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Josephine Baker
Paris, 1925. Over the course of a single evening, the Mississippi-born dancer Josephine Baker (1906–1975) becomes the darling of the Roaring Twenties. Some audience members in the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées are scandalized by the African American’s performance in La Revue Nègre, but the city’s discerning cultural figures—among them Picasso and Cocteau—are enchanted by her exotic, bold, and uninhibited style. When her adopted country grants her citizenship in 1939, Baker sees her fame as a means of helping the French Resistance. She takes advantage of her globe-trotting lifestyle to pass on messages and gather information. A decade later, installed in a palatial 15th century château, she adopts 12 children from different ethnic backgrounds. Josephine Baker paints a glorious portrait of a spirited, principled, and thoroughly modern woman.
568 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2016
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1387 people want to read
About the author
Catel
115 books59 followersPseudonym of Catherine Muller, who has also published as Catherine Muler, Cathy Muller, and Catel Muller.
Source: http://www.catel-m.com/Site-officiel-...
Catel Muller, diplômée des Arts décoratifs de Strasbourg, débute sa carrière en publiant des albums pour enfants aux éditions Hachette, Épigones, Nathan, Dupuis et Hatier. Une sélection au festival international du livre de jeunesse de Bologne et une cinquantaine d’ouvrages illustrés jalonnent cette partie de son œuvre. Catel illustre également L’Encyclo des filles chez Plon qui s’impose comme un best-seller auprès des adolescentes depuis dix ans.
Parallèlement, Catel Muller s’adresse pour la première fois aux adultes en 2000 avec la série Lucie qui ouvre la voie à une certaine bande dessinée féminine aux préoccupations contemporaines.
En 2005, elle obtient le prix du public au festival d'Angoulême pour l'album Le Sang des Valentines illustré et écrit en collaboration avec Christian de Metter.
En 2007, elle reçoit le prix RTL puis en 2008 le prix du Public Essentiel à Angoulême pour le roman graphique Kiki de Montparnasse mis en image d’après le scénario de José Louis Bocquet.
Depuis, Catel Muller poursuit ses évocations de destins de femmes avec des albums consacrés à l’historienne d’art Rose Valland, la chanteuse Edith Piaf et l’actrice Mireille Balin. Ce dernier album, intitulé Dolor et écrit par Philippe Paringaux, a été sélectionné Hors-compétition au festival d’Angoulême 2010.
Actuellement, Catel Muller prépare un roman graphique sur Olympe de Gouges chez Casterman avec José-Louis Bocquet. Elle travaille également sur un ouvrage inspiré d’entretiens particuliers avec Benoîte Groult à paraître chez Grasset.
1990 - Maitrise d’Arts plastiques - Faculté de Stasbourg.
1989 - Diplôme d’illustration des Arts décoratifs de Strasbourg.
Source: http://www.catel-m.com/Site-officiel-...
Catel Muller, diplômée des Arts décoratifs de Strasbourg, débute sa carrière en publiant des albums pour enfants aux éditions Hachette, Épigones, Nathan, Dupuis et Hatier. Une sélection au festival international du livre de jeunesse de Bologne et une cinquantaine d’ouvrages illustrés jalonnent cette partie de son œuvre. Catel illustre également L’Encyclo des filles chez Plon qui s’impose comme un best-seller auprès des adolescentes depuis dix ans.
Parallèlement, Catel Muller s’adresse pour la première fois aux adultes en 2000 avec la série Lucie qui ouvre la voie à une certaine bande dessinée féminine aux préoccupations contemporaines.
En 2005, elle obtient le prix du public au festival d'Angoulême pour l'album Le Sang des Valentines illustré et écrit en collaboration avec Christian de Metter.
En 2007, elle reçoit le prix RTL puis en 2008 le prix du Public Essentiel à Angoulême pour le roman graphique Kiki de Montparnasse mis en image d’après le scénario de José Louis Bocquet.
Depuis, Catel Muller poursuit ses évocations de destins de femmes avec des albums consacrés à l’historienne d’art Rose Valland, la chanteuse Edith Piaf et l’actrice Mireille Balin. Ce dernier album, intitulé Dolor et écrit par Philippe Paringaux, a été sélectionné Hors-compétition au festival d’Angoulême 2010.
