Muhammad Ali, Kinshasa 1974

Award-winning writer JD Morvan and renowned photographer Abbas' stunning graphic novel masterpiece which uses iconic photos to uniquely illustrate the historical 'Rumble in the Jungle' boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. On the 30 th October 1974, the most famous boxing match of the 20th Century took place. Nicknamed the "Rumble in the Jungle", it pitted Muhammad Ali, desperate to win back his world champion belt, and George Foreman, the current holder, against each other. Foreman had just KO'd the only two boxers to have ever beaten Ali. By his own admission, Ali was terrified of facing him in the ring ... Now, the photojournalist Abbas immortalises this legendary meeting, having kept his photos in his personal archives for 36 years before unveiling them to the world. In a cross between a documentary, photo report and graphic novel, this book reveals the context of the most powerful photographs taken by one of the greatest photographers of the Magnum Photos agency. Enriched by the testimony of Abbas himself, Jean-David Morvan's script is rigorously brought to life by artist Rafael Ortiz. --

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Stillwater Public Library	J GRAPHIC 796.8309 MOR	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"Muhammad Ali as you've never seen him...a new graphic novel mixes comic book art and rarely seen photography... powerful combination" - The New York Times

Award-winning writer JD Morvan and renowned photographer Abbas' stunning graphic novel masterpiece which uses iconic photos to uniquely illustrate the historical 'Rumble in the Jungle' boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

"The drawings and photos allow us to revel in the imagery and history of that unforgettable night, and the torrid pace of the storytelling, the many flashbacks allow us to see the full context of the fight" - The Ring

On the 30 th October 1974, the most famous boxing match of the 20 th Century took place. Nicknamed the "Rumble in the Jungle", it pitted Muhammad Ali, desperate to win back his world champion belt, and George Foreman, the current holder, against each other. Foreman had just KO'd the only two boxers to have ever beaten Ali. By his own admission, Ali was terrified of facing him in the ring...

Now, the photojournalist Abbas immortalises this legendary meeting, having kept his photos in his personal archives for 36 years before unveiling them to the world. In a cross between a documentary, photo report and graphic novel, this book reveals the context of the most powerful photographs taken by one of the greatest photographers of the Magnum Photos agency. Enriched by the testimony of Abbas himself, Jean-David Morvan's script is rigorously brought to life by artist Rafael Ortiz.

"[A] gritty, action-packed hybrid work of photography and comics art ... lands plenty of punches" - Publishers Weekly

Author Notes

Jean-Davide Morvan started out as a comics artist before realising his masterful talent for storytelling. Born in France, he studied art at the Instiut St Luc in Brussels. In 2004, he became the writer of classic Franco-Belgian comic, Spirou & Fantasio. Over the years he has produced over 230 comics, winning multiple awards including the Youth Award in 2006 at Angouleme International Comics Festival, and Best Story in 2008 at Prix Saint-Michel.

Abbas is a world renowned photographer, originally from Iran. He dedicated a lot of his work to political and social coverage of developing southern nations, and from 1970 onwards, many of his works appeared in magazines across the world. After capturing the Iranian revolution, he self-exiled for 17 years before returning. One of his most controversial subjects has been religion, extensively documenting different faiths, from Islam to Buddhism, with accompanying essays. He has produced many books of his photographic works and has held exhibitions all over the globe. In 1981 he joined Magnum Photography Agency and was a governing member until he died in 2018.

Rafael Ortiz is an Argentinian cartoonist whose work includes Dan the Unharmable (Panini Comics), God is Dead (Avatar Press). He collaborated with the screenwriter Jean-Davide Morvan on a biography of Mao Zedong (Glénat). In 2018, Rafael worked with screenwriter Frédéric Richaud on l'Envers des Nuages (Glénat), a fictitious account of the red cross involved in African conflicts. In 2019, he began working with The Tribe, on graphic novels such as The Division (Les Deux Royaumes).

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Morvan (Bramble) turns his focus to photographer Abbas and other major players circling one of Muhammad Ali's most famous fights in this gritty, action-packed hybrid work of photography and comics art. On Oct. 30, 1974, Ali fought heavyweight champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, in what came to be known as the "Rumble in the Jungle." Abbas was on the scene, and this volume showcases the powerful photos he took that night, juxtaposing them with drawings. Ali was expected to lose the fight, which was "like a circus," but pulled off a stunning win. Besides chronicling the action in the ring alongside Abbas's story as a spectator, the narrative profiles promoter Don King, Foreman, and Ali. Other side stories include Zairean president Mobutu Sese Seko's battle against Western influence and Foreman showing up with his German Shepherd. Abbas's lens captures "the power of intellect over brutality," beside the muted color panels by Ortiz. The result effectively charts how the fight played out and breathes new life into the history, but the concept of mixing the media aims high and doesn't quite land the punch as explosively as hoped. The fight has been covered in countless ways, and though this unique take on it is a bit of a mixed bag, it still lands plenty of punches. (Feb.)

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