Cartoon Castro

Charting the life of Cuba's revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, would be challenging for even the most well-informed biographer. Castro, who turns 85 on August 13, is not only a politically controversial figure, but also a mystery to the outside world. So a recent attempt by a German cartoonist to tell Castro's story in pictures, seems ambitious at best - at worst, even foolish.

Nevertheless, Reinhard Kleist has delivered a strikingly vivid biography of the so-called Great Leader that has the English-speaking comic-strip world clamoring for more.

Kleist's graphic novel "Castro" also marks a turning point for German comic strips, according to the genre's leading expert, Paul Gravett.

He said that German graphic novelists have taken time to mature, but their moment "has arrived" with the release of this book. "In the last 10 years, you've seen a number of German writers come onto the international scene, and Kleist is a pioneer of this new form," he noted.

Asked how hard it was to depict Castro in pictures, Reinhard Kleist paused to think. "It was a really big task writing the story," he admitted. "I got frustrated for weeks because I had no idea where to start it and how to end it."

He said what he liked about the book was that he'd found a way to write about the Cuban revolution. "I don't think this book is especially about Fidel Castro," he added. "It's really about the revolution and the strong character of Fidel Castro."

Writing means reflection

Kleist said charting the life of Castro gave him the opportunity to question his own belief system, pointing out that Cuba is often romanticized in German political thinking and that he himself arrived in Cuba hopelessly naive.

"There is a theme that underlines the whole book: how to follow your ideals. We have two different characters, Karl, the narrator, and Fidel Castro - and both of them follow their ideals in a very different way," Kleist observed.

Kleist's protagonist is a young, idealistic reporter, who quickly gives up trying to be neutral. The character was inspired by a real interview a New York Times reporter conducted with Castro. In the book, Karl is also granted an interview with the Cuban leader, who rants at him while lying in a hammock.

The journalist not only finds himself gripped by the fever of revolution, but falls in love with a young female fighter.

Not your best friend

Kleist admits the love-story was the easy part to depict, compared with the complexities of Castro's character. He did not end up liking him at all.

"He is not a person that you like. In three hundred pages you can't get close to Fidel Castro; it's almost impossible to identify with him," said the author.

Kleist's attempt to tackle one of history's most polarizing figures does not take the fun out of the book, according to Paul Gravett, a leading expert and director of Comica, the London International Comics Festival.

"The page moves very fluidly; it's tremendous to be able to capture Castro in all the stages in his life," he said. "It's not a good guy-bad guy story; it's complex, and [Kleist] is very good at setting up locations, and you really feel you are inside the revolution."

The book is infused with irony and humor. Kleist himself points to a favorite section, in which he sketches the hundreds of real plots on Castro's life - including a plan to plant an underwater bomb while the Cuban leader goes diving.

Striking a balance

But does the effort to be funny in a comic strip somehow trivialize the Cuban revolution and its price of human life?

Not according to Paul Gravett, who says Kleist captures Castro's psychological motivation, without trying to write a definitive biography.

"He is not trying to paint some big brushstroke of history - he is trying to get into the mindset and personality of this very fascinating leader," Gravett said.

For Reinhard Kleist, tackling Castro represents a tough, emotional journey. Asked if he would send Castro a copy, he said he had heard Castro reads every book that comes out about him.

He also said he does hope the "Great Leader" will read his.

Author: Nina-Maria Potts, London / als
Editor: Kate Bowen