Actuellement, Catel Muller prépare un roman graphique sur Olympe de Gouges chez Casterman avec José-Louis Bocquet. Elle travaille également sur un ouvrage inspiré d’entretiens particuliers avec Benoîte Groult à paraître chez Grasset.
1990 - Maitrise d’Arts plastiques - Faculté de Stasbourg.
1989 - Diplôme d’illustration des Arts décoratifs de Strasbourg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
August 25, 2017
Here’s a preview of the work by SelfMadeHero at the Comics Beat:
http://www.comicsbeat.com/preview-jos...
Josephine Baker was an African-American woman who achieved fame as a dancer and actress in the racist U. S. in the twenties and became an international sensation. She was known for her carefree, joyous performances; she was a bi-sexual, sexual libertine who adopted twelve children from different ethnic backgrounds. She was Misssissippi-born and raised, in poverty. She hated racism, and she used her fame to speak against it. She helped France during the French Resistance, too, so was in some respects an activist in these areas, but she was to me more a symbol of joyful freedom. Or scandal, pretty regularly, through her art and life.
I took a long time to read through this highly episodic and lovingly crafted comics biography, and that it is episodic seems appropriate for the manic, globe-flitting Baker. We meet a cast of characters that loved and/or admired her: Picasso, Cocteau, de Gaulle, Man Ray, Sidney Bechet, and on and on. A parade of lovers. Over the space of more than 550 pages in a sumptuous book, joyfully drawn in a kind of tribute to period wood-cut illustration, we get a good glimpse of the highlight reel of Baker’s life. The authors add a detailed timeline and one-page bios of many of the famous people with who she was associated.
But I didn’t really feel like I got to know her well though this work. It is in many ways a pretty conventional biography of an unconventional woman, structured chronologically, naming names, mostly anecdotal, focused on the sensational. Maybe the poetic trope that captures her here is just the images of her energy and movement, what she came to symbolize, more than the story of who she really is. Maybe this is all the authors could do, not knowing her, really, just giving us an image of a flapper-era sensation. It’s never boring, it’s an impressive accomplishment in many ways, but I was still disappointed that the very thing I hope for in a biography is missing: Who really was Josephine Baker? But it is worth looking at, for sure.
http://www.comicsbeat.com/preview-jos...
Josephine Baker was an African-American woman who achieved fame as a dancer and actress in the racist U. S. in the twenties and became an international sensation. She was known for her carefree, joyous performances; she was a bi-sexual, sexual libertine who adopted twelve children from different ethnic backgrounds. She was Misssissippi-born and raised, in poverty. She hated racism, and she used her fame to speak against it. She helped France during the French Resistance, too, so was in some respects an activist in these areas, but she was to me more a symbol of joyful freedom. Or scandal, pretty regularly, through her art and life.
I took a long time to read through this highly episodic and lovingly crafted comics biography, and that it is episodic seems appropriate for the manic, globe-flitting Baker. We meet a cast of characters that loved and/or admired her: Picasso, Cocteau, de Gaulle, Man Ray, Sidney Bechet, and on and on. A parade of lovers. Over the space of more than 550 pages in a sumptuous book, joyfully drawn in a kind of tribute to period wood-cut illustration, we get a good glimpse of the highlight reel of Baker’s life. The authors add a detailed timeline and one-page bios of many of the famous people with who she was associated.
But I didn’t really feel like I got to know her well though this work. It is in many ways a pretty conventional biography of an unconventional woman, structured chronologically, naming names, mostly anecdotal, focused on the sensational. Maybe the poetic trope that captures her here is just the images of her energy and movement, what she came to symbolize, more than the story of who she really is. Maybe this is all the authors could do, not knowing her, really, just giving us an image of a flapper-era sensation. It’s never boring, it’s an impressive accomplishment in many ways, but I was still disappointed that the very thing I hope for in a biography is missing: Who really was Josephine Baker? But it is worth looking at, for sure.
