Book Review: The 14th Dalai Lama
Joel Mangrum
Anyone who has visited a bookstore has seen him on the shelf. That little penguin on the spine of that classic work you had to buy for class. That to me has been what Penguin Books has always symbolized but they might just be changing their look.
This month Penguin Books will be releasing what I believe to be their first graphic novel offering to the masses. The 14th Dalai Lama is a Manga Biography by Tetsu Saiwai who is well-known in his native Japan for producing over twenty years worth of educational manga and considering he is best known for topics such as environmentalism and human rights this new book is somewhat of a departure for him.
As anyone who knows me is aware I am not a big fan of manga. Having been raised on a steady reading diet of Jack Kirby, John Buscema, and other American artists the seemingly simplistic art of manga has always been a barrier that has been hard for me to breach. After having read this book, however, I can start to understand how in the hands of the right person that simplistic look can be a powerful tool for the artist.
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