King: The Special Edition
by Ho Che Anderson
Here it is at last, the complete work, how it was meant to be read. This 312 page oversize hardcover volume contains the entirety of Anderson's comics biography of King. A 10-year-long project, Anderson's goal was to deliver a portrait of MLK that is one of a complex, multi-layered, flesh and blood human being, a task for which comics are ideally suited. Employing a host of styles, techniques, devices and processes, Anderson has striven to match the method to the mood and the moment, and thereby enhance the reader's engagement with the material and so heighten its emotional impact, which is, unsurprisingly given who this book is about, quite intense at times. There is much more on offer in this biography than simply technical expertise, however.
It is a truism that every biographer finds himself (or herself) in his subject, and this is clearly the case here. What's more, Anderson's own personal reflections on his creation of this work which start off the bonus section (see below) impart a sense that working on King provided a redemption of sorts to Anderson's own life, and that the process of working on it helped him regain both his footing and his focus, and so demonstrates yet again the power of Dr. King's shining example. King is a very personal take on MLK, one that focuses on those earthier characteristics that are often given short shrift in the plentiful King hagiographies that stock the shelves. It is exceptionally strong in its focus on King's personal life – his marriage and his friendships – and it does not shy away from confronting his extramarital affairs. The might, the majesty and the miracle that is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are, of course, all here, but so is the man.
So, while King is a graphic tour de force, it is also a demonstration of how we internalize larger than life figures and they become a lens through which we see ourselves. Most of all, King provides readers with an excellent opportunity to revisit and reflect upon the life of one of the most important figures in American history. This edition includes 64 pages of bonus materials including breakdowns, layouts, cover sketches, typescripts, and a personal essay that revisits and reflects the years of the work's creation, as well as the entirety of his comic book prelude to King, Black Dogs. Taken together, this material provides an exceptionally well-rounded look at the creative process and the personal growth that it both partakes in and contributes to – clearly making this the definitive edition of this heartfelt work.
You may purchase King: Special Edition at this special price, HERE.
retail price - $34.95
copacetic super special price - $22.95
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prices and availability current as of 10 May 2010
