Kickstarter

Borderland comic tells seven stories of human trafficking survivors.

We would like to create and publish a 36 page comic book about human trafficking based on real events set around the world. From a pastry maker in Warsaw to a waitress in Istanbul, the underground world of human trafficking is deep and dark, yet touches almost all.

We believe that as consumers of various goods and services, people should be aware of where those come from and at what cost. Olga Trusova, a Fulbright Fellow from Stanford University, has conducted extensive research on this subject and for a year has been collecting authentic stories told by victims of human trafficking. Dan Archer, a comics-journalist from California and 2010 John S. Knight Journalism Fellow, has turned these testimonies into a comic book anthology titled “Borderland.”

The authors have two goals: to print and distribute a hard copy of the spot color comic in the US, complete with extensive footnotes, research notes and further links; and to create an interactive digital PDA version of the material, to promote awareness of the issue to a younger, tech-savvy US audience via an iPhone app and innovative software design.

The US government has tremendous influence on foreign governments and their policies, therefore it is important to bring its citizens’ attention to such a powerful issue as 21st century slavery, told through an innovative combination of comic art and interactive technology.

By the helping us publish the comic, you help make the change!