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Arne Bellstorf
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Baby's in Black: Astrid Kirchherr, Stuart Sutcliffe, and The Beatles Hardcover – May 8, 2012

by Arne Bellstorf (Author, Illustrator)
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A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A fascinating, exhilarating portrait of the Beatles in their early years.

Meet the Beatles . . . right at the beginning of their careers. This gorgeous, high-energy graphic novel is an intimate peek into the early years of the world's greatest rock band.

The heart of Baby's In Black is a love story. The "fifth Beatle," Stuart Sutcliffe, falls in love with the beautiful Astrid Kirchherr when she recruits the Beatles for a sensational (and famous) photography session during their time in Hamburg. When the band returns to the UK, Sutcliffe quits, becomes engaged to Kirchherr, and stays in Hamburg. A year later, his meteoric career as a modern artist is cut short when he dies unexpectedly.

The book ends as it begins, with Astrid, alone and adrift; but with a note of hope: her life is incomparably richer and more directed thanks to her friendship with the Beatles and her love affair with Sutcliffe. This tender story is rendered in lush, romantic black-and-white artwork.


Baby's In Black is based on a true story.

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  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    First Second
  4. Publication date
    May 8, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1596437715
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1596437715
  8. Lexile measure
    GN410L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Bellstorf's ability to capture the famous faces with a few simple tweaks is remarkable, and his expressive charcoals fit the whole artsy scene well.” ―Booklist

“The Beatles' story forms a backdrop to the compelling tale of Astrid and Stu, and although readers will doubtless enjoy glimpses of "the lads" (distinguishable mainly by noses, eyebrows, and John's snarky attitude), it's doomed young love that carries the day. The march of tidily boxed black ink and pencil pictures, most of which feature characters in conversation, is relieved by unframed reveries of the lovers wandering in the woods to a soundtrack of Beatles lyrics, foreshadowing their coming loss. Bellstorf will connect with a wide readership, from photography buffs to romance readers to classic rockers.” ―BCCB

About the Author

Arne Bellstorf was born in Dannenberg, Germany in 1979. Since 2006 he has been writing and illustrating a monthly comic page for a German newspaper, Der Tagesspiegel. Baby's In Black garnered unprecedented success in the German market, finding fans from all walks of life. Arne Bellstorf lives in Hamburg, Germany.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ First Second; Reprint edition (May 8, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1596437715
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1596437715
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ GN410L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Arne Bellstorf

Arne Bellstorf

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Arne Bellstorf (born 1979) is a German author, cartoonist and illustrator living in Hamburg, Germany.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
63 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the illustrations great and entertaining to read. They also say the book is a must-have for early Beatles fans.

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IllustrationsReadability
8 customers mention "Illustrations"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the illustrations in the book great and charming.

"Light reading, great illustrations and a must have for early Beatles fans during the Germany days. Nothing deep, just a nice remembrance." Read more

"...Furthermore, I especially appreciated the smoky, almost sultry art style depicted throughout the graphic novel...." Read more

"...n't usually go for graphic novels but this was fun to read and really quite beautiful...." Read more

"Quite entertaining to read! The sketches are awesome and overall quality of the book is great. Definitely a good read/watch?" Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining to read.

"...before reading this novel, I felt their love story was gentle, captivating, and of course, tragic...." Read more

"...I don't usually go for graphic novels but this was fun to read and really quite beautiful...." Read more

"Quite entertaining to read! The sketches are awesome and overall quality of the book is great. Definitely a good read/watch?" Read more

"Definitely a great read for people interesting in the early beginnings of the Beatles performing in Hamburg. Great Art & Story!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

