Lush drawings and a captivating narrative combine for a wonderful telling of the Velvet Underground story.
Shadmi tells the story of the iconic underground band in this graphic novel.
The author (who is also the illustrator) has created an extraordinary nonfiction graphic novel about the Velvet Underground, the influential, Lou Reed–led rock band of the 1960s and 1970s. The book opens with the death and funeral of pop artist Andy Warhol, who became the band’s manager in 1966 and designed the famous banana-peel cover for the band’s first album. What follows is a thorough look at the band and its members, focusing on leaders Reed and John Cale. Both Reed, in Long Island, and Cale, in Wales, endured troubled childhoods, eventually bonding during a meeting at Pickwick Records. Soon after, they formed the Velvet Underground, and the book follows the group’s many personal and professional highs and lows. Warhol is a key figure, as the Velvet Underground became the house band at his famous Factory. Shadmi takes a gritty look at a gritty band—Reed’s volatility is front and center (“Anything that scares off tourists is OK in our book”), as well as the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll that anyone with a passing knowledge of the Velvet Underground knows pervaded its history. The graphic storytelling approach emerges as the perfect way to share the Velvet Underground story, a must-read for both comic book enthusiasts and music aficionados alike. Shadmi’s stunning drawings and taut prose seamlessly interweave the band’s personal history and music into a compelling narrative. The drawings are effective when capturing huge public moments, such as Warhol’s funeral, and detailing smaller, personal ones (such as a disturbing sequence with Reed in a psychiatric institution) with great impact. Stylish, poignant and intriguing, the book recounts the creation of classic Velvet Underground songs such as “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” “Sister Ray,” and “Sunday Morning.” Shadmi’s history offers an immersive and enlightening experience, one that fans will appreciate for its scope and honesty, and one that non-fans are also sure to enjoy, if only for its inventiveness.
Lush drawings and a captivating narrative combine for a wonderful telling of the Velvet Underground story.Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
ISBN: 978-1643375632
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Life Drawn
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
A cartoonist’s gentle and charming epistolary memoir.
A cartoonist uses fans’ questions to trace his personal history.
Tomine began self-publishing his work at the age of 16. Since then, he’s developed a devoted fandom that, he says, has stuck by him for almost three decades. Although cartooning is a solitary profession, Tomine says his relationship with his readers has helped him stave off the loneliness that is, so often, a hazard of the job. He writes, “It’s never felt that way. In fact, I often think of my career as a decades-long conversation between myself and an amorphous, mostly anonymous group of people who are for some reason drawn to my work.” In Q&A, Tomine continues this conversation by responding to some of the most common queries, which include how to correctly pronounce his name (which, it turns out, Tomine didn’t know until a trip to Japan), his favorite brands of art supplies, his ability to balance the inspirations and frustrations of parents, and his thoughts about adapting his comics into films. He also offers career advice, describing how he got his start at theNew Yorker, spelling out his opinions on self-publishing and marketing, and providing ideas for connecting with comic artists who could serve as role models or mentors. Although this memoir doesn’t necessarily contain a clear character arc, it does provide a fascinating insight into a beloved artist’s personal history. Tomine’s writing is compassionate, empathetic, and tongue-in-cheek, and his narratorial voice has the intimate, confessional frankness of a good friend. The book’s visuals—which include Tomine’s illustrations—are a welcome addition to the text.
A cartoonist’s gentle and charming epistolary memoir.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781770467309
Page Count: 168
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An impassioned message of rage and hope.
The author of Persepolis returns with a collection about burgeoning activism in Iran.
In September 2022, the beating and death of Mahsa Jina Amini, an Iranian student arrested for not wearing her headscarf properly, incited a solidarity movement among women and men that spread around the world. To publicize and bear witness to this major uprising, Satrapi has gathered stories, cartoons, and essays from more than 20 artists, activists, journalists, and academics. The author has two aims: “to explain what’s going on in Iran, to decipher events in all their complexity and nuance for a non-Iranian readership, and to help you understand them as fully as possible”; and “to remind Iranians that they are not alone.” Setting the movement in context, Iranian American historian Abbas Milani offers an overview of the political upheavals and revolutions that have led to the current misogynist, repressive regime and the “resolute defiance” that has emerged in protest. As each contributor attests, life under a wrathful dictatorship is consistently frightening and dangerous: “The Islamic Republic ensures its own survival by murdering people. During the successive demonstrations” over Amini’s murder, “several hundred people were killed in an attempt to strike fear into the hearts of protesters. Young people were forced to confess under torture.” Women are especially vulnerable. Since November 2022, young students in schools across Iran have been poisoned by toxic gas as part of an attempt to force girls’ schools to close. Protecting the regime falls to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a paramilitary organization that answers directly to Khomeini, the Supreme Leader, and for the past four decades has carried out a reign of terror. This collection pays homage to victims and celebrates the dreams of Iran’s determined activists. Other contributors include Joanne Sfar, Lewis Trondheim, Paco Roca, and Mana Neyestani.
An impassioned message of rage and hope.Pub Date: March 19, 2024
ISBN: 9781644214053
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Seven Stories
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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