Derf Backderf's "The Dissidents" holds a mirror to contemporary America

• He melds the lives and work of historical leftist figures with a fictional German immigrant from Cleveland who travels to New York City to make his name as an artist.

Between the lines: The early-20th century America portrayed should be familiar. It's marked by racial tension, widening wealth inequality, labor militancy and the specter of a world war and a global pandemic.

Catch up quick: Derf's popular comic strip "The City" appeared locally in Cleveland Scene and was syndicated in alternative weeklies across the country until its discontinuation in 2014.

• His previous graphic novels "Kent State" and the award-winning "My Friend Dahmer" both drew on his personal experiences in Northeast Ohio.

What they're saying: Though Derf didn't grow up in the 1910s, this book feels just as personal. He writes of discovering the cartoonists of "The Masses" back when he was an Ohio State student.

• "Their work reached out to me from the forgotten past and grabbed me, inspired me and helped shape me."

Stop by: Derf will discuss "The Dissidents" at The Grog Shop on Oct. 7.