I Won’t Pretend
by The Cartoonist Collective in Tehran
PUBLICATION DATE: june 2026
6” X 9”
212 PAGES
Trade paperback
ISBN: 9781951491550
EBOOK ISBN:
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List Price
US $22.99
What People Are Saying
“Raw, beautiful, and another example of the power of the medium and the desperate need to figure out how the hell we can stop all of this madness.”—Yazan al-Saadi, author of Lebanon Is Burning
“As the West gleefully beats the drums of war again, it is more necessary than ever to see how war intimately devastates each human life. This is a familiar experience for many in our region, and one which those outside our region seem to have normalized.”—Deena Mohamed, author of Shubeik Lubeik
“Powerful testimonies of life in Iran, where citizens are reduced to collateral damage caused by the barbaric violence of the U.S. and Israel, and the repression of their own government, bravely reported in unforgettable comics.”—Jennifer Camper, author of Rude Girls and Dangerous Women
“A beautiful, harrowing, and poignant collection of comics that is, unfortunately, all too timely.”—Jesse Mechanic, author of The Last Time We Spoke
“As the West gleefully beats the drums of war again, it is more necessary than ever to see how war intimately devastates each human life. This is a familiar experience for many in our region, and one which those outside our region seem to have normalized.”—Deena Mohamed, author of Shubeik Lubeik
“Powerful testimonies of life in Iran, where citizens are reduced to collateral damage caused by the barbaric violence of the U.S. and Israel, and the repression of their own government, bravely reported in unforgettable comics.”—Jennifer Camper, author of Rude Girls and Dangerous Women
“A beautiful, harrowing, and poignant collection of comics that is, unfortunately, all too timely.”—Jesse Mechanic, author of The Last Time We Spoke
Synopsis
A searing and honest account of life in Tehran during the U.S. and Israeli attacks of 2025.
An eye-opening anthology from a collective of fifteen different writers and artists who were going about their daily lives in and around Tehran, while Israel and the United States carried out a bombing campaign to cripple the Iranian nuclear weapons capabilities.
About the Author
The Cartoonist Collective is a group of artists living and creating their art within Iran. They use the art of comics to document and share their lives with the world outside of Iran, in order to further our understanding of the reality of life in that region.