Magnum Photos’ Origins Told in New Graphic Novel
World-renowned photographic cooperative Magnum Photos, founded in 1947, announced a Kickstarter whose goal is the release of Magnum Generation(s), a graphic novel regaling the true and fascinating stories behind its founding.
The 185-page graphic novel Magnum Generation(s) will be a blend of illustration and authentic Magnum photographs, featuring over 73 hand-selected images from the agency’s renowned photographers.
The book follows the stories of Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, David ‘Chim’ Seymour, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and George Rodger as they banded together to form Magnum Photos in New York in 1947.
“Driven by their shared vision, they founded the legendary Magnum Photos cooperative in New York in 1947. Bound by courage and mutual trust, they ventured into the heart of conflict—not just to witness history, but to reveal the facts,” Magnum explains.
Pioneering photojournalism and truthful documentation of breaking events, the Magnum Photos cooperative now includes photographers around the world with an archive depicting every aspect of humanity including “family life, drugs, religion, war, poverty, famine, crime, government and celebrities.”
“Sharing what they witnessed with those who could not be there, they would establish the true raison d’être of the photo reporter,” the Kickstarter explains. “Bound by courage and mutual trust, they ventured into the heart of conflict—not just to witness history, but to reveal the facts.”
“From Robert Capa’s 1936 image capturing the final dignity of a dying Spanish Republican soldier, to Emin Özmen’s 2022 photograph of Turkish children playing atop the roof of a nearly submerged mosque, the book traces a quiet thread of shared humanity across generations and borders. In moments of play, rebellion, love, and laughter, Magnum’s photographers have stood close to history as it unfolds—and witnessing its path.”
Magnum Generation(s) was written by renowned scriptwriter Jean-David Morvan, author of over 300 books, who has experience in photography books through his work with photographers Steve McCurry and Abbas. Illustrations were created by Arnaud Locquet, ScieTronc, and Rafaël Ortiz, with Hiroyuki Ooshima as leading colorist.
First published as a French Edition in 2022, Magnum Generation(s) sold an estimated 20,000 copies and was awarded the France Info Prize for Best Graphic Novel in Journalism and Reporting. The novel’s wide acclaim even led to an exhibition based on the book in 2024 at DIDAM Museum in Bayonne, France.
Now, with this latest Kickstarter, Magnum Generation(s) will be translated into English and published by Caurette into a “248-page book, featuring an 185-page graphic novel blending illustration and photography, a 73-page portfolio, and a 14-page dossier.”
The Magnum Generation(s) Kickstarter is live now with book pledges starting at $34 and expecting to ship in July 2025.
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Image credits: Caurette
