Maus publishers are perplexed by the removal of the comic

Corpus Publishing has published an open letter in defense of the graphic novel Maus, a book about the tragedy of the Holocaust.

Publishers appeal to common sense and remind that the book has been published for a year and a half.

On the eve of the comics was withdrawn from sale in a number of stores in Moscow.

Corpus publishers have expressed their bewilderment about this situation.

“The reason for this decision is the image of the swastika as a symbol of fascism on the cover of the book - public display of Nazi symbols and paraphernalia is prohibited in Russia. However, the schematic symbol depicted on the cover of the book does not violate any of the laws of the Russian Federation,” the publishers said in an open letter.

“If you pick up this book, you will see that the swastika on the cover with Hitler the cat in the center is absolutely caricatured,” says Varvara Gornostaeva, editor-in-chief of the Corpus publishing house. — “Maus” is one of the strongest anti-fascist statements; it’s not for nothing that it received the Pulitzer Prize. It is not for nothing that the book is used to study the history of the Holocaust in Europe, and in some countries it is compulsory school reading. And it really needs to be read to children.”

Publishers expressed the hope that common sense on the part of society and partners would allow Russians to see and read this book.

Holocaust Comics

In 1992, a comic published in the middle of 1980's won the Pulitzer Prize.

The well-known radio host of 4 Radio BBC, James Notiz, wrote a long interview with the author of the book in 2012.

Noti then said that the book became popular all over the world and created a whole genre in literature.

“Presenting the Holocaust as a story in pictures was a bold move in itself, but the idea of ​​​​making Jews into mice and Germans into cats was brilliant,” he wrote on his blog.

In an interview with the BBC in 2011, the author said that at the time when this book was printed, it was ambiguously perceived in Europe.

“There was simply no such thing as a serious comic book back then. There was no such category. But then the Holocaust was not the story that was made into an Oscar-winning film,” Spiegelman said.