When it comes to Prince, no one could deny his genius. His early demise made many music fans truly appreciate just how skilled he was, and how underrated he was as a guitarist. He was one of the main architects of the “Minneapolis sound”.

His magnetism was further amplified in the semi-autobiographic Purple Rain. It was a movie that is known as much for its theatrics as is it is for its music. The struggle between him and his father was probably one of the few times a novice actor pulled off a believable portrayal. Some of it he actually drew from in his personal life. His father was a musician and a major influence on his life but never was a mentor. In Allen Say’s Drawing From Memory, we find a creator who is reexamining his life through his relationships with his father and his mentor.

We meet the author as we find about his upbringing in Yokohama, Japan, near a fishing village, where the sea called for most, but not him. As his attraction to drawings, specifically comic books, that grabbed on to him, and before his family knew it, he was drawing everything and everywhere. Then in 1941, World War II broke out and everyone around him were affected, as his family left the area, as bombs started to fall on their city. Four years later the war was over, American allied forces occupied the country and his family moved to Sasebo, where his father found work and the first teacher to see his talent, Mrs. Morita, encouraged his work. After they moved, his parents would get divorced, and he would live with his grandmother until his family saw he can live on his own, where they rented him his own apartment. Soon his work would catch the attention of Noro Shinpei, one of the famous cartoonists in Japan at the time. He would move to Tokyo and learn under Shinpei, where he drew every day and everything he saw, as he would learn to draw in every style imaginable. By book’s end, his father and his new family would move to America, taking Allen with them, and leaving behind everything he knew and loved.

Overall, a beautiful coming of age story showing how cartoonists actually learn their craft. The story by Say is heartbreaking, true to life, and powerful. The art by Say is gorgeous. Altogether, a heart rendering story of love through art and the sacrifices most readers never get to see from their favorite creators.

Story: Allen Say Art: Allen Say
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy