Voices from the Poppy Fields
From within the war-ravaged borders of Europe, blooms a montage of stories of resistance, survival, and romance, where the greatest conflicts are those of the human heart.
About
Voices from the Poppy Fields is a collection of short stories and graphic novels set in the European theater of WWII with a focus on interpersonal relationships and the smaller wars that wage within the heart. In a world divided by extremes and constantly shifting borders, the characters find themselves faced with difficult choices that defy simple truths, and put into question where the moral boundaries lie between survival and truly living. From allies to axis, each story tackles a different perspective of the time where one truth is constant: no one really wins in a war.
Ashes and Ivory
In Berlin’s emerging underground jazz scene, a forbidden romance sparks between a music professor and an accordionist from a small family of Jewish musicians. Max Rosner chose the worst period of Germany’s history to come out of his shell, but as his country falls into the madness of Hitler’s ideologies, his loyalties, willpower, and very humanity will be tested against a torrent of cruel challenges that no man or beast was ever built to face.
When Calls the Raven
While Max Rosner is fighting his way through the garrotes of Berlin’s tightening chokehold, another story is being written in the life of wannabe journalist, Hirsch Holländer. Their stories intertwine and culminate in this grand epic of resistance, survival and learning how to live while the Reich tries to erase their very existence.
Blood and Err
The young and eager son of a decorated Wehrmacht Major is thrust into the blitz of war where he must prove his patriotism with “Blut und Ehre.” Heinrich Beltz was raised for this very moment, but what he wasn’t prepared for was the morbid reality that will defy the clear heroes and easy answers he once had. Beneath the black and white swastika, a story emerges from the greyscale between that raises the question of where our moral alignment is forged. Is it a trait given at birth, or is it formed from the individual decisions we make in every day choices?
About
Voices from the Poppy Fields follows the lives of different characters throughout the European theater of WWII; everything from axis to allies, resistance to civilian life. The focus of the project is on the conflicts of the human heart during a time of extremes, rather than on the action, glory, and patriotism seen in most WWII content.This project is intended to be a graphic anthology of stories from brief vignettes to intertwining epics. My hope is to produce something that evokes emotion, thought, and new perspectives on how we perceive one another in this ever contentious world…. and also ship my dumb OCs along the way.
@TrouzerSock
He/They 🔸Digital Artist 🔸Aka: CtrlZeke, Lex
I go by many pen names across most social media, but for Voices in the Poppy Fields I chose the moniker Trouzersock because it suits my aesthetic and love for all things vintage.My interest in Holocaust and WWII history began in elementary school after reading Night, by Eli Wiesel. What began as a minor fascination turned into a life long passion that has taken me all over the world, and created lifelong friendships.Growing up in Virginia as a mixed race filipino-American, I've always struggled with belonging. Even in my childhood I was confronted with racism at my school, my church, and everywhere I went. I learned to cope through art, humor, and trying to understand how every day people could come to make such inhumane choices.My art and stories are a form of catharsis, finding humor in dark places and healing in the challenges the characters overcome. Drawing inspiration from everything from Mel Brooks’ Springtime for Hitler to the documentary, Who Will Write Our History, my work varies in tone from humorous to grim. My characters are a form of expression, my platform, my voice, and the silly doodles in the margins of my notebooks.Ultimately, I hope that these stories and the history surrounding them can be received in a way that leaves my audience wanting to learn more about a timeline that should never be forgotten. If you want to reach out to me as a sensitivity reader, culture guide/critic, or just a fellow enthusiast, please do so below!