Banksy: A Graphic Novel

by Francesco Matteuzzi, Marco Maraggi (Illustrator)

Told in classic comic-book form, this graphic biography invites a new audience to learn about Banksy—and uses a pitch-perfect medium to convey the artist’s message that art is for the people.

Banksy is arguably the most well-known street artist of all time. But we don’t actually know who he is.

This is just one of many contradictions that are addressed in this enormously compelling graphic biography. When two young Londoners are caught spray-painting graffiti on a city wall, they get to know each other while detained by the police. After they are released, they decide to make a film of Banksy’s life, tracing the arc of his career as they travel through the streets of London.

Readers will learn not only of Banksy’s politically charged art and the causes he championed, but also of its worldwide dissemination, museum exhibitions, and record-breaking auctions.

While readers may not learn Banksy’s true identity, this uniquely graphic form of storytelling communicates the artist’s belief that art is for everyone, speaks to everyone, and is owned by everyone.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Biography, Art, Comics, Bande Dessinée, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

Published October 11, 2022

Reviews

[Magread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Шикарний комікс для тих, хто хоче більше дізнатись про стріт-арт. Витівки Бенксі подекуди вражають😄

[Evgheni Costov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first ever comic book I read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Not sure why there are so many reviews under 3 stars, maybe this comic book doesn’t quite meet the standards of this genre.

That being said, I knew little about Banksy and this book is a great introduction into his/her work and philosophy. I spent roughly half the time reading the book and the other half googling the works and the events the author is talking about.

This book is a great way to spend a couple of hours being entertained and educated at the same time. There is something lazy and nice when the illustrator does the job of putting mental images together for you so you don’t have to do the job.

[Josh Lynders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel it was entertaining to learn more about banksy and the mystery behind him but also following a story in itself I really enjoyed it .
the book does incapsulate the message of his art well and why the mystery of banksy is such a interesting topic definitely would of read more but a very fun read nonetheless

[Maria João (A Biblioteca da João) · Rating 4 out of 5]

8 de 10*

Opinião:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een van mijn dertienjarige leerlingen hield een creatieve Engelstalige boekpresentatie over deze graphic novel en vermits ik het werk van Banksy wel kende, maar niet zoveel over hem/haar/hen wist, mocht ik het lenen. Het concept is niet slecht bedacht: een graffiti-kunstenaar en een activistische influencer die niets met elkaar te maken hebben, worden door omstandigheden samen gearresteerd en moeten als straf graffiti-muren overschilderen in Londen. De influencer is gefascineerd door het werk van Banksy en draagt haar enthousiasme en kennis over op de street-artist.

Het is best informatief, maar als graphic novel beklijft het minder, grotendeels omdat geen er geen enkel werk van Banksy expliciet getoond wordt; het wordt allemaal beschreven in niet altijd even geïnspireerde dialogen. De Londense wijken en locaties worden visueel wél mooi uitgewerkt, maar ik miste toch de nodige originele kunstgrepen die het genre van de graphic novel te bieden heeft. Kortom: ik leerde heel wat bij over Banksy's carrière en activisme, maar werd visueel niet voldoende geprikkeld.

[MKF · Rating 1 out of 5]

A woman forces a guy to follow her around London to help make videos about Banksy. If a complete stranger was going to force me to follow her around and help make a movie I would have said no. This woman does almost all the talking in this book and tries to teach this guy about world issues, politics, and Banksy. The focus seems to be more on politics and yes I know Banksy is political but there's still a bit too much politics for my liking. It's weird though because her ramblings on these topics aren't filmed for these videos she's supposedly making instead she occasionally films this guy repeating a few pieces of information she had just told him. It's obvious these two are idiots but you would think that the guy would be the camera man filming her non-stop talking. As for the talking part the woman is that annoying person who talks down to you. The writing itself reads like someone wrote a paper then decided for some reason parts of would be great to use as dialog. Moving on to art if you expected to see art by Banksy in a Banksy book you'll be disappointed. There are a few obvious designs and hints to his artwork but you don't actually get to see his actually works.It also has these two finding random objects that look like pieces from Banksy's art though I wonder if these two are on something and hallucinating. Those are some of my main issues and I hate that I wasted what little reading I managed to get done on this book.

