Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware

Chris Ware’s graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth was published in 2000. It has won numerous awards and is widely considered a masterful use of the medium. I first fell in love with Chris Ware's work due to the innovative formatting. I love the color palettes, use of typography, and beautiful, intricate details. Everything is drawn realistically with accurate perspective—down to the emotions conveyed in the character's facial features. A large part of the book is concerned with Chicago's World Fair in 1893 and the pages on which those buildings are seen are compositions worthy of being pieces of art on their own. Though I've mostly been mentioning the artistic features of Jimmy Corrigan, the actual story is worth reading too. The book is definitely worth owning for yourself.—Charis Poon

Cover of Jimmy Corrigan

Gorgeous full page images of perfectly composed scenes

Creative layouts using a variety of techniques

Variety in pacing and creative use of typography

Things not usually seen in publications like cut outs