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GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story

 
fifthbeatle
fifthbeatle
fifthbeatle

 
Overview
 

Story by: Vivek J. Tiwary
 
Art by: Andrew Robinson & Kyle Baker
 
Colors by: Andrew Robinson & Kyle Baker
 
Letters by: Steve Dutro
 
Cover by: Andrew Robinson
 
Publisher: M Press
 
Publisher:
 
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4.5/ 5


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the Philippine experience is lacking


To sum it all up..

The book The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story reminds me the continuing debate whether there is a “fifth” Beatle member or otherwise. If there was one, who was he? This award-winning and highly-critically acclaimed piece of visual literature centers on the world’s greatest musical pop band’s manager and discoverer, Brian Epstein. Personally, he was the […]

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Posted May 29, 2015 by

 
FULL REVIEW
 
 

fifthbeatle

The book The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story reminds me the continuing debate whether there is a “fifth” Beatle member or otherwise. If there was one, who was he? This award-winning and highly-critically acclaimed piece of visual literature centers on the world’s greatest musical pop band’s manager and discoverer, Brian Epstein. Personally, he was the true “fifth” Beatle. Paul McCartney’s bold proclamation printed in this beautifully cover art painting says it all. Thus, Brian is the center and this book revolves on his life as the one who was primarily responsible for the discovery, ascendancy and even the indirect decline of the Beatles, and his most revealing secret—his personal struggles as a closet gay. First and foremost, he was living in a time and society that gender identity was black-and-white, no grey areas, and social ostracizing and discrimination against gays were definitely a given.

This semi-biography has a certain degree of artistic liberty of portraying and interpreting Epstein’s life and the surrounding ambiance and flavors that dominated the Western pop culture and the political-socio-economic spheres in the late 1950s up to the 1960s, the decade of student activism, clash of the old establishment and the rebellious youths, anti-war sentiments, the reemergence of feminism, and the Aquarian or “hippie” culture. The true mastermind of this groundbreaking visual novel is Vivek J. Tiwary, who has the most reliable primary sources about the Beatles and most importantly, the manager himself. The Wikipedia entry of Epstein then was so grossly misinformed, if not downright exaggerated, distorted or untrue. But Tiwary wanted his well-researched biography to do justice on his subjects. Gladly, Dark Horse Comics owner/publisher Mike Richardson is the right person to deal with because he is a true Beatles fan and his publishing house has strong credentials to have this biography adapted into graphic novel with respect, dignity and justice. Andrew Robinson did the breakdowns and award-winning artist Kyle Baker lusciously illuminated the whole story. Baker’s paint-brushed illustrations and his proportional anatomical drawings serve the artistic and historical purposes so well that beside the character Roxy (that’s truly a pure made up stroke of genius), readers are behold to his best work yet. Overall, the Fifth Beatle deserves all the accolades it richly deserves.

What makes this semi-fictional (but still a reliable source of information) take of the subject and the band is the group’s tour in the Philippines in 1966. Baker’s panoramic paint brush of the iconic Mayon Volcano and other stuffs synonymous with the Philippines are done just right though personally, the artistic team could have explored more with the Beatles’ experience in the country (or more specifically in Manila where all the events took place) because Paul McCartney often recalls that this tour was a very unpleasant one and never ever again visited the Philippines since then and beyond. Indeed, the graphic novel does mention some of the group’s unsavory experiences in Manila in just two pages despite the fact that there are plenty of well-documented sources or materials to be found here in the Philippines alone. Newspapers, magazines and other contemporary periodical accounts are very abundant in that particular regards, in addition of living witnesses and other people, who worked, covered and documented the entire Beatles-Philippines moment. I agree with the book and Paul’s assessments and some factors behind the rather harsh treatment the Beatles received, including the latter’s hindsight of the prelude of the Marcos dictatorship on the horizon. Looking back, we must remember that Ferdinand Marcos was only in his first term of presidency (1965-1969), more so just barely months in office. People only feared or speculated when the future dictator would go beyond the 1935 Constitution presidential limit when he won his second term in 1969 up to September 1972, the declaration of Proclamation 1081 or known as Martial Law. This is another “what-if” in graphic novel history if ever the creative team takes on the rich documentations on the Beatles-Philippine tour into account, and Baker reinterprets that infamous experience. Just imagine these scenarios—the Beatles, tired with their Japan concert and just arrived here and so tired, answered snarky and sarcastically with the press in the yacht in Manila Bay. Or imagine how the artist illustrates the actual concert in Luneta Park, including the leading diva then Pilita Corrales singing? Or the day the Beatles decided not to go to the Malacanang Palace to meet not only the president but his entire family and his cronies as well (the infuriating faces of the First Family would be great in Baker’s hand). And, the so-called brush with death or the running through the gauntlet the entire Beatles had to endure when they literally had to confront on the day they left the Philippines, especially in the Manila International Airport (the former name of NAIA). There, Epstein was badly hurt, courtesy by our own countrymen. Was it John Lennon’s prior infamous statement, “We are more popular than Jesus Christ” that infuriated the deep religious Filipinos/as triggered this? Was there a cultural misunderstanding between Epstein’s no reply or decline to the coordinator’s request of having the group meet (and perform) in Malacañang (Epstein hated mixing entertainment with politics, and he was very strict on that one and purely a business-type promoter. Yet, in our unwritten culture, a “silent” reply is more likely a “yes” statement)? Or perhaps, our fore bearers then failed to understand the British way of turning down a request, or being sensitive to that upfront (to decline and not to see the First Family was definitely a disaster in hindsight). Whatever the reasons and circumstances behind that unpleasant moment, probably, we can learn something or two about what happened and try not to repeat it. Anyways, The Fifth Beatle is the essential Beatles reading, alongside with other official (and authorize) Beatles publications around.


Paul Ramos

 


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