In this new album Xi Jinping, the Emperor of Silence, Eric Meyer and Gianluca Costantini present an in-depth investigation into an enigmatic figure with many facets. A look back at the genesis of the project and their titanic work of documentation and representation.
Originally published in French on the Delcourt Editions website | Link
Tell us about the genesis of this project.
Eric Meyer: As an independent press correspondent in Beijing, I saw Xi Jinping emerge on the national scene around 2005, rising to power at the speed of a star. From that point on, I had to dedicate more and more time to him, writing and analyzing his actions, accumulating dozens or even hundreds of articles in the press or on the radio about him.
With his impactful messages to the nation, his promises of rejuvenation, and his “Chinese dream” promoted by the powerful propaganda services, I found him intriguing and bold. But he was also a “chameleon” difficult to define—sometimes a reformer, other times a hardline conservative. Overall, he appeared as a very skilled politician, but also as a complex and versatile personality. He was clearly someone with a plan, who worked hard to maintain a thick smokescreen around him.
A few years later, back in France, when I was contacted through my literary agent by this publisher who commissioned a comic book about Xi Jinping’s life, I was ready and spontaneously agreed to participate in this exciting project.
Gianluca Costantini: My Italian agent contacted me to propose a very interesting project for a French publisher: Delcourt wanted to create a graphic biography of Xi Jinping’s life, in collaboration with journalist Eric Meyer. What’s curious is that neither my agent nor Delcourt knew that I had just finished a graphic novel about China, created in collaboration with the artist Ai Weiwei (Zodiac).
So, after spending years on that project, I found myself diving directly into another book, still set in China.
The challenge was particularly intriguing: continuing to draw a country I had never set foot in, rebuilding it as a vast theatrical set where the protagonists of this complex story would come to life. Although I didn’t know China firsthand, I had to represent it in a credible and realistic way, searching for images, architectures, and atmospheres that could capture the essence of the country and its dynamics.
As an illustrator always engaged in human rights issues, China represented a particularly delicate context for me, given that it is one of the countries where these rights are most violated. I accepted the project with the goal of deepening my understanding of this nation. However, Chinese politics is so vast and complex that by the end of the project, I realized that I had only uncovered a small piece of an infinite and mysterious mosaic.
Working on two consecutive projects related to China was a unique experience, not only professionally but also personally. I had the opportunity to address universal themes within a completely different context, often far removed from our Western realities. It allowed me to broaden my perspective, and despite the challenges, it was a fascinating journey in the graphic representation of a world so distant and complex.
Eric, where does your passion for China, which has lasted for over 30 years, come from?
In the 1980s, as a young freelance journalist in Brussels, I developed a strong attraction to the Far East, particularly to China and Japan. I felt that these countries possessed unknown strengths and cultural qualities that I, as a Westerner, needed. I enjoyed reading novels written by Japanese or Chinese authors and watching films made by their directors.
One day, as part of a group of journalists invited by the European Commission, I took my first trip to Asia: I was immediately overwhelmed. I knew that this part of the world would, in one way or another, see its presence and influence grow on our “old continent.” That day, I decided to go to China, live there, and spend a long period of my life with the Chinese.
How long did it take to create this book, given the monumental task of documentation, both in the drawings and the script?
Eric Meyer: Three years. I first had to gather and assess all available information, from my own archives to international and local press. With colleagues in Beijing, Taipei, New York, London, and Paris, I collected and verified rumors about Xi’s life, especially during the internal power struggles that preceded his rise to the top position as General Secretary of the Party in 2012.
I devoured every new book I could find on Xi Jinping, in all the languages available to me—French, English, and German.
Finally, I began outlining a framework focusing on the key periods and trends of his career, drafting the 20 chapters of the book. Only then was I able to start collaborating with Gianluca, sending him my script, receiving his image drafts, adapting my texts, and/or suggesting design changes based on the needs of our narrative and historical accuracy.
Gianluca Costantini: Creating the book took about two years and was a challenging, highly technical task. One of the first obstacles to overcome was depicting Asian facial features, which can be particularly difficult for a Western artist. The goal was to make the characters instantly recognizable, despite the challenge of differentiating their features. Additionally, Chinese politicians tend to dress very similarly, almost as if they were wearing uniforms, making visual distinction even more difficult.
The book spans an extremely long period, covering over seventy years, during which China underwent radical transformations. It transitioned from a traditional society to the hyper-modern country we know today, and capturing this evolution was a fascinating challenge.
Every detail of the graphic novel was carefully verified, including the imagery: I took an in-depth journalistic approach, even for the iconographic research, meticulously studying clothing, architecture, and settings. I believe the result is not just a historical journey but also an aesthetic one, offering a profound insight into the evolution of a country as complex as China.
What does the graphic novel medium allow that other media do not when tackling such a subject?
Eric Meyer: Graphic novels sit at the crossroads between books and films. They are more impactful than purely textual literature, leveraging cinematic tools to convey movements of the body (acceleration, deceleration, movement of the eyes or eyelids, etc.) as well as flashbacks within the narrative.
Supported by Gianluca’s immense talent, our graphic novel conveys the intimate world of the Chinese president, beyond his formal ideological prose and postures. We aim to provide a glimpse into the isolated realm of his ambitions, fears, hatreds, loves, and ultimately his true personality.
Gianluca Costantini: I believe the language of comics is one of the most contemporary and unexplored mediums of this new millennium, a form of expression that is undergoing continuous and fascinating evolution. Experiments in this field are multiplying, and among them, graphic journalism is developing in particularly interesting and, in many cases, entirely unexpected ways.
It has now been thirty years since Joe Sacco published Palestine, a work that laid the foundation for a new approach to journalism, and much has been built around his groundbreaking vision since then. Today, comics journalism is read and published worldwide, offering a different perspective on reality, one that often escapes other media.
What makes comics so powerful, especially in the field of journalism, is their ability to immerse us in stories in a truly unique way.
Through the drawings, which remain an artistic reconstruction and a form of fiction, we can perceive and better understand the realities being narrated. This visual storytelling, combined with incisive text, allows complex themes to be explored with an emotional and intellectual depth that is often more immediate than written words or traditional visual reporting.
Even though each panel is the product of an artist’s imagination, comics possess an extraordinary ability to convey truth, emotions, and details that other forms of journalism don’t always manage to capture.
Like other art forms, comics are unique and irreplaceable. Their ability to synthesize reality and imagination, offering a space for deep reflection and emotional immersion, makes them a powerful tool for storytelling and communication. Their versatility places them among the most relevant media of our time, capable of exploring new territories, challenging conventions, and showing us the world from fresh perspectives. Comics are not mere entertainment; they are a potent means of reflecting on and understanding the complexity of the world around us.
This portrayal of the president in his early years walks a fine line. Between patriotic intentions and highly questionable methods, Xi Jinping must not have been easy to depict. How did you approach this challenge in both the script and the art?
Eric Meyer: Gradually. I started by outlining specific days and scenes that represented key moments in Xi’s life at different stages. This helped me capture the essence of his instincts and decision-making processes. Only after that could I rewrite — often extensively — the dialogues and captions to make the throughline of his conduct more evident. In doing so, I primarily avoided judging Xi, refraining from labeling him as bad (or good). I leave that moral evaluation to the reader.
Gianluca Costantini: I have no sympathy for Xi Jinping, nor for anyone who wields such absolute power. I view the Chinese government as a dictatorship, marked by its cruelties and violence. In such a system, respect for the value of human life is almost non-existent.
However, my personal opinions must not distract me from the primary goal of this project: to tell a complex, contradictory story. In this narrative, Xi Jinping is not just the leader we see today but also a child, and children are never responsible for who they become. It was crucial to portray him faithfully, striving to show not only how he grew up but also the social and political context that shaped him.
My task was to maintain objectivity in the narrative, without letting my personal beliefs influence the storytelling. Xi Jinping is a symbolic figure, a product of his time and the environment in which he was raised. The China he was born into and grew up in was a country undergoing enormous and dramatic transformations, which undoubtedly shaped his worldview and path to power. Telling his story also means telling the story of an entire society that lived through and, in part, endured radical changes.
However, I believe that those who read this book will easily grasp how unchecked power, as it consumes Xi Jinping, can only lead to negative consequences. Absolute power corrupts, and in this case, as in many others throughout history, the outcome can only be detrimental to the country and its people. Even though I have tried to portray Xi in all his facets, including the most human moments of his life, it remains clear that the path to uncontested power, which crushes all forms of opposition, can only lead to suffering and oppression.
The graphic novel allows for an exploration of these contradictions without oversimplification or demonization. It serves as a powerful tool to tell complex stories where humanity and inhumanity can coexist within the same character. Xi Jinping, like any other authoritarian leader, was not born a tyrant but became one. It is our duty as storytellers to narrate how and why this transformation occurred, leaving readers free to reflect on the implications of such a rise to power.
Gianluca, the encounter between Obama and Xi Jinping at the end of chapter 11 is incredible. Can you explain your graphic treatment of the American president?
Gianluca Costantini: The 2012 meeting between Xi Jinping and Barack Obama is a well-known episode, made memorable by the striking photos taken by a photographer who closely followed their walk. The images depict the two leaders, at the time among the most powerful figures in the world, in what appears to be a relaxed stroll amidst nature, or seated with cordial smiles on their faces.
At first glance, everything seems serene and relaxed, almost idyllic. However, upon closer examination of their expressions, subtleties emerge: their faces are not as relaxed as they might seem, and signs of tension and emotional distance can be detected.
This ambiguity largely reflects the relationship between the two leaders and the political context of the time. Xi Jinping, at the start of his reign, and Barack Obama, midway through his second term, carried the weight of immense responsibilities and conflicting interests. While the scene appears to convey an impression of diplomatic ease, it is clear that beneath the surface lie much more complex and delicate dynamics.
On the other hand, Obama himself was an extremely contradictory figure. Despite his great charisma and popularity, particularly on the international stage, he did not always meet the expectations of his voters, especially on crucial issues such as civil rights and foreign policy. His presidency left many people divided—some saw him as a great leader, while others felt disappointed by his political choices.
This complexity needed to be conveyed even in the few panels I illustrated. It was not enough to depict him in a superficial or idealized manner; it was important to capture these contradictions and convey the depth of his character without resorting to simplistic stereotypes.
I’m glad you noticed these aspects, because it was essential for me to convey this subtle tension and ambivalence, both in Xi’s expressions and in Obama’s. In just a few images, I wanted to reveal not only the historical context of the meeting, but also the complexity of two leaders who, despite diplomatic smiles, carried within them the weight of two very different worldviews.
Eric, with your 30 years of experience in the Middle Kingdom and as a witness to the changes the country has undergone, how do you see the future?
In the 30 years before Xi, China was governed with one goal in mind: development, development, development. Xi’s predecessors paid little attention to the byproducts and ashes that accompanied ultra-rapid industrialization—pollution, stress, and, above all, corruption. In terms of social development and technological catching up, China needed only 30 years to achieve what the West had accomplished in two centuries.
But in doing so, it imposed mountains of waste on itself, along with depressions for tens of millions of exhausted workers. Most importantly, these leaders had to face a growing tsunami of anger from the masses, who were confronted with the loss of socialist equality and the massive corruption of the new billionaires who were part of the ruling elite. Ordinary people felt this and came to bitterly regret the mythical golden age when everyone was poor and equal.
Xi Jinping arrived at a time when China, no longer able to bear the destruction of its physical and mental environment, was on the brink of collapse. Using autocratic methods, violence, and torture on his own officials, he made a 90° turn toward a greener economy and (apparently) less corrupt public services.
But this came at a price: he also multiplied electronic surveillance on individuals, stripping away much of their private freedom. He cemented his hold on power for life and forced the Party to abandon the principle that had guided it since Mao’s death, namely collective leadership and decision-making by committee. As a result, morality in China is now at its lowest, and hopes in the “Chinese dream” have faded. Today, I can no longer imagine the future of this country without Xi Jinping being removed from power, peacefully or not.
