If I Could But See It

‘An evocative, beautifully drawn biography of William Morris, a man who dared to imagine a future that could be created together rather than imposed by a few. Big ideas, the meaning of art, colourful historical characters — it’s all here’ Joe Sacco, author of Footnotes in Gaza ‘An engaging, riotous rampage through the life of this inspiring artist, crafter and thinker’ Kate Evans, author of Red Rosa ‘Thorkelson’s wonderful lushness of word, picture, colour and design grabs you by the lapels and drops you into 1800s London, wet cobblestones and all, where you hang with one of the most gifted designers in history’ Stan Mack, creator of Stan Mack’s Real Life Funnies ‘These lively pages trace the strands of politics and poetry, practical and visionary, back to their roots in social and economic justice. A web of dreams is rendered with wit and charm by the deft pen of Nick Thorkelson’ Sabrina Jones, comic book artist, writer, editor ‘With his lively drawings, Nick Thorkelson has succeeded in reviving the life and times of William Morris for the contemporary reader’ Ben Katchor, creator of Julius Knipl: Real Estate Photographer This is the graphic biography of William Morris (1834–1896), the celebrated designer, driven polymath and radical socialist. Acclaimed cartoonist Nick Thorkelson moves through the events of Morris’s life weaving a rich tapestry of the major artistic, social and political questions which animated him. He explores Morris’s politics and art, and how his hatred of class tyranny and love of humanity shaped his poetry, design and relationships. The book brings to life the tension of Morris’s efforts to democratise art while creating pieces for the wealthy, his critique of Britain’s Empire, and his central place in socialist culture and propaganda.…