February 14, 2019
While Josephine Baker was a remarkable woman, this 600+ page graphic novel works better as a doorstop than anything else. I understand that Baker came of age in the earlier half of the 1900s when the United States (and the world) was a different place; however, the racist depictions of Native Americans, Asians, and Black folks in this book was mortifying. On more than one occasion, Black folks are drawn as monkeys. The reader should keep in mind that this was published by a White, French woman. While it may be difficult to address issues of racism in a cultural and historical context, I think this could have been handled differently.
Additionally, hundreds of pages are devoted to the exploitation of Baker as a Black female performer and very little to the other endeavors of her life. While no doubt there is truth in the struggles of the life of a performer, this book chooses to frame Baker as a flighty, cross-eyed, skinny pretty little thing, available for sexual encounters with whichever man comes around that night. There is no mention of Baker's identity as bisexual, with the exception of one frame where she sits topless next to another unidentified woman in a room full of men.
Needless to say, I will NOT be purchasing this book for my school and would not recommend for classroom use. There are other, more culturally sensitive biographies of Baker. Although her life should be remembered and honored, I am ashamed that this version ended up on the table of "Black Excellence" at my local public library.
Additionally, hundreds of pages are devoted to the exploitation of Baker as a Black female performer and very little to the other endeavors of her life. While no doubt there is truth in the struggles of the life of a performer, this book chooses to frame Baker as a flighty, cross-eyed, skinny pretty little thing, available for sexual encounters with whichever man comes around that night. There is no mention of Baker's identity as bisexual, with the exception of one frame where she sits topless next to another unidentified woman in a room full of men.
Needless to say, I will NOT be purchasing this book for my school and would not recommend for classroom use. There are other, more culturally sensitive biographies of Baker. Although her life should be remembered and honored, I am ashamed that this version ended up on the table of "Black Excellence" at my local public library.
June 24, 2017
I bought this cause I knew very little about Josephine Baker and thought it'd be good to find out more. I did learn more about her life events, but very little about her. The way the story was told it was a series of vingettes from her life. But they mostly involved people talking to each other and expounding on what had been happening. I learned nothing about what she thought, or her motivations or anything really besides she liked to dance, sleep around, and hated racism. As a famous bisexual it was disappointing to see the graphic novel, focus entirely on men. There was one scene where she was petting a nameless woman, but they didn't even talk. It felt like such a concession. But I should investigate more when I have the time.
March 7, 2017
Quelle grande dame ! Quelle incroyable artiste ! Et quel bel hommage que cette biographie en roman graphique !
Cette collection est un régal. Allez vite découvrir le destin de cette femme qui s'est battue pour son art, sa vie de femme, la liberté de son pays, le statut des noirs et la protection de l'enfance (oui, ça fait pas mal pour une seule personne !)
Cette collection est un régal. Allez vite découvrir le destin de cette femme qui s'est battue pour son art, sa vie de femme, la liberté de son pays, le statut des noirs et la protection de l'enfance (oui, ça fait pas mal pour une seule personne !)
February 3, 2019
Quelle personnalité fascinante!
October 20, 2020
Working my way through our local library’s stock of graphic novels (sadly it’s closing again on Friday for another lockdown). Enjoyed this book; though of course it’s not the same as reading a biography, it’s clearly a huge labour of love by its French authors. Bravo!
I have relished the mini biographies at the end of the book. I’ve read some Simenon, Colette etc, but had never heard of Maurice Dekobra, who, astonishingly, was in his time one of the wealthiest writers on the planet, and who sold more than 90 million copies of his 98 titles worldwide.
I have relished the mini biographies at the end of the book. I’ve read some Simenon, Colette etc, but had never heard of Maurice Dekobra, who, astonishingly, was in his time one of the wealthiest writers on the planet, and who sold more than 90 million copies of his 98 titles worldwide.
February 11, 2019
Bolo to dobre. Ale. Mam niekolko vyhrad, preto iba 3*. Josephine bola fascinujuca osobnost, co sa, zial, v komiksovej casti nepodarilo tak uplne rozvinut, akoby vsetko iba klzalo po povrchu. Chybali motivacie k jej konaniu a vela raz z nej autori urobili povrchnu zenu. Velmi sa mi pacili ilustracie a prilozena chronologia jej zivotopisu, kde sa vyskytuje vela zaujimavejsich veci z jej zivota, ktore komiks nezachytil. Vyborny je aj zoznam postav, ktory sa mihnu zivotom tejto divy a ich stručný životopis. Mena zname i menej zname. Kazdopadne odporucam i napriek tymto vyhradam. Zatial najhrubsi komiks, ktory sa mi dostal do ruky. Rada by som si precitala ozajstny zivotopis JB.
