Marjane Satrapi (1969 — 2026)

Marjane Satrapi (1969 — 2026)

When the average reader is asked to name any “graphic novel,” it used to always be only one, Maus, a recollection of the horrors of the Holocaust by Art Spiegelman. And then that changed. And another graphic work broke through: Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, a beguiling tale about a young Iranian woman navigating different cultures, following her childhood in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution (1978–1979).

For decades, up to the present and beyond, when people are asked to name any graphic narrative, there are only two titles that readily come to mind, and for very good reason. Maus and Persepolis have earned their place in the pantheon of comics and will never be forgotten. It is with great sadness to know that Marjane Satrapi should leave us oh so soon. It’s a real shock. I know comic artists and readers are struck silent at the news.

Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir Persepolis was originally published in French in four volumes between 2000 and 2003. It was in 2003 that an English version was first published. Along with a few other select titles, Persepolis led the way in the great new wave of interest in alternative comics by general readers. It was a heady time with great speculation over which comic would be next to gain the spotlight and perhaps even be adapted into a movie. By 2007, there it was, the Persepolis movie! When the turn-over from relatively obscure to superstardom became more and more uncertain in the world of indie comics, there was a shift in focus.

Fast forward to now and we are mourning the death of an exceptional creative person. Marjane Satrapi is now part of history, secure in her place, beloved, respected and at rest in peace. Her work gave us a refreshingly irreverent look into a world unknown to so many.