Invisible Wounds: Graphic Journalism

by Jess Ruliffson

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Cartoonist Jess Ruliffson spent five years traveling across the country interviewing veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, from kitchen tables in Georgia and libraries in New York City to dive bars in Mississippi and back porches in Vermont. What she finds is that the real experience of soldiers at war is a far cry from depictions in popular media like Zero Dark Thirty or American Sniper. In these illustrated interviews, Ruliffson shares the stories of men, women, and non-binary ex-soldiers who struggle to reconcile their wartime experiences with their postwar lives. Identity lies at the heart of these stories, as they grapple with their gender, their race, and the brutality they've witnessed and caused. In this compassionate, probing book, Ruliffson reveals how America's endless entanglement in wars have affected the psyches of the people who wage them.… (more)

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Showing 3 of 3

Twelve vets tell their stories with effective illustrations. (

)

JesseTheK | Dec 29, 2022 |

Jess Ruliffson illustrates oral histories she conducted with twelve diverse veterans of the United States armed forces who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, revisiting their years of service and return to civilian life. The stories touch on heavy topics like suicide, hazing, homophobia, transphobia, and PTSD, offering a good introduction to the many issues facing veterans of our past two decades of war. The graphic novel format gives immediacy to the stories and moves the narratives along briskly.

The veterans:

• Nathan Galster - Amtracker / US Marine Reserves, 2003-2009

• Josiah White - Rifleman / US Marine Corps, 2005-2008

• Carleigh McCrory - Combat Lifesaver / Army National Guard, 1999-2006

• Drew Pham - Cavalry Platoon Leader / US Army, 2010-2013

• Jordan Blisk - Senior Airman, Aviation Mechanic / US Air Force Reserves, 2011-2015

• Paul David Mansfield - Infantry Sergeant / US Army, 1997-2001; Virginia National Guard, 2005-2010

• Maurice Decaul - Artillery Section Chief and Infantry Squad Leader / US Marine Corps, 1998-2005

• Nichole Marinaccio - Clerk / Army National Guard, 1999-2005

• Christie Turner - Lieutenant Colonel / US Army National Guard Reserves, 1984-2015

• Brandon Willitts - Intel Analyst / US Navy, 2001-2006

• Matthew Klein - Squad Marskman, Infantryman / US Army, 2002-2006

• Phil Klay - Captain, Public Affairs Officer / US Marine Corps, 2005-2009

An early, one-page version of Josiah White's story is available at The Boston Globe:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2016/07/15/luckofthedraw/M7KX2BtCfANUzfPWXoh8S...

An early version of Drew Pham's story is available at The Nib:
https://thenib.com/i-trained-to-fight-the-enemy/

An early version of Jordan Blisk's story is available on Buzzfeed:
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jessruliffson/what-it-feels-like-being-a-tr...

An early version of Paul David Mansfield's story can be previewed at Radiator Comics:
https://www.radiatorcomics.com/shop/uncategorized/invisible-wounds/

The story of Phil Klay (author of Redeployment) is available at Virginia Quarterly Review:
https://www.vqronline.org/interviews-articles/2017/10/war-writers-burden (

)

villemezbrown | Dec 13, 2022 |

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

fernandie | Sep 15, 2022 |

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Invisible Wounds [2014 zine] by Jess Ruliffson

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Canonical title

Invisible Wounds: Graphic Journalism

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

2022-08

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Important events

Iraq War

Afghanistan War

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Epigraph

Dedication

For Kip and Richard
And for David, who loved books

First words

After my first deployment I'd drive up to hang out in Hattiesburg. That was my getaway. I had no friends on the coast.

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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Original language

English

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▾Book descriptions

Cartoonist Jess Ruliffson spent five years traveling across the country interviewing veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, from kitchen tables in Georgia and libraries in New York City to dive bars in Mississippi and back porches in Vermont. What she finds is that the real experience of soldiers at war is a far cry from depictions in popular media like Zero Dark Thirty or American Sniper. In these illustrated interviews, Ruliffson shares the stories of men, women, and non-binary ex-soldiers who struggle to reconcile their wartime experiences with their postwar lives. Identity lies at the heart of these stories, as they grapple with their gender, their race, and the brutality they've witnessed and caused. In this compassionate, probing book, Ruliffson reveals how America's endless entanglement in wars have affected the psyches of the people who wage them.

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