An autobiographical comic (also autobio, graphic memoir, or autobiocomic) is an

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

in the form of

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

comic strips A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...

. The form first became popular in the

underground comix Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...

movement and has since become more widespread. It is currently most popular in Canadian, American and French comics; all artists listed below are from the U.S. unless otherwise specified. Autobiographical comics are a form of biographical comics (also known as biocomics).

1880s

* Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846–1905) "made an attempt of an autobiographical comics exercise"Marcos Farrajota
"Desassossego"
(reprinting his article of introduction to Portuguese comics for ''Š!'' magazine) in his 1881 graphic reportage book ''No Lazareto de Lisboa'' ("The Lazaretto of Lisbon"), by including himself and personal thoughts. Some of Bordalo Pinheiro's panels and strips were also autobiographical, such as self-caricatures of personal anecdotes from his travel in Brazil.

1910s

Cartoonist's Confessional - Fay King, 1918

* Fay King (1910s–1930s newspaper cartoonist) drew herself as a character later used as Olive Oyl in autobiographical strips portraying her reportages, opinions, and personal life. *

Hinko Smrekar Hinko Smrekar (13 July 1883 – 1 October 1942) was a Slovenian painter, draughtsman, caricaturist, graphic artist, and illustrator. Smrekar was a member of the Vesna Art Club, which was active in Vienna, and a partisan in the Liberation Fron ...

(1883–1942, Slovenian painter, newspaper cartoonist) drew and wrote a 24-page booklet '' Črnovojnik'' about his experience in the army and army prisons. This self-ironical proto comic has been published in 1919 – two years after he finished it. All of the pages have up to four illustrations, some include typical comic book balloons. The complete text was handwritten.

1920s

Carlos Botelho Carlos Botelho (18 September 1899, in Lisbon – 18 August 1982, in Lisbon) was a Portuguese painter, illustrator, comics artist, political cartoonist, satirist and caricaturist, whose works are shown at the Chiado Museum and at the Mode ...

(1899–1982) had a weekly comic page in a "style that mixed up chronicle, autobiography, journalism, and satire" running from 1928 to 1950 in the Portuguese magazine ''Sempre Fixe''.

1930s

* Henry (Yoshitaka) Kiyama's ''

The Four Immigrants Manga ''The Four Immigrants Manga'' (1931), also known as , is a Japanese-language manga written and illustrated by Henry Kiyama (born , 1885–1951). It is an early example of autobiographical comics. The manga was created around 1924–1927 as 52 " ...

'' (drawn 1924–1927, exhibited 1927 in San Francisco, self-published 1931). These 52 two-page strips drew from the experiences of Kiyama and three friends, mostly as Japanese student immigrants to San Francisco between 1904 and 1907, plus material up to 1924.

1940s

* The artist

Taro Yashima was a Japanese-American artist and children's book author. He immigrated to the United States in 1939 and assisted the U.S. war effort. Early life Iwamatsu was born September 21, 1908, in Nejime, Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima, and raised there o ...

(born Atsushi Iwamatsu) published his autobiographical graphic works ''The New Sun'' in 1943 and ''The New Horizon'' in 1947 (both written in English). The first book describes his early life as well his as his wife

Mitsu Yashima was an artist, children's book author, and civic activist. World War II and later years Mitsu was the daughter of a shipbuilding company executive. She attended Kobe College, and later enrolled at Bunka Gakuin in Tokyo. In the 1930s, she join ...

's imprisonment and brutalization by the Tokkō (special higher police) in response to their antiwar, anti-Imperialist, and anti-militarist stance in the 1930s. The second book describes their post-prison life in Japan under militarist rule up until the time they emigrated to the United States in 1939. *

Miné Okubo Miné Okubo (; June 27, 1912 – February 10, 2001) was an American artist and writer. She is best known for her book ''Citizen 13660'', a collection of 198 drawings and accompanying text chronicling her experiences in Japanese American internmen ...

published ''Citizen 13660'', a collection of 198 drawings and accompanying text chronicling the author's experiences in

Japanese American internment Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

camps during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Named after the number assigned to her family unit, the book contains almost two hundred of Okubo's pen-and-ink sketches accompanied by explanatory text. Published in 1946, the book has been in print for more than 75 years.

1960s

1960s in Japan

Shinji Nagashima , better known by the pen name , was a Japanese manga artist born in Tokyo, Japan. His pseudonym came about due to a publisher's error when printing his name, and he continued using the pseudonym after that. His oldest son is classical guitarist ...

created ''Mangaka Zankoku Monogatari'' ("Cruel Tale of a Cartoonist") in 1961. *

Yoshiharu Tsuge is a Japanese cartoonist and essayist. He was active in comics between 1955 and 1987. His works range from tales of ordinary life to dream-like surrealism, and often show his interest in traveling about Japan. He has garnered the most attent ...

published in 1966 his autobiographical story "Chiko" ("Chiko, the Java sparrow"), depicting his daily life as a struggling manga artist living with a bar hostess making most of their money. Published in the seminal magazine '' Garo'', it started the movement of ''Watakushi manga'' ("I manga", or "comics about me"). These short graphic nonfictions (including memoirs, chronicles, travel or dream diaries) were also represented by Yu Takita, Tadao Tsuge, and Shinichi Abe (see below). * Yu Takita (1932–1990) started in 1968 his ''Terajima-cho'' stories ("Terajima neighborhood mystery tales"). They were series of vignettes about 1930s life in this Tokyo district where his parents ran a tavern. *

Tadao Tsuge Tadao Tsuge (; real name ; born 1941) is a Japanese alternative manga artist. He is known to write stories about the ''kimin'' (; the "abandoned" people) and ''burakumin'' of Japanese society, as well the men who tried to reintegrate into Japanese s ...

started in 1968 his personal stories, later collected in ''

Trash Market ''Trash Market'' is a volume of semi-autobiographical short stories by Japanese manga artist Tadao Tsuge. The stories were serialized mainly in the Japanese alternative manga magazine ''Garo'' from 1968 to 1972. They were published by Drawn & ...

''.

USA

* Justin Green In 1969, Justin Green published his first autobiographical comic strip in Gotham Blimp Works #3 titled, "When I Was Sixteen 'Twas a Very Bad Year."

1970s

* Sam Glanzman started in April 1970 his ''U.S.S. Stevens'' autobio stories (1970–1977) about his war service, as 4-pagers in

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

's title ''

Our Army at War ''Our Army at War'' was an American comic book anthology published by DC Comics that featured war-themed stories and featured the first appearances of Sgt. Rock and Enemy Ace. The series was published from August 1952 to February 1977, then was ...

