BIX by Scott Chantler is out today from Gallery 13! 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.
“Chantler’s comic, joyful and elegiac…. [is] something wonderfully new. As his introduction states, he’s ‘visualizing musical rhythms,’ a formalist experiment that succeeds on every level, the more so considering that this story of music is sung with barely any words at all. It’s a lyrical conception appropriate to the story of jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke.” —Booklist, starred review
“Eisner-nominated Chantler (Two Generals) 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
“Chantler’s treatment of the musician’s life is distinctly creative… [A] marvel of imaginative illustrated narration.” —Kirkus
Told in stunning illustrations, Bix is a near-wordless graphic biography highlighting the career of Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke, one of the most innovative jazz soloists of the 1920s next to the legendary Louis Armstrong. 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. Told mostly in silent panels to reflect his outsider quality and inability to communicate in anything other than musical terms, Bix tells the story of the rapid rise and tragic fall of a musical legend—a metaphor for the glories and risks inherent in the creative life.
Scott Chantler is the acclaimed creator of the graphic novels Two Generals, Northwest Passage, and the Three Thieves series, which won a Joe Shuster Award. He has also been nominated for five Eisner Awards, two Harvey Awards, and a Doug Wright Award. Scott is represented by Samantha Haywood.