GRAPHIC NOVELS

Basquiat

by Julian Voloj (text) & Søren Glosimodt Mosdal (illus.).
SelfMadeHero. May 2019. 136p. ISBN 9781910593653. pap. $19.99. Rated: Teen+. biog
COPY ISBN
In 1968, a seven-year-old Jean-Michael Basquiat is given a copy of Gray’s Anatomy while recuperating after being struck by a car. Within a few years, Basquiat will be living on the streets of Manhattan, supporting himself by selling T-shirts and postcards of his own designs. A few years later, he’ll become one of the most famous and successful artists in the world before dying of a heroin overdose at age 27. Writer Voloj (The Joe Shuster Story) and illustrator Mosdal (Hank Williams: Lost Highway) imbue this brief biography with crackling energy and a breakneck pace to match the tumultuous life and career of their subject, whose synthesis of punk, pop, hip-hop, and street cultures continues to be influential more than 20 years after his death.
VERDICT This compelling fusion of subject and style brilliantly uses cameos by some of the celebrities Basquiat encountered over his brief life—including Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Madonna (whom Basquiat briefly dated)
Reviewed by Thomas L. Batten , Jul 31, 2019
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Past Tense: Facing Family Secrets and Finding Myself in Therapy
by Mardou, Sacha
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Soseki Natsume’s Botchan: The Manga Edition
by Natsume, Soseki
GRAPHIC NOVELS

The Hidden Life of Trees: A Graphic Adaptation
by Wohlleben, Peter & Fred Bernard
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Masterpiece
by Bendis, Brian Michael
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Cemetery Kids Don’t Die, Vol. 1
by Thompson, Zac
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Caravaggio: The Palette and the Sword, Vol. 1
by Manara, Milo
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?