Bobby Sands (Paperback)

Bobby Sands’s hunger strike leadership reveals how protest reshaped political activism and international attention.

Bobby Sands was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze. He was the leader of the 1981 hunger strike in which Irish republican prisoners protested against the removal of Special Category Status. During his strike he was elected to the British Parliament as an Anti H-Block candidate. His death was followed by a new surge of Provisional IRA recruitment and activity. International media coverage brought attention to the hunger strikers, and the republican movement in general, attracting both praise and criticism. 

This graphic novel brings Bobby Sands’ story to life in a whole new way.

Gerry Hunt worked for twenty-five years as an architect, eighteen of them with the IDA. In 1986 he left architecture and began drawing political cartoons. From this, he moved on to drawing entire comics ... his first, self-produced, comic was a rhyming, Spanish-language work that he gave away to friends. His book The Streets of Dublin was included in an exhibition entitled ‘Artist’s Books’ in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. He published ground-breaking historical graphic novels for The O'Brien Press, about the 1913 Lockout, Easter Rising (1916), War of Independence (1919) and Bobby Sands. Gerry died in June 2018.

Matthew Griffin was born in Dublin and now lives in Ennis. He has garnered a reputation as one of the most eclectic graphic artists in contemporary illustration, collecting awards and accolades for his work in publishing, advertising and, in particular, the field of poster art. His passion for visual design was always married to one for writing. His first children’s novel, A Cage of Roots, was published in 2015. Storm Weaver followed the same characters further into a fantasy odyssey (2016), and The Spiral Path brings the enemy through a time portal to modern-day Ireland.

Matthew Griffin was born in Dublin and now lives in Ennis. He has garnered a reputation as one of the most eclectic graphic artists in contemporary illustration, collecting awards and accolades for his work in publishing, advertising and, in particular, the field of poster art. His passion for visual design was always married to one for writing. His first children’s novel, A Cage of Roots, was published in 2015. Storm Weaver followed the same characters further into a fantasy odyssey (2016), and The Spiral Path brings the enemy through a time portal to modern-day Ireland.