December 29, 2016
Encore une belle biographie de femme forte choisie par Catel! Une histoire inspirante de cette icône incroyable.
January 15, 2024
Une grande dame. 🩷
Sa bisexualité n'est cependant abordée que dans deux cases du bouquin. C'est très dommage de se concentrer uniquement sur ses histoires d'amour hétérosexuelles.
Sa bisexualité n'est cependant abordée que dans deux cases du bouquin. C'est très dommage de se concentrer uniquement sur ses histoires d'amour hétérosexuelles.
September 6, 2017
This is such a wonderful idea! Josephine Baker was an extraordinary woman who lived through extraordinary times. An exhaustive biography would be well-worth reading.
Unfortunately, this biography is dedicated to upholding the 'exhausting' descriptor and not much else.
Much of it is relayed in vignette style, short snapshots of Josephine's life. The main failing of the graphic novel is that Josephine comes across as a reactive character opposed to an active one. Why does she love dancing? Why does she love taking multiple lovers? Why does she send money back to her family (they haven't been shown to be a particularly loving or accepting bunch)? None of these questions are answered. There's little reason to care about Josephine Baker because she sadly comes across as a cipher in her own story - someone to whom things 'just happen' or happen in the vicinity of.
The artwork is also confusing - some characters who show up for only a page or two are very clearly defined and instantly recognizable, while others who take up large chunks of the narrative are completely interchangeable.
The only positive I can provide is this book encouraged me to seek out a better biography of Josephine Baker.
Unfortunately, this biography is dedicated to upholding the 'exhausting' descriptor and not much else.
Much of it is relayed in vignette style, short snapshots of Josephine's life. The main failing of the graphic novel is that Josephine comes across as a reactive character opposed to an active one. Why does she love dancing? Why does she love taking multiple lovers? Why does she send money back to her family (they haven't been shown to be a particularly loving or accepting bunch)? None of these questions are answered. There's little reason to care about Josephine Baker because she sadly comes across as a cipher in her own story - someone to whom things 'just happen' or happen in the vicinity of.
The artwork is also confusing - some characters who show up for only a page or two are very clearly defined and instantly recognizable, while others who take up large chunks of the narrative are completely interchangeable.
The only positive I can provide is this book encouraged me to seek out a better biography of Josephine Baker.
September 2, 2017
I love Josephine Baker and was excited to read this. I learned a lot about her life but wish there had been a little more depth or nuance -- I understand that she loved France because she was not subjected to segregation/racism like she would have been in the United States, but I wish there had been more about her feelings toward dancing in a banana skirt and how (if?) she addressed the conflicting concepts of being "free" while simultaneously being exoticized and subjected to the colonialist gaze.
That being said -- this is a great read, especially for those who only think of La Baker as a showgirl and are not aware of her spy work during WWII or her activism during the Civil Rights movement.
That being said -- this is a great read, especially for those who only think of La Baker as a showgirl and are not aware of her spy work during WWII or her activism during the Civil Rights movement.
February 1, 2018
On the one hand, this is a phenomenal, nearly 600 page graphic biography that is always interesting and that included much about Baker that I didn't know. The one page biographies at the end are interesting as well and it all left me wanting to know more about her. I do wish I'd gotten some sense of the inner Josephine. Maybe her life did consist of frenetic movement from adventure to adventure, but I wanted to know how she felt about it, what drove her beyond abundant energy? In any case, a worthy read.
September 20, 2017
WOW! J'étais déjà super intéressée de lire la partie de Les culottées (Pénélope Bagieu) sur Joséphine Baker, mais là, quelle femme! Elle est inspirante! (Et je me sens aussi un peu découragée par mon manque de motivation...!) Seul bémol : La BD est peut-être un peu trop longue. Mais... Avec une vie aussi remplie, on ne pouvait pas vraiment faire d'économie! Une lecture passionnante!
