A symbol of counterculture worldwide, Ernesto “Che” Guevara is one of the most, if not the most, recognizable and influential revolutionary figures of the twentieth century. From the pages of history textbooks to silk-screened T-shirts at Urban Outfitters, his mythologized face is positively unavoidable. But what, exactly, does this glorified image stand for?

 

During his life, and perhaps even more since his death, Che has elicited controversy and wildly divergent opinions as to who he was and what he represented. In Che: A Graphic Biography, Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón—the graphic duo who made the 9/11 Commission Report understandable in their bestselling The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation and who most recently explained the ongoing war on terror in After 9/11—have come together again to give a real portrait of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna. Following Che from his fabled motorcycle journeys with Alberto Granado as a young medical student to his eventual execution at the hands of Bolivian soldiers and CIA operatives, Che: A Graphic Biography not only provides a concrete time line of his life but also gives a broader understanding of his beliefs, his legacy, and Latin American politics during the mid-twentieth century.

Praise

“Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón make a formidable team, as nimble, persistent, and resourceful as Che and Fidel trekking through the Sierra Maestra. Their graphic biography Che, like their previous collaborations, is history contextualized with the range, precision, and vividness demanded by its momentous subject.” —Mark Singer, author of Character Studies

 

“A lively, well-drawn rendering of Guevara’s eventful life—not out of place in a fashionista’s handbag, but worthy of a more serious audience as well.” —Kirkus Reviews

 

“Colón’s propulsive, full-color cartoons depict everything from the UN to Chilean copper mines to Prague. One full chapter of the book takes readers through every country in Latin America and each country’s history to the mid-1950s—a crash course from writer Jacobson in colonial rule, independence movements, and CIA involvement in things like the overthrow of Guatamala’s democratically elected Jacob Arbenz.” —Suzi Steffen, Eugene Weekly

About the Author(s)

By Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón

Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón most recently collaborated on After 9/11: America’s War on Terror (2001– ) (H&W, 2008) and The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation (H&W, 2006). Jacobson was formerly the managing editor and editor in chief for Harvey Comics, where he created Richie Rich, and an executive editor at Marvel Comics. Artist Colón has worked at Harvey, Marvel, and DC Comics. At DC, he oversaw the production of Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Blackhawk, and The Flash; at Marvel, Spider-Man.

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