15 Best Graphic Novel Memoirs
By Andrea Thompson
Comic books have come a long way from a time when they were not only dismissed as a medium for children, but openly ridiculed. Even when they were successfully adapted for the big screen, they still weren’t taken seriously. And, when comic book movies stopped being profitable, they were derided as box office poison.
All that seems like eons ago. Nerd culture is now at an odd middle ground, appealing to both mainstream and counterculture. Comic book movies are raking in money by the billions and the term graphic novel is now commonly used which is an indication that “comic books” are being taken much more seriously. Nobody bats an eye when critics compare comic books to classic novels or refer to them as great works of literature. Even Time Magazine put “Watchmen” on its list of the best novels of all time.
The result is that more and more artists are turning to the graphic novel to tell their stories. And why not? They’re widely read and are considered more accessible to people who would otherwise never read an autobiography. Below is a list of the best comic book memoirs that address topics as diverse as depression, abusive relationships, Middle Eastern politics, and even the Holocaust.
