The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion

By Stefan Isaksson

The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Will Eisner
W. W. Norton & Company
148 pages
ISBN: 0393328600

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is without a doubt the most notorious and infamous anti-Semitic text ever written. Originally a piece written as a response to Napoleon III, it was later re-written and given a new title by the Russians, who used it in their anti-Semitic propaganda. Adolf Hitler too used it, mentioned it in his speeches, and talked about it in Mein Kampf, and even though the falsification has been exposed repeatedly it’s still being used today, by among others dubious New Age prophets.

So the hoax still serves it sinister purpose, even though it should be common knowledge that it is indeed a hoax. But the question is: is the use of comic really the right way to teach people about its history, about who wrote it and why, and why new believers still pop up year after year?

Definitely, as long as you do it Will Eisner-style. This legendary creator of comics worked on this project on and off for no less than twenty years. The finished piece was finally published last year, posthumously however, since Eisner sadly passed away a few months before its publication, and the end result is… well, amazing.

In a very simple yet rewarding way, The Plot tells the story of the people behind the creation of The Protocols and why it came to be, starting in 19th century France and all the way up to present times. And the fact that it happens to be a comic doesn’t mean it’s not able to be quite instructive.

Because it sure is, and it’s actually a good thing that it happens to be a comic and not a book. It’s a lot easier to understand this way, but obviously, if you want a greater and deeper understanding of the entire controversy you are better off consulting some of the academic books written about it (and are mentioned in The Plot’s bibliography). Still, everyone with an interest in this bizarre hoax will definitely benefit from experiencing The Plot.