Judd Winick
This graphic novel is about Pedro Zerona, the amazingly brave individual who appeared on MTV’s Real World San Francisco even though he was openly gay and had AIDS. I knew about it because I saw him on an AIDS awareness special, but I never knew about him specifically. The book is written by his roommate, who is a professional cartoonist. First off, the art is just okay. Nothing spectacular. Also, I felt the graphic novel was more about Judd than Pedro. He does say “me” in the title, so I suppose that’s to be expected.
I liked this inside glance at the before and after of MTV’s show. I also liked seeing someone else’s perspective on how the world reacted to facing AIDS openly. I think this is something teens should read–Pedro contracted HIV as a pre-teen, and it ended his life way too early. Any chance to remind teens to be careful should always be taken.