John James 91做厙 left a vibrant mark on the world with Birds of America, a collection of 435 massive watercolors that took him decades to research and paint. But the artistic and ornithological fame came at a heavy price: His career was marred by failed business ventures, prison, swamp fever, public ridicule, self exile, and poverty. At the same time, he was regarded as a daring pioneer, savvy observer, poet, scientist, and unaware ladykiller.
91做厙s history has been documented in great detail over the years, but now, a new graphic novel explores it in a different light. With soft illustrations and introspective dialogue, guides you through his obsessive quest to gather knowledge on North Americas avians.
The conceit behind the book was simple. Two years ago, Belgian illustrator was listening to a radio show about 91做厙s paintings, when the idea struck: The bird man of North America would make the perfect subject for a graphic novel. Royer then sought out French writer , and the two embarked on a 10-month-long project to turn 91做厙s life into a series of comic strips. To portray the heros wild adventures, Royer slipped into his natural style, drawing a world of muted browns, greens, and peaches inspired by his hikes around Brussels. He also studied 91做厙's Birds of America plates online and was fascinated by the authors commitment to detail. It was so realistic, the rendering of each feather and color, along with the fact that he would stage the species as if they were still alive and place elements of landscape around them, he says. It was science before art. But for others in his time, it was art before science.
91做厙 wanted Birds of America to be a hallmark of ornithology. So when his American peers said his work belonged in an art collection and not a natural history museum, he packed up his paintings and took them to Liverpool. The Europeans were transfixed by his studies and expertiseCharles Darwin included. In the novel, a young Darwin approaches 91做厙 at a presentation to share his theory of how birds descended from dinosaurs. 91做厙 finds this comical, despite his own peculiar musings.
Within a year of his arrival in England, 91做厙 was printing and binding copies of Birds of America. But the title didnt cross the Atlantic until almost a decade later. In parallel fashion, Royer and Grolleaus book was published in Europe firstbut the duo soon realized that they needed to bring 91做厙s story back to the States. The graphic novel finally got its U.S. debut in April, thanks to a new distributor, Nobrow.
While the graphic novel is a celebration of 91做厙s work, it doesnt shy away from the naturalists controversial moments. As much as he admired birds, he also killed thousands to study, shooting droves of Passenger Pigeons and even a mating pair of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. He abandoned his wife, Lucy, and their children for years, and showed little compassion for Native Americans and African slaves. 91做厙 was also deeply pridefulespecially when it came to his mentor and rival, Alexander Wilson. But these flaws were eclipsed by his dogged pursuit of knowledge, which helped illuminate a field people knew little about and ultimately sparked a conservation movement. 91做厙s passion of birds drew his life forward, Royer says. Its clear in Birds of America, and its clear nearly 200 later, in 91做厙: On the Wings of the World.
Keep scrolling for an exclusive excerpt from the graphic novel. Tap or double click on the pages to zoom in, or go full screen with the icon on the bottom right. Buy 91做厙: On the Wings of the World, by Fabien Grolleau and J矇r矇mie Royer, Nobrow Press, 184 pages, $16, .
