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David Bowie #1
Starman - David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust Years
1972 erlebte die Geburt des Rock'n'Roll-Messias Ziggy Stardust, dessen provokantes Spiel mit sexueller Identität und Geschlechterrollen den Grundstein für David Bowies Aufstieg zum „einflussreichsten Popmusiker aller Zeiten“ (New Musical Express) legte.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2021
11 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Reinhard Kleist
39 books108 followersBorn in 1970 near Cologne.
After school he had an internship at printing and publishing Landpress in Weilerswist Studium at the College of Visual Arts in Münster. There the albums "Lovecraft", "Dorian" and "adventure of a switchman" were created.
After graduation in 1996 he moved to Berlin.
where he worked in a studio. For some years he did workshops, lectures and exhibitions in countries like Mexico, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Jordan, Algeria, Spain, Canada and others, at the invitation of the Goethe Institute or my foreign publishers.
In December 2013, as part of a project for ARTE, he was in a refugee camp in northern Iraq where he I did interviews with Syrian refugees. He did a lot of sketches, and did two workshops with children. The results and photos from the workshop can be seen at ARTE Refugees
In 2011 his comic strip "The Boxer" was published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which was published in May 2012 in a revised version as a book by Carlsen Verlag.
In 2015, "The Dream of Olympia", the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, was published by Carlsen Verlag and in 2016 was awarded the "Annual Lynx" and the Catholic Children and Youth Book Prize.
After school he had an internship at printing and publishing Landpress in Weilerswist Studium at the College of Visual Arts in Münster. There the albums "Lovecraft", "Dorian" and "adventure of a switchman" were created.
After graduation in 1996 he moved to Berlin.
where he worked in a studio. For some years he did workshops, lectures and exhibitions in countries like Mexico, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Jordan, Algeria, Spain, Canada and others, at the invitation of the Goethe Institute or my foreign publishers.
In December 2013, as part of a project for ARTE, he was in a refugee camp in northern Iraq where he I did interviews with Syrian refugees. He did a lot of sketches, and did two workshops with children. The results and photos from the workshop can be seen at ARTE Refugees
In 2011 his comic strip "The Boxer" was published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which was published in May 2012 in a revised version as a book by Carlsen Verlag.
In 2015, "The Dream of Olympia", the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, was published by Carlsen Verlag and in 2016 was awarded the "Annual Lynx" and the Catholic Children and Youth Book Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 5, 2025
"There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile"
Bowie has to be one of my favorite artists of all time. It has to be true because I have him tattooed on my body. His music always made me feel things deep in my soul and no other artist has ever made me feel this way.
This was the story of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. There was nothing new or earth shattering secrets we didn’t know about, so it’s the same old song and dance. The illustrations were phenomenal. They made me think of how comics used to be when I was a kid. Enjoyable overall.
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile"
Bowie has to be one of my favorite artists of all time. It has to be true because I have him tattooed on my body. His music always made me feel things deep in my soul and no other artist has ever made me feel this way.
This was the story of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. There was nothing new or earth shattering secrets we didn’t know about, so it’s the same old song and dance. The illustrations were phenomenal. They made me think of how comics used to be when I was a kid. Enjoyable overall.
March 24, 2024
3.5
Attention grabbing because of the subject..but doesn't really say anything new...
More musings on Bowie's activities in the USA...
Attention grabbing because of the subject..but doesn't really say anything new...
More musings on Bowie's activities in the USA...
October 30, 2023
S obzirom na to da sam prošle godine čitala grafičku novelu o Ziggy-ju Stardast-u koja je bila sveobuhvatnija, Klajstova verzija mi nije ponudila ništa novo. Crtež mi je takođe slabiji, a ono što me dodatno nervira jeste što mi nijedna zapravo nije dala dublji prikaz Bowie-ja kao osobe, nekako je sve bez duše. Poslednja stranica najavljuje nastavak koji će obuhvatiti berlinski period i to me više zanima jer je to moj omiljeni Bowie.
October 7, 2025
Olağanüstü! Biyografik çizgi roman, 70’ler ve 80’ler. Bowie’yi Bowie yapan her şey. Bayıldım. Kaçırmayın!