''. Beside memoirs of war actions he witnessed, many are personal vignettes of embarrassing moments, including as an artist. As comics historian John B. Cooke noted, those "autobiographical tales about the sometimes mundane, frequently horrifying experiences aboard a ''Fletcher''-class U.S. navy destroyer during World War II were beginning to appear regularly, debuting two years before '' Binky Brown''." * Shinichi Abe (born 1950) started in 1971 his autobiographical series ''Miyoko Asagaya kibun'' ("The Miyoko Asagaya feeling" or "Miyoko, Asagaya's feeling") for '' Garo'' magazine. It chronicled his 1970s bohemian life with his model girlfriend Miyoko in the Asagaya district of Tokyo. (The manga was adapted into the 2009 film ''Miyoko''.) * Justin Green, though not the first author of autobio comics, is generally acknowledged to have pioneered the confessional genre in English-language comics, because of the immediate influence of his "highly personal autobiographical comics" on other creators ( Kominski, Crumb, Spiegelman, Pekar, see below). This was done through the veiled autobio of his alter ego's "Binky Brown" stories, notably the March 1972 comic book ''

Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary ''Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary'' is an autobiographical comic by American cartoonist Justin Green, published in 1972. Green takes the persona of Binky Brown to tell of the " compulsive neurosis" with which he struggled in his youth a ...

'', an extremely personal work dealing with Green's

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and Jewish background and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Binky Brown continued his adventures in "Sacred and Profane" with a story called ''Sweet Void of Youth''. * In October 1972, Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

artist

Keiji Nakazawa was a Japanese manga artist and writer. Biography Nakazawa was born March 14, 1939 Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan and was in the city when it was Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, destroyed by an atomic bomb in August 1945. Most of his famil ...

created the 48-page story " I Saw It" ("Ore wa Mita"), which told of his firsthand experience of the

bombing of Hiroshima The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the on ...

. (This was followed by the longer, fictionalized work ''

Barefoot Gen is a Japanese historical manga series by Keiji Nakazawa. Loosely based on Nakazawa's own experiences as a Hiroshima survivor, the series begins in 1945 in and around Hiroshima, Japan, where the six-year-old boy Gen Nakaoka lives wi ...

'' (''Hadashi no Gen''), later adapted into three films.) *

Aline Kominsky Aline Kominsky-Crumb (née Goldsmith; August 1, 1948 – November 29, 2022) was an American underground comics artist. Kominsky-Crumb's work, which is almost exclusively autobiographical, is known for its unvarnished, confessional nature. In 201 ...

followed Green in November 1972 with her veiled autobio 5-pager "Goldie, a Neurotic Woman" (in ''

Wimmen's Comix ''Wimmen's Comix'', later titled ''Wimmin's Comix'', is an influential all-female underground comics anthology published from 1972 to 1992. Though it covered a wide range of genres and subject matters, ''Wimmen's Comix'' focused more than other an ...

'' #1). * Art Spiegelman followed Green in 1973 with his 4-page "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" (in ''Short Order Comix'' #1), about his feelings after the suicide of his Holocaust-survivor mother (a strip later included in ''

Maus ''Maus'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman, serialized from 1980 to 1991. It depicts Spiegelman interviewing his father about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. The work employs postmodern technique ...

'', see below). * Robert Crumb and

released in 1974 '' Dirty Laundry Comics'' #1, a joint confessional comic book documenting their budding romance, though depicted aboard a fantasy spaceship. * In 1976,

Harvey Pekar Harvey Lawrence Pekar (; October 8, 1939 – July 12, 2010) was an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical ''American Splendor'' comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a ...

began his long-running self-published series '' American Splendor'', which collected short stories written by Pekar, usually about his daily life as a file clerk, and illustrated by a variety of artists. The series led to Pekar meeting his wife Joyce Brabner, who later co-wrote their graphic novel ''

Our Cancer Year ''Our Cancer Year'' is a nonfiction graphic novel written by Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner and illustrated by Frank Stack. Overview Published in 1994 by Four Walls Eight Windows, ''Our Cancer Year'' (an offshoot of the cult favorite comic book ...

'' (1994) about his battle with

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlar ...

. * In 1977, the Italian magazine ''Alter Alter'' starts publishing Andrea Pazienza's ''Le straordinarie avventure di Pentothal'' (Pentothal's Extraordinary Adventures), in which the author details in a stream of consciousness his own experiences with drugs, arts, politics,

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

, and the

Movement of 1977 The movement of 1977 was a spontaneous political movement that arose in Italy in 1977. It grew primarily out of the extra-parliamentary left; in form and substance, it was completely unlike previous student movements such as the protests of 1968. ...

, through a thinly veiled alter ego. * In 1978, Eddie Campbell started his autobio strip "In the Days of the Ace Rock 'n' Roll Club" (March 1978 – March 1979). (This led to his ''Alec'' stories, see below.) * In 1979, Malaysian cartoonist Lat published his childhood memoir '' The Kampung Boy'' (drawn 1977–1978). * In the late 1970s, Jim Valentino began his career with some autobio minicomics, released in the early 1980s. In 1985, he published his autobio series ''Valentino'' (later collected in ''Vignettes''). In 1997, he created the semi-autobio series ''A Touch of Silver'' about a boy coming of age in the 1960s. In 2007, he revisited autobio with ''Drawings from Life'' (also collected in ''Vignettes''). * Throughout the 1970s, autobiographical writing was prominent in the work of many female underground cartoonists, in anthologies such as ''

'', ranging from comical anecdotes to

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

commentary based on the artists' lives.

1980s

* In 1980, Art Spiegelman combined biography and autobiography in his

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

-winning ''

'' (serialized 1980–1991), about his father's

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

experiences, his own relationship with his father, and the process of interviewing him for the book. This work had a major effect on the reception of comics in general upon the world of mainstream prose literature, awakening many to the potential of comics as a medium for stories other than adventure fantasy. * In 1982, Eddie Campbell's ''Alec'' stories started with the Scottish/Australian artist as a young man drifting through life with his friends, and followed him through marriage, parenthood, and a successful artistic career. (They were later collected in ''The King Canute Crowd'', ''Three Piece Suit'', and other books.) * Campbell's English colleague

Glenn Dakin Glenn Dakin (born 1960) is a British cartoonist and author of children's books. He is the author of the ''Candle Man'' book series, and he contributed to a number of British comics magazines including ''Escape'' and ''Deadline'', and was part of ...

created the ''Abraham Rat'' stories (collected in ''Abe: Wrong for All the Right Reasons''), which began as fantasy and became more contemplative and autobiographical. * Spain Rodriguez drew a number of stories, collected in ''My True Story'', about being a

motorcycle gang An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, a ...

member in the 1950s. *In the early 1980s, Carol Tyler shifted from making autobiographical paintings to comics. Her first published comics piece appeared in '' Weirdo'' in 1987. * Underground legend Robert Crumb focused increasingly on autobiography in his 1980s stories in '' Weirdo'' magazine. Many other autobiographical shorts would appear in ''Weirdo'' by other artists, including his wife,

Aline Kominsky-Crumb Aline Kominsky-Crumb (née Goldsmith; August 1, 1948 – November 29, 2022) was an American underground comics artist. Kominsky-Crumb's work, which is almost exclusively autobiographical, is known for its unvarnished, confessional nature. In 201 ...

