Bix - by Scott Chantler (Paperback)

About the Book

Illustrations provide a near-wordless graphic exploration highlighting the career of Leon Bix Beiderbecke, one of the most innovative jazz soloists of the 1920s. While composing and recording some of the landmark music in the early years of the genre, Bix struggled with personal demons, facing the disapproval of his conservative parents and an increasing dependence on alcohol. Presented in predominantly silent panels to reflect his rebellious, outsider quality and inability to communicate in anything other than his own musical terms, this is the story of a music star's rapid rise and tragic fall.

Book Synopsis

From the acclaimed Eisner Award-nominated creator of Two Generals and Northwest Passage comes a gorgeous and spare illustrated exploration of the rapid rise and tragic fall of 1920s legendary jazz soloist Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke.

Told in stunning illustrations, Bix is a near-wordless graphic exploration highlighting the career of Leon Bix Beiderbecke, one of the most innovative jazz soloists of the 1920s next to the legendary Louis Armstrong. While composing and recording some of the landmark music in the early history of genre, Bix struggled with personal demons, facing the disapproval of his conservative parents and an increasing dependence on alcohol. Presented in predominantly silent panels to reflect his rebellious outsider quality and inability to communicate in anything other than his own musical terms, Bix tells the story of a music star's rapid rise and tragic fall--a metaphor for the glories and risks inherent in the creative life.

Review Quotes

"Wonderfully conceived....Polished and lovely." --Seth, author of Clyde Fans

"[Chantler's] Two Generals should be given to all prospective cartoonists as a tutorial on how to visually tell tales." --Jamie S. Rich

"A marvel of imaginative illustrated narration....A vivid interpretation of the life of a remarkable musician." --Kirkus Reviews

"A master storyteller."--Alexander Chee

"Chantler is a talent not to be ignored." --The A.V. Club

"Crisp, monochrome visuals are reminiscent of midcentury newspaper comics, as well as Seth's Clyde Fans....melancholic, gorgeously orchestrated." --Publishers Weekly

"Eisner-nominated Chantler utilizes the deliberate cadence of panels alternating with layered multipanel visual bursts to denote musicality and the excitement of life in this nearly worldless graphic biography, a daring and bold experiment that stunningly succeeds." --Library Journal (starred review)

"Joyful and elegiac by turns...Chantler is...doing something wonderfully new. Succeeds on every level....[A] deeply felt portrait." --Booklist (starred review)

"Somehow Scott manages to up his game with each new volume." --Chris Samnee

PRAISE FOR SCOTT CHANTLER AND BIX:

"We're accustomed to seeing beautiful work by award-winning cartoonist Scott Chantler, but this book is particularly special....There's minimal dialogue, and its expressive, silent art, all oriented horizontally, tells the story.....Chantler...varies the number of panels per page, the page layouts and the content of each panel, to pull off the trick perfectly. And it reflects the mood of the story. Frenetic scenes of dancing through the Jazz Age are crowded, while sad moments...are in sparse, measured arrangements. This book's a gem, and so is Chantler." --Toronto Star