October 21, 2022
This graphic novel of David B is great. The drawings epic. Just loved it 😍
August 31, 2024
Çizimler çok güzel ancak David Bowie’nin müziğine, hayatına hakimseniz hikaye pek de doyurucu olmayacaktır; yeni bir ayrıntı veya farklı bir bakış açısı yok.
December 2, 2022
Bowie'yi severdim ama hiçbir zaman büyük bir Bowie hayranı olmadım. Lakin bu kitap, oyunun kurallarını değiştirdi. Yazdığı hiçbir şarkıyı haybeye yazmamış, hepsinin bir anlamı ve sebebi varmış. Bowie'nin Ziggy Stardust yıllarını müthiş vurucu bir şekilde anlatan nefis bir grafik roman. Artık dinlediğim her Bowie şarkısına başka bir gözle bakıyorum ve sanırım artık bir Bowie hayranıyım.
March 9, 2025
I still don't know who Marc Bolan is
August 17, 2023
A good graphic novel about David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era.
January 8, 2023
Aunque me hubiese gustado que echase el freno en algunos segmentos, al menos no se queda en el mero resumen, como sí tenía la sensación que ocurría con la obra de los Allred dedicada a Bowie. Se agradece la odisea onírica que propone en algunos segumentos que, aunque sin extremada originalidad, forman un buen homenaje.
A falta de un siguiente volumen titulado Lowe (como el disco de la trilogía de Berlín), Starman es una celebración que trasciende lo encilopédico para entregar a un artista que nos hizo aguardar a un salvador alienígena llamado Ziggy Stardust, un héroe que acabó suicidándose por sus pecados, los tuyos y los míos. Y así fue como nació una leyenda en la música que todavía resuena en otras artes, como, por supuesto, el cómic.
A falta de una obra maestra en el cómic sobre la vida de Bowie, Starman de Reinhard Kleist no es un mal paso para empezar ese viaje. Aunque puede que, al fin y al cabo, la propia vida de Bowie fuese ese gran cómic.
Lee la crítica completa en la web.
April 26, 2023
Kleist non delude, continua a scegliere delle icone della musica e a rappresentarle con gran classe.
Stavolta tocca a David Bowie, o meglio, tocca a Ziggy Stardust. 1972, nasce, cresce e trionfa questo personaggio che viene dalle stelle per dare un po' di gioia e spensieratezza al mondo.
Arriva e dà colore alla vita del giovane David, e anche alle pagine, dove viene rappresentato con i colori e le tecniche che venivano usate nei fumetti americani dei supereroi in quegli anni. I vari flashback in tinta seppia della vita di Bowie si contrappongono ai colori vivacissimi delle tavole in cui entra in scena Ziggy, colori che esplodono poi nei momenti "live" sul palco.
Non manca la vita privata, la famiglia, il fratello Terry, la moglie Angie.. e poi gli Spiders from Mars, i manager e L'iguanone, special guest, mr Iggy Pop.
Ma il protagonista resta lui, Ziggy, eccentrico, sgargiantissimo, affascinante, super sexy. Un personaggio così potente che rischia di fare fuori il suo doppio, David. Ma il gioco è bello finché dura poco e dovrà in qualche modo farsi da parte, per lasciar spazio al nuovo Duca Bianco.
Stavolta tocca a David Bowie, o meglio, tocca a Ziggy Stardust. 1972, nasce, cresce e trionfa questo personaggio che viene dalle stelle per dare un po' di gioia e spensieratezza al mondo.
Arriva e dà colore alla vita del giovane David, e anche alle pagine, dove viene rappresentato con i colori e le tecniche che venivano usate nei fumetti americani dei supereroi in quegli anni. I vari flashback in tinta seppia della vita di Bowie si contrappongono ai colori vivacissimi delle tavole in cui entra in scena Ziggy, colori che esplodono poi nei momenti "live" sul palco.
Non manca la vita privata, la famiglia, il fratello Terry, la moglie Angie.. e poi gli Spiders from Mars, i manager e L'iguanone, special guest, mr Iggy Pop.
Ma il protagonista resta lui, Ziggy, eccentrico, sgargiantissimo, affascinante, super sexy. Un personaggio così potente che rischia di fare fuori il suo doppio, David. Ma il gioco è bello finché dura poco e dovrà in qualche modo farsi da parte, per lasciar spazio al nuovo Duca Bianco.