January 5, 2018
This book raised a lot of questions for me about race, gender, sex, dancing, biography, art, nudity, celebrity, Frenchness, comics as a medium.
Smart questions.
None of which will I consider here, because I only write dumb reviews.
I liked the pictures.
Three stars out of five.
Smart questions.
None of which will I consider here, because I only write dumb reviews.
I liked the pictures.
Three stars out of five.
April 4, 2023
La pareja Catel/Bouquet se ha especializado en bios muy trabajadas y cuidadas de grandes mujeres de la historia francesa. Y Josephine Baker tuvo una vida lo suficientemente interesante para que se le recordara así. El volumen incluye más de 100 páginas de cronología y pequeñas biografías de personajes secundarios en la vida de la Vénus de bronze : desde Georges Simenon hasta Fidel Castro, pasando por Le Corbusier, Colette o Pirandello. Muy interesante.
February 26, 2018
Josephine Baker, written by Jose-Luis Bocquet and illustrated by Catel Muller tells the story of Josephine Baker and her exciting and adventurous life as a dancer. Josephine grew up in Southern United State, however quickly moved to New York City when she was only 15 years old. Josephine had a passion for performing at a very young age and followed her dreams regardless of what people thought about her. She quickly found herself moving to Paris at the age of 19. Overnight Josephine became a sensation in Paris and an idol of the roaring 20's.
Jose-Luis Bocquet and Catel Muller use specific language and images in tandem to depict Josephine. This graphic novel focused more on how Josephine's life was centered around her social and flirtatious life rather than her natural talent as an entertainer. Most of the images in the text are of Josephine with men, typically men that were in power. The use of these images depicts Josephine as a women that used her sexual appeal as a way to succeed rather than her talent. The text used in this graphic novel portrayed Josephine as an uneducated woman that was was very submissive and careless. Bocquet and Catel are both White individuals and because of this I don't believe that they put much thought into how this book would be perceived by other individuals, specifically individuals of color.
This portrayal of Black women is still consistently seen in media. Whether in movies, television, or books, Black women are overly sexualized and casted as unintelligent and powerless. I believe that this text only further supported this stereotype of Black women. I would have preferred to have the focus of this text be on her life and her talent as a dancer, performer, and activist for civil rights rather than a glorified and overly sexualized depiction of Black women in the 20's.
I do not believe that this book would be appropriate in the classroom because it only further perpetuates the negative stereotype of Black women. Having a graphic novel like this in the classroom would potentially give some students the idea that this is what all Black women are like. I would hope that educators that are thinking about educating students about Josephine Baker would choose a route that shed a positive light on her life rather than a negative.
Overall, I did not enjoy this book and would not recommend it to someone who wanted to learn about Josephine Baker's entire life. If you were only interested in her sexual endeavors and how that led to her success than this book is for you! If not then I would strongly recommend seeking out another source for information.
Jose-Luis Bocquet and Catel Muller use specific language and images in tandem to depict Josephine. This graphic novel focused more on how Josephine's life was centered around her social and flirtatious life rather than her natural talent as an entertainer. Most of the images in the text are of Josephine with men, typically men that were in power. The use of these images depicts Josephine as a women that used her sexual appeal as a way to succeed rather than her talent. The text used in this graphic novel portrayed Josephine as an uneducated woman that was was very submissive and careless. Bocquet and Catel are both White individuals and because of this I don't believe that they put much thought into how this book would be perceived by other individuals, specifically individuals of color.
This portrayal of Black women is still consistently seen in media. Whether in movies, television, or books, Black women are overly sexualized and casted as unintelligent and powerless. I believe that this text only further supported this stereotype of Black women. I would have preferred to have the focus of this text be on her life and her talent as a dancer, performer, and activist for civil rights rather than a glorified and overly sexualized depiction of Black women in the 20's.
I do not believe that this book would be appropriate in the classroom because it only further perpetuates the negative stereotype of Black women. Having a graphic novel like this in the classroom would potentially give some students the idea that this is what all Black women are like. I would hope that educators that are thinking about educating students about Josephine Baker would choose a route that shed a positive light on her life rather than a negative.
