Welcome to Hell

“If Picasso’s Guernica were a graphic novel, it would look and read something like this. Desperate, defiant, and pure poetry, this is one of the most important artistic statements of our time.”—Joe Sacco, winner of the American Book Award for Palestine

“‘Whether a Palestinian is inside a center or in any city or village, they are in a big prison,’ Sabaaneh reminds readers. His signature Cubist-inspired, woodblock-print-like, black-and-white illustrations starkly capture images of horrific torture and unbreakable resilience.” —Booklist Review

“Whenever Palestinians are brought up in stories, news reports, highlighted in the media, they are always viewed from the perspective of being the ‘unfortunate’ ones or those unable to get out of their misery. Sabaaneh fully breaks that mold by showcasing individuals navigating, resisting, enduring in distinct ways. Survival itself becomes an act of defiance. Even the smallest gestures take on political significance.” —ArabLit Review

”Geometric, Guernica-esque India ink sketches cast Israeli soldiers as snarling, machine-like brutes—they, too, have been stripped of their humanity as instruments of the occupation… . In Sabaaneh’s hands, bearing witness becomes the first act of defiance.”—Publishers Weekly

”Visually and thematically, Sabaaneh’s work is dark and heavy, bearing witness to the intense suffering… . However, he also believes in the power of hope … While he mourns those who have died, and he fears for the future of both Gaza and the West Bank, he still hopes for and believes in survival and resistance, despite the odds.”—The Comics Journal

”The artist reveals, as artists have historically done, the tragic human realities of warfare and genocide. But the book concludes on a more hopeful note—with an image of a Palestinian embracing a flower as it transforms into full bloom. ‘With spring,’ Sabaaneh writes, ‘there is always another season.’.”—The Progressive Magazine

“An unnerving and unforgettable book. A testimony of Palestinian pain and perseverance, rendered through extraordinary cubist illustrations.”—Badiucao and Melissa Chan, authors of You Must Take Part in Revolution

“Drawn with indelible ink, this book testifies, like its subject, that it will not be erased from history. The sharp cubist lines cut deep to expose the horror humans are suffering at the hands of an oppressive regime and illuminate the remarkable resilience of the Palestinian people.”—Peter Kuper, author of Insectopolis

“A beautiful, heartbreaking, and infuriating testimony of the inhumanity and injustice endured by Palestinians, demonstrating the power of art to expose evil.”—Jennifer Camper, author or Rude Girls and Dangerous Women

“We are fortunate to have a talented Palestinian comic book artist, like Mohammad Sabaaneh, to share the stories of the hardships his people have survived.”—Seth Tobocman, founding editor of World War 3 Illustrated

“Chilling both visually and conceptually, this book puts into vivid form the harrowing images of the crucible of Palestine, recalling its horrors and inspiring advocacy.”—Khaled A. Beydoun, author of Eyes on Gaza

“An artistic triumph that will stand as an enduring testament to the spirit of the Palestinian people. Mohammad Sabaaneh is a master.” —Joe Sacco, winner of the American Book Award for Palestine

“In striking, emotive linocut prints … Sabaaneh presents a world in which injustice is unending, but so is the strength of his people. This testament will remind readers of the human toll of political conflict, but also how humanity can never fully be taken.” —Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

Mohammad Sabaaneh is a Palestinian cartoonist and the principal cartoonist for the Palestinian Authority’s daily newspaper, Al-Hayat al-Jadida. He is also a Middle East representative for the Cartoonists Rights Network International and teaches art at the Arab American University of Palestine.

His graphic novel Power Born of Dreams, an autobiographical account of his time as a political prisoner in Israel, was awarded the Palestine Book Award. He also collaborated with Khaled A. Beydoun on Eyes on Gaza: Witnessing Annihilation, which chronicles recent events in Palestine.

Mohammad currently lives in Ramallah, in the West Bank.

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