Graphic biography is an art form that uses graphic novels or comics to tell the life story of a person. It can depict famous people from history or culture as well as ordinary individuals. Autobiographic comics are a type of graphic biography where the artist depicts events from their own life, often focusing on adversity, cultural issues, or life-changing experiences. Some notable examples of autobiographic comics mentioned are Justin Green's Binki Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary, Keiji Nakazawa's I Saw It, Art Spiegelman's Maus, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, and Alison Bechdel's Fun Home.

1. Graphic Biography
A Graphic Expression of a
Life Story

2. What is Graphic Biography?
An artful expression of a person’s
life in a form of graphic novel or
comics

3. Biographic Comics
Famous People: sport legends,
singers, historical figures, well-
known individuals, and so on.

4. Examples of Biographic
Comics
Examples: Babe Ruth, Isadora Duncan,
Michael Jackson, Abraham Lincoln,
Malcolm X … etc

5. Graphic Biography
• Autobiographic Comics
(or Graphic Autobiography)
: an artwork of the artist him/herself.
Usually depicts the individual’s life
adversity such as cultural repressions,
abuses, or life-changing events.
Currently most popular in Canadian,
American and French comics*
* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobiographical_comics

6. Examples of Autobiographic
Comics
In Chronological Order:
Justin Green, Binki Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary,
1972
Keiji Nakazawa, Ore Wa Mita (“I Saw It”), 1972
Joyce Brabner, Our Cancer Year, 1976
Art Spiegelman, Maus, 198?
DC Comics, Wasteland, 1987-1989
Joe Sacco, Palestine, 199?
Phoebe Gloeckner, A Child’s Life
Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis
Al Davison, The Spiral Cage
Danny Gregory, Everyday Matters,
Josh Neufeld, a few perfect hours, 2004
Steve Peters, Chemistry, 2005
Alison Bechdel, Fun Home, 2006
Carol Lay, The Big Skinny, 2008
Gilbert, Lefevre, and Lemercier, The Photographer, 2003

7. • Justin Green,
Binki Brown
Meets the Holy
Virgin Mary,
1972

8. Keiji Nakazawa,
Ore Wa Mita (“I Saw It”),
1972
Joyce Brabner, Our
Cancer Year, 1976

9. • Art Spiegelman, Maus, 198?

11. • Joe Sacco,
Palestine, 199?

12. • Phoebe Gloeckner,
A Child’s Life

13. • Marjane Satrapi,
Persepolis

15. • Al Davison, The Spiral Cage

16. • Josh Neufeld,
a few perfect
hours, 2004

17. • Danny Gregory,
Everyday
Matters,

18. • Alison Bechdel,
Fun Home, 2006

19. • Carol Ray, The
Big Skinny, 2008

20. • Gilbert, Lefevre, and Lemercier, The
Photographer, 2003

22. More Resources
Comics on the Web:
http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/bigskinny/
http://www.dannygregory.com.
More Information on Graphic Biography
http://graphicmedicine.org/#
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobiographical_c
omics
Gene Kannenberg Jr., 500 Essential Graphic
Novels: the Ultimate Guide, chapter 2 “Non-
fiction”, Collins Design, 2008