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Woodstock is the historic concerts that all other concerts aspire to be, and it is about to enter its 56th anniversary. This, as well as my enjoyment of ’60s music, makes it a good time to look at some graphic novels that honor the artists who made the decade’s music so memorable.
While the artists represented here are pretty diverse, the creative teams telling their stories are somewhat less so. I’m hopeful that the next time there’s an opportunity to commemorate Woodstock, it’ll be easier to include more books by diverse creators.
California Dreamin’: Cass Elliot Before the Mamas and the Papas by Pénélope Bagieu, Translated by Nanette McGuiness
Given revelations about John Phillips that I am not going to link to here, I have mixed feelings about the Mamas and the Papas. That said, there is no denying that Cass Elliot was an irreplaceable talent who left us too soon.
The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story by Vivek J. Tiwary and Andrew C. Robinson
You can’t discuss ’60s music without the Beatles, and you can’t discuss the Beatles without their manager. This award-winning graphic biography puts the spotlight on Brian Epstein and his sizeable contributions to one of the 20th century’s biggest acts.
The Golden Voice by Gregory Cahill and Kat Baumann
Ros Serey Sothea went from selling snails to being one of Cambodia’s most popular singers. Though she disappeared in the late 1970s during the Khmer Rouge and her exact fate is unknown, she and her songs are beloved to this day. Cahill, one of the writers of this book, also directed a short film about her.
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James Brown: Black and Proud by Xavier Fauthaux
A deeply controversial figure, it is nonetheless undeniable that Brown was massively influential on the ’60s music scene and the development of funk in particular, as this graphic biography explores.
Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze by Mellow Brown, DJ Ben Ha Meen, and Tom Mandrake
In this fictional adventure starring one of the decade’s most revered guitarists, Hendrix is the only one who can save both music and humankind from an extraterrestrial threat!
Love Me Please: The Story of Janis Joplin by Nicolas Finet and Christopher
Like too many ’60s icons, Janis Joplin had a short and troubled career. Go beyond the headlines and learn more about who she was as a person, what made her music so incredible, and the inner demons which silenced that music.
Morning Glory on the Vine: Early Songs and Drawings by Joni Mitchell
This is not technically a comic book, and Mitchell created the book in the 1970s. But I figure that fans of both ’60s music and comics will still appreciate this volume, in which legendary folk musician Joni Mitchell illustrates her own poems and song lyrics.