it serves as great reminder why I do the work I do!
Yeah Right in the Feels!
This quote and the accompanying art is awesome!
How do you do it Gav? How? How can something be this awesome?
I’m simply awestruck! Taking a German quote and applying it to an American context which is felt by everyone from Fiji to India.
Your work is amazing
God Bless.
Hell, this will inspire a lot of people Gav. Take a bow.
Rock on, Gav. Pitch perfect, as always. We’re serving up our first pie this week, we’ll be thinking of you.
Hey Gav! I love your comics.
Have you seen this comic? It’s a bit wordy, but definitely related.
http://www.viruscomix.com/page474.html
I’ve been reading “Subnormality” for a few years … I was wondering if anyone else was going to post a link to that strip. Thanks, Robert.
Give the link here a good read.
for those moments when you stop and think what is wrong with the world around, and you don’t want to do anything so that your imaginary bubble of perfect life will shatter, this post gives a lot of hope and inspiration to speak up for the wrong doings, for those issues which are not correct, to fight for the right.
great art and message!!!
So… poster? Pretty please?
Hey, Gav, great comic! Even though it’s been a while, I want to say that this one-a-week thing was a great move.
I probably found it here in the first place, but just in case, ted.com is a wonderful website with videos about all sorts of problems, solutions and developments in technology, entertainment, society, environmentalism, and many other subjects. It’s really kind of awesome.
Also, still having that problem where it keeps forcing me to the top of the comments while it is still loading.
Dear Gavin,
I think I found my ‘Arise’ moment in this strip… I find that word to be a very powerful one… So powerful that I have had it inked across my heart… This strip is not a political comment, it is not a social comment, it is none of these… It is bigger than that, for me at least. It is a comment on us, people, the human race. One that is on the verge of tearing itself apart through it’s petty squabbles.
It is a message to everyone out there who thinks he or she is insignificant. It is a message to the commoners… to Arise. Against hatred, greed, jealousy and most importantly against the curfews that they hold deep within their own minds…
Thank you for this one… (please let me know how I can buy the poster for this… thanks again)
most powerful of your quotes… loved the last cartoon.(her eyes.!)
great job once again…gav..
Gav, this is, without a doubt, one of your BEST works!!
I was going to voice my opinion about how I didn’t care for all of this one, but looking at how anyone else who voices their opinion about this in a way that doesn’t conform with everyone else’s opinion they get ganged up on and insulated for their opinions. I thought this was supposed to be a place for open minded individuals but I see it’s like most everywhere else full of closed minded jerks, thanks for ruining my day.
I apologize, I have been in a bad mood lately and a lot if it is caused by some things most humans do and felt like I saw here, so I responded very poorly, I wish there was a delete button >.<
As long as we look out for each other, we’re allowed to make mistakes. Mistakes are opportunities to become better than we are compared to ourselves.
I always find a connect with your work!And you just hit the nail with this one. Gr8 one Gav.
A serious mindful interpretation of a not-so-common person,
through a casual art medium,
to touch a raw nerve in the human soul.
If anyone is un-touched by sophie scholl’s story, then I am …….speechless.
thanks Gavin for great story-telling in so few frames, to get the message across. the great depth to get in order to feel the person, the story, the message, yet in such simple way to connect to the daily-struggling masses.
To all your fans who saw this works, you have just stirred up a carpet full of dust; dust that piled up from the untidy-but-can-be-comfortable-if-we- adapt-to-it shit pile. Dust that is best left unshaken ‘cos we don’t want to distrub the “peace”, upset the “order”, instigate “trouble”. Dust, “that is probably too much work to remove, so why bother?” dust
And nothing changed just the same.
Stirring, indeed! Thanks, Guy!
I can’t tell you how happy I am that you used this quote, and that you illustrated it so beautifully. I need the poster to this now.
Sophie Scholl is my personal hero, and to see her words immortalized and spread across the world igniting people to action (which was her dream), makes me super happy. Thank you for putting so much heart into this lovely piece of work!