[Erica (storybookend) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting learning more about Banksy. I don’t know much about the artist, but it was really nice learning more. I also enjoyed the intricate and deep thoughts and philosophies the two main characters discuss. Art can be such an abstract concept, and that’s part of what Banksy challenges with his invoking and obscure “short circuit” pieces. I loved seeing this pov in graphic novel form. I would have liked to see pictures of Bansky’s art though.

[Britsbookworld · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Sterne 🌟 🌟 Zeichnungen sind super, die Story aber echt strange. Zwar gibt es viele Fakten zu Bansky aber es ist eher ein sehr starker Versuch cool und hip für Jugendliche zu wirken um Wissen zu vermitteln. Die 2 Hauptfiguren waren einfach nur anstrengend

[Immigration Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clever book that should pique your interest in the artistic graffiti creations of, and the political message of, the artist known only as "Banksy."

The story (mystery) of Banksy is told through the story of two young adults, who meet during an eventful flurry of police trouble, during which they befriend each other.

* One, a graffiti artist (or maybe just a vandal?)

* inadvertently involves the police with the other young adult (who is creating a self-produced documentary on Banksy which explores the real identity of Banksy), when:

* one (the documentarian) films the other (the artist / vandal) spray painting a wall and

* the police arrive, catch them together, and throw THEM BOTH in the slammer.

What I found most interesting in this graphic novel is the fact that NONE of the images created by Banksy -- an artist who rails against the "Art World Establishment" -- appear within its pages. NONE!

Why? My guess is because (perhaps), this book has not been authorized by what I imagine to be a "Banksy Establishment," which is controlled by "Pest Control," the group that manages all things Banksy?

This is pure speculation on my part, and I need to research the following question more:

QUESTION: "Why is there ONLY one book out there (that I could find), which is entitled "Banksy," that presents a comprehensive catalogue of Banksy-created images? This one book is published by Rizzoli Electa, June 3, 2022. The authors of this 2022 book, Stefano Antonelli and Gianluca Marziani, are described as having created the collection of images and composed the narrative "with the cooperation of Pest Control, the group that manages all things Banksy." The Rizzoli Electa publication seems to be "as official and authorized as any Banksy publication could be." (quotes taken from Amazon's Book Department).

Does this incongruity strike anyone else as odd? Why is this book (the graphic novel reviewed here), the one book that has gotten me interested in Banksy, not permitted (or not authorized) to show me the ACTUAL WORK (or even a few examples of the work) of Banksy? Banksy is presented as an artist for the people . . . But is he? We're told he's an artist that thinks his work is created for, and owned by, the people . . . But is it? It sure ain't available to the people reading this apparently non-Banksy sanctioned book . . .

Hmmmmmmm . . . Hypocrisy?

[Os Livros da Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este livro não ganha muito por ser em BD, o que é uma pena. É um bom Banksy 101, com fun facts da vida deste artista e algumas questões interessantes em relação ao impacto da arte. Mas não é muito mais do que isto, a história em si é praticamente não existente. Acho que se vão inserir personagens originais, então ter um bocado de mais cuidado no seu trato e desenvolvimento deveria ser uma prioridade.

Mesmo assim, é um livro simples, rápido de ler e definitivamente interessante para quem quer conhecer melhor Banksy.

⭐️2.75

[GaryTheThunder · Rating 1 out of 5]

Geschichten, die keine Graphic Novel hätten sein müssen. Die Rahmenhandlung zur Geschichte Banksys ist monoton und ziemlich öde. Der Part zum Nahost-Konflikt ist einseitig und tendenziös. Typische postmarxistische, wohlstandsverwöhnte Schei*e.

[Inês | Livros e Papel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinião no Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CnH6L65Ld...

[Yaroslava Pasteruk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Таке, комікс про Бенксі, в якому говорять про його роботи, але не показують їх, в результаті багато що доводилося самій гуглити

[Tabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

War ganz spannend. Sowohl informativ als auch unterhaltsam. Hat mich schon auch zum denken angeregt. Für Interessierte an Streetart und natürlich Banksy.

[Elisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un popular opinion: non mi è proprio piaciuto.
Pensavo a tutt’altro quando ho letto il titolo di questa graphic novel.
Delusione su tutta la linea.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publicado com imagens em Os Rascunhos

Afinal quem é Banksy? Sabe-se que é um artista de arte urbana com uma forte vertente de activista político. Para além disso, pouco mais se sabe. Especula-se uma associação com alguns grupos musicais, ou, até, uma dupla personalidade pública. Neste livro, dois jovens (que são presos exactamente pela execução de arte urbana) desenvolvem um canal onde falam do artista e dos seus trabalhos.

E é desta forma que se desenvolve alguma conversa em torno de Banksy, uma tarefa bastante difícil para os autores, dado todo o mistério que envolve o artista. Através das duas personagens fala-se de momentos chave da sua carreira, e da subversão das regras sociais, principalmente daquelas que parecem mais ridículos.

O seu nome é Banksy não é um livro fabuloso, mas dada a sua temática e objectivo a que se propõe, consegue tornar-se uma leitura interessante e suficientemente fluída. A abordagem narrativa de colocar duas personagens a conversar e a explorar Banksy fornece algum dinamismo e ritmo à narrativa, tornando-se uma leitura agradável.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comics round-up of what there is to know about Banksy, framed as a series of conversations between a street artist & a street art documentarian doing their court-ordered community service painting over graffiti. As with Banksy & his work, it feels like the concept is half the message. In a way, I think I would have liked this book better if it took more of an Existential Comics approach, & committed more fully to the conversations taking place while painting over the street art, & having less of the story of the documentarian & artist doing their own art. Then again, two people being forced to paint over street art & graffiti while talking about the wildly mainstreamed work & career of the great Banksy does not really fit with the point that this book is trying to make, which is that art, & street art in particular is for everyone. The dissonance of Banksy's acceptance into the mainstream of high art while other street art is still viewed as a nuisance is something Banksy's work has tried to address, but really, modern art has been struggling with this for over a century now. The high class art world has been co-opting it's modern art critics for over a century now, despite the best efforts of countless artists to develop concepts resistant to high art. Interestingly, this book depicts very very little of the art of Banksy, choosing to describe the concepts instead, which is probably what Banksy's art is really known for anyway. I like the idea of a street art crew who dress in orange community service jumpsuits.

[João Teixeira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Duas personagens conhecem-se em circunstâncias telenovelescas e depois deambulam pela cidade de Londres evocando o artista Banksy. Esta é a parte desinteressante deste livro, a enumeração peripatética das "obras" de arte urbana de Banksy.
A parte interessante acaba ppr ser algumas reflexões que as personagens fazem sobre o que é a arte e para que serve. Sem dúvida que as inúmeras instalações, performances e rabiscos nas paredes que Banksy foi fazendo ao longo do tempo (e confesso que fiquei admirado quando me caiu a ficha de que 'ele' surgiu em 1999! Ao longo da vida tenho ouvido falar neste artista, mas não tinha noção de que ele andava a deixar marca própria no mundo em que vivemos há já cerca de 25 anos!) foram uma autêntica pedrada no charco da arte institucional! E é isso que de forma resumida aparece nos diálogos simplistas entre estas personagens e que, de certa forma, vale a pena apreender.

Afinal, o que é a arte? Para que serve? A quem pertence?

Esta novela gráfica acaba por ser uma espécie de ensaio que nos faz reflectir sobre estas questões, e isso é bom!

[Ricardo Alves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vou já deixar claro: este não é um livro baseado na vida do Banksy. Confesso que foi por isso que o li, e estava enganado.

Contudo...

Esta graphic novel é extremamente interessante e um hino à street art e ao artista secreto que Banksy é. Se forem fãs do artista, ou simplesmente gostarem de arte de rua, aconselho muito que leiam este livro.
Por essa mesma razão, apesar de não ir ao encontro da minha expectativa inicial, O Seu Nome é Banksy merece as 5 estrelas que lhe dou.
Já para não falar da qualidade da arte, dos desenhos, da cor. Todo o livro é uma maravilha das graphic novels e deve estar na estante de qualquer fã do género.

[Knihy pod rukávom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ak sa zaujímate o grafity alebo o umenie ako celok tak toto je pre vás.

Určite väčšina sprejerov a poniektorý umelci počuli o Banksym. Je to sprejer ktorý tvorí grafity ale nikto nevie jeho totožnosť.

Táto grafická kniha je o ňom aj keď bez neho ako keby, je to o jeho dielach a to čo vyjadrujú a na akú tému boli spravené.

Kniha má svoj osobitý príbeh kde máme dvoch hlavných hrdinov a tí potom rozoberajú Banksyho.

Je to vážne zaujímavé. O Banksym som už niečo to vedela ale vďaka tejto knihe som sa dozvedela niečo viac. Grafika je tu v komixovom štýle.

[Scythe Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eine richtige Lebensgeschichte ist das Buch nur halb. Es wird zwar erklärt, welche Werke Banksy wann gesprayt hat und von den Hauptfiguren kommt auch ein Interpretationsversuch. Wer hier aber mehr über Banksy als Mensch erfahren will, wird hier enttäuscht sein: Spätestens im Nachwort wird klar, dass wir nicht wissen, ob Banksy ein Einzelkünstler oder ein Kollektiv ist- oder, ob er überhaut ein "er" ist! Hauptsächlich liegt das daran, dass seine wahre Identität immer noch unklar ist...

Als Einführung in seine Werke ist der Comic aber in Ordnung. Er kratzt halt nicht wirklich in der Tiefe.

[Tabish Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like this series of turning artist biographies into graphic novels, as it does make it a lot more accessible.

This one takes a different approach with the central characters being a street artist and an art researcher discussing Banksy's work and therefore telling us about his most famous works and hinting at his identity. It's a clever approach but does mean details about Banksy works are a tad limited.

An enjoyable enough read that may be digested in one sitting.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did learn about a few of Banksy’s pranks I missed, but it was irritating that none of the art was pictured. I know Banksy’s stance on others profiting off of his/her art, but for a graphic novel about a visual artist, it had a shockingly low number of visuals. It mostly pictured two young people bantering like a pretentious art professor would imagine young adults talking to each other - erudite, picky, and ending with a project to “change the world by opening people’s minds.”

[Jamie Meinsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I love the concept of this book, the execution left a little to be desired. The street art of Banksy is barely touched upon while the book focuses more on his past exhibitions. The information is also presented in a disjointed way that can be difficult to follow. The larger message of the book is that art is able to alter our reality which is very impactful. The vintage art style is also very interesting and unique among modern graphic novels.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fun, includes an overview of Banksy's work and projects over time, speculation about identity and anonymity and some other art world insights all wrapped up neatly in conversations taking place in a budding romance/friendship/partnership? between a graffiti artist and a Banksy admirer who get into a bit of a fix. It's a minor plot that guides the book.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, especially after being disappointed by recent graphic novels about Basquait.

A great resource describing about what street art is in general, and a fabulous answer to the question: Who is Banksy?

“An interesting mystery is better than a boring answer!”

My only quibble is that the characters don’t read as Londoners. Is this a book in translation?

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting and surprisingly conversational retrospective telling of the works of Banksy, but I was somewhat bothered that his works weren't shown. The point was made that Banksy is critical of copyright, so on that basis it didn't make sense that the art wasn't depicted, but I wonder if the point was to inspire readers to seek out the work for themselves. Hmmm.

[Roberto M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un resto divulgativo distribuito didascalucamente tra due personaggi che discorrono come nessuno farebbe, alternando ignoranza e sapienza, come una telepromozione o quei dialoghi dei corsi di lingua straniera.

[Dee Blom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated graphic novel. Definitely a great place to start if you haven’t heard anything about Banksy before. It’s a great recap on everything Banksy has achieved. Good to get a broad understanding before diving into more.