Bibliographic Info:
Title: Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio
Author: Derf Backderf
ISBN: 9781419734847
Publisher: Abrams Comic Arts
Copyright Date: April 2020
Genre / Format: Nonfiction Graphic novel
Awards: 2021 Eisner Award Winner, 2021 ALA/YALSA Alex Award Winner for Teen Readers and Adult Books
Reading Level: 13+ (Batten, 2020).
Plot Summary: This graphic novel follows a group of young people in the days leading up to the shooting of four students at Kent State, Ohio, in 1970, as well as its aftermath. Based on interviews with eyewitnesses as well as the extensive archives at Kent State University Library, Backderf fleshes out the characters involved: idealistic college students, overworked National Guards, and jumpy administrators and policemen. In the days before, students protested the Vietnam War, cooked dinner, and flirted, but a riot that breaks out at a bar one night puts everyone on edge.
The National Guard had been camped out covering a nearby Union strike, and were moved to Kent State as nervous leaders fell prey to conspiracy theories about Students for a Democratic Society. The action switches between the various groups involved, counting down the minutes. A second day of protests leads to an accidental fire at the ROTC headquarters on campus; outfitted with old equipment and deadly weapons, Guardsmen are hot, under-slept, and stressed. They attack protestors with tear gas and bayonets; the shooting at the protest the next day was a disaster waiting to happen.
Author Background: Derf Backderf grew up in Akon, Ohio, and has been in love with comics since eight years old (Backderf, n.d.). He briefly attended art school before dropping out and becoming a garbage man. He later went back to school on a journalism scholarship and was an award-winning political cartoonist for almost 25 years. As newspapers began to cold, he switched to writing graphic novels, winning multiple awards for his books about his time as a garbage man and his friendship with a young Jeffrey Dahmer, the mass murderer, as well as his most recent book about Kent State.
Critical Evaluation for Books: This book is a must for anyone hoping to better understand the dangerous cocktail of misinformation, miscommunication, and accident. While the research is As you watch the key characters go about their days, unaware of what was to come, the tension builds, hurried along by Backderf’s graphic black and white illustrations and varying panel sizes. The images are cartoonish and have a 1970s, R. Crumb vibe that is very appropriate for the material. Text-heavy for a graphic novel, the narrative alternates between dialog, historical background information, and diagrams of the events, switching between points of view. While at first a little confusing and overwhelming, it ultimately adds to the feeling of chaos and loss of control that informed the events. Contrasted with the steady pacing and inordinate detail, the reader comes away feeling heartbroken and informed.
Creative Use for a Library Program: Graphic novel workshop! Have participants choose a recent news item, research it, and create a political cartoon or short graphic novel about it. Teens can listen to podcast interviews with Backderf and look through other nonfiction graphic novels as well. (The Invisible War, The Best We Could Do, March, and Smile are all excellent examples.) A display featuring the works can showcase the artists as well as draw attention to nonfiction graphic novels in the collection.
Speed-Round Book Talk: You’ve probably heard of the shootings at Kent State, but do you know what really happened? That’s because those responsible didn’t want you to know. This graphic novel puts you in the heart of the action.
Potential Challenge Issues: What happened at Kent State was portrayed very differently in the media in the days, weeks, and years following the events in the book; some parents may be reluctant to grapple with the light the government, police, and National Guard are portrayed in. However, Backderf’s research is referenced in exhaustive detail, and it’s an important piece of history to learn about.
Reason for Inclusion: Many teens may think this is ancient history, but there are powerful themes here that apply to their lives today.
Want more? Veteran comic Backderf talks to the crew at the Awesome Comics Podcast about his research, background, and the work that goes into making a graphic novel. It’s well worth a listen.
References:
Awesome Comics Podcast (n.d.). Kent State and the comics of Derf Backderf! (w/ Derf Backderf!) Retrieved from https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-275-kent-state-comics-derf-backderf-w-derf/id1019628337?i=1000494451672
Backderf, D. (n.d.). About. Retrieved from https://www.derfcity.com/about/about.html
Batten, T.L. (February 1, 2020). Kent State: Four dead in Ohio [review]. Retrieved from https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/kent-state-four-dead-in-ohio
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