Overall, I did not enjoy this book and would not recommend it to someone who wanted to learn about Josephine Baker's entire life. If you were only interested in her sexual endeavors and how that led to her success than this book is for you! If not then I would strongly recommend seeking out another source for information.
October 15, 2018
"Josephine Baker" is a graphic novel written by José-Louis Bocquet, illustrated by Catel Muller, and translated into English by Edward Gauvin. It's an ambitious tome, large enough to prop open a door, and covers her life from birth to death. Baker lead a very full and exciting life, however, which makes capturing it all in one book difficult. "Josephine Baker" works best as an introduction to her life, an opening of the door for other works that cover specific aspects of her life like her activism or spy efforts, for instance. Unfortunately it's just a bit too much to cram into one book, leaving it feeling rushed and superficial.
The art, in black and white, is a bit uneven. Baker and most figures are cartoonish, rendered in brushwork that's beautiful but blunt. Other figures are drawn in a way that's recognizable. We can see who they are immediately. One would think that Baker, the main subject of the book, would have similar treatment but no: her depiction remains cartoonish and often interchangeable with other female characters. Some of the lines of motion when people are dancing are lovely and graceful, but other times the dancers look like monkeys... which, when the subject matter is Black people, can be an issue. The illustrations of buildings are beautiful, like architectural renderings, and a stark contrast to the very fluid- and usually thick- lines used to depict humans.
As I mentioned, the book skims along the surface of Baker's life without lingering too long on any detail. It feels less like a biography and more like a chronological cataloging of events: her marriages, her affairs, her venues, her many adopted children (12), etc. It doesn't really dip into any one thing and explore it, so the book winds up feeling a bit empty. It would be much more effective if it had picked a single topic and explored it fully. For instance, her adoption of twelve children; her civil rights activism; her spying for the Allies against the Axis; HER BISEXUALITY. Yes, this is a book that mentions her many many affairs with men but not with women, that in fact mentions in one line that she has relationships with women and that's it. And even that isn't given any importance. There's also a section in the back of short biographies of the people in her life and men vastly outnumber women there, too.
The book succeeds in one very important way: it left me more curious about Baker's life and interested enough to seek out other books about her. However as a stand-alone book it doesn't soar.
The art, in black and white, is a bit uneven. Baker and most figures are cartoonish, rendered in brushwork that's beautiful but blunt. Other figures are drawn in a way that's recognizable. We can see who they are immediately. One would think that Baker, the main subject of the book, would have similar treatment but no: her depiction remains cartoonish and often interchangeable with other female characters. Some of the lines of motion when people are dancing are lovely and graceful, but other times the dancers look like monkeys... which, when the subject matter is Black people, can be an issue. The illustrations of buildings are beautiful, like architectural renderings, and a stark contrast to the very fluid- and usually thick- lines used to depict humans.
As I mentioned, the book skims along the surface of Baker's life without lingering too long on any detail. It feels less like a biography and more like a chronological cataloging of events: her marriages, her affairs, her venues, her many adopted children (12), etc. It doesn't really dip into any one thing and explore it, so the book winds up feeling a bit empty. It would be much more effective if it had picked a single topic and explored it fully. For instance, her adoption of twelve children; her civil rights activism; her spying for the Allies against the Axis; HER BISEXUALITY. Yes, this is a book that mentions her many many affairs with men but not with women, that in fact mentions in one line that she has relationships with women and that's it. And even that isn't given any importance. There's also a section in the back of short biographies of the people in her life and men vastly outnumber women there, too.
The book succeeds in one very important way: it left me more curious about Baker's life and interested enough to seek out other books about her. However as a stand-alone book it doesn't soar.
July 27, 2017
A lovingly complete portrait of an entertainment legend. If there is ever a more complete comics biography of Ms. Baker, it will have to be split into more than one volume.
Catel and Bocquet have split her life into myriad individual scenes that, taken together, form a sort of pointilist portrait of a complete life. There's an extensive bibliography as well as a series of biographical essays on many of the people who were part of Baker's story (General de Gaulle, Martin Luther King Jr, Sidney Bechet, Man Ray, etc.) Her life, her loves ... it's all here. Recommended!
