Classic Nonfiction Comics
Many of the first wave of comics (or graphic novels) to be taken seriously have been nonfiction. The medium’s ability to work simultaneously on and below the surface, and to bring to life images of the world, make it a powerful artform for telling concise yet complex personal stories and conveying difficult or dense information. Use this list to learn about some classics of the genre, and get tips on a few good contemporary reads.
Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman is about as important to the history of comics as anyone. His work editing and creating “underground” comics in the 70’s and 80’s, and efforts towards legitimate comics education (for readers and writers) helped advance a more literary comics movement. His pulitzer prize winning masterpiece Maus is part memoir and part history, as it details Spiegelman’s interviews with his father concerning his experience during the Holocaust. The past, reproduced near-allegorically with different nationalities and ethnicities represented as different animals, is unique for its approachable presentation and intimate detail, supplemented with the touching and difficult moments of the interview process itself, this story in total becomes a meditation on so much more than any one of its pieces.
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Marjorie Satrapi’s coming-of-age tale garnered immediate acclaim, and has gone on to be one of the most widely taught and read comics of our time. Its simple but well crafted art, and adolescent perspective, appeal to readers of almost any age. Its focus on Satrapi’s life in Iran and abroad before, during, and after the Islamic Revolution, provides opportunities for both a riveting personal tale and an educational experience. Formally, Persepolis beautifully exemplifies the comic medium’s potential for telling concise visually impactful stories shot through with internal depth.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomedy by Alison Bechdel
Whereas Spiegelman and Satrapi’s books draw from the experience of incredible historical events, Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home focuses tightly on recognizable domestic American life, and the author’s personal growth and gradual coming-out in that world. The ups and downs, the unspoken, subtle and ongoing tensions and hostilities of this apparently stable but dysfunctional family are brought out here with a stirring clear carefully unsentimental and exact prose and exquisite artistic ability. Since its publication in 2006 this book has won praise and awards from inside and out of the comics community, Bechdel has continued to publish and won a MaCarthur Genius Award in 2014
Showa: A History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki
Shigeru Mizuki rose to prominence in the Japanese manga world during the 60’s. In the latter part of his career he turned his efforts towards historical work, to critical and commercial success, garnering awards for his Japanese originals and subsequent English translations. Showa, his multi-volume epic, sees the author delve (via his personal experience) into the sticky and difficult work of acknowledging the full breadth of his country’s recent history. Starting in 1926 and ending in 1989, his unflinching portrait of Imperialist Japan givesway to equally thoughtful reflection on the US Japanese relations, globalization, progress and the very idea of war itself.
Honorable Mention if you want to know about nonfiction comics, you want to know these artists. Here are a few books to get you started.
Huntington, West Virginia "on the fly" by Harvey Pekar
You may recognize Harvey Pekar’s name from the film based on his life and work: American Splendor. Pekar’s somewhat eccentric but always thoughtful and down-to-earth persona and perspective make his work equal parts relatable and exceptional.
Drawn Together by Aline & R. Crumb
In a similar but perhaps more over-the-top vein, we have R. and Aline Kominsky-Crumb. Their slices of life are drawn as much from reality as daydream and neurosis, and their gritty detailed artwork is as surreal as it is too real. This book will give you a taste of both authors in one go.
For Contemporary gems of the nonfiction comics genre take a look at these selections.
History and Memoir
Science and Journalism
Find this article at