Kurt Cobain was a troubled and sensitive soul, to be sure. When Nevermind hit, bumping Michael Jackson’s Dangerous from the number-one spot on the Billboard charts, it was suddenly the end of pop music and the beginning of alternative rock. And Kurt was the crowned king of the new regime.
Who Killed Kurt Cobain? follows the thrill ride of Nirvana’s career and the death of its iconic frontman. This edgy, illustrated black-and-white — occasionally red — graphic novel is told from the perspective of Cobain’s childhood imaginary friend, Boddah. In fact, Cobain’s suicide note was addressed “To Boddah.”
Boddah holds up a mirror to the rock star with his remarks. “Nevermind was a long, loud howl, a howl from society held back since childhood, finally with the power to escape,” Boddah says at one point. “Kurt went from an unknown to an icon of a generation. It was like crashing your car and having everyone cheer you on as you crawl out of the wreck.”
Who Killed Kurt Cobain? plays out in vignettes from Cobain’s life both before he became famous and after. Artist / author Nicolas Otero paints a sharp picture of the Nirvana frontman’s public life, one that to this day boggles the mind on how he managed to straddle the lines of punk rock and superstardom with artistry and genius.
Unlike the majority of literature out there on this topic, Who Killed Kurt Cobain? makes reference to Kurt’s bipolar disorder.
Describing the come-down off heroin, Boddah says, “The euphoria wears off little by little. The architecture of your happiness crumbles and in comes your worst nightmare, reality.”
Then Cobain thinks to himself describing the heroin experience in the following way: “A manic depressive on smack floating in a warm deprivation tank, singing Leonard Cohen, masturbating, watching golfers fish while dreaming of a stamp collection.” Manic ramblings from an embattled rock star.
Despite its title, the book does not deal in conspiracy theories. Kurt Cobain of course put a shotgun in his mouth and fired on April 5,1994.
Otero’s book is a whirlwind of emotion — a tireless tome on the trappings of fame that takes you right into the nitty-gritty of Cobain’s much-too-short life. Required reading for any Nirvana fan, and anyone who wants to learn more about the human condition.
