Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Well, that didn’t really live up to its title!
“Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me” is a graphic novel memoir by Lorina Mapa, who was born into an affluent and politically connected family in the Philippines, but moved to America when she was sixteen. When her beloved father passes away, Lorina returns to her hometown for the funeral, experiencing overwhelming grief while reminiscing about the happy childhood summers spent with family and cousins. The graphic novel initially focuses on Lorina grieving her father, with flashbacks revealing her life in the Philippines.
“Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me” begins with Lorina’s personal recollections, portraying her as a tomboy who idolized her brother, enjoyed sports, music, comics, and drawing. She introduces her siblings, favorite uncles, and cousins. However, the tone shifts to a political one as the graphic novel delves into the oppressive regime of Ferdinand Marcos, the tenth President of the Philippines. Marcos imposed martial law in 1972, which lasted until 1981, characterized by widespread corruption. Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos were notorious for their extravagant lifestyle and misuse of public funds. Lorina’s parents and several members of her family actively participated in campaigning against Ferdinand Marcos, so despite her young age, she witnessed the ousting of Marcos firsthand.
Okay, since this is a graphic novel, let me write about the artwork in “Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me” first. Lorina Mapa’s illustrations are simple, not particularly striking, but workable enough to keep readers interested in turning the pages. For those like me who aren’t very familiar with the political history of the Philippines, the graphic novel was definitely intriguing, especially since Lorina keeps mentioning popular names throughout the book, almost as if she is flexing her privileged background. I found myself repeatedly searching the internet to learn about the political figures and incidents mentioned in the graphic novel. So perhaps for those from the Philippines or familiar with its political history, this book might not be as interesting.
Lorina Mapa tends to meander a lot, jumping from one theme to another, and “Duran Duran,” the English pop band, happens to be one of her favorites, though it only gets a passing mention. However, she does get a haircut like one of the musicians, so you often see her with her “Duran Duran” inspired hairstyle. Apart from that, music doesn’t occupy much space in the novel. She delves into a little bit of everything – films, music, boys, crushes, and even religion. In fact, Lorina Map has her own theories about Roman Catholicism and its influence in the Philippines. Of course, she always emphasizes that these are solely her opinions, so readers should take everything she writes with a pinch of salt.
Overall, “Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me” is an interesting graphic novel memoir about a Filipino American recounting selected slices of her life from her homeland. The ending feels slightly abrupt, even though it ends on a note about how the creator finally took out some time to fulfill a childhood dream – write and illustrate a graphic novel.
Rating: 3 on 5. The book is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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