Roberto Saviano And Asaf Hanuka Debut Graphic Memoir ‘I’m Still Alive’ At BOOM! Studios

BOOM! Studios has revealed a first look at I’m Still Alive, a new original graphic memoir from author Roberto Saviano and cartoonist Asaf Hanuka, detailing for the first time ever Saviano’s personal account of his 15 year-long existence as the Italian mafia’s greatest threat and his persistent will to survive. 

‘When journalist Roberto Saviano wrote the groundbreaking international bestseller Gomorrah, he exposed the inner workings of the Naples mafia, resulting in real-world investigations into the corruption at the heart of the Camorra. But with the pursuit of justice and worldwide renown came violent death threats and the need for an isolated existence behind armed guards, which Saviano suffers to this day. 

Joined by award-winning cartoonist Asaf Hanuka, Saviano shares his deepest thoughts and experience of life in Naples, where he witnessed the power and violence of the mafia firsthand, as well as the unvarnished truth of his daily life after exposing the most ruthless and powerful criminal organizations of the 21st century.’ 

“In I’m Still Alive, resistance is expressed through the artillery of the written word and through the boundary of one’s body, understanding that, from any fight, you learn one rule and one rule only: it is not true that from battle you will either come back alive or you won’t come back at all,” said Saviano. “In the event of your return, you will return wounded, mutilated in body and soul. I’m Still Alive is the story of my wound.” 

“Working with Roberto Saviano made me realize that freedom, which I enjoy as an endless resource, is not to be taken for granted. Roberto lost his freedom and the chance to live a normal life. But he never lost his words, he never stopped writing,” added Hanuka. “The work on the book was both inspiring and challenging. Inspiring because it’s a story of someone who always spoke for those who don’t have a voice, no matter what the price was. And challenging because his writing is made of metaphors, emotions and reflections. I had to find a visual language that corresponded to the complexity of the writing. The result was an unforgettable journey into his soul.”

Print copies of I’m Still Alive will be available for sale on October 5, 2022 at local comic book shops and October 11, 2022 at bookstores.