, Carol Tyler,

Phoebe Gloeckner Phoebe Louise Adams Gloeckner (born December 22, 1960), is an American cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and novelist. Early life Gloeckner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother was a librarian and her father, David Gloeckner, was ...

(see below in 1990s section), and Dori Seda. * In 1987, Sam Glanzman released his WWII graphic memoir ''A Sailor's Story'' (

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

), a more personal extension of his 1970s ''U.S.S. Stevens'' war stories. *In 1988, Andrea Pazienza releases ''Pompeo'', his last graphic novel, depicting the gradual downfall of a heroin addict (a largely autobiographical character), up to his eventual suicide. * Jim Woodring's unusual "autojournal" '' Jim'' combined

dream art Dream art is any form of art that is directly based on a material from one's dreams, or a material that resembles dreams, but not directly based on them. History The first known reference to dream art was in the 12th century, when Charles Coop ...

with occasional episodes of realistic autobiography. * David Collier, a Canadian ex-soldier, published autobiographical and historical comics in ''Weirdo'' and later in his series ''Collier's''. * In 1987,

' anthology '' Wasteland'' (1987–1989) featured, unusually for a mainstream title, as well as more conventional forms of

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

and

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...

, semi-autobiographical stories based on the life of co-writer

Del Close Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was ...

. One of the stories also

parodied A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...

the autobiographical stories of Harvey Pekar, portraying a version of Pekar's famous appearance on ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...

'', in which Pekar's vehement critique of

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...

had earned him a longtime ban from the program. * In 1989, John Porcellino started in his long-running autobio series ''

King-Cat Comics ''King-Cat Comics and Stories'' is a long-running, photocopied mini-comic series, authored and self-published by John Porcellino. It is among the longest continually-published mini comics in existence. Publication history Porcellino (publishing ...

'' (still ongoing).

1990s

Autobiographical work took the English-speaking alternative comics scene by storm during this period, becoming a "signature genre" in much the way that superhero stories dominated American mainstream comic books. (The stereotypical example of an alternative autobiographical comic recounted the awkward moment which followed when, the cartoonist sitting alone in a coffee shop, their ex-girlfriend walks in.) Slice of life comics and comics strips gained popularity during this period as well. However, many artists pursued broader themes. * Maltese-American Joe Sacco appeared as a character in his journalistic comics, beginning with ''Yahoo'' (collected in ''Notes from a Defeatist'') and ''

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

''. * In the anthology series ''Real Stuff'', Dennis Eichhorn followed Pekar's example of writing true stories for others to illustrate, but unlike Pekar, emphasized unlikely tales of sex and violence. Many of the ''Real Stuff'' stories took place in Eichhorn's native state of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

. In 1993, Eichhorn received an

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

nomination for Best Writer and his ''Real Stuff'' series received nominations for both Best Continuing Series and Best Anthology. In 1994, ''Real Stuff'' again received an

nomination for Best Anthology. * One of the most popular self-published mini-comics of the 1990s in America, ''

Silly Daddy Born out of the American Independent Comics Movement, ''Silly Daddy'' is a comic book, graphic novel and webcomics blog by Joe Chiappetta. Started shortly after the birth of his first child in 1991, artist Joe Chiappetta began his career as "Silly ...

'', depicted

Joe Chiappetta Born out of the American Independent Comics Movement, ''Silly Daddy'' is a comic book, graphic novel and webcomics blog by Joe Chiappetta. Started shortly after the birth of his first child in 1991, artist Joe Chiappetta began his career as "Silly ...

's parenthood and divorce, sometimes realistically and sometimes in a parallel fantasy story. The story continued in trade paperbacks and as a

webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be co ...

. *''The Job Thing'', 1993. Carol Tyler details her troubles with low paying jobs. A collection of stories originally published in Street Music Magazine. * Julie Doucet's series ''

Dirty Plotte ''Dirty Plotte'' is a comic book series by Julie Doucet, published by Drawn & Quarterly from 1991–1998. Most of the oddball stories in ''Dirty Plotte'' were autobiographical, often about the struggles of being a woman and being an alternative ...

'' (1991–1998), from Canada, began as a mix of outlandish fantasy and dream comics, but moved toward autobiography in what was later collected as ''My New York Diary''. * A trio of Canadian friends,

Seth Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. A ...

''(

Palookaville Palookaville may refer to: * ''Palookaville'' (film), a 1995 comedy film * ''Palookaville'' (album), a 2004 electronic album by Fatboy Slim * ''Palookaville'' (comics), an alternative comic book See also * Palooka (disambiguation) {{disa ...

)'', Chester Brown ''( Yummy Fur, The Playboy, I Never Liked You)'', and

Joe Matt Joe Matt (born September 3, 1963) is an American cartoonist, best known for his autobiographical work, ''Peepshow''. Early life Matt was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He started drawing comics in 1987. Career In his autobiographical com ...

(''

Peepshow A peep show or peepshow is a presentation of a live sex show or pornographic film which is viewed through a viewing slot. Several historical media provided voyeuristic entertainment through hidden erotic imagery. Before the development of the ci ...

''), gained rapid renown in North America for their different approaches to autobiography. Brown and Matt were also notorious for depicting embarrassing personal moments such as

masturbation Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinatio ...

and nose-picking. Seth created some controversy by presenting realistic fictional stories as if they had actually happened, not as a ploy to fool writers but as a

literary technique A narrative technique (known for literary fictional narratives as a literary technique, literary device, or fictional device) is any of several specific methods the creator of a narrative uses to convey what they want —in other words, a stra ...

. However some readers did get fooled. * Keith Knight's weekly comic strip ''

The K Chronicles ''The K Chronicles'' is an autobiographical weekly comic strip by the independent cartoonist Keith Knight that has been produced since the early 1990s. Knight is an African-American artist whose comics often explore themes relevant to his racial ...

'' began in the early 1990s, exploring themes relevant to Knight's racial heritage, as well as current events, both personal to Knight and general to the world. * Howard Cruse's graphic novel ''

Stuck Rubber Baby ''Stuck Rubber Baby'' is a 1995 graphic novel by American cartoonist Howard Cruse. He created his debut graphic novel after a decades-long career as an underground cartoonist. It deals with homosexuality and racism in the 1960s in the southern U ...

'' (1995) told a fictionalized version of Cruse's young adulthood as a gay man in the South during

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

conflicts. *

created a series of semi-autobiographical stories drawing on her adolescent experiences with sex and drugs in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, collected in ''

A Child's Life and Other Stories A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

''. She later revisited similar material in her 2004 illustrated novel '' The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures''. * ''Seven Miles a Second'', written by painter

David Wojnarowicz David Michael Wojnarowicz ( (September 14, 1954 – July 22, 1992) was an American painter, photographer, writer, filmmaker, performance artist, songwriter/recording artist, and AIDS activist prominent in the East Village art scene. He incorp ...

and illustrated by James Romberger and

Marguerite Van Cook Marguerite Van Cook (née Martin) (born 1954) is an English artist, writer, musician/singer and filmmaker. She was born in Portsmouth, England and now resides in New York City on the Lower East Side, in the East Village. She attended Portsmouth ...

