Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat has been picked by Time Magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people—along with folks like Lionel Messi, Rihanna and Pippa, but you get the picture. Ferzat made headlines when he was brutally beaten and his hands broken by the Bashar Assad regime he was criticizing—but he’s still drawing, as new Pulitzer winner Matt Wuerker writes in the tribute:
Ferzat wasn’t intimidated. His hands have healed and are back to cartooning — drawing sharp, vivid pictures and wry observations on his people’s plight. In the end, the joke is on the regime. It thought it could silence Ferzat and break his will by breaking his hands. Instead it created a powerful symbol who draws cartoons the whole world is now reading. Talk about a great punch line.
It bugs me that Tom Spurgeon’s Comics Reporter is the only one of the popular comic news/opinion sites that are covering this guy (and those like him) with anything approaching depth.
Sites that I’ve found, anyway.
In this world of scheming politicians and empty-headed “celebrities,” Ferzat is a true hero. Long may he draw.
I savour, lead to I found exactly what I was taking a look for.
You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day.
Bye
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