Catel and Bocquet have split her life into myriad individual scenes that, taken together, form a sort of pointilist portrait of a complete life. There's an extensive bibliography as well as a series of biographical essays on many of the people who were part of Baker's story (General de Gaulle, Martin Luther King Jr, Sidney Bechet, Man Ray, etc.) Her life, her loves ... it's all here. Recommended!
November 26, 2017
Catel & Bocquet ont, encore une fois, superbement retracé la vie d'une grande femme. Ce livre est un merveilleux moyen d'en apprendre plus sur Joséphine Baker (qui se résumait pour moi à sa chanson J'ai deux amours et à ses danses endiablées). Une belle mise en lumière !
April 25, 2017
Beau et passionnant !
June 23, 2018
Remarkable, in every way.
June 20, 2024
I didn't expect to be disappointed by a biographic graphic novel knowing so little from Josephine Baker, and yet.
You'll learn from the most mundane conversation between characters that she went in prison in Cuba ?? Who decided dedicating a page to a MILK BOY (child) marvelling at her apparently always naked body (according to the drawings) was better than a page dedicated to her going to JAIL ?? Or show more of her female friends, not just one conversation about men? If the narrative is still confusing after stating the place and date of each conversation between men about Josephine, then something's definitely off. Honestly understood more from the added chronological biography at the end than from the 460 pages ? I'm happy to know more about her, but there are probably better biographical works out there.
You'll learn from the most mundane conversation between characters that she went in prison in Cuba ?? Who decided dedicating a page to a MILK BOY (child) marvelling at her apparently always naked body (according to the drawings) was better than a page dedicated to her going to JAIL ?? Or show more of her female friends, not just one conversation about men? If the narrative is still confusing after stating the place and date of each conversation between men about Josephine, then something's definitely off. Honestly understood more from the added chronological biography at the end than from the 460 pages ? I'm happy to know more about her, but there are probably better biographical works out there.
April 4, 2019
This is a large graphic novel about the size of a comic book but twice the thickness or more of a regular novel. It is 460 pages of graphic novel and then goes onto page 568 that includes information on people mentioned and then a few pages of bibliography.
The artwork is very nice, goes well with the story, the topic. I liked this book but didn't love it. The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 3 is because they picked a fascinating subject, the art was good and the story was interesting. However, the story was a little too much... going back and forth from here to there to there to there and that got tedious. I almost think there was too much info and it might have been better if it had been edited down in size. Then again, what do I know, I'm not a writer. I did find it tedious after awhile and started to skim. The problem might have been that I tried to bite off more than I could chew. In one sitting I read almost half of the book and then when I picked it up to read today I was still tired of it from yesterday. I recommend reading this is smaller chunks than I did. Maybe that's all you need to do and you won't find it tedious at times like I did.
Worth reading just to find out about Josephine Baker, a unique personality that will likely never be seen again.
What did I learn about Baker? She is an exhibitionist, unfaithful, fickle, impulsive, a risk taker.
As to her dancing, there are vids on youtube showing her dancing. I don't know what to make of it. Firstly, it's hard to take anyone doing the Charleston seriously. Her costume... is certainly to get attention because she has very little costume on. Her dancing is not quite like anything I've seen before, it almost seems like she makes it up as she goes and I suppose she does, but that's not a good thing. Some of her dancing was good, and some sexy.
I don't get the cross eyed thing. Particularly when she was young she would get attention by making faces and crossing her eyes. I would think that would get her kicked out of chorus lines, instead it got her attention that led to opportunities. I don't entirely get her appeal, not entirely, but she was intriguing.
The artwork is very nice, goes well with the story, the topic. I liked this book but didn't love it. The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 3 is because they picked a fascinating subject, the art was good and the story was interesting. However, the story was a little too much... going back and forth from here to there to there to there and that got tedious. I almost think there was too much info and it might have been better if it had been edited down in size. Then again, what do I know, I'm not a writer. I did find it tedious after awhile and started to skim. The problem might have been that I tried to bite off more than I could chew. In one sitting I read almost half of the book and then when I picked it up to read today I was still tired of it from yesterday. I recommend reading this is smaller chunks than I did. Maybe that's all you need to do and you won't find it tedious at times like I did.
