“Feynman” bestseller creators reteam for Stephen Hawking graphic novel bio

PanARMENIAN.Net - Writer Jim Ottaviani and artist Leland Myrick, creators of the earlier bestselling memoir Feynman about theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, have reteamed for a graphic novel biography of renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, to be published in 2016 by First Second, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"July 4, 2012, was a good day in physics and for Gordy Kane, Leland and me," Ottoviani said in a statement accompanying the announcement of the project. "Not only was the Higgs boson revealed to the world, but Gordy, a prominent physicist and author of The Particle Garden, won a long-standing $100 bet with his friend Stephen Hawking on whether there even was a Higgs. And in an email letting us know about these things, Gordy and his wife Lois also added an ‘Oh, by the way ... ’ They told us that Stephen had read and enjoyed our Feynman book (!) and invited us to come to Cambridge and talk about doing a book about him."

Described as a "once-in-a-lifetime" book, Myrick recalled that during a visit with Ottoviani to Cambridge University for research, "there was a moment when we were both standing next to Stephen Hawking's desk in his office at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. We looked at each other and both smiled. I don't know what was in Jim's head, but I was thinking, 'Wow, this is going to be a fun ride.'"

Hawking will be published in 2016 by :01 First Second.