Derf Backderf discusses how comics can nurture dissent, empower readers and offer new perspectives.

Derf Backderf is the creator of several acclaimed graphic novels: Punk Rock & Trailer Parks, My Friend Dahmer, Trashed, and most recently Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio. We discuss his distinctive art style, the joys and challenges of accepting the adaptation of one’s work into film, comics as both an established and emergent art form, and the ethics of representing violence. Backderf's work is best understood as a kind of interrogation: he is looking for answers, probing the historical record, and taking artistic risks that pay off in unexpected ways. Check out his work at http://www.derfcity.com/.