February 21, 2025
Bu dünyadan olmadığı kesinleşen bir starın, David Bowie’nin, şöhret yıllarını, daha çok Ziggy Stardust yıllarını, anlatan müthiş bir ‘graphic novel’. İnsanın varoluşsal yalnızlığına dair anlatılarıyla ünlenen Bowie’nin sahne kostümleri, şovları o kadar güzel ve rengarenk resmedilmiş ki (eğer baby boomer ve X jenerasyonuysanız) sizi gençlik yıllarınıza götürecek. Yaşamı boyunca ayrı kişiliklere bürünen ve özellikle sahnedeyken sanki uzaydan gelmiş bir personası olan, sadece müziğiyle değil, modaya ve pop kültürüne olan katkısıyla da bilinen Bowie’nin ilginç yaşam hikayesini merak ediyorsanız mutlaka okuyun.
February 1, 2024
Enjoyed this graphic novel biography of David Bowie’s Stardust Years. Learned some new things about being Ziggy, but also wanted to know more about what was going on with the relationship with Iggy Pop and the rest of the music scene.
Some mature content.
Some mature content.
June 25, 2022
Me ha encantado, el dibujo, la historia, todo. Y estoy flipando de que vaya a haber segunda parte *_* genial!!
November 1, 2025
Weinig nieuws in deze fragmentarische graphic novel maar de illustraties zijn zeker de moeite waard. En het gaat over Bowie, dat maakt alles goed.
May 24, 2023
I'm a huge Bowie fan so this review will be very biased.
Many are just discovering Bowies music and Ziggy Stardust is what most think of first. Here is the story of how Ziggy arrived.
I dont want to give too much away but the author changed the way I thought about Bowie hitting the music scene. I wasnt born yet but my mom talks about how he was really from another planet; so different, so unique.
The art, mix of black and white with colour, is awesome. Cant wait to read more of his work.
Highly recommended
Many are just discovering Bowies music and Ziggy Stardust is what most think of first. Here is the story of how Ziggy arrived.
I dont want to give too much away but the author changed the way I thought about Bowie hitting the music scene. I wasnt born yet but my mom talks about how he was really from another planet; so different, so unique.
The art, mix of black and white with colour, is awesome. Cant wait to read more of his work.
Highly recommended
April 27, 2024
This was mostly disappointing.
For me, if you're trodding over a path already well-worn by hundreds before you, as Kleist is here, have something new to say, have some new insight.
Kleist bends the timeframes all out of whack to try and do that, I think. He's trying to show Bowie as prophetic and fighting the same demons as his half-brother Terry. This tries to be Deep and Meaningful, but instead it comes across as unnecessarily complicated and forced.
The art is okay, with Bowie sometimes looking just like Bowie and sometimes really not.
Overall, I found this rather uninspired and disappointing.
For me, if you're trodding over a path already well-worn by hundreds before you, as Kleist is here, have something new to say, have some new insight.
Kleist bends the timeframes all out of whack to try and do that, I think. He's trying to show Bowie as prophetic and fighting the same demons as his half-brother Terry. This tries to be Deep and Meaningful, but instead it comes across as unnecessarily complicated and forced.
The art is okay, with Bowie sometimes looking just like Bowie and sometimes really not.
Overall, I found this rather uninspired and disappointing.
March 27, 2024
The art was pretty great, and it’s nicely conceived. I found something about it disjointed, and it was called messianic by another reader un the household. There were a couple new tidbits I learned, but by far not my favorite Bowie graphic novel so far.
January 10, 2022
"Starman. David Bowie’s Stardust Years" ist eine kürzlich erschienene Graphic Novel von Reinhard Kleist, der mit illustrierten Büchern über Johnny Cash und Nick Cave bereits von sich reden machte. Nick Cave soll es auch gewesen sein, der Kleist riet, sich mit David Bowie zu beschäftigen.