Worth reading just to find out about Josephine Baker, a unique personality that will likely never be seen again.
What did I learn about Baker? She is an exhibitionist, unfaithful, fickle, impulsive, a risk taker.
As to her dancing, there are vids on youtube showing her dancing. I don't know what to make of it. Firstly, it's hard to take anyone doing the Charleston seriously. Her costume... is certainly to get attention because she has very little costume on. Her dancing is not quite like anything I've seen before, it almost seems like she makes it up as she goes and I suppose she does, but that's not a good thing. Some of her dancing was good, and some sexy.
I don't get the cross eyed thing. Particularly when she was young she would get attention by making faces and crossing her eyes. I would think that would get her kicked out of chorus lines, instead it got her attention that led to opportunities. I don't entirely get her appeal, not entirely, but she was intriguing.
March 26, 2025
Un dibujo impresionante para una biografía que parece una entrada ilustrada de la Wikipedia. A pesar de la extensión, la necesidad de cubrir hitos y de mostrar a toda celebridad con la que se cruzó resta profundidad a una personalidad magnética.
Ojalá más Joséphines en nuestros libros de historia, porque la historia está llena de ellas.
Ojalá más Joséphines en nuestros libros de historia, porque la historia está llena de ellas.
February 3, 2023
Me ha parecido una muy buena biografía de la artista. Separar los capítulos con la imagen de los edificios importantes de su vida (teatros donde actuaba, hospitales, sus casas…) es una estupenda manera de que acompañemos a Tumpie en su trayectoria vital, fijándola temporal y geográficamente, desde los suburbios donde se crió a las mansiones en las que crecieron sus hijos (la “tribu arcoíris”) y los escenarios que la vieron triunfar durante su dilatada carrera.
Hay episodios que la parte gráfica se salta, porque físicamente sería horroroso manejar un volumen con más páginas todavía, pero en los apéndices finales se analiza casi cada persona importante en su historia, y con ello se van añadiendo más datos a la biografía total.
El grafismo me parece también muy bueno, aunque resulta un poco monótona la elección estricta del blanco y negro para resaltar ese aspecto de una mujer negra, luchadora y vividora hasta que no pudo más.
Hay episodios que la parte gráfica se salta, porque físicamente sería horroroso manejar un volumen con más páginas todavía, pero en los apéndices finales se analiza casi cada persona importante en su historia, y con ello se van añadiendo más datos a la biografía total.
El grafismo me parece también muy bueno, aunque resulta un poco monótona la elección estricta del blanco y negro para resaltar ese aspecto de una mujer negra, luchadora y vividora hasta que no pudo más.
October 29, 2017
How did I not know how phenomenal Josephine Baker was before now? This graphic biography is an ideal window into slices of this performer's life. So much of Ms. Baker's life is visual, and you can see the growth from an impulsive dancer who makes funny faces into an eccentric and caring champion of civil rights.
February 16, 2017
Un vrai bonheur que la lecture de cette biographie de Joséphine Baker.
Le trait de Catel se prête particulièrement à rendre la beauté et la vivacité de Joséphine, et son destin fut tellement exceptionnel et romanesque que ça se lit quasi d'une traite, comme un roman d'aventures.
Le trait de Catel se prête particulièrement à rendre la beauté et la vivacité de Joséphine, et son destin fut tellement exceptionnel et romanesque que ça se lit quasi d'une traite, comme un roman d'aventures.
February 23, 2017
Comme toujours les romans graphiques de Catel &Bocquet sont impressionnants !
La vie de Joséphine Baker est folle !
Une super BD, un véritable coup de <3
La vie de Joséphine Baker est folle !
Une super BD, un véritable coup de <3
June 3, 2017
Retracer la vie en BD de Joséphine Baker, c'est le pari réussi de Catel et Boquet.
Une femme inspirante qui a tout vu et tout connu. Une vie incroyable, qui mérite d'être racontée.
Une femme inspirante qui a tout vu et tout connu. Une vie incroyable, qui mérite d'être racontée.
February 12, 2018
I really enjoyed savoring this graphic biography about such an influential musical figure. it gives me hope for alternative format music history.
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