, was based on Wojnarowicz's life and his response to the

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

epidemic. * The graphic novel ''David Chelsea in Love'' described the eponymous author's romantic difficulties in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

. * Rick Veitch told the story of his twenties entirely through a dream diary in the ''Crypto Zoo'' volume of ''Rare Bit Fiends''. *

Ariel Schrag Ariel Schrag (born December 29, 1979) is an American cartoonist and television writer who achieved critical recognition at an early age for her autobiographical comics. Her novel ''Adam'' provoked controversy with its theme of a heterosexual tee ...

's tetralogy ''Awkward'', ''Definition'', ''Potential'', and ''Likewise'', about discovering her sexual identity in high school, was unusual in having been mostly completed ''while'' in high school. * Jim Valentino's ''A Touch of Silver'' (

Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...

, 1997) portrayed his unhappy youth in the 1960s. * English artist Raymond Briggs, best known for his children's books, told the story of his parents' marriage in '' Ethel & Ernest'' (1998). * James Kochalka started to turn his daily life into a daily four-panel strip starting in 1998, collected in ''Sketchbook Diaries'', and later in the

''American Elf''. * Swedish cartoonist

Martin Kellerman Martin Kellerman (born 1973 in Växjö) is a Swedish cartoonist, known for the comic strip ''Rocky''. He was influenced by American and Swedish underground cartoonists such as Peter Bagge, Max Andersson, Robert Crumb, Harvey Pekar, Joe Matt an ...

launched the autobiographical comic strip ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...

'' in 1998, focusing on an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

dog and his friends in their everyday life in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

. ''Rocky'' is based on Kellerman's own life. The comic has since been translated into Norwegian,

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

, Finnish,

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...

, English, Spanish, and French, either as a running strip or collected in book form. * '' Bread and Wine: An Erotic Tale of New York'' (1999), written by Samuel R. Delaney and illustrated by

Mia Wolff Mia, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to: Music Artists * M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer * M.I.A. (band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California * MIA., a German rock/pop band formed in 1997 * Mia (singer) (born 1983) ...

, is an autobiographical graphic novel about a gay science-fiction writer (Delaney) meeting a homeless man who becomes his partner. *

Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ' ...

' three-issue

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...

limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...

Fortune and Glory ''Fortune and Glory'' is a three-issue American comic book limited series by Brian Michael Bendis. It is the story of the author's attempts to break into Hollywood by writing screenplays for his hardboiled comics (such as ''Jinx'', ''A.K.A. Gold ...

'' ( Oni Press, 1999–2000) is the story of the author's attempts to break into

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

by writing

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

s for his hardboiled comics (such as '' Jinx'', ''

A.K.A. Goldfish ''A.K.A. Goldfish'' is the title of a 1994 American creator-owned comic book series written and drawn by Brian Michael Bendis. The series was originally published by Caliber Comics, with later issues by Image Comics. The entire award-winning se ...

'', and ''

Torso The torso or trunk is an anatomical term for the central part, or the core, of the body of many animals (including humans), from which the head, neck, limbs, tail and other appendages extend. The tetrapod torso — including that of a human � ...

''). The series was nominated for Eisner Awards in three categories.

1990s in France

This period also saw a rapid expansion of the French small-press comics scene, including a new emphasis on autobiographical work: *

Fabrice Neaud Fabrice Neaud (born December 17, 1968, in La Rochelle) is a French comics artist. He got his baccalaureate in literature (option graphic arts) in 1986. He studied philosophy during two years. Then he entered an art school and studied there four ye ...

's acclaimed ''Journal'' was the first lengthy autobiographical series in French comics. *

David B. Pierre-François "David" Beauchard (; born 9 February 1959), also known by the pen name David B., is a French comic book artist and writer, and one of the founders of . Biography After studying advertising at the Duperré School of Applied Arts i ...

, another artist who had first published fantasy comics stories, produced the graphic novel ''L'ascension du haut mal'' (published in English as '' Epileptic'') applied B.'s distinctive non-realistic style to the story of his equally unusual upbringing, in which his family moved to a macrobiotic commune and sought many other cure's for B.'s brother's '' grand mal''

seizures An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or neural oscillation, synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much o ...

. *

Lewis Trondheim Lewis Trondheim (born Laurent Chabosy, , on 11 December 1964), is a French cartoonist and one of the founders (in 1990) of the independent publisher L'Association. Both his silent comic ''La Mouche'' and Kaput and Zösky have been made into animat ...

portrayed himself and his friends, albeit with animal heads, in ''Approximative continuum comics'', some of which was later published in English as ''The Nimrod''. * Much of Edmond Baudoin's later work is based on his personal and family history. * Dupuy and Berberain's "Journal d'un album" and Jean-Christophe Menu's "Livre de Phamille" also had a significant influence on the French autobiographic graphic novel scene.

2000s

* Iranian exile Marjane Satrapi created the multi-volume '' Persepolis'', originally published as a newspaper serial in France, about her childhood during the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

. * Canadian animator Guy Delisle published several travelogues such as '' Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China'' (2000), '' Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea'' (2004), ''

Burma Chronicles :''See Burmese chronicles for the royal chronicles of Burma (Myanmar).'' ''Burma Chronicles'' (french: Chroniques Birmanes) is a 2007 Canadian graphic novel written and illustrated by Guy Delisle. ''Burma Chronicles'' is a travelogue about Delis ...

'' (2007), and ''

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

'' (2011). * ''The Spiral Cage'', by English artist

Al Davison Al Davison is an English comic book writer and artist from Newcastle, England. He now resides in Coventry, where he runs The Astral Gypsy, his studio and comic shop in Fargo Village, Far Gosford Street, with his wife Maggie. He is most famous for ...

, is about Davison's experience of living with spina bifida. * Jeffrey Brown's ''Clumsy'' (2001) and ''Unlikely'' (2003) told the story of two failed relationships using hundreds of single-page stories. * ''

Blue Pills ''Blue Pills'' (original title: ''Pilules Bleues'') is a 2001 Swiss-French autobiographical comic written and illustrated by Frederik Peeters. The comic tells the story of a man falling in love with an HIV-positive woman. The book won the 2001 ...

'' (original title: ''Pilules Bleues'') is a 2001 Swiss-French autobiographical comic written and illustrated by

Frederik Peeters Frédérik Peeters (; born 14 August 1974 in Geneva) is a contemporary Swiss graphic novelist. Biography Peeters received his bachelor of arts degree in visual communication from the École Supérieure d’Arts Appliqués in Geneva in 1995. Pee ...

. The comic tells the story of a man falling in love with an HIV-positive woman. *

Lynda Barry Linda Jean Barry (born January 2, 1956) is an American cartoonist. Barry is best known for her weekly comic strip ''Ernie Pook's Comeek''. She garnered attention with her 1988 illustrated novel ''The Good Times are Killing Me'', about an interr ...

's ''One! Hundred! Demons!'' (2002) features Barry wrestling with the "demons" of regret, abusive relationships, self-consciousness, the prohibition against feeling hate, and her response to the results of the

2000 United States presidential election The 2000 United States presidential election was the 54th quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 2000. Republican Party (United States), Republican candidate George W. Bush, the gover ...

. * Craig Thompson releases ''

Blankets A blanket is a swath of soft cloth large enough either to cover or to enfold most of the user's body and thick enough to keep the body warm by trapping radiant body heat that otherwise would be lost through convection. Etymology The term ...

'' (2003), an award-winning graphic memoir of first love, religious identity, and coming of age. *

Marzena Sowa Marzena Sowa (born 1979 in Stalowa Wola) is a Polish cartoonist. Since 2001, she has been living in France. Sowa studied at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and then at the Michel de Montaigne University Bordeaux 3 in Bordeaux. Sowa is th ...

wrote ''Marzi'', a series of comics about her childhood in 1980s-era Poland. * Art Spiegelman wrote ''

In the Shadow of No Towers ''In the Shadow of No Towers'' is a 2004 work of comics by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman. It is about Spiegelman's reaction to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. It was originally serialized as a comic strip in the G ...

'' (2004), an oversize graphic memoir about his experiences during the 9/11 attacks. *

Josh Neufeld Josh Neufeld (born August 9, 1967) is an alternative cartoonist known for his nonfiction comics on subjects like Hurricane Katrina, international travel, and finance, as well as his collaborations with writers like Harvey Pekar and Brooke Gladsto ...

published his Xeric Award-winning ''A Few Perfect Hours'' (2004), documenting his and his girlfriend's backpacking adventures through Southeast Asia, Central Europe, and Turkey. * Joe Kubert published ''Yossel April 14, 1943'' (2005), a "fake autobiographical graphic novel" about what would have happened if his parents hadn't moved from Poland to the U.S. and they would have been there during the Holocaust. * Carol Tyler published ''Late Bloomer'', which features all the collected works from '' Weirdo'' and other publications. * Italian comic book artist

Gipi Gianni Pacinotti, better known by the pseudonym of Gipi, is an Italian cartoonist, filmmaker, and author. Biography Born in Pisa in 1963, he began his career illustrating for the publishing and advertising industries. He began illustrating storie ...

releases several graphic novels inspired by his own life experiences: ''Appunti per una storia di guerra'' ("Notes for a War Story," 2005), ''S.'' (2006, about his father), ''La mia vita disegnata male'' ("My Life Badly Drawn," 2008). * Xeric Award-winner Steve Peters wrote and illustrated ''Chemistry'' (2005) about a failed relationship. He drew one panel a day for a year; the entire comic is 32 pages long with a total of 365 panels. Each panel's date is hidden somewhere inside it. ''Chemistry'' won the 2006 Howard Eugene Day Memorial Prize. * ''

Mom's Cancer ''Mom's Cancer'' is an autobiographical webcomic by Brian Fies which describes his mother's fight against metastatic lung cancer, as well as his family's reactions to it. ''Mom's Cancer'' was the first webcomic to win an Eisner Award, winning in ...

'' is an autobiographical

Brian Fies Brian Fies (pronounced "feez" ) is an American cartoonist. He is the creator of ''Mom's Cancer'', which was the first webcomic to receive an Eisner Award. Fies won the Eisner in 2005 under the newly created category " Best Digital Comic". ''Mom's ...

which describes his mother's fight against metastatic

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

, as well as his family's reactions to it. ''Mom's Cancer'' was the first webcomic to win an

, winning in 2005. Its print collection, published in 2006, won a Harvey Award and a

Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis The (German Youth Literature Award) is an annual award established in 1956 by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to recognise outstanding works of children's and young adult literature. It is Germany's only ...

. *

Alison Bechdel Alison Bechdel ( ; born September 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist. Originally known for the long-running comic strip ''Dykes to Watch Out For'', she came to critical and commercial success in 2006 with her graphic memoir ''Fun Home'', which ...

wrote and illustrated '' Fun Home'' (2006), about her relationship with her father, and it was named by ''Time'' magazine as number one of its "10 Best Books of the Year." *

Martin Lemelman Martin Lemelman (born October 26, 1950) is an American freelance illustrator and graphic memoirist. Early life and education Born in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home, and attended a yeshiva. At 13 he decided he wanted to ...

wrote ''Mendel's Daughter'' (2006), based on his mother's recorded confessions of her life during the Holocaust. He inserts a lot of family pictures as well. *

Miriam Katin Miriam Katin (born 1942) is a Hungarian-born American graphic novelist and graphic artist. She worked in animation from 1981 to 2000 in Israel and the United States. She has written two autobiographical graphic novels, ''We Are on Our Own'' (2006 ...

wrote ''We Are on Our Own: A Memoir'' (2006), a graphic memoir about her survival, with her mother, of the Holocaust. *

Danny Gregory Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to: People *Danny Altmann, British immunologist *Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer *Danny Baker (born 1957), English journalis ...

wrote ''Everyday Matters'', after he taught himself to draw following a traumatic moment in his life: his wife was hit by a train and became paralyzed. * Anders Nilsen won an Ignatz Award for his graphic memoir, ''Don't Go Where I Can't Follow'' (2007) * In April 2007, Ype Driessen, a Dutch comic artist, published the first autobiographical

photo comic Photo comics are a form of sequential storytelling that uses photographs rather than illustrations for the images, along with the usual comics conventions of narrative text and word balloons containing dialogue. They are sometimes referred to ...

called ''

Ype+Willem Peace River Airport is a municipally owned airport located west of the Town of Peace River, Alberta, Canada. The airport has one runway, which is , and a terminal building, which is . Northern Air is based at the airport and provides scheduled ...

''. With photos he showed everyday happenings in his life with his former boyfriend Willem. He still publishes his comic a
FotoStrips.nl
(NL). *

published ''Need More Love: A Graphic Memoir'' (2007), her life story, with inserted photographs. * '' A Drifting Life'' (2008) is a thinly veiled autobiographical Japanese

written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Tatsumi that chronicles his life from 1945 to 1960, the early stages of his career as a cartoonist. The book earned Tatsumi the

Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Named after Osamu Tezuka, the is a yearly manga prize awarded to manga artists or their works that follow the Osamu Tezuka manga approach founded and sponsored by Asahi Shimbun. The prize has been awarded since 1997, in Tokyo, Japan. Current ...

