PBS American Masters Documentary: Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse

Now streaming on American Masters via PBS, Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse provides an in-depth, full-length portrait of one of the most influential voices in modern comics. The documentary dives into Spiegelman’s pioneering career, with special focus on his Pulitzer Prize–winning graphic novel Maus, a landmark work that tells the story of his parents’ survival of the Holocaust and transformed the way graphic novels are recognized within literature and culture.

The film also examines Spiegelman’s outspoken defense of free expression. At a time when book bans and censorship are spreading across the United States, he has become a leading advocate for the freedom to read, emphasizing how silencing voices and erasing difficult stories poses a threat to democracy itself.

A fun fact: Before creating Maus, Spiegelman was a co-editor of the groundbreaking underground comics anthology Raw in the 1980s, where Maus was first serialized. This publication not only introduced his most important work but also launched a new wave of experimental and avant-garde comics that continue to influence cartoonists today.

Originally aired on April 15, 2025, this documentary is more than a biography—it is a meditation on art, memory, resilience, and resistance. Don’t miss the chance to watch it while available and see why Art Spiegelman remains both a cultural trailblazer and a fierce defender of truth.