Nina Simone in Comics

Nina Simone recorded classic love songs, like “My Baby Just Cares for Me” and “I Loves You, Porgy,” as well as powerful protest music, such as “Strange Fruit” and “Mississippi Goddam.” That probably makes this the perfect week to publish a graphic novel biography. That was good marketing strategy from the publisher. The editorial approach also works. There were many facets to the great jazz musician and vocalist, who originally intended to be a classical pianist, so twenty different combinations of artists and colorists illustrate her life-story in Sophie Adriansen’s graphic novel biography Nina Simone in Comics, which goes on-sale today.

Like many jazz greats, Simone (born Eunice Waymon) grew up in Southern poverty, gaining her first exposure to music through the Church. She had a prodigious gift for music, but even learning classical was initially a stretch for her devout preacher mother. Nevertheless, their community rallied to pay for her piano lessons and advanced studies.

In fact, her piano teacher, Muriel “Miz Mazy” Masisnovitch is one of the few decent white figures Simone encountered in her childhood. Classical music was her ambition, but racism and snobbery closed the best conservatories to her. Instead, she found work in studios coaching vocalists, which led to bar gigs, where she was eventually “discovered.”

Frankly, each and every one of the artists has a sophisticated style that shows a hip affinity for jazz. Artist-colorist Antoane aptly channels the vibe of Chuck Stewart’s cover photography for her debut album, Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club in the section, “We Start Recording Tomorrow.” Artist-colorist Mademoiselle Caroline illustrates “The Devil’s Music” in in a New Yorker-ish illustrated style, but it still has a strikingly urbane sensibility. In between, artist-colorist Adrien Roche provides another standout passage in “Pivotal Figures,” which vividly evokes the mid-1950s era.

In all honesty, every artist contributes top-notch work. Choosing favorites will come down to subjective tastes. For a lot of comics fans, the vintage comic-look of colorist-artist Chadia Loueslati’s “A Hold of Me” is sure to be a highlight as well. Yet, each artist is shrewdly paired with their respective period of Simone’s life.

There have been several documentaries and one biographical drama that chronicled Nina Simone’s life (plus the terrific short film, To Be Free), but Adriansen does a better job incorporating her music and recordings into her biography than any of those filmmakers. She also regularly incorporates social/historical context that is essential to understand Simone’s life and art. Highly recommended for jazz fans who love the music and graphic novel readers who will dig the various styles, Nina Simone in Comics releases today (2/13) at book and comics retailers.