One of my most eagerly awaited graphic novels of 2013 tells one of the last untold stories behind the success of the Beatles. Written by Vivek Tiwary and illustrated by Andrew Robinson and Kyle Baker, The Fifth Beatle tells the story of the story of the Beatles through the eyes of Brian Epstein. As you’ll see Vivek explain, “It’s a human story about the struggle to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds—Brian was homosexual when it was a felony to be so, Jewish at a time of anti-Semitism, and from Liverpool when it was just a dingy port town. It’s a story about staggering ambition yielding staggering success, through a desire to change the world by messages of love and peace. A story about being an outsider and trying desperately to belong. A story about speed, triumph, and tragedy. A story whose themes resonate deeply across generations, sexes, and sexual preferences. A story full of dreams and music… The greatest music of all time.” to quote the Fifth Beatle website.
As you’ll see in this interview, Vivek is tremendously excited about this book for reasons that will become clear as you watch it. The story of Brian Epstein resonates deeply inside Vivek, and it makes for a wonderful sounding book and a memorable interview. It was one of the highlights of my Comic-con to get to talk to Vivek about this book, and I hope it will make your day to watch him talk about it.