The Matheson History Museum will welcome historical graphic novelist Andre R. Frattino on Thursday, Oct. 1, for a discussion about his graphic novel “WE ARE PAN” and the history behind its creation.
The free event will start at 7 p.m. at 513 E. University Ave. in Gainesville and will explore Frattino’s research and writing process for the graphic novel, which is based on the true story of Operation Pedro Pan and the exodus of 14,000 children from Cuba to Miami in the early 1960s.
Registration is required for the event. Visit the event registration to register.
Frattino will discuss his interviews with surviving Pedro Pans, their experiences living in the United States decades after the exodus and how transforming their stories into a graphic novel has influenced his own approach to fatherhood.
Frattino was born and raised in Gainesville and developed an interest in comics at a young age. Raised by educators, he has focused his career on creating stories intended to inspire, entertain and educate.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in sequential art from Savannah College of Art and Design and a master’s degree in art education from the University of Florida.
His original works include “SIMON SAYS” and “TOKYO ROSE: ZERO HOUR.” His licensed works include “Jim Henson’s The Storyteller,” “John Carpenter’s Tales for a Hallowe’enight,” DC Comics’ “Hawkgirl Summer” and “The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.”
Frattino also created the graphic adaptation of Patrick Smith’s “A Land Remembered,” which earned a 2018 Florida Book Award. He currently lives in Savannah, Georgia.