(W/A/CA) Mikael Ross Ludwig van Beethoven created music that moves and inspires us to this day; his very name sparks a melody in the ear. But are you born a genius? This graphic biography asks: 'Who was Beethoven before he became 'Beethoven'?' Master cartoonist Mikael Ross (The Thud) tells the story of Beethoven from 1778 to his first major public appearance in Vienna in 1795. It begins when the family is living a difficult life in Bonn. Father Johann battles with alcoholism and is deep in debt. Only young Ludwig and his talent at the piano offer any hope for the future - if only he would stop composing his own pieces and just play what's expected of him. Author Ross was asked to do a small comic for the Beethoven Society. Through this opportunity, he discovered the diaries of the baker's son that lived downstairs from Beethoven's family, the content of which inspired Golden Boy. As in his previous book, The Thud, Ross skillfully mixes humor with empathy and pure social drama, crafting a coming-of-age story that transcends its biographical subject matter. His colorful, expressive st

(W/A) Mikael Ross There's a real village in Germany called Neuerkerode that is operated by people with mental disabilities - the local restaurant, the local bar, the local supermarket. The author spent two years living 3 or 4 days a week there, researching and getting to know its townsfolk, and the result is an empathetic depiction. This graphic novel is told entirely from a developmentally impaired boy's perspective. Noel had always lived with his mother in Berlin, until one day tragedy strikes and he finds himself alone for the first time. A man with a beard tells him he can't stay in the apartment anymore and takes him to a place with so many strangers - Who can he trust? Who does he like? Who loves him? Mikael Ross was born in 1984 in Munich.