Just noticed the guy Fawkes mask, nice touch.
Over time your drawing has improved, we can all tell
However, what really drove that point home for me is the way you drew the girl as she sat on the sofa, surrounded by the TV screens. It’s better and more expressive than other drawings. Great job! It popped for me!
Jees, these comics are naive.
Seeing how these comics are based on quotes by famous people and great thinkers, I assume that you disagree with their thoughts. The comic is but media to convey the message.
Gav, Really an amazing piece of quote & a very apt illustration by you, again!! Your artworks are a great way to bring out some powerful ideas which sometimes lay hidden from our common sight. Keep up the good work & Cheers, DK
This one reminds me of Subnormality’s take on Sophia Scholl in http://www.viruscomix.com/page474.html. Like this comic, that one always makes me wonder what more I should be doing.
The quote is great, but the comic interpretation is dark. Normally your work leaves me inspired and ready to face life’s challenges with a spirited heart. This one was just angry and bitter; where’s the zen in that?
The zen in this is realising that no-one is separate from everything that is going on around them, even if they want to pretend they are. Everything is interconnected, and life is impermanent.
Not because it is easy, because it is good.
where’s the zen in that?
the fact that you ask a question.
that is the zen.
A long time fan, I decided to comment on this one.
Living in Greece right now, it seems that everything is going the way that the comic depicts. I don’t know about how other people reacted or feel about this comic, I only know how I feel and I feel exactly the same way as the character in this strip! When the government announced that my university will close, my reaction was similar. I was always a spectator from afar, but after that incident, I couldn’t keep quiet. It’s time for all of us to leave our globe of illusion “comfort” and start fighting for our NEEDS, because that’s what we loose little by little every day. Not our wants, but our needs, the things that makes us human. I don’t want to be considered a number any more from my government and I believe that other people don’t want that either. I can’t thank you enough for this strip, but anyway, thank you! Please keep up with your inspiring work! Your comic supported me in my days of doubt and it still does!
One of the reasons I love your work: I learn something new every time you post something. Keep it up
I remembered this movie. I cried. Hey, cried even reading your comic. :/ what’s new. hey, you know how to pull my heart strings.
Could you please post the original, german version of this quote, as I can find it nowhere and I wonder if it is truly a quote from Sophie Scholl. Thanks
It’s in one of the comments above from ‘T’
Yes, and this quote is clearly from her character in a movie, not from herself.
Maybe its a quote from “The White Rose”, a play by Lillian Garrett-Groag
Hi Gav,
I just read your new comic today and already there are lots of comments!
By the way, have you heard about The Square? It’s a film featured in Sundance about members of the Cairo Camera Club. They were caught in the middle of Tahrir Square when the Egyptian revolution began and they were able to capture on digital film what really happened during those times. Check it out. I think it will spark some great new ideas for your next comic http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/noujaimfilms/the-square-a-film-about-the-egyptian-revolution
Great quote. Great illustration. I am especially happy to see a female protagonist here. I feel like our work gravitates towards being white-straight-male-centric (which is fine. your art, your choice.) It’s nice to see diversity in who you choose to portray the quotes.
We covered this already in the last comic.
Besides, white men have tended to write/rewrite much of the world’s history, so the raw material is skewed. You can’t find fault in an artist who paints forests because the majority of the colors available to him are green.
Further, a great quote is a great quote. Gender, race, and religion shouldn’t even matter. Diversity is a beautiful thing, but it still puzzles me why people are asking for it in this comic. We are all here because we want a little shot of inspiration. But it seems as though there are scores of people who are so narrow minded that they feel something if someone from their own tribe is being quoted.
And if this is true, doesn’t such a position fly in the face of what this comic seeks to achieve?
Post-Script: Only the first two paragraphs were directed toward Gabrielgs. The rest was me thinking aloud.
One of your best, Gavin! Am I the only one getting a broken (right side cut off and attached to left edge) image? I’m in Firefox 19 and get this both in the email and this page. I don’t have other graphics problems.
