Étienne Davodeau - The Initiates

The Initiates: A Comic Artist and a Wine Artisan Exchange Jobs

Étienne Davodeau

NBM Publishing, 2013, 272 pages

Winner of:
Gourmand Magazine Best US wine book translation
Slate Cartoonist Studio Award nominee

A graphic novel that explores the nature of one’s vocation, this book offers a look at the daily devotion to craft in two dissimilar professions. Étienne Davodeau is a comic artist—he doesn’t know much about the world of winemaking. Richard Leroy is a winemaker—he’s rarely even read comics. But filled with good will and curiosity, the two men exchange professions, and Étienne goes to work in Richard’s vineyards and cellar, while Richard, in return, leaps into the world of comics. Providing a true-life representation of how both professions work, this insightful book investigates two fascinating fields, exploring each man’s motivations and ultimately revealing that their endeavors and aspirations are not much different.