Today marks the release of “By Water: The Felix Manz Story,” which marks the start of a new graphic novel series from Plough Publishing House, depicting the lives of Reformation era Christians. We are pleased to present an exclusive excerpt from the first installment, portraying a moment from the childhood of Felix Manz, who was one of the founders of Anabaptism, the movement that opposes baptising infants.
Written by Jason Landsel, Richard Mommsen
Art by Sankha BanerjeeBy Water is a true story of friendship and betrayal set in the Swiss city of Zurich. It chronicles the conflict between establishment reformer Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531) and his student Felix Manz (1498–1527), who at first reveres Zwingli as a father figure but ends up drowned on Zwingli’s orders for insisting that only adult believers should be baptized. In this dramatic visualization of the birth of the Radical Reformation, water is both wonder and weapon, a symbol of new life and a death sentence.
Thanks to Plough Publishing for the preview, and be sure to pick up a copy from all good bookstores. Check out the excerpt, and the press release below:
Press release:
Plough Publishing House to Release a Three-Volume Graphic Novel Series about Unlikely Heroes of Radical Reformation
BY WATER is a timely and action-packed story of young people standing up against corruption during Europe’s Reformation.
(December 7, 2022) Would you die for your beliefs? Five hundred years ago, in an age marked by war, plague, inequality, and religious coercion, there were people across Europe who dared to imagine a society of sharing, peace, and freedom of conscience. These radicals were ready to die for their vision. They were executed by the thousands—by water, by fire, and by sword—in both Catholic and Protestant states. Next year, Plough Publishing House will present BY WATER: THE FELIX MANZ STORY, the first of a three-volume graphic novel series that dramatically and creatively evokes a little-known chapter in the history of Europe’s Reformation. Written by Jason Landsel and featuring art by Sankha Banerjee, BY WATER is a compelling and timely story about young people standing up for truth against the corrupt political and religious leaders of their day.
“Felix Manz was the son of a Catholic priest who became an unlikely leader and ultimately the very first martyr of the Radical Reformation,” said writer Jason Landsel. “BY WATER chronicles the real life conflict between Manz and his mentor, the establishment reformer Ulrich Zwingli. Manz revered Zwingli as a father figure, but ended up being drowned on Zwingli’s orders for insisting that only believers should be baptized.”
“This trilogy tells the story of the radicals from the Reformation period who tried to build an alternative society inspired by Gutenberg’s Bible and Thomas More’s Utopia,” said Plough Publishing House Editor Sam Hine. “These graphic novels skillfully combine historical figures and events with imagined scenes and encounters to create an ambitious, action-packed and historically accurate account of young people standing up for their convictions.”
BY WATER: THE FELIX MANZ STORY will be published by Plough Publishing House on March 21, 2023 and will be followed by subsequent volumes titled BY FIRE and BY SWORD.
Plough Publishing House, founded in 1920, is an independent publisher of books on faith, society, and the spiritual life. The company is based in Walden, New York with branches in the United Kingdom and Australia. Plough also publishes Plough Quarterly, a bold new magazine of stories, ideas, and culture to inspire faith and action.
Jason Landsel is a New York-based writer and illustrator with a lifelong fascination with the history of social and religious radicalism. As a contributing art director to Plough Quarterly, his artwork is featured in a regular column of the magazine. He is a member of the Bruderhof, an Anabaptist community movement that traces its roots to the Radical Reformation.
Sankha Banerjee has illustrated graphic novel adaptations of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Wind in the Willows and well as graphic historical biographies of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright brothers. His works have been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon, France, and the India International Centre in Delhi. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Multimedia and Animation, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, India.
Richard Mommsen, who assisted in historical research and scriptwriting for By Water, is also a videographer, podcast producer, and director of the Bruderhof’s historical archives.