Und so widmet sich der Comiczeichner auf 160 Seiten den Durchbruchsjahren des Avantgarde-Künstler Bowie, der mit orangefarbenem Vokuhila und spektakulären Kostümen des japanischen Designers Kansai Yamamoto seinen kometenhaft Aufstieg erlebte: als androgyner, außerirdischer Rock-Messias Ziggy Stardust, der der Menschheit Frieden bringen wollte und Liebe. Die poppigbunte, von Thomas Gilke kolorierte Rahmenhandlung der Graphic Novel ist Bowie letztes Konzert in dieser Rolle: Am 3. Juli 1973 teilte er im Londoner Hammersmith Odeon dem überraschten Publikum und seiner ebenso überraschten Band, The Spiders from Mars, mit, dass dies ihre letzte Show sei. Auf den finalen Seiten der Graphic Novel zündet Bowie seine gemusterten, farbenfrohen Kostüme an und während seine Garderobe in Flammen aufgeht, wird aus Bowie der Thin White Duke mit zurückgegeltem Haar, weißem Hemd und schwarzer Hose, der in "Low", der Fortsetzung der Graphic Novel, nach Berlin ziehen wird. (Ein Buch, auf das ich schon sehr gespannt bin)
Weshalb der 26-jährige Musiker der Kunstfigur, die ihm zu Weltruhm verhalf, den Todesstoß versetzte, erzählt Kleist in sepiagetönten Rückblenden: Bowie, den Drogenexzesse kaputtmachten, der nicht mehr zu sich zurückfand, der von seiner eigenen Schöpfung verschlungen wurde, der Angst hatte, schizophren zu werden wie sein Bruder Terry. Auch diese Geschichte erzählt Kleist, ebenso wie er in kurzen Bildfolgen Bowies Leben vor Ziggy skizziert: Die Prügelei, die sein Auge verletzte, der erste heimliche Konzertbesuch, die ersten Schritte als Musiker, dessen Karriere trotz Megahit Space Oddity (1969) glücklos bemüht blieb, die Freundschaft zu Marc Bolan und Iggy Pop, die frühe Familiengründung oder das Zusammentreffen mit Andy Warhol, dessen Factory entscheidende Karriere-Impulse liefern sollte. Auch Bowies Lust an der Verwandlung greift die Graphic Novel auf: vom braven Mod im Anzug über den dauergewellten Lockenkopf und den langhaarigen Schlaghosenträger bis hin zum fransigen Ziggy-Stardust-Mullet.
Reinhard Kleist hat mit diesen Rückblenden und zusätzlich eingebetteten Illustrationen von Songs einen durchaus anspruchsvollen Weg gewählt, sich dem Phänomen Bowie zu nähern. Will man die ohnehin vorhandene Freude an der Lektüre von Starman noch steigern, empfiehlt sich vorab ein grober Überblick über die frühen Bowie-Jahre: Hat man Bilder des jungen Avantgarde-Musikers vor Augen, wird man noch mehr Spaß an den Details haben, mit denen der Illustrator die ersten 26 Lebensjahre David Bowies lebendig werden lässt.
Und so widmet sich der Comiczeichner auf 160 Seiten den Durchbruchsjahren des Avantgarde-Künstler Bowie, der mit orangefarbenem Vokuhila und spektakulären Kostümen des japanischen Designers Kansai Yamamoto seinen kometenhaft Aufstieg erlebte: als androgyner, außerirdischer Rock-Messias Ziggy Stardust, der der Menschheit Frieden bringen wollte und Liebe. Die poppigbunte, von Thomas Gilke kolorierte Rahmenhandlung der Graphic Novel ist Bowie letztes Konzert in dieser Rolle: Am 3. Juli 1973 teilte er im Londoner Hammersmith Odeon dem überraschten Publikum und seiner ebenso überraschten Band, The Spiders from Mars, mit, dass dies ihre letzte Show sei. Auf den finalen Seiten der Graphic Novel zündet Bowie seine gemusterten, farbenfrohen Kostüme an und während seine Garderobe in Flammen aufgeht, wird aus Bowie der Thin White Duke mit zurückgegeltem Haar, weißem Hemd und schwarzer Hose, der in "Low", der Fortsetzung der Graphic Novel, nach Berlin ziehen wird. (Ein Buch, auf das ich schon sehr gespannt bin)
Weshalb der 26-jährige Musiker der Kunstfigur, die ihm zu Weltruhm verhalf, den Todesstoß versetzte, erzählt Kleist in sepiagetönten Rückblenden: Bowie, den Drogenexzesse kaputtmachten, der nicht mehr zu sich zurückfand, der von seiner eigenen Schöpfung verschlungen wurde, der Angst hatte, schizophren zu werden wie sein Bruder Terry. Auch diese Geschichte erzählt Kleist, ebenso wie er in kurzen Bildfolgen Bowies Leben vor Ziggy skizziert: Die Prügelei, die sein Auge verletzte, der erste heimliche Konzertbesuch, die ersten Schritte als Musiker, dessen Karriere trotz Megahit Space Oddity (1969) glücklos bemüht blieb, die Freundschaft zu Marc Bolan und Iggy Pop, die frühe Familiengründung oder das Zusammentreffen mit Andy Warhol, dessen Factory entscheidende Karriere-Impulse liefern sollte. Auch Bowies Lust an der Verwandlung greift die Graphic Novel auf: vom braven Mod im Anzug über den dauergewellten Lockenkopf und den langhaarigen Schlaghosenträger bis hin zum fransigen Ziggy-Stardust-Mullet.
