Reading Time: 2 minutes
Did you know that Mozart was seriously into poop? William Augel does.
Young Mozart, the new comic from Humanoids, is part of their Life Drawn series. These books cover different historical figures through graphic art, creating accessible history for young adults – an age group that is typically pretty resistant to historical narratives. Previous figures have included Hedy Lamarr and Marilyn Monroe.
The art in Young Mozart was immediately striking to me for one simple reason: I don’t remember the last time I read a comic strip. Not a comic book, or a graphic novel, but a strip. Three or four panels across a page, or 9 to 12 panels on a page, telling a simple story, making me laugh or sharing a tidbit of information I didn’t know before.
Just a few of the Young Mozart pages I loved:
We often think of Mozart and his contemporaries as being uptight, especially with the powder and the wigs and the coat tails. Mozart, at least, was by all accounts a man with a filthy sense of humor who made scatological jokes whenever he got the chance. While I did not include the particular joke page here, trust me that Augel finds a way to mention it without being gross or inappropriate. He teases the famous composer about everything – his prodigy, his dog, and his ability to find music absolutely everywhere.
This book has some of the charm from Peanuts, some of the silliness of Garfield, and much of the truth of For Better Or Worse. I absolutely loved reading the story, and while I’m not sure my younger daughter (eight years old) would appreciate it, I’m pretty sure my older daughter (eleven years old) will definitely laugh at the jokes.
The art is simple without being simplistic, and the book is a fun, funny read. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn a little more about one of our more famous composers, or anyone looking to dispel some of those assumptions about the guys in the powdered wigs.
The author, William Augel, was born in Le Mans. Originally a draftsman and illustrator, he has written for kids before, and regularly works with French magazines.
Young Mozart is now available from Humanoids.
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