Richard Appignanesi, a pioneering graphic novelist, editor, and author, has died aged 84. Known for his 'For Beginners' and 'Introducing...' series, which popularized educational comic books on complex subjects like Freud and Marx, he also edited 'Manga Shakespeare' and wrote fiction. His work blended text and image, earning him awards and influencing critical thinking, and he was involved in various art and cultural projects.
Richard Appignanesi obituary
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Richard Appignanesi, a pioneering graphic novelist, editor, and author, has died aged 84. Known for his 'For Beginners' and 'Introducing...' series, which popularized educational comic books on complex subjects like Freud and Marx, he also edited 'Manga Shakespeare' and wrote fiction. His work blended text and image, earning him awards and influencing critical thinking, and he was involved in various art and cultural projects.
Trending- 1 1962: Graduated from Loyola College
- 2 1964: Term 'graphic novel' coined by Richard Kyle
- 3 1967: Married Lisa Borensztejn
- 4 1970: Yukio Mishima's ritual suicide
- 5 1973: Gained PhD in art history
- 6 1974: Writers and Readers Cooperative founded
- 7 1976: Translated and published Marx for Beginners
- 8 1977: Published Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution
- 9 1979: Published Freud for Beginners
- 10 1980: Received Directors Club (New York) merit award
- 11 1984: Writers and Readers Cooperative broke up
- 12 1984: Divorced Lisa Borensztejn
- 13 1984: Co-founded Icon Books
- 14 1985-1986: Published Italia Perversa trilogy
- 15 1985-2005: Chris Garratt's Biff strip ran in The Guardian
- 16 1993: Started working at Arts Council England
- 17 1995: Curated contemporary art exhibition on Fernando Pessoa
- 18 2002: Published Yukio Mishima’s Report to the Emperor
- 19 2004: Published Introducing Postmodernism
- 20 2005: Co-curated British Council’s Writing Europe Conference
- 21 2007-2011: Series editor of Manga Shakespeare
- 22 2010: Compiled Beyond Cultural Diversity for Arts Council England
- 23 2010-2011: Raising Dust exhibition shown in London
- 24 2011: Co-curated Winds of Change: Cinema in Muslim Societies for ICA, London
- 25 2012: Published The Wolf Man (Graphic Freud series)
- 26 2014: Published Hysteria (Graphic Freud series)
- 27 2014: Married Helen Askey
- 28 2025-06-05: Obituary published
- Popularized educational graphic novels
- Influenced critical thinking
- His works became bestsellers and were translated into many languages
- His death marks the end of a significant career in publishing and arts
What: Richard Appignanesi, a pioneering graphic novelist, editor, and author, has died at the age of 84. The article serves as an obituary, detailing his significant contributions to publishing, particularly his 'For Beginners' and 'Introducing...' series, 'Manga Shakespeare,' and his other literary and curatorial works.
When: Died aged 84 (recently, implied by obituary), published 2025-06-05. His career spanned from 1976 (first 'For Beginners' title) to 2014 (married Helen Askey) and beyond with ongoing appreciation of his works.
Where: Born in Montreal, Canada. Lived in Vienna, Paris, and London (settled in Britain). Worked with New York-based Directors Club, ICA London, British Council in Kyiv. His works were translated into 24 languages and sold worldwide.
Why: The article is an obituary, published to commemorate and detail the life and career of Richard Appignanesi following his death.
How: Appignanesi pioneered educational graphic novels, co-founded publishing houses (Writers and Readers Cooperative, Icon Books), edited series, wrote fiction, and curated art exhibitions, blending text and image and taking a wry, questioning approach to complex subjects.