, and won two Eisner Awards. * Carol Lay wrote and illustrated ''The Big Skinny'' (2008) about her experiences with weight loss. * ''

American Widow ''American Widow'' (2008, Random House), written by Alissa Torres and drawn by Sungyoon Choi, is a graphic memoir about Torres's experience as a widow of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The story is told in non-chronological order, alternating b ...

'' (2008), written by Alissa Torres and drawn by Sungyoon Choi, is a graphic memoir about Torres's experience as a widow of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

in 2001. * '' Stitches: A Memoir'' is a 2009 graphic memoir written and illustrated by

David Small David Small (born February 12, 1945) is an American writer and illustrator who is best known for children's picture books. His books have been awarded a Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors, among other recognition. Biography David Small ...

. It tells the story of Small's journey from sickly child to cancer patient, to the troubled teen who made a risky decision to run away from home at sixteen — with nothing more than the dream of becoming an artist. ''Stitches'' was a #1 ''New York Times'' Best Seller, and was named one of the ten best books of 2009 by ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' and

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

. It was also a finalist for the 2009

National Book Award for Young People's Literature The National Book Award for Young People's Literature is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation (NBF) to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers".< ...

. ''Stitches'' was a 2010

Alex Awards The Alex Awards annually recognize "ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18". Essentially, the award is a listing by the American Library Association parallel to its annual Best Books for Young A ...

recipient. ''Stitches'' has been translated into seven different languages and published in nine different countries. *2009 through 2012, the ''You'll Never Know'' trilogy (later to be known as ''Soldier's Heart'') was published. The 11-time Eisner-nominated series is about the lifetime damage her father's PTSD from

had on the artist/author, Carol Tyler, and her family.

2010s

The "graphic memoir" really came into its own this decade, with many of the books by female authors.

Lucy Knisley Lucy Knisley (born January 11, 1985) is an American comic artist and musician. Her work is often autobiographical, and food is a common theme. Knisley's drawn travel journal ''French Milk'' was published through Simon & Schuster in October 2008 ...

and

MariNaomi MariNaomi (born as Mari Naomi Schaal; born August 2, 1973) is an American graphic artist and cartoonist who often publishes autobiographical comics and is also well known for creating three online databases of underrepresented cartoonists. Caree ...

each published a number of full-length autobiographical comics in the 2010s. The market expanded into middle grade as well, witnessed by such well-received examples as

Raina Telgemeier Raina Diane Telgemeier (/'ɹeɪna 'tɛlgə'maɪəɹ/, born May 26, 1977) is an American cartoonist. Her works include the autobiography, autobiographical webcomic ''Smile (comic book), Smile'', which was published as a full-color graphic novel i ...

's books, the '' March'' series, and

Cece Bell Cecelia Carolina Bell (born December 26, 1970) is an American freelance author and illustrator born in Richmond, Virginia. She attended the Paier College of Art as an art major and went on to get a graduate degree in illustration and design at ...

's ''

El Deafo ''El Deafo'' is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Cece Bell. The book is a loose autobiographical account of Bell's childhood and life with her deafness. The characters in the book are all anthropomorphic bunnies. Cece Bell, in an int ...

''. * 2010: ** '' Smile'', by

, gives an account of the author's life from sixth grade to high school. The book won the 2010

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...

for Nonfiction. In 2011, the book won the

for Best Publication for Teens. It was also one of Young Adult Library Services Association's 2011 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens, and a 2011 Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children's Book for Middle Readers. In 2013, it won the Intermediate

Young Reader's Choice Award The Young Reader's Choice Award is an award program of the Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA) which was inaugurated in 1940 by Harry Hartman, a well-known Seattle based bookseller. It is the oldest "children's choice" award in the U.S. an ...

from Washington and the 2013

Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (RCYRBA) is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight in participating Illinois schools and libraries. It is named in honor of child ...

from Illinois. It won the 2014 Nevada Young Reader Award. ''Smile'' was followed by '' Sisters'' (2014), which won Telgemeier an

for best Writer/Artist, 2015. ** ''Drinking at the Movies'', by

Julia Wertz Julia Wertz (born December 29, 1982) is an American cartoonist, writer and urban explorer. Cartooning career Wertz was born in the San Francisco Bay Area. She made her name with a comic strip titled ''The Fart Party'', which Atomic Books antho ...

. Against the backdrop of her move from San Francisco to New York, the book details serious issues, such as a family member's battle with substance abuse and her own alcoholism, with trademark wit and self-effacement. ''Drinking at the Movies'' was nominated for a 2011

in the Best Humor Publication category."2011 Eisner Award Nominations Announced"
April 8, 2011. ''MTV Geek''. Retrieved July 18, 2011. ** Sarah Glidden wrote and illustrated ''How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less'', a full-length exploration of Glidden's 2007 visit to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

as part of a Birthright Israel tour. The book has subsequently been translated into five languages. ** Vanessa Davis' ''Make Me a Woman'' featured stories taken from her diary and are candidly personal, witty and self-deprecating; centering on her youth, mother, relationships with men, and

Jewish identity Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of Identity (social science), perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jews, Jewish. Under a broader definition, Jewish identity does not depend on whether a person is regarded as ...

. ** '' Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun: A Personal History of Violence'' is a graphic memoir by

Geoffrey Canada Geoffrey Canada (born January 13, 1952) is an American educator, social activist and author. Since 1990, Canada has been president of the Harlem Children's Zone in Harlem, New York, an organization that states its goal is to increase high scho ...

, adapted and illustrated by

Jamar Nicholas Jamar Nicholas (born March 18, 1973) is an African American cartoonist, graphic novelist, and educator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for original graphic novel, ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'', and his graphic novel adapta ...

. ** Joyce Farmer's ''Special Exits'' documents in comics form the sad and sometimes humorous episodes of her parents' final years. ''Special Exits'' won the

National Cartoonists Society The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

's Graphic Novel Award in 2011. ** '' Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale'' is an autobiographical comic book by

Belle Yang Belle Yang (born 1960) is an artist, author, Graphic novelists, graphic novelist and children's book writer. Biography Yang was born in Taiwan in 1960, and moved to the San Francisco Bay area with her parents when she was seven years old. She gr ...

. It is a memoir about her relatives' experiences in China in the mid-20th century. * 2011: **

Nicola Streeten Nicola Streeten (also using the name Nicola Plowman) is an academic, illustrator, cultural anthropologist, historian of British cartoonists, expert in the history of women cartoonists and British graphic novelist. Streeten is the co-founder of Lay ...

's graphic memoir ''Billy, Me & You'' is the first long-form graphic memoir by a British woman to have been published. Dealing with the intersection of comics and medicine, it is cited as an example of graphic medicine. **

's ''Kiss and Tell'' was published in 2011, followed by ''Dragon's Breath and Other True Stories'' in 2014, and ''I Thought YOU Hated ME'' in 2016. ** Chester Brown's ''

Paying for It ''Paying for It'', "a comic strip memoir about being a John (prostitution), john", is a 2011 graphic novel by Canada, Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown. A combination of memoir and polemic, the book explores Brown's decision to give up on roman ...

'', a combination of memoir and

polemic Polemic () is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called ''polemics'', which are seen in arguments on controversial topics ...

, explores Brown's decision to give up on romantic love and to take up the life of a " john" by frequenting

prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

. The book, published by Drawn & Quarterly, was controversial, and a

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

. ** GB Tran's ''Vietnamerica'' depicts the struggles encountered by Tran's grandparents in

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

and his parents during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and in their immigration to the United States. ''Vietnamerica'' won a Society of Illustrators Gold Medal and was included in ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'''s list of Top 10 Graphic Memoirs. ** Adrian Tomine's ''Scenes From an Impending Marriage'', a light-hearted recap of Tomine's wedding and the lead-up to it. * 2012: **

published ''

Are You My Mother? ''Are You My Mother?'' is a children's book by P. D. Eastman published by Random House Books for Young Readers on June 12, 1960, as part of its Beginner Books series. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the b ...

'', a graphic memoir that examines Bechdel's relationship with her mother through the lens of

psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...

. ** '' My Friend Dahmer'', by John "Derf" Backderf, is about his teenage friendship with Jeffrey Dahmer, who later became a

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

. The book was nominated for an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel. It also was nominated for a Harvey Award and a Reuben Award and received the Revelation Award at the 2014 Angoulême International Comics Festival. ** Ellen Forney's ''Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me'' addressed her experiences with

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

. It was a New York Times Bestseller. ''Marbles'' featured prominently in a graphic medicine exhibit that Forney curated for the United States National Library of Medicine. ** ''The Voyeurs'' is a real-time memoir of a turbulent five years in the life of renowned cartoonist, diarist, and filmmaker Gabrielle Bell. It collects episodes from her award-winning series, ''Lucky'', in which she travels to Tokyo, Paris, and the South of France and all over the United States, but remains anchored by her beloved Brooklyn, where sidekick Tony provides ongoing insight, offbeat humor and enduring friendship. **

Zeina Abirached Zeina Abirached (born 1981 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a Lebanese illustrator, graphic novelist and comic artist. She studied at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts ALBA and the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. Her books are based ...

's graphic memoir, ''A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return'' was published by the Graphic Universe division of Lerner Publishing Group. A second memoir, ''I Remember Beirut'', was published in 2014. ** '' Little White Duck: A Childhood in China'', written by Na Liu and illustrated by her husband, Andrés Vera Martínez, discusses Na Liu's childhood in China during the 1970s and 1980s. ** ''

A Chinese Life ''A Chinese Life'' (french: Une vie chinoise) is a 2012 French graphic novel co-written by Li Kunwu and Philippe Ôtié and illustrated by Li Kunwu. Edward Gauvin translated the book into English. The book describes Li Kunwu's life during the Cultu ...

'' is a French graphic novel co-written by

Li Kunwu Li Kunwu (born 1955,Smart, James.A Chinese Life by Li Kunwu and P Ôtié – review " ''The Guardian''. October 12, 2012. Retrieved on November 29, 2018. ) is a Chinese cartoonist who created graphic novels published in France. Life He originated ...

and

Philippe Ôtié Philippe is a masculine sometimes feminin given name, cognate to Philip. It may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince Philippe, Count o ...

and illustrated by Li Kunwu. The book describes Li Kunwu's life during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

.A Chinese Life by Li Kunwu and Philippe Ôtié, translated by Edward Gauvin
"

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) is a migratory museum that shares Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture through innovative museum experiences online and throughout the U.S through the Smithsonian Institution's work. ...

. Retrieved on 13 February 2015. ** '' Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White'' is an autobiographical comic set during the

civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

written by American author Lila Quintero Weaver. The author was nominated for the 2012 Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent for this work. * 2013: ** Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis released '' March: Book One'', the first volume of an autobiographical graphic novel trilogy, co-written by

Andrew Aydin Andrew Aydin (born August 25, 1983) is an American comics writer, known as the Digital Director & Policy Advisor to Georgia congressman John Lewis, and co-author, with Lewis, of Lewis' #1 ''New York Times'' bestselling autobiographical graphic no ...

and drawn by Nate Powell. ''March: Book Two'' was published in 2015 and ''March: Book Three'' appeared in 2016. **

Ulli Lust Ulli Lust (born 1967 in Vienna) is an Austrian cartoonist who lives and works in Berlin. Her graphic novel ''Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life'' was translated into English and published by Fantagraphics Books in 2013. In 2013, ''Toda ...

's ''Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life'' (2013; originally published in German in 2009) won an Ignatz Award for best graphic novel, the LA Times Book Award for Graphic Novels and then was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work. **

Nicole Georges Nicole J. Georges (born 10 December 1981 in Kansas) is an American illustrator, writer, zinester, podcaster, and educator. She is well known for authoring the autobiographical comic zine ''Invincible Summer'', whose individual issues have been co ...

' graphic memoir, ''Calling Dr. Laura''. The book depicts the events following the author's visit to a

palm reader Palmistry is the pseudoscientific practice of fortune-telling through the study of the palm. Also known as palm reading, chiromancy, chirology or cheirology, the practice is found all over the world, with numerous cultural variations. Those wh ...

at age twenty-three, where she is told by the psychic there that her father is not actually dead like her family claimed years ago. In light of this news, the author is "sent into a tailspin about her identity," and endeavors to find out the truth, recounting the occurrences of her childhood and grappling with feelings of uncertainty. * 2014: ** ''

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? ''Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?'' is a 2014 graphic memoir of American cartoonist and author Roz Chast. The book is about Chast's parents in their final years. Her father, George, died at the age of 95 and her mother, Elizabeth, wh ...

'' by cartoonist

Roz Chast Rosalind Chast (born November 26, 1954) is an American cartoonist and a staff cartoonist for ''The New Yorker''. Since 1978, she has published more than 800 cartoons in ''The New Yorker''. She also publishes cartoons in ''Scientific American'' and ...

. The book is about Chast's parents in their final years. In 2014, the book won the National Book Critics Circle Award in the Autobiography/Memoir section. The book also won the inaugural Kirkus Prize in non-fiction category presented by ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

''. The book was a finalist for the

Thurber Prize for American Humor The Thurber Prize for American Humor, named after American humorist James Thurber, recognizes outstanding contributions in humor writing. The prize is given out by the Thurber House. It was first awarded irregularly, but since 2004 has been bestow ...

. The book was selected as one of ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

s 10 Best Books of 2014. ** ''

'', written and illustrated by

, is a loose autobiographical account of Bell's childhood and life with her deafness. The characters in the book are all anthropomorphic bunnies. **

Mimi Pond Mimi Pond is an American cartoonist, comics artist, illustrator, humorist, and writer. Career and awards Pond spent much of the ‘80s and ‘90s writing for television, magazines, and creating cartoons and comic strips for both mediums. Sh ...

