Nobody's Fool The Life and Times of Schlitzie The Pinhead A biography by Bill Griffith

Nobody's Fool The Life and Times of Schlitzie The Pinhead

A biography by Bill Griffith is an enchanting graphic novel that I think you will find absolutely interesting. Released recently by ABRAMS this one is the story of an abnormal man born supposedly in Bronx in 1901. His name maybe was Simon. His family sold, without too much compassion this kid with evident big problems to a company. At the beginning of XX century, abnormal people, people with great health's problems, it could be a mental illness, it could be a physical problem, became of great attractions, exactly as animals, in American Circus, mainly. Schlitzie, as was soon baptized became a star in this sense. Who knows if he suffered of autism or there were also other more important complications, as reported in this graphic novel; this man didn't speak well at all and was limited in the understanding, although generally a sweet person.

Magistrally "pictured" if I can use this expression, Bill Griffith's first encounter on the big screen with Schlitzie in the production Freaks, a controvertial movie where real people, abormal ones, let show to everyone their existences. The movie was scaring under many ways and also the future cartoonist was heavily touched by what he saw that afternoon at the theater. Most of the time portrayed as a person born in an exotic place of the world, Schlitzie was introduced to the spectators as if he would have been a woman most of the times: he didn't miss a show. He was very requested in circuses and was one of the main attractions. He changed various tutors, of course he needed to be followed, and at the departure of one of them he also was put in a hospital. He lost most of enthusiasm for life in that place, because of the lack of humanity and the abrupt change of environment: from a colored, curious, strange one to a sad and distant place without love and excitment.

The first appearance of Freaks at the beginning of 1930s wasn't saluted with great happiness. The New York Times wrote: "A Picture not to be Easily Forgotten" while Harrison's Report more hardly commented: "The movie is not fit to be shown anywhere."

The beginning of 1960s more lucky for this movie. MGM tried its best for passing this production reaching also the Venice Film Festival.

At the same time, time passed by but Griffith will re-meet along his way

Schlitzie.

You will see later that legislation changed a lot in many States regarding the shows that loved to use abnormal people with the consequences that followed.

What upset me a lot was that when this man died he was buried without any marked grave and considering all, maybe the treatment could have been different. But...There is a happy end! also in this sense and thanks to some of his friends. You can visit now  Schlitzie The Pinhead's grave with all the dignity that this man deserves.

This book is about acceptance, about the "differents", abnornalities and inclusion when there was exclusion: we musn't forget that the family sold this kid  as if he would have been a dog.

It speaks about what it means a reason for going on in life as well.

Schlitzie discovered that the world adopted him was beautiful and he loved to performing, although who knows if he knew what it meant.

He loved it, that one was his reason for living; what it gave him serenity, joy, happiness. That was why when he was put in that hospital lost a lot of joy and happiness. He wasn't anymore surrounded by the people he loved and the people who, for a reason or another, loved him and were affectionated to him. His world was the world of circus, exhibitions. He was happy close to that environment, his other weird and colored friends, and the people he could call family. As magistrally written in the book: "- These people - did not ask to be brought into the world but into the world they came."

A stunning graphic novel. I read it in a few hours. It is vivid, lucid, well constructed and thought, and it is a real historical gem, giving back a great portrait of the old America and Hollywood and the role experienced by Schlitzie and other so-called abnormal people in the American showbusiness's tissue.

I thank ABRAMS&Chronicles for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori