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Muhammad Ali, Kinshasa 1974
Award-winning writer JD Morvan and renowned photographer Abbas' stunning graphic novel masterpiece which uses iconic photos to uniquely illustrate the historical 'Rumble in the Jungle' boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
"The drawings and photos allow us to revel in the imagery and history of that unforgettable night, and the torrid pace of the storytelling, the many flashbacks allow us to see the full context of the fight" - The Ring
On the 30 th October 1974, the most famous boxing match of the 20 th Century took place. Nicknamed the "Rumble in the Jungle", it pitted Muhammad Ali, desperate to win back his world champion belt, and George Foreman, the current holder, against each other. Foreman had just KO'd the only two boxers to have ever beaten Ali. By his own admission, Ali was terrified of facing him in the ring...
Now, the photojournalist Abbas immortalises this legendary meeting, having kept his photos in his personal archives for 36 years before unveiling them to the world. In a cross between a documentary, photo report and graphic novel, this book reveals the context of the most powerful photographs taken by one of the greatest photographers of the Magnum Photos agency. Enriched by the testimony of Abbas himself, Jean-David Morvan's script is rigorously brought to life by artist Rafael Ortiz.
"The drawings and photos allow us to revel in the imagery and history of that unforgettable night, and the torrid pace of the storytelling, the many flashbacks allow us to see the full context of the fight" - The Ring
On the 30 th October 1974, the most famous boxing match of the 20 th Century took place. Nicknamed the "Rumble in the Jungle", it pitted Muhammad Ali, desperate to win back his world champion belt, and George Foreman, the current holder, against each other. Foreman had just KO'd the only two boxers to have ever beaten Ali. By his own admission, Ali was terrified of facing him in the ring...
Now, the photojournalist Abbas immortalises this legendary meeting, having kept his photos in his personal archives for 36 years before unveiling them to the world. In a cross between a documentary, photo report and graphic novel, this book reveals the context of the most powerful photographs taken by one of the greatest photographers of the Magnum Photos agency. Enriched by the testimony of Abbas himself, Jean-David Morvan's script is rigorously brought to life by artist Rafael Ortiz.
136 pages, Hardcover
Published February 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 31, 2021
The Rumble in the Jungle is narrated (in a secondhand manner) from the perspective of the official ringside photographer, the Iranian born Abbas. His photographs are sprinkled throughout as occasional panels in the story and their own glorious two-page spreads. They meld well with the art of Rafael Ortiz, whose work reminds me fondly of Neal Adams' classic Superman vs. Muhammad Ali comic book.
There is a lot of end matter discussing the genesis of the book and the larger project of which it is part. It includes Abbas' justifiable complaint that he wasn't center in the story and how the author placated him with a promise to include a crass anecdote about a one-night ménage à trois that acts as the story's ending. There are also twenty nearly-finished pages produced by an artist who withdrew from the project, and it is interesting to compare how Ortiz's work differs from that original vision.
The story itself is a fine hagiography of the very deserving Ali that gives a quick overview of his career and dwells lovingly on one of his most famous bouts. But the real stars here are the photographs and the art.
There is a lot of end matter discussing the genesis of the book and the larger project of which it is part. It includes Abbas' justifiable complaint that he wasn't center in the story and how the author placated him with a promise to include a crass anecdote about a one-night ménage à trois that acts as the story's ending. There are also twenty nearly-finished pages produced by an artist who withdrew from the project, and it is interesting to compare how Ortiz's work differs from that original vision.
The story itself is a fine hagiography of the very deserving Ali that gives a quick overview of his career and dwells lovingly on one of his most famous bouts. But the real stars here are the photographs and the art.
February 22, 2023
Muhammad Ali, Kinshasa 1974 is a graphic novel released by Titan Comics written by Jean-David Morvan, art by Rafael Ortiz, and photography by Abbas.
