Book Review: 'Ella Fitzgerald: The Official Graphic Novel'

A Stunning Visual Tribute to the First Lady of Song

Title: Ella Fitzgerald: The Official Graphic Novel

Author: Ngozi Nwadiogbu

Publisher: Fantoons

Publishing Date: February 18, 2025

Purchase: Amazon (affiliate link)

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There are few voices in jazz—perhaps in all of music—that carry the warmth, depth, and precision of Ella Fitzgerald’s. Her effortless swing, her impeccable phrasing, her ability to transform even the simplest melody into something transcendent—these qualities made her the undisputed “First Lady of Song.” Capturing such a luminous career in any medium is a challenge, but the new graphic novel Ella Fitzgerald: The Official Graphic Novel rises to the occasion, blending storytelling and visual artistry into a compelling tribute.

Published by Fantoons, this graphic novel is part of the Women in Jazz series, following their earlier book on Billie Holiday. It’s an ambitious project, not only chronicling Fitzgerald’s life but immersing readers in the atmosphere of the jazz world she inhabited. Through stunning artwork by illustrators Larissa Rivero, Lindsay Lee, and Jorge Mansilla, and the words of writer Ngozi Nwadiogbu, the book paints a vivid portrait of Ella—one that feels intimate yet larger than life, just as she was.