Bix

by Scott Chantler

Overview

From the acclaimed Eisner Award–nominated creator of Two Generals and Northwest Passage comes a gorgeous and spare illustrated exploration of the rapid rise and tragic fall of 1920s legendary jazz soloist Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke.

Told in stunning illustrations, Bix is a near-wordless graphic exploration highlighting the career of Leon Bix Beiderbecke, one of the most innovative jazz soloists of the 1920s next to the legendary Louis Armstrong. While composing and recording some of the landmark music in the early history of genre, Bix struggled with personal demons, facing the disapproval of his conservative parents and an increasing dependence on alcohol. Presented in predominantly silent panels to reflect his rebellious outsider quality and inability to communicate in anything other than his own musical terms, Bix tells the story of a music star’s rapid rise and tragic fall—a metaphor for the glories and risks inherent in the creative life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668231661
Publisher:	Gallery
Publication date:	01/13/2026
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	9.38(w) x 7.12(h) x 0.64(d)

About the Author

Scott Chantler is the acclaimed creator of the graphic novels Two Generals, Northwest Passage, and the Three Thieves series, which won a Joe Shuster Award. He has also been nominated for five Eisner Awards, two Harvey Awards, and a Doug Wright Award. Find out more at ScottChantler.com.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR SCOTT CHANTLER AND BIX:

“We’re accustomed to seeing beautiful work by award-winning cartoonist Scott Chantler, but this book is particularly special....There’s minimal dialogue, and its expressive, silent art, all oriented horizontally, tells the story.....Chantler...varies the number of panels per page, the page layouts and the content of each panel, to pull off the trick perfectly. And it reflects the mood of the story. Frenetic scenes of dancing through the Jazz Age are crowded, while sad moments...are in sparse, measured arrangements. This book’s a gem, and so is Chantler.” —Toronto Star

“A marvel of imaginative illustrated narration....A vivid interpretation of the life of a remarkable musician.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Eisner-nominated Chantler utilizes the deliberate cadence of panels alternating with layered multipanel visual bursts to denote musicality and the excitement of life in this nearly worldless graphic biography, a daring and bold experiment that stunningly succeeds.” —Library Journal (starred review)

"Joyful and elegiac by turns...Chantler is...doing something wonderfully new. Succeeds on every level....[A] deeply felt portrait.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Crisp, monochrome visuals are reminiscent of midcentury newspaper comics, as well as Seth’s Clyde Fans....melancholic, gorgeously orchestrated.” —Publishers Weekly

"Wonderfully conceived....Polished and lovely." —Seth, author of Clyde Fans

“A master storyteller.”—Alexander Chee

“Somehow Scott manages to up his game with each new volume." —Chris Samnee

“[Chantler's] Two Generals should be given to all prospective cartoonists as a tutorial on how to visually tell tales.” —Jamie S. Rich

“Chantler is a talent not to be ignored.” —The A.V. Club

From the Publisher

2020-01-26
A mostly wordless illustrated tribute to a celebrated yet doomed jazz musician.

In this unconventional graphic biography, Canadian cartoonist and illustrator Chantler chronicles the life of legendary 1920s musician Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke (1903-1931). Calling him the “unlikeliest of jazz heroes,” the author re-creates the musician’s life through a series of cartoon panels that relate events from previous biographies, varying in interpretation and reliability. Chantler’s drawings chronicle Beiderbecke’s childhood in World War–era Iowa, where he was raised by critical, conservative parents. The story then moves to his boyhood, when his love of music and harmonic jazz melodies blossomed, particularly after hearing it live from a passing river steamboat. Though his schooling suffered, he matured as a mostly self-taught musician, scoring gigs with local bands and garnering regional notoriety. Inspired by Louis Armstrong, Bix rose to prominence as an outstanding jazz pianist and cornetist. However, chronic alcohol dependency would lead to his death at age 28. Chantler’s treatment of the musician’s life is distinctly creative, capturing moods through facial expressions and tightly detailed panels. In the brief introduction, the author readily admits that several scenes in the book are “apocryphal at best,” but he notes that the silent nature of its contents and the manner in which Bix’s life is portrayed reflects the struggle of many hypercreative, misunderstood artists (himself included) to express themselves in terms outside of the art they create. His experimental visualization of musical rhythms in scenes depicting Bix’s career high points is a marvel of imaginative illustrated narration. Chantler poignantly notes that the book was drawn during a devastating upheaval in his own personal life and that sketching it served as a “life raft for my battered sense of self.” This biographical storybook is a unique keepsake for jazz fans.

A vivid interpretation of the life of a remarkable musician perfect for “anyone who’s ever struggled to express themselves.

Kirkus Reviews