

Putting the story into a graphic novel will make it accessible to young people who are curious and want to know more about the world they live in. I remember when I was a kid that I loved picture books. And the best way to reach them is via the medium that they are attached to, and that’s graphic novels.

I wrote my autobiography, To The Stars, which deals with my childhood, but I think it’s important that the story be known by young people because they are going to be the leaders of tomorrow. And so, it’s been my mission in life to raise awareness of the subject of imprisonment of innocent citizens. People I consider well-informed, when I tell them about my child imprisonment, they are shocked. George Takei: It’s been my mission in life to raise the awareness of my childhood imprisonment - with no charges, no trial, and no due process - to other Americans because I’m always shocked to learn how unknown this is. George was kind enough to take the time to speak with us about this important new graphic novel, that tells the true story of the dark time for our country as they dealt with their sudden and unexpected entry into World War II in the worst possible way imaginable… giving in to anger, fear and racism and destroying the lives of thousands of American citizens and their families without due process.ĭIAMOND: George, what can you tell us about your decision to tell your story in a graphic novel?

IDW Publishing has teamed up with Takei to tell his story in the upcoming graphic novel, They Called Us Enemy. But what many people don’t know, is that during the Second World War, Takei and his family (as well as thousands of other Japanese-Americans) were stripped of their civil rights and sent to internment camps following the surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Since then, he has gone on to become an iconic pop culture figure, advocating for LGBTQ rights and cultivating his trademark exclamation of “Oh, My” into a meme-worthy catchphrase for the ages. Hikaru Sulu on the classic 1960s science fiction TV series, Star Trek and its many feature film sequels. George Takei is probably best known for his role as Lt.
