Signal 08: A Journal of International Political Graphics and Culture

Signal:08 collects and connects the culture and politics of international Black Power publishing, the 1960s anarchist and antimilitarist illustrations of Vera Williams and Liberation magazine, memorializing those murdered by anti-Sikh violence in India, the agitprop of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the aesthetics and politics of a reenactment of the largest rebellion of enslaved people in US history. Crossing continents and communities, print and performance, Signal weaves a story of how culture is central to social transformation, both yesterday and today.

Highlights of the eighth volume of Signal include:

• Writing for the Revolution: Publishing and Designing Black Power Books by Andrew Fearnley
• Hope in the Midst of Apathy: Liberation magazine and the Covers of Vera Williams by Alec Dunn
• Most of My Heroes: Stamps in Memory of Anti-Sikh Violence by Vijay S. Jodha & S. Ravi
• Our Code of Morals Is Our Revolution: Agit Prop Travel Documents of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
• Slave Rebellion Reenactment: An Interview with Dread Scott by Josh MacPhee

Praise

“I can’t think of any other design or visual arts publication quite like Signal in form and content. It is halfway between a magazine and a book in appearance and tone. Its dinky size, combined with astutely pitched, matte-laminated cover designs, make it immediately intriguing and attractive.”
—Rick Poynor, Design Observer

“Dunn and MacPhee do an impressive job of conveying not only what is new and relevant in political art, but also its history and its presence in the everyday.”
—Political Media Review

“The affordable pocketbook format perfectly complements the subject. Editors Dunn and MacPhee make the most of that layout: the reproductions of posters, flyers, murals, and magazine and book covers are clean and clear, with attractive spreads and color reproductions. Verdict: Offering these graphics to generations far beyond their original audiences, this title is recommended for designers, activists, archivists, and scholars studying protest movements.”
—Michael Dashkin, Library Journal

About the Editors

Josh MacPhee is one of the founders of Interference Archive and organizers the Celebrate People’s History Poster Series. He is a cofounder and member of the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative.

Alec Dunn is an illustrator, printer, and nurse living in Portland, OR. He is a cofounder and member of the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative.