Jake Tapper Writes & Draws A Graphic Novel About Klaus Barbie

Okay, TOLDJA-ish. Last year at the Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival in Harrogate, England, I ran a story, “Gossip: Jake Tapper Working On A New Graphic Novel With Dan Berry?” Reporting gossip that cartoonist Dan Berry was working with CNN anchor Jake Tapper on creating a new graphic novel. I noted that previously, Jake Tapper drew a comic strip for a local free weekly paper; his comic strip, Capitol Hell, ran from 1994 to 2003. He also contributed cartoons to American Spectator, Los Angeles Times, and The Philadelphia Inquirer; wrote the introduction to The Complete Peanuts 1993 to 1994; and, in 2016, guest-illustrated Dilbert for a week. Well, it seems that a) it was true, but b) Dan Berry wasn’t as involved in the end. And now the news is that CNN anchor and author Jake Tapper will be making his graphic novel debut with The Butcher: The Decades-Long Hunt for Klaus Barbie, One of the World’s Most Notorious Killers, which he has written and illustrated. Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW, will publish the book in June 2027.

“This has been one of the most difficult and rewarding projects I’ve ever worked on — both in terms of the research into the astounding and troubling life of one of the world’s most notorious and elusive Nazi war criminals, the effort to turn that into compelling storytelling, and the work to illustrate it all. I hope readers find it as satisfying to read.” – Jake Tapper.

The nonfiction graphic novel follows the life of Klaus Barbie, the Gestapo officer known as the Butcher of Lyon, his postwar escape and years in South America, the efforts of Nazi hunters and journalists to locate him, and the investigation into those who assisted his flight from justice. Tapper researched source material in German, English, Spanish, and French.

“The Butcher is the compelling true story of Klaus Barbie, the mass murderer who escaped justice and thrived for decades, the Nazi hunters and journalists who tracked him down, and the shocking investigation that revealed who helped him escape to begin with. The Butcher is the harrowing true story of Klaus Barbie, the mass murderer who escaped justice and thrived for decades, the Nazi hunters and journalists who tracked him down, and the shocking investigation that revealed who helped him escape to begin with. Written and drawn by award-winning journalist Jake Tapper, the book presents this tale in a clear, compelling way sure to draw in audiences of all stripes.”

Top Shelf editor-in-chief Chris Staros noted, “Jake Tapper combines his passions for investigative journalism and literary comics in his debut graphic novel, which he both wrote and illustrated. What sets this book apart is its powerful revelation of those who assisted in helping a notorious Nazi evade justice, contrasted with the relentless, uncompromising efforts of those who fought to ensure accountability.”

Jake Tapper has previously written nonfiction books including The Outpost and the recent Original Sin (co-authored with Alex Thompson), as well as novels such as The Hellfire Club and The Devil May Dance. He has said he was an art minor in college and has an interest in cartooning and wants the format to make the story accessible to a wider audience. The book will be released in a $19.99 softcover and a limited signed-and-numbered hardcover edition priced at $49.99.