Cartooning and comics reveal a lot about the author’s intent and their own view of their past that they’re writing about. The choices they make in how to represent through hyper-realist or completely fantastical art tells you as much about the story as the dialogue. The constant expansion of the graphic memoir canon can lead you to totally fascinating stories. It’s a great genre to dive into if you’re looking for some strange, innovative art styles in graphic novels. If you’re looking for graphic history, graphic works about motherhood, or just comics in general, you’ll be able to find something for everyone on your holiday shopping list.