Stop making me cry.
great example on how to use anger constructively, im on the same page as gabriel, only i like it I like it when i get misty eyed.
Man I like your comics,they are very deep and good draw,but why the men is always the bad person who is drinking beer and being lazy?, it’s kind of frustating, by the way I’m aware that the position of women in the world is pretty worse and have to deal with discrimination in a lot ways of life but I think that pointing out that men are always the lazy and dirty bastard I dont think it’s a good way of equilibratin by fucking pointing that men are shit because I don’t think that will help.
Sinceresly from Spain (I’m aware of my bad english)
David your english is better than most of my native speaking friends’ english.
I understand what you mean. In media (movies, tv, books, etc), whenever there is someone to be depicted as evil, stupid, lazy or a drunk it is nearly always a male. This is unfortunate. (But then again men HAVE killed more people than women. And I’m pretty sure we do drink 99% of the world’s beer).
And true that it does seem that negative traits are usually depicted in men by this comic. But we only have two genders, so it has gotta be somebody.
Just do what I do, David. Take solace in that many of the successes in this comic are also men. And try not to focus on that beer guzzling slob on the couch.
Why does it seem like he is targeting only men as scumbags?!?! What.. Sorry but, maybe it is because his comics are about encouragement and right now women are still oppressed. (have you looked around?) He may not touch base on women being slobs or lazy, because usually they aren’t in a male driven society. We don’t allow them to be. :/ This is coming from a dude. If you feel like he is targeting men, maybe you feel guilty or offended cause you yourself are looking for that pattern. Take it easy. I know men are effected too but not to the extent that women Can be subjected to.
The revolution is among us.
As to the above discussion of the source of the quote, yeah, it’s most definitely from the play “White Rose” by Lillian Garrett-Groag. You can find it on Google books, and the quote is on page 62:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=ilOrZPAJf1UC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
While this quote does generally reflect the sentiments of the White Rose movement, and perhaps even Sophie herself, it’s as far as i can tell not directly based on something she ever said or wrote, at least not something well-known (based on a look through the three key english language books on Sophie/White Rose, as listed at the end of this comment). She does however have numerous other well-documented quotes that are just as memorable, and for anyone interested in reading further about Sophie, her brother Hans, and the White Rose movement, here are some books to track down:
“Sophie Scholl,” by Frank McDonough, The History Press, 2009
“Sophie Scholl and The White Rose,” by Annette Dumbach & Jud Newborn, Oneworld Publications, 2006
“The White Rose,” by Inge Scholl, Wesleyan University Press, 1983
How do you access the actual book? I can only see the abstract.
Okay what is a good free proxy page to get access from Germany? Fckng copyrights…
Oh, is there a region issue with Google books? I apologize, i had no idea about that. Here’s a screenshot at least:
http://i.imgur.com/VYC9kXT.jpg?1
I don’t wanna come off the wrong way here, incidentally. I think Zen Pencils is just fantastic, a really great and innovative use of the medium and a credit to webcomics, and the fact that a bunch of people learned about Sophie Scholl here today is definitely something to be proud of. I’m sure the comic can be adjusted in an appropriate way.
The origins of the quote aside, I have to say that it’s such a treat to see one of my favorite webcomic artists commenting on the page of one of my other favorites. Especially because the very first thing I thought of when I saw this one was of “The Line.”
I love getting the two different perspectives on the same subject through the same medium; both are similar yet also totally unique.
Sometimes it is just to late to get involve but other times you need the right motivation.
Regardless of how charitable you are everyones action are the result of a selfish reason.
The reason this is nonsense is that in the event the revolution succeeds, the new people who come to power are still just people. People are inherently greedy and corruptible. Place ANY of the protesters in the position of power they are protesting against, and they will behave just as badly with just as much impunity.
We are not fit to govern ourselves. Misery is the lot of the human species.
That is why evolution is the way forward – active discussion within a community rather than planting a new tree every time we feel maligned.
