Illustrators turn to the kids

"Illustrators Defend Freedom of Expression" ""Zeichner verteidigen die Meinungsfreiheit") is the title of a booklet recently published by Klaus Humann of the Hamburg-based Aladin Verlag, a publisher specializing in children’s books.

He forged the unusual artist alliance immediately after the January 7 attack, despite not always having been a fan of the Parisian satirical magazine, "Charlie Hebdo."

However, he did consider the heinous attack on the publication as a crime against a fundamental right. "This right is non-negotiable," Humann told DW. "We had no choice but to react."

Humann approached 40 artists, of whom 29 joined his project, among them well known designers such as Jutta Bauer, Nicholas Heidel Bach and Axel Scheffler, as well as Ole Könnecke, Christoph Niemann, Philip Waechter and Barbara Yelin.

Many of them have been recipients of the German Youth Literature Prize. And it’s a truly international alliance, with some of the artists originating from France, Britain, the US, and Australia.

With humor and color

And what do their drawings depict? Larissa Bertonasco has seated armed terrorists at a table, letting them play around with finger colors. With a stroke of her pen, Joelle Jolivet from France attaches a smile to a skull.

Janosch has produced a little, obese man carrying a protest sign. It reads: "We want freedom, a lot of money and everlasting joy."

Marine Ludin draws on Michelangelo's famous ceiling fresco in the Sistine Chapel depicting the creation of the world, in which the outstretched hand of God and a pencil almost touch each other.

Humor helps: Some of the illustrators obviously portray their message very tongue-in-cheek. In contrast, Christoph Niemann poetically transforms a freshly sharpened pencil with two strokes into a blossom.

Philip Waechter has drawn an illustrator at his desk, out of whose pen colored lines are exploding. As different as the topics and imagery of the designers may be, all of their contributions are of a high artistic quality.

Child's play

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Paris, cartoonists and illustrators all over the world have spoken out in favor of freedom of expression. Their works have spoken of pain, sadness, anger and outrage.

The newly published "Illustrators Defend Freedom of Expression" adds an important aspect to the resulting flood of drawings and paintings: It addresses children.

Andreas Platthaus, features editor of the German daily "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," writes in the introduction to the picture book, "The power of drawing lies in the evocation of an entire world with strokes."

Platthaus speculates, "No other profession is so close to the religious concept of creation. Maybe also that has provoked the radical zealots into committing their crime."

For a good cause

The book, which runs 48 pages, also pursues a social purpose. All involved in the production process, including drawing, printing and publishing, waived their fees.

The proceeds will go to the "Writers in Prison" program of the PEN organization, which supports persecuted and oppressed writers, editors, illustrators and journalists.