Reinhard Kleist hat mit diesen Rückblenden und zusätzlich eingebetteten Illustrationen von Songs einen durchaus anspruchsvollen Weg gewählt, sich dem Phänomen Bowie zu nähern. Will man die ohnehin vorhandene Freude an der Lektüre von Starman noch steigern, empfiehlt sich vorab ein grober Überblick über die frühen Bowie-Jahre: Hat man Bilder des jungen Avantgarde-Musikers vor Augen, wird man noch mehr Spaß an den Details haben, mit denen der Illustrator die ersten 26 Lebensjahre David Bowies lebendig werden lässt.
December 19, 2025
Beautifully illustrated (hence the 3 stars), but the storytelling didn’t work for me. Too fragmented and with too many holes in it. If I hadn’t watched a couple of documentaries about Bowie‘s life, I’d be completely confused. The characters aren’t introduced well at all - someone coming new to his story would be totally lost. Also, the way it’s written, addressing Bowie as „you“ the whole time, basically telling him his own story…it’s original but feels like the narrator is putting himself and his perspective above the subject. Maybe this „voice of god“ is meant to come from Bowie himself (which the second book in this series suggests), but it still annoyed me a lot. I also feel like the author tried a little too hard to emulate Bowie’s writing style, eerie but profound. It wasn’t successful, in my perspective. But, I appreciate the admiration for Bowie that clearly shines through the whole book.
December 8, 2023
Na "Bowie's boekenkast" vond ik het de hoogste tijd om ook deze graphic novel uit de kast te halen. Kleurrijke felle bladvullende tekeningen contrasteren met bruin/sepia klassiekere kaders die de flashbacks voorstellen. Ik was blij met de voorkennis die ik had over David Bowie door oa documentaires, want anders zou ik het toch wat verwarrend gevonden hebben denk ik.
De songteksten blijven in het Engels waardoor je de klassiekers herkent, de dialogen doen soms nogal gemaakt aan, maar weet niet of dat aan de vertaling ligt of het beperkte formaat van de tekstballonnen.
Voor muziekfans en Bowie fans.
De songteksten blijven in het Engels waardoor je de klassiekers herkent, de dialogen doen soms nogal gemaakt aan, maar weet niet of dat aan de vertaling ligt of het beperkte formaat van de tekstballonnen.
Voor muziekfans en Bowie fans.
August 4, 2023
Kleist’s artwork is great, especially in its use of color and capturing of iconic Ziggy Stardust looks. However, as an unofficial biography, its more lacking. There’s no source of any information, and so the level of truth represented is uncertain.
September 21, 2022
Passend psychedelisch en mooie tekeningen, zeker de starman die telkens terugkomt. Door de sprongen in de tijd wel wat lastig te volgen als je niet zoveel van Bowie weet.
February 10, 2023
Three stars for the book and a fourth star because I obviously listened to Ziggy Stardust while reading
February 11, 2023
Fantastic!!!
April 22, 2023
Прекрасно читачко, визуелно искуство!
July 28, 2023
The beginning is a bit jarring, but once you get the flow of the graphic novel it becomes enjoyable.
June 7, 2024
The art style is this book was stunning and i loved how the colors changed between past a present
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews