The biographical 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente is a human drama of
courage, faith and dignity, inspired by the life of baseball star Roberto
Clemente.
No other baseball player dominated the 1960s like Roberto Clemente and
no other Latin American player achieved his numbers. Born in 1934 in Puerto
Rico, Clemente excelled in track and field and loved baseball. By the age of 17
he was playing in the PR Winter league. Spotted by the big-league scouts because of his hitting, fielding, and throwing
abilities, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954. A fierce competitor, within two seasons he was hitting above .300
consistently. He played like a man possessed, fielding superbly, unleashing his rifle arm, and hitting in clutch situations.
Despite his aesthetic brilliance, he faced prejudice throughout his career and was given his due only after his unexpected
and tragic death in a 1972 plane crash.
Although baseball was his obsession, Clemente never lost sight of his dreams and his greater responsibilities outside
the game. This sense of urgency is what came to define him beyond that of a grand athlete. His eventual success and
accompanying celebrity gave him the opportunity to engage his conscience in public life. He died when his plane went
down in the Caribbean Sea on a relief mission to earthquake-torn Nicaragua that he personally directed.
21 chronicles Clemente’s life from his early days growing up in rural Puerto Rico, the highlights of his career (including
the 1960s World Series where he helped the Pirates win its first victory in 33 years, and his 3000th hit in 1972
during the last official at-bat of his life) as well as his private life and public mission off the field.
After his death, Major League Baseball declared September 18 to be “Roberto Clemente Day,” and in 1999, Pittsburgh’s
Sixth Street Bridge was renamed the Roberto Clemente Bridge in honor of the greatest Latino ballplayer in history.
Wilfred Santiago captures the grit of Clemente’s rise from his impoverished Puerto Rican childhood, to the majesty
of his performance on the field, to his fundamental decency as a human being in a drawing style that combines realistic
attention to detail and expressive cartooning.
"Wilfred Santiago's 21 is brilliant and beautiful, challenging and lyrical ... which seems exactly right, as Roberto Clemente was all those things and more." – Rob Neyer, ESPN.com
"A kaleidoscopic look at the life of the great Clemente. Santiago's artwork is superb and the depth of his passion for the subject and incredible preparation comes through on every page." – Steven Goldman, author of Forging Genius: The Making of Casey Stengel and editor of Baseball Prospectus
"I'll admit, being a baseball player often feels like a comic book experience: the costumes, the origins, the battles for great victories and inspiration it conjures in our fellow man. This book captures the essence of one of our sport's greatest heroes, and it does so in a way that engages the imaginations as much as it reveals the heart, ink, color, style, and character; I can think of no better way to share a tale of a true legend." – Dirk Hayhurst, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher and author of The Bullpen Gospels
Download an 18-page PDF excerpt (6.6 MB); read our exclusive interview with Wilfred Santiago; and see the trailer, get more information, and download wallpapers and buddy icons at 21comix.com.
"…Wilfred Santiago captures the physical grace of baseball and creates a story of visceral and emotional force... Santiago… has produced a rich and surprising work. The compositions and framing are intricate and varied… Santiago captures Clemente's relentless vitality as a player, frames the story around the historical and religious traditions of Puerto Rico, and handles Clemente's tragic death with restraint, all with a gimlet eye and the sensitivity of a true artist. It is a classic story given new life in this fresh, innovative telling."
– Alex Belth, Sports Illustrated
"Nearly every page brings a new
compositional marvel, setting energetic, limber figures against stylized photographic backgrounds washed
in sepia tones and Pirate-yellow highlights. The in-game sequences, though, are show-stoppers, taking
advantage of dizzying perspective shifts to capture the fluid, whirling nature of the game as it moves in fits
and starts through huge moments of pause into cracking shots of sizzling drama. It’s not a comprehensive
biography by any means, nor does it try to be one. But for a book that matches the pure athleticism,
unshakable compassion, and towering legacy of its subject, look no further."
— Ian Chipman, Booklist (Starred Review)
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