Graphic Novel Biographies

Mon, 03/06/2017 - 12:53pm by potterbee

Graphic novels are great vehicle to illustrate the story of a life. If you haven't explored the genre of graphic novels you might like to start with reading a biography or memoir from our collection. Patrons of the Westgate branch will find a dedicated biography section within the graphic novels, however, these items are shelved collectively within the graphic novel sections at each branch. For a general catalog search to peruse our collection, search by keyword using the terms "graphic novel biography". Also, be sure to check out the Public Lists for more suggestions! Listed below are selections ranging from youth to adult to get you started!

Primates by Jim Ottaviani Grades 7-Up This engaging graphic novel introduces readers to three unique women whose different personalities and lives intersected because of their love of primates. They would never have met without the guidance of Louis Leakey, an anthropologist who believed that women were better at studying animals in their native environment because they were more patient and perceptive than men.

The strongest man in the world by Nicolas Debon Grades 3-5 The story of turn-of-the-20th-century strongman Louis Cyr's life is told through his imagined voice as he shares the details with his young daughter. Children familiar with modern strongman competitions on ESPN will easily recognize the seeds of such outlandishly fascinating contests here, as burly fellows lift draft horses off the ground and bend iron poles into pretzels.

The Arab of the future by Riad Sattouf Grades 10-up Sattouf recreates his childhood in France, Libya, and Syria with a French mother and a Sunni father. The narrative is honest and wandering, with insights coming from the portrayal of his proud, temperamental father's views on politics and Arab life.

Andre the Giant by Box Brown Few professional wrestlers transcended their field like "The Eighth Wonder of the World," Andre Roussimoff (1946-93). Ignatz Award-winning artist Brown brings readers Roussimoff's story from the French farm of his boyhood through worldwide wrestling stardom and his fondly remembered movie role as the giant Fezzik in the 1987 classic The Princess Bride. Highly recommended for pro wrestling fans, pop culture historians, and readers who enjoy outsider biographies.

Woody Guthrie and the dust bowl ballads by Nick Hayes This graphic novel offers a hard look at the world that made Woody Guthrie (1912-67) the visionary he became. A powerful exploration of Guthrie's roots, providing a mesmerizing take on the socioeconomic situation of 1930s America and a prescient commentary on how the challenges of that time continue to shape our identity as a nation.

The Zen of Steve Jobs a "A Forbes and Jess3 production" This innovative graphic novel unveils a less publicized part of Jobs: his flirtation with Zen Buddhism and friendship with Kobun Chino Otogawa, and how Jobs' tinge of Zenitude affected Apple products. The story moves back and forward in time, from the 1970s to 2011, but centers on the period after Jobs's exile from Apple in 1985 when he took up intensive study with Kobun. Their time together was integral to the big leaps that Apple took later on with its product design and business strategy.