's ''Over Easy'' (2014), a coming-of-age story about a young Margaret Pond as she works at Imperial Café, a diner full of hippies and punks in the late 1970s. It is in this diner that Margaret makes the transition into 'Madge' and gets a glimpse at adulthood, which includes addiction, confusion, awkward moments, the artist dream, and sexual awakenings. ''Over Easy'' encapsulates 1970s Oakland in a witty, slightly fictionalized, memoir of Pond's experiences. The memoir won the

PEN Center USA PEN Center USA was a branch of PEN, an international literary and human rights organization. It was one of two PEN International Centers in the United States, the other being the PEN America in New York City. On March 1, 2018, PEN Center USA unifi ...

award for Graphic Literature Outstanding Body of Work, with a special mention; Pond also won an Inkpot Award after the release of ''Over Easy''. ** ''Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir'', by

Liz Prince Liz Prince (born 1981) is an American comics creator, noted for her sketchbook-style autobiographical comics. Prince initially started publishing on her own on the internet and later became a published author with Top Shelf Comics. She currently l ...

, explores what it means to be female and describes Prince's struggle with

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...

issues. This memoir is told through short, related stories starting from Prince's early childhood experiences and ending when Prince is a teenager and has slowly learned to define herself as a woman on her own terms. The book received a starred review from ''Kirkus'' ''Reviews''. ** ''An Iranian Metamorphosis'' is Mana Neyestani's autobiographical graphic novel about life in post-revolutionary Iran. Originally published in French, it was later published in German, Spanish and English. ** ''The Hospital Suite'' by John Porcellino details his struggles with illness in the 1990s and early 2000s. **

's ''An Age of License'' is a travel memoir recounting the author's trip to Europe/Scandinavia, thanks to a book tour. Knisley's ''Displacement: A Travelogue'' (2015) was nominated for the 2016 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work. ** Meags Fitzgerald published ''Photobooth: A Biography'', a non-fiction graphic novel detailing her interest in chemical photo booths; it won the 2015 Doug Wright Spotlight Award. She followed it in 2015 with the autobiographical graphic novel ''Long Red Hair''. * 2015: ** ''

The Arab of the Future ''The Arab of the Future'' (french: L'Arabe du futur) is a graphic memoir by award-winning French-Syrian cartoonist Riad Sattouf. The work recounts Sattouf's childhood growing up in France, Libya and Syria in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. The first ...

'' is French-Syrian cartoonist Riad Sattouf's account of his childhood growing up in France, Libya and Syria in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. The book was nominated for the 2016 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work. ''The Arab of the Future 2'' appeared in 2016. ** ''Dare to Disappoint'' is

Özge Samancı Özge Samancı (born 21 July 1975 in İzmir) is a Turkish-American media artist, and associate professor at Northwestern University`s School of Communication. She creates media art installations and graphic novels. Her art installations merge comp ...

's graphic coming-of-age memoir. Her story takes place after the third military coup leading to Turkey's rapid change to neo-capitalism from 1980 to 2000. The book was translated into five languages. ** '' Becoming Unbecoming'', by English author Una, depicts the effects of misogyny and sexism on twelve-year old Una growing up in northern England in 1977 while the Yorkshire Ripper is on the loose, creating a panic among townspeople. ** ''

Honor Girl ''Honor Girl'' is a graphic novel memoir written and illustrated by Maggie Thrash. The book was first published in 2015 through Candlewick Press. Development and publication history Thrash wrote ''Honor Girl'' over the span of two years. While th ...

'' is a graphic memoir written and illustrated by

Maggie Thrash Margaret Thrash is an American writer of young adult fiction and memoirist, best known for her graphic novel memoir '' Honor Girl''. ''Honor Girl'', Thrash's first book, was published by Candlewick Press in 2015. The book describes her early lif ...

. It is the story of Thrash's first crush at an all-girls summer camp in Kentucky in 2000. **

Bill Griffith William Henry Jackson Griffith (born January 20, 1944) is an American cartoonist who signs his work Bill Griffith and Griffy. He is best known for his surreal daily comic strip '' Zippy''. The catchphrase "Are we having fun yet?" is credited to ...

's memoir, ''Invisible Ink: My Mother’s Secret Love Affair With a Famous Cartoonist''. (For over a decade, starting in 1957, Griffith's mother Barbara had an affair with cartoonist

Lawrence Lariar Lawrence Lariar (December 25, 1908 – October 12, 1981) was an American novelist, cartoonist and cartoon editor, known for his ''Best Cartoons of the Year'' series of cartoon collections. He wrote crime novels, sometimes using the pseudonyms Mich ...

; this formed the basis of ''Invisible Ink''.“I Had Moments Where I Just Broke Down Crying”: An Interview with Bill Griffith
by Chris Mautner, in ''

The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...

''; published November 23, 2015; retrieved December 16, 2015) * 2016: ** Tom Hart's ''Rosalie Lightning'', a memoir named after his daughter, who had died suddenly when she was almost two, and about his and his wife's grief and their attempts to make sense of their life afterwards. The book was nominated for the 2017 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work. **

Rokudenashiko , who uses the pseudonym , is a Japanese sculptor and manga artist who creates works that feature female genitalia and are often modeled after her own vulva. Rokudenashiko considers it her mission to reclaim female genitalia as part of women's b ...

's ''What is Obscenity? The Story of a Good for Nothing Artist and Her Pussy'' is a graphic memoir of a Japanese artist who has been jailed twice for so-called acts of obscenity and the distribution of pornographic materials yet continues to champion the depiction of the vagina. * 2017: **

Thi Bui Thi Bui (born 1975) is a Vietnam-born American graphic novelist and illustrator. She is most known for her illustrated memoir, ''The Best We Could Do''. Biography Thi Bui was born in what was then Saigon, Vietnam three months prior to the Fall ...

's graphic memoir ''The Best We Could Do'' chronicles the life of her refugee parents and siblings, their life in Vietnam prior to their escape after the

, and their eventual migration to the United States, delving into themes of immigration, war and intergenerational trauma. The book received a number of accolades, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the

American Book Award The American Book Award is an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for "outstanding literary achievement". According to the 2010 awards press release, it is "a writers' award given by other writers" and "the ...

, and was also a finalist for the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work. * 2018: ** In ''Fab4 Mania'', Carol Tyler referenced her personal writings from 1965 for a first-hand account of seeing

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

in person in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

at age 13. * 2019: ** Actor and activist George Takei published ''They Called Us Enemy'', an autobiographical graphic novel co-written with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott and illustrated by Harmony Becker.

2020s

The autobiographical graphic novel started to bloom to the point, where it is hard to follow the constant production. * 2022: ** On the 19th of September 2022 Slovenian artist Žiga Valetič has published a 149 pages long autobiographical graphic nove
The Highway
which was made with the help of artificial intelligence – the computer program Midjourney. The book has been published on-line while Slovenian version has also been printed.

References

{{Comics Comics genres comics