This reminds me of Transurfing, where there are described pendulums – the forces that grow and feed on emotions of humans involved in various movements. Basically, entering a movement you feed a demon.
Hey Gav, thanks for fixing the problem with the display, I can again enjoy your FAB work!!!
Posted this at http://www.Successify.net and have had a great response from my readers. Keep it up! These are absolutely amazing!
En Venezuela estamos viviendo una situación muy difícil, esta viñeta le quedó como anillo al dedo a estos días. ¿Es posible hacer una versión en español?
Wow Gav! That’s powerful! Thank you so much.
It moved me deeply too. I live in Argentina and everyday there’s a piece of news with a new prohibition, a new regulation, something else is controlled by the government, and they keep spending like there’s no tomorrow. I see only two possible outcomes for my country, either we’ll have an eternal dictatorship as the Castros or our president will escape prison and public humiliation by moving to an island and spending the millions of dollars she managed to robbed from us through this years, leaving us to deal with the huge mess she left.
My mother told me today: Don’t waste time getting involved in politics, just concentrate in yourself, in your career, getting a job, etc. How can I do that when my basic freedoms are at stake? If we don’t fight for our country today there might be no jobs, no personal life, no nothing tomorrow.
I know that going to demonstrations will probably change nothing, but I want to have a clean conscience and be able to tell my children that at least I tried.
I feel slapped. . . . . a heavy slap right across the brain. . . . .
“We avoid risks in life so we can make it safely to death.”
One of the best zenpencils so far.. Keep up the good work
goosebumps all over reading this comic, really speaks to the soul!
Hi Gavin – I’ve been a huge fan for a long time, and your work is inspirational, but this one resonated with me immediately and compelled me to leave a comment to say thank you and congratulations on your talent. I’m so happy to see how quickly you have built a big following, so well-deserved. Also, will this particular one be available as print? I love all your work and if possible would like so many as prints, but if I had to choose one, I’ve found it – this one. Thanks again.
FANTASTIC! Absolutely love it
Hey Gav, I’ve been a follower of the Zenpencils site for quite some time, but this comic moved me so hard that I felt compelled to say something about it. In my family, I was brought up with the mindset that it’s always best not to rock the boat. In fact, I think a lot of very traditional Asian families are raised this way, but many non-Asian families are as well. There is some sort of cultural norm, especially in Asia, that someone who speaks out or who tries to assert change is disobedient, disrespectful, and that by doing so they bring shame to their family.
And I grew up living that way, forever holding my tongue when witnessing injustice even as it happened before my very eyes, assured by my parents that it didn’t have anything to do with me so I shouldn’t worry about it. But I’m old enough now to know that’s bullshit. We’re all citizens of God’s green earth, and what affects one person directly, affects everyone else indirectly, whether we know it or not. Thank you, Gav, for reminding me never to be complacent.
Troublesome. Why doesn’t a man have a right to peace? And all those issues on the screen, near the end – some of those are hoaxes or folklore-ish beliefs or the result of economic ignorance. So the real question there becomes “who is teaching her – them – us – these things?” They show a lack of respect for knowledge – and then so does the “movement” depicted – it has no idea why or how or “what to do about” any of those world issues. And how do we know we aren’t making things worse? The implication here is that effort to fix the world is commendable – no matter how misguided or if it actually causes more harm? Don’t those things matter?
El mejor de tus comics amigo, gran trabajo. Sigue así.
The quote – “I choose my own way to burn” – isn’t from Sophie Scholl. But the message of ‘speaking truth to power,” – of being an “Upstander,” not a bystander – is true to her and the spirit of the White Rose. This is the theme of my mutlimedia lecture program on the White Rose and Heroes in the Fight for Human Rights Today. Warm wishes to all. Jud Newborn
I’m a Vietnamese. The quote is moving in every way possible because I am the one who does nothing for fear of a disturbed life. This is something every Vietnamese must realize, and better yet, take action.
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