Arguably the most famous boxing match of all time, Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman, nicknamed the “Rumble in the Jungle” is showcased in a extremely unique way, capturing the scale and cultural importance of the spectacle. At the time, Abbas was an up-and-coming photographer who was able to secure a press badge to cover the match for a magazine. With the unique position of being ringside, Abbas was able to immortalize the event with stunning action shots. Throughout the retelling of the day and the bout, quick snippets and biographies of the major players are given including promoter Don King, Zaire Republic’s President Mobutu, Heavyweight Champion “Big George” Forman, the legendary Muhammad Ali, and the photographer himself, Abbas.
This is an event I didn’t know much about and this unique book provided a ton of background information about the fight. The book is a mix of a photo report, essay, biography, and graphic novel. I have never read anything quite like it. The photographs contained are a treasure trove of shots of two of the best to ever lace up the gloves. In between the photos, Ortiz’s art wonderfully captures the history, the setting, and big fight vibes. It is a quick read and I wish we got even more background on the fight. This book is wonderfully produced with a large selection of behind the scenes information such as how the book was proposed and came together. This is a must read for sports fans, historians, photography aficionados, and design fans.
Arguably the most famous boxing match of all time, Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman, nicknamed the “Rumble in the Jungle” is showcased in a extremely unique way, capturing the scale and cultural importance of the spectacle. At the time, Abbas was an up-and-coming photographer who was able to secure a press badge to cover the match for a magazine. With the unique position of being ringside, Abbas was able to immortalize the event with stunning action shots. Throughout the retelling of the day and the bout, quick snippets and biographies of the major players are given including promoter Don King, Zaire Republic’s President Mobutu, Heavyweight Champion “Big George” Forman, the legendary Muhammad Ali, and the photographer himself, Abbas.
This is an event I didn’t know much about and this unique book provided a ton of background information about the fight. The book is a mix of a photo report, essay, biography, and graphic novel. I have never read anything quite like it. The photographs contained are a treasure trove of shots of two of the best to ever lace up the gloves. In between the photos, Ortiz’s art wonderfully captures the history, the setting, and big fight vibes. It is a quick read and I wish we got even more background on the fight. This book is wonderfully produced with a large selection of behind the scenes information such as how the book was proposed and came together. This is a must read for sports fans, historians, photography aficionados, and design fans.
July 14, 2022
The presentation and packaging make this a must-read trip down popular culture memory lane to that famous comeback boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, the "Rumble In The Jungle" of 1974.
This is presented as a partial biography of renewed photographer Abbas (with some enlightening text and interview at the backend of the book) who was ringside to take photos of the iconic boxing match. Many of those now-revealed photographs are incorporated into the storyline, providing a neat blend of documentary, photo report, and graphic novel.
The script by Jean-David Mrovan also includes some back history of both Ali and Foreman. The art by Rafael Ortiz is just as captivating to view as are the photo images.
This is presented as a partial biography of renewed photographer Abbas (with some enlightening text and interview at the backend of the book) who was ringside to take photos of the iconic boxing match. Many of those now-revealed photographs are incorporated into the storyline, providing a neat blend of documentary, photo report, and graphic novel.
The script by Jean-David Mrovan also includes some back history of both Ali and Foreman. The art by Rafael Ortiz is just as captivating to view as are the photo images.
February 27, 2021
Fans of boxing, Muhammad Ali, and George Foreman will enjoy this ring-side seat to the Rumble in the Jungle.
Told from the point of view of Iranian photojournalist Abbas (Attar), this fictionalized account breaks down and puts back together all of the pieces that led to the one and only match-up between Ali and Foreman during their careers. The book opens with Ali stepping into the ring; it jumps back in time to Don King's rise to fame as a boxing promoter, his process to set this fight up, and the days before the fight in Kinshasa. It flashes back to Ali's start in boxing and his nervousness the night before the fight; it goes back to Abbas' roots and how the stars aligned so he was there at ringside that night. It leaps back to tell Foreman's path to boxing success and the trash talk Ali kept feeding him that night in the ring; it springs back to Ali's years of boxing training and his coaches through Golden Gloves, the Olympics, and his successful boxing career up to this fight, and his fallout with Malcolm X. It delivers the final punches of the fight, and closes with Abbas celebrating on the town after the fight while Muhammad Ali bumps fists with Foreman, then steps out of the ring. Morvan does an admirable job of keeping most of the focus on Ali throughout.
This is one roller coaster ride of a book! The rapid pace will keep readers glued. By framing this story from the POV of the photojournalist, Morvan could jump back and forth in time as if this is a conversation between the photographer and the reader. (It also stretches this story out to just under 100 pages.) He makes heavy use of captions to move the story forward, reserving word bubbles to breathe life into incidents that may have happened. Backmatter includes 25 pages of "The Story of the Story" with the author giving great detail about his process for doing this project and includes sample submissions by other comic artists considered for the project, and 6 pages of full-color illustrations by the first artist selected (who, unfortunately, pulled out of the project). Also included is 8 pages of a timeline of Ali's life.
What really makes this graphic novel outstanding is the mixing of photography with comic book artwork by Rafael Ortiz. Photos taken in Kinshasa during the days up to and during the fight by Abbas in both Black & White and in color can be found on every 2-page spread. Often, photographs are seamlessly woven into the frames, but occasionally a photo is given its own page or a two-page spread to punch a point. They give an immediacy to the fight. None of the photos has a caption or word bubble; they speak for themselves. Though the comic art is not photo-real, Ortiz has done a magnificent job of capturing the spirit of each person and the brutality of this "sport". It is very graphically violent.
A few problems were noted in the book. Errors: on p.79, Cleveland Williams' name is misspelled; on p. 130, the name of the city Manila is misspelled twice; on p.132, the fight was called "Drama in Bahama". The timeline should have included Ali's 2005 movement toward Sufism, which is more spiritual than religious. Also, there is no mention of Ali's phrase "rope-a-dope" (although he does ask Dundee to "loosen the ropes" for slack).
A unique spin to traditional comic book writing - including photographs alongside graphic frames. I like it!
Due to the graphic violence and nudity, this one is recommended for adults only.
Told from the point of view of Iranian photojournalist Abbas (Attar), this fictionalized account breaks down and puts back together all of the pieces that led to the one and only match-up between Ali and Foreman during their careers. The book opens with Ali stepping into the ring; it jumps back in time to Don King's rise to fame as a boxing promoter, his process to set this fight up, and the days before the fight in Kinshasa. It flashes back to Ali's start in boxing and his nervousness the night before the fight; it goes back to Abbas' roots and how the stars aligned so he was there at ringside that night. It leaps back to tell Foreman's path to boxing success and the trash talk Ali kept feeding him that night in the ring; it springs back to Ali's years of boxing training and his coaches through Golden Gloves, the Olympics, and his successful boxing career up to this fight, and his fallout with Malcolm X. It delivers the final punches of the fight, and closes with Abbas celebrating on the town after the fight while Muhammad Ali bumps fists with Foreman, then steps out of the ring. Morvan does an admirable job of keeping most of the focus on Ali throughout.
This is one roller coaster ride of a book! The rapid pace will keep readers glued. By framing this story from the POV of the photojournalist, Morvan could jump back and forth in time as if this is a conversation between the photographer and the reader. (It also stretches this story out to just under 100 pages.) He makes heavy use of captions to move the story forward, reserving word bubbles to breathe life into incidents that may have happened. Backmatter includes 25 pages of "The Story of the Story" with the author giving great detail about his process for doing this project and includes sample submissions by other comic artists considered for the project, and 6 pages of full-color illustrations by the first artist selected (who, unfortunately, pulled out of the project). Also included is 8 pages of a timeline of Ali's life.
What really makes this graphic novel outstanding is the mixing of photography with comic book artwork by Rafael Ortiz. Photos taken in Kinshasa during the days up to and during the fight by Abbas in both Black & White and in color can be found on every 2-page spread. Often, photographs are seamlessly woven into the frames, but occasionally a photo is given its own page or a two-page spread to punch a point. They give an immediacy to the fight. None of the photos has a caption or word bubble; they speak for themselves. Though the comic art is not photo-real, Ortiz has done a magnificent job of capturing the spirit of each person and the brutality of this "sport". It is very graphically violent.
A few problems were noted in the book. Errors: on p.79, Cleveland Williams' name is misspelled; on p. 130, the name of the city Manila is misspelled twice; on p.132, the fight was called "Drama in Bahama". The timeline should have included Ali's 2005 movement toward Sufism, which is more spiritual than religious. Also, there is no mention of Ali's phrase "rope-a-dope" (although he does ask Dundee to "loosen the ropes" for slack).
A unique spin to traditional comic book writing - including photographs alongside graphic frames. I like it!
Due to the graphic violence and nudity, this one is recommended for adults only.
July 7, 2024
Decent read
Picked up because who doesn’t love Muhammad Ali ( Greatest of all Time )
“ Photographers who talk about their childhoods, their mother and fathers … how they got their first camera really rubs me the wrong way. “
“ After all just like boxing , you don’t talk about the training. Only the end result counts “
Than proceed to till his backstory
Even tho it’s is told from the photographer point of view Only complaint I have is less photographer < more Ali +boxing. With being said I feel that some things in this books was fabricated to make to book more exciting/engaging and that the entire books should’ve have been in color
I read this for the art / illustrations and photos
Picked up because who doesn’t love Muhammad Ali ( Greatest of all Time )
“ Photographers who talk about their childhoods, their mother and fathers … how they got their first camera really rubs me the wrong way. “
“ After all just like boxing , you don’t talk about the training. Only the end result counts “
Than proceed to till his backstory
Even tho it’s is told from the photographer point of view Only complaint I have is less photographer < more Ali +boxing. With being said I feel that some things in this books was fabricated to make to book more exciting/engaging and that the entire books should’ve have been in color
I read this for the art / illustrations and photos
February 26, 2021
Such a fabulous collaboration between photographer Abbas, writer Jean David Morvan and artist Rafael Ortiz, telling the story of the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, the Rumble in the Jungle, October 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire. With back stories of everyone leading up to that date, this is an amazing collection of photography and artwork of this historic event. It is a total pleasure to read and absorb, page by page.
March 21, 2022
Passionné de photographie et de bande-dessinées, Jean David Morvan contacte avec succès l’agence Magnum pour une série autour des photographes phares de l’agence. Ici, Abbas, le photographe d’un des combats du siècle passé : Ali – Foreman.
Alternant habilement les photos et le dessin, cet album retrace plus la destinée de Mohamed Ali (et George Foreman) que la vie du photographe. Les clichés du monstre photogénique Ali valent absolument le détour.
Pourtant je suis resté un peu moins fan du dessin et du traitement des mouvements des boxeurs.
Un dossier complète la BD pour en saisir l’historique de création.
https://www.noid.ch/mohamed-ali-kinsh...
Alternant habilement les photos et le dessin, cet album retrace plus la destinée de Mohamed Ali (et George Foreman) que la vie du photographe. Les clichés du monstre photogénique Ali valent absolument le détour.
Pourtant je suis resté un peu moins fan du dessin et du traitement des mouvements des boxeurs.
Un dossier complète la BD pour en saisir l’historique de création.
https://www.noid.ch/mohamed-ali-kinsh...
July 11, 2021
What a fantastic biography/look at a momentous event through its history and photojournalism.
Had a fantastic format incorporating historical photographs of the event with this graphic novel retelling of the story and of the photographer's view of the story.
Definitely recommend.
Had a fantastic format incorporating historical photographs of the event with this graphic novel retelling of the story and of the photographer's view of the story.
Definitely recommend.
October 18, 2025
A great story let down by inconsistent, mediocre art - at one point I couldn't tell who was hitting who, which given how distinct the two boxers were is something.
Also, has a twist ending where you discover the story was ALL ABOUT the PHOTOGRAPHER all along...
Also, has a twist ending where you discover the story was ALL ABOUT the PHOTOGRAPHER all along...
April 24, 2021
Great photos and art covering the Rumble in the Jungle narrated by the photographer. Timeline of key moments and achievements of Ali towards the back. The art in this book is superb.
Read
January 8, 2022La historia de las fotos de la pelea, hermoso libro.
November 7, 2022
Papirutgave. Biblioteket. Engelsk, amerikansk. Magnum-prosjekt: grafisk dokumentar med integrerte fotos. Spennende vri, spennende med The Rumble in the Jjngle.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews