Are You Willing to Die for the Cause: Revolution in 1960s Quebec

October 1970:

15th October 1970, Ottawa enforces the War Measures Act adopted by Parliament on 22nd August 1914. The Canadian army is dispatched to Quebec to end a crisis that has been ongoing for almost a decade. I don't have many memories of that '70s year; I had just turned 7. Even less of the 10th month. For me, October '70 is a vivid image – an army jeep rolling down Masson Street. It resembled those from the American series "Commando of the Desert," which I enjoyed watching on Télé Métropole or Radio-Canada, I don't recall.

Chris Oliveros, who has just released the excellent graphic novel, one of my top 15 favorites of the year, "Are You Willing to Die for the Cause", was only 4 in 1970. "I was too young to have memories of the October events," confesses the comic book artist. However, the subject intrigued him since one of his teachers, in 10th grade, I believe, showed the documentary "Action: The October Crisis of 1970" by Robin Spry – one of the first, if not the first, documentaries on the October crisis made in 1974.

Still an adolescent when he watched the NFB documentary, Oliveros didn't think of turning it into a comic at that time. "I was already making comics, but let's say they weren't of great quality," he chuckles. The desire to address it in a comic, "a fabulous medium to tell this kind of story," came in the late 2000s. However, with his intense work at Drawn and Quarterly, 10 to 13 hours daily, and raising a young family, he didn't have the time to tackle it. "But I thought about it regularly," he adds. His departure from the legendary publishing house finally allows him to focus on his comic vision of a crucial event in Quebec and Canadian history.

Importance of Addressing the October Crisis

"For me, it was important to talk about it because it's a significant moment in our history. But not only that, the comic also allowed me to address the particularly difficult living conditions of francophones." Underpaid, undereducated, and more or less respected by their Anglophone compatriots, francophones have little chance of a brighter future. "To understand the FLQ, it was also necessary to understand the context." The Quebec context, yes, but also the global context where several more or less well-organized, idealistic, and sometimes clumsy radical movements are born, inspired and galvanized by Fidel Castro's victory.

The Decision to Expand the Project

"When I had the idea of making a book about the October crisis, I wanted to create a prologue of about fifteen pages to contextualize it. But the more I researched, the more I was amazed by what had happened before 1970. There were many things I discovered. So, I found it important to dedicate a whole volume to it," not just a few introductory pages.

And what a first volume! The cartoonist creates a fascinating documentary comic that gives voice to various participants who, in turn, narrate their perceptions of the events. A strategy that allows him to explore different perspectives. "Having a neutral position was fundamental," and letting those who experienced it speak.

Shaping Quebec and Canada

And perhaps, also to remind our often forgetful memory, which is often trapped in the mists of romantic nostalgia or forgetfulness, that the October crisis and the FLQ have shaped modern Quebec and Canada. "I did a Canadian promotional tour when the English version was published, released simultaneously with the French version. For English speakers, at least those I met outside Quebec, it was new. They had never heard of it."

"Are You Willing to Die for the Cause" also benefited from the assistance of Seth and Chester Brown, whose "Louis Riel: The Insurgent" inspired him greatly. "I sent them some pages during the book's production, and their comments, especially Brown's, were very inspiring. I was lucky to have readers like them."

Future Plans and Expectations

If it took him 6 years to complete this first volume, we can hope that it will take less time for the second installment. "I don't know; I'm just starting to work on it. I think I could do it in three or four years... well, I hope so."

I'm looking forward to reading it, even if 4 years is a very long time, too long even. As for that '70s year, it boils down to that army jeep for me; for the rest, I don't really remember anymore...

Chris Oliveros. "Are You Willing to Die for the Cause: Revolution in 1960s Quebec". Drawn & Quarterly.