Short Summary
12 Children is an intimate look into the life of a family of thirteen before and after they were forced to leave Egypt in the 1960s. Nonna is a widow, alone in purgatory watching over a family who is divided without her. Through this separation, she learns not only have her children always needed her, but she has always needed them. They find their way back to each other in this illustrated novel.
My name is Dominique Agri and 12 Children is a fictionalized story of my mother's family. My mother moved to Brooklyn, NY in 1961 after the dictator Nassar exiled all non-Arabic peoples from Egypt. They arrived with no money, no other family and with no knowledge of the language or culture. The younger children were forced to assimilate while the older children clung to a past that no longer existed. My grandfather died of cancer shortly after their arrival and my grandmother was left alone.
This story is important because it holds the history and culture not of merely one family, but an entire people. The Sephardic Jewish community needs stories of their people so we never forget where we came from.?
What We Need & What You Get
I am asking for donations so I may self-publish a 150-page graphic novel. I must pay my artist ($75 per page) as well as a colorist and a letterer. On top of that are printing costs (approximately $0.50 per page). After this, the costs remain pretty low. The book will feature in the Diamond Catalogue and as I have ties to several comic book stores in NYC, they will add the book to their retail list. Also, the book will be sold via my personal comic book website, www.ComicsPeriod.com.
The Impact
Personal stories of family, hardship and perseverance are what teach many of us how to cope with our own struggles. They inspire us toward growth and understanding of one another. These kinds of stories are realatively new to the graphic genre but they are rapidly becoming a staple within the comic book community.
The addition of images to words in a novel of this nature is not only thought provoking but emotionally provacative.
Essex County by Jeff Lemire or Fun Home by Alison Bechdel are excellent examples of this.
Other Ways You Can Help
If this sounds interesting to you, please feel free to talk about it with your friends. Perhaps if you have the time you might choose to add a link to this campaign to your facebook or twitter accounts. Anything and everything is extremely appreciated!
