Since The Fifth Beatle
launched from Dark Horse Comics’ “M Press” division on November 19th,
it’s been making the rounds of mainstream reportage because of its
prominent subject matter—the life and times of Beatles manager Brian Epstein. By November 30th,
the graphic novel appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List at #5
in the category of hardback graphic novels, following several signings
and appearances from the creative team in New York.
Writer on the book, producer Vivek J. Tiwary,
became fascinated by Epstein as a young business student but was, like
many pop history enthusiasts, thwarted by a lack of information about
Epstein and perplexed by a dearth of common knowledge about a man so
influential in the rise of the world’s first mega band. Here, he sets
out to even that score, along with artists Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle Baker, with Steve Dutro
lettering. The interest generated by the book so far justifies
Tiwary’s early fixation and also the choice of the comics medium to tell
a story that’s equally biographical, mythological in undertones, and
very much about the visual nature of pop culture.
The book is divided into three significant chapters based on era’s of
Epstein’s 6 year career with the Beatles, from discovering them playing
The Cavern Club in Liverpool, to Epstein’s untimely death at the age of
32. And though the segments of the graphic novel are chronological, the
storytelling within each chapter occasionally moves around in time and
juxtaposes important, and particularly psychological moments to
emphasize symbolic value. The combination of art from Robinson and Baker
is one of the most visually nuanced examples you’ll see in print right
now of a balance struck between painterly aesthetics and more mainstream
comics traditions.
Perhaps this was inspired by the fact that photography and references
were carefully used to set the stage and narrative of a
historically-framed work, but the delicate line-work introduced,
particularly when rendering Epstein and other key characters, conveys a
depth of feeling about these figures that’s almost impossible to ignore.
It quickly becomes a very moving book because of the energy, optimism,
and tension conveyed in its artwork. The changing color-schemes and
layouts are also highly inventive and compelling.
Each chapter of the book differs slightly in color tones as
historical eras change, but also within each chapter, performances and
social scenes take on a darker, more dream-like aspect whereas business
meetings and daylight conversations are often crisp and sharply defined.
This often corresponds to a shift in layout also, from more panoramic
wide panels in moodier scenes to more focused grids in multi-character
conversation scenes. The artists grapple with the overwhelming,
boisterous interaction of the Beatles as a group by taking a different
approach every time these moments are conveyed—first through broken up
grids, then through serpentine use of speech bubbles, and even breaking
at last into lighthearted cacophony. The art on the book seems to find
its way through various challenges, making the eclectic work for the
narrative in fresh ways.
It
is a visually striking book from the first page, and it is actually the
kind of work that might persuade non comics readers to pick it up, get
sucked in, and come out on the other side more likely to try reading
more comics. The fact that it might accomplish that without this being
its primary goal is a remarkable thing.
Tiwary’s writing on the book initially conveys Epstein to be a
sympathetic but somewhat puzzling character. He seems larger than life
in his self-confidence and buoyancy and in his strange, monomaniacal
certainty that this backup band who no one has ever heard of will one
day take over the world. That might inspire skepticism in readers since
it’s easy, in hindsight, to attribute a degree of prescience to
individuals so closely involved in building legends. This proves to be,
however, an aspect of Epstein’s character that becomes more believable
as the story progresses and readers witness the impact such an intense
focus can have on a person, their health, and their private life. If
Epstein seems larger than life, we begin to suspect that his obsessions
have a lot to do with that, and even are given pause to consider the
ways in which firmly stated beliefs can influence others. Details
included in the way that Epstein speaks, the patterns of interaction
with his family, and his assistant Moxie, gradually create a fully
developed character for readers that breaks through hype and establishes
a different kind of universal mythology—that of a man and a somewhat
dangerous dream.
Also of note is the significant role of gay themes in the book,
present from the earliest chapter, and the psychological angle that
Tiwary adds to Epstein’s lonely personal life at the hands of British
law forbidding homosexuality and medical professionals attempting to
“treat” it during the 1960’s. It’s more than background noise in the
book, and is handled with a degree of honesty that helps establish some
of the inner workings of Epstein’s life and the often-overwhelming
pressures that he faced. The overall character arc that Tiwary develops
seems to move from savior-like visionary, to embattled crusader, to
self-sacrificial hero. And somehow, in all that, Tiwary makes sure that
Epstein continues to feel fully human rather than an icon for reverence.
One of the ways he accomplishes this is through keeping the forays into
Epstein’s psychology fairly brief and balanced, returning to an
observer’s position and allowing the reader to draw their own
conclusions. It’s a light enough touch that it keeps the book historical
rather than hagiographical.
Comics are increasingly addressing historical settings and
biographical material, and the manner in which they can be directed to
convey mood and atmosphere, and to influence interpretation is fairly
vast. The Fifth Beatle does quite a service to music history by
engaging directly with the strengths of the comics medium in the hands
of accomplished artists who bring personal ingenuity and tone to the
work and also by taking on an ambitious writing schema that packs in
dozens of episodes, moments, and conversations, while making an
intelligible whole that creates an impression of Epstein and also of an
era.
When I had a look at the collector’s edition of the book, I was even
more aesthetically impressed by the wealth of sketches, process work,
and commentary it contained to help set the stage for just how a graphic
novel like this came about. The simple answer is lots and lots of
determination and hard work, but the more complex truth is that each of
the members of the team clearly brought their own obsessions to the
table in order to create this story of vision, obsession, and the often
tragically high price of success.
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