Was Karl Marx himself a Marxist? Was his visionary promise of socialism betrayed by subsequent Marxist dictatorships? Is Marxism inevitably totalitarian? And what did Marx really say? Philosophy lecturer Rupert Woodfin and Eisner Award-winning comic book artist Oscar Zarate explain the principles of Marx's original philosophy, its roots in 19th-century European ideology, and how the radical criticism of economic and social capitalism he produced inspired sweeping 20th-century revolutions. They also assess Marxism's Russian disciples Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin as founders of Communism and discuss alternative Marxist approaches.