Upgrade Soul, the long-in-the-works graphic novel by Ezra Clayton Daniels is now available. This highly engaging work is a densely layered meditation on the intersections of science and hubris, physical appearance and identity, money and power, love and death – and the connections between them all. The work centers on a science fiction theme, but there is more to it that. It is in good company, with with distinct echoes of works as diverse as Flowers for Algernon, We3, Never Let Me Go and Bodyworld, to name a few. It’s a real page-turner; you’re unlikely to be able to put it down till you’ve turned all 272 of them! Full color throughout (in case you were wondering).
The long-awaited colllaboration between Ezra Claytan Daniels (Upgrade Soul) and Ben Passmore (Your Black Friend) has arrived. This 294 page, horizontally formatted, full color graphic novel explores the porous boundary between science fiction and horror to present an allegorical tale of contemporary urban life in these United States.
Back in print!
Measuring 4" x 5 1/2" and weighing in at 64 pages, this pint-sized pamphlet packs an outsized punch. Its five sections employ ECD's PictoRhetoric™ to illuminate the mindset of unconsidered privilege, situate it within history and popular culture, and, finally, offer a path to correction. Full color; fully annotated!
Here's the description offered by its distributor, Radiator Comics:
Are You at Risk of “Empathy Myopia”? by Ezra Claytan Daniels considers the idea that we subconsciously force our experiences into moral narratives, and that those of us with greater privilege are in danger of blinding ourselves to the humanity of those not of our in group.
Through a methodical five-part essay, Ezra breaks down how we see the world through a narrative lens, how we assume we deserve our station in life, how we believe privilege is earned, how privilege correlates with empathy, and how we might work to break ourselves free from the societal and instinctive influences.
With drawings reminiscent of Jack Chick, this comic is presented almost as a tract that might be handed out on the corner, left on the bus, or sold at a convention after a rousing motivational speech! Surely it encourages consideration, reflection and conversation.
