The graphic novel was inspired by the picture “John Michelog, saved from lynching by his countrymen. He had given an American girl a ride home in his new Buick; 1917” from the Digital archives of the Marriott Library
Scholars began this project by uncovering the true story of a Greek man who was nearly lynched for consorting with a white young woman. The scholars themselves were fascinated with the evolution of race and used this story to unpack the social construction of race in Utah history. They planned how to dramatize and tell the story in visual form, combined historical photos with ones they had taken of actors in costume, and put together a short graphic novel detailing the story. It was an experience in visual storytelling, photography, Photoshop, and history.
Youth Voices 