DSR
5.0 out of 5 stars Cute little picture book.
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2024
Verified Purchase
Light reading, great illustrations and a must have for early Beatles fans during the Germany days. Nothing deep, just a nice remembrance.
One person found this helpful
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Emily Hearn
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting story
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2017
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I loved this graphic novel, and contrary to the reviewers who felt it to be dry or perhaps mundane, I found it absolutely riveting. The only complaint that I could somewhat understand is that many of the male characters are illustrated in such a way that it can be tricky to tell them apart; however, if you pay careful attention, it shouldn't be too difficult to tell who is who. As someone who didn't know a ton about the story of Astrid and Stuart before reading this novel, I felt their love story was gentle, captivating, and of course, tragic. Reading this graphic novel inspired me to delve deeper into their personal history. Furthermore, I especially appreciated the smoky, almost sultry art style depicted throughout the graphic novel. I found it to be especially fitting for the time period and for the subject matter.
5 people found this helpful
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WilloWill
5.0 out of 5 stars I love it
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2012
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When I was 21 I saw the movie Backbeat and became obsessed with the Stuart Sutcliffe story. I even moved to England because of it, cut my hair like Astrid's, copied her clothes and all, but I never made it to Hamburg and never found my version of Stuart.

Yes, pretty sad. Eighteen years later I am older, wiser and much more my own person, but there's still a special place in my heart for Astrid, Stu, Klaus, John and the gang.

I don't usually go for graphic novels but this was fun to read and really quite beautiful. The ending was a bit abrupt but in real life it probably was too. Apparently the book was written in close consultation with Astrid. Cool book about the world's coolest people.
13 people found this helpful
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J. Eggleston
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016
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Good book. Item was as described, well packaged and delivered promptly
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T. E.J.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Origin Story
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2018
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I adore this depiction of Astrid & Stuart. I looked the movie “Backbeat” and even saw the play “Backbeat” (twice!) in London. The artistry of this book really captures their powerful love story and how it impacted John Lennon & The other Beatles!
4 people found this helpful
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bloompourri
5.0 out of 5 stars The sketches are awesome and overall quality of the book is great
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
Quite entertaining to read! The sketches are awesome and overall quality of the book is great. Definitely a good read/watch?
One person found this helpful
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Liz W.
3.0 out of 5 stars Not for casual Beatles fans
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2012
Baby's in Black is told from the point of view of Astrid Kirchherr, a German photographer who befriended the Beatles in their early years, before they hit it big. The story focuses primarily on the romance between Kirchherr and Stuart Sutcliffe, the "Fifth" Beatles member, while the band was playing in Hamburg in 1960. I can only approach this graphic novel in review from the angle of someone who likes the music, but isn't a serious fan. This biography showed me just how little I know about the Beatles (they had a drummer before Ringo? And - holy cow! There was a fifth Beatle?) So, yes, for someone who knows admittedly little about the band, this was completely uninteresting. All the characters look alike. We get no sense of who these people are. In the case of the "romance," it holds you at a distance. So, while informative, I can only say that it's completely forgettable as a piece of art. Recommended only to serious fans of the Beatles.
2 people found this helpful
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Melissa Garland
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, striking, charming. I stumbled on these ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
Simple, striking, charming. I stumbled on these illustrations on Pinterest and had to have it. It was an incarnation of the Beatles story that felt fresh.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Holger
4.0 out of 5 stars neue Ansichten
Reviewed in Germany on September 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
Vn Anstrid Kirchherrs Graphic Novel bin ich sehr begeistert, da sie noch einmal einen anderen Blick der Dinge auf die Zeit der Beatles in Hamburg wirft. Schade ist, dass der Stil wie die einzelnen Figaren gemalt sind, sehr ähnlich ist, wodurch es manchmal schwierig wurde, die Figure auseinander zu halten.
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Zoe
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful minimal illustrations
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2016
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Wonderful minimal illustrations and a story beautifully told.
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Elena
4.0 out of 5 stars Bello!
Reviewed in Italy on September 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
Sono rimasta soddisfatta da questo prodotto. I tempi di consegna sono stati quelli previsti e il libro è arrivato in buono stato.
E' una graphic novel fatta abbastanza bene, unica pecca forse la narrazione, che a mio parere è a tratti un po' sbrigativa. Ho apprezzato la parte finale, dove si trova una spiegazione più dettagliata della vita dei personaggi. Lo consiglio a tutti gli appassionati dei Beatles e della storia del loro primo periodo, ma anche a chi è solo curioso.
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