Many of the stories, interviews and analyses Jake Tapper presents to his followers on CNN rely heavily on moving pictures, courtesy of his employer. A new project from the anchor and author will substitute still images — that Tapper drew himself. Tapper has spent the past three years working on a graphic novel, and much of his time was spent drawing every panel.
The illustrated novel examines the story of Klaus Barbie, the Nazi figure known as the “Butcher of Lyon” who escaped Germany and avoided capture for decades, until Nazi hunters and journalists tracked him down. Tapper, who first became interested in the story while visiting France with his family, used source material in four different languages to chronicle the pursuit for Barbie in excruciating detail. Graphic novels are a favored medium of younger readers who not only read coming-of-age tales or longer stories involving fictional characters, but also memoirs that deeply probe cultures or perspectives that may not turn up in more mainstream media formats.
Top Shelf, Tapper’s publisher, has released graphic novels such as “From Hell” by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, “They Called Us Enemy” by actor George Takei, and the “March” trilogy co-written by Congressman John Lewis. Tapper may best be known for anchoring “The Lead” and “State of the Union” on CNN as well as some special news events, but he has long juggled his news job with a suite of other activities. He has written eight books, including three novels.
What people may not know about him is that he has been drawn to comics and cartooning for most of his life. As a child, he avidly read Charles Schulz’ “Peanuts” and Walt Kelly’s “Pogo,” as well as super-heroes like Batman and Superman. His home office contains strips of “Little Orphan Annie,” “Doonesbury” and “Zippy the Pinhead.” Some of his work has been seen in Roll Call, the college paper at Dartmouth when he attended, and even in a local paper, The South Street Star, where he grew up.
For a period of time, he drew a fresh piece for CNN’s “State of the Union” “It’s a very American art form,” he says of the medium. It’s not filmed, but it’s not written. It’s somewhere in between.” Still, CNN viewers haven’t seen the end-of-show political cartoons he once drew in several years.
I had to run towards silly and inoffensive as opposed to hard hitting and brutal. And it just wasn’t as good. I wasn’t happy with it.” He’s had a lot of time to work on “The Butcher.” Tapper, who says he draws less frequently now, has been tough on himself.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
