7.8 /10 1 Votes
Illustrator Hermann Language French Media type Print, Paperback Originally published 1995 Page count 56 Genres Comics, Memoir | 3.9/5 Goodreads Country United States Publication date 1995 Pages 56 Publisher Dupuis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Subjects Siege of Sarajevo, Bosnian War Comics books Fax from Sarajevo, The Broken Ear, One Hundred Demons, Footnotes in Gaza, Influencing Machine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sarajevo Tango is an anti-war comic book/graphic novel by Hermann initially released in 1995. Sarajevo Tango is also the first of Hermann’s big works done in direct color, and according to several critics, one of his finest.
On the surface the book follows a crime story that takes place in Sarajevo during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992–1996). However, in the background Hermann clearly shows his disgust with the international community‚ in particular with its lack of action and decisiveness in preventing killings that occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the entire war. Key figures such as Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Yasushi Akashi, General Lewis MacKenzie, and British diplomat Lord David Owen are portrayed in the book as active participants, though often under slightly modified names.
The book is dedicated to the innocent victims of Sarajevo siege and Bosnian war. Copies of Sarajevo Tango were sent to various politicians, United Nations, and government officials, artists, journalists and global celebrities. The book is also dedicated to Karim Zaimović, a young journalist and publicist killed in Sarajevo during the siege by Serbian mortar shells; and in part to Ervin Rustemagić, Hermann’s personal friend and survivor of the Sarajevo siege.
English language rights to the book were awarded to Rustemagić's Strip Art Features. The book was also translated into Bosnian, Swedish, and Danish,
In 1995 Herman received the Durbuy-Grand Prix for Sarajevo Tango.