Kusama, the Polka Dot Queen, a graphic biography by Simon Elliott

“The only method I have found that relieves my illness is to keep creating art. I followed the thread of art and somehow discovered a path that would allow me to live.”

From her days in 1960s New York as a proponent of free love and peace to her current position as internationally recognized Queen of Polka Dots and creator of infinity, Yayoi Kusama’s life is an extraordinary story of triumph over adversity through art. At the age of 95, She is arguably Japan’s most influential living contemporary conceptual artist working across many mediums including sculpture, film and fashion.

Kusama: Polka Dot Queen is written and drawn by UK creator Simon Elliott, whose previous graphic biographies include Van Gogh and David Hockey. His latest book portrays Kusama’s unusual youth and family troubles, her discovery of a new style of painting, her struggles with mental illness, and her rise to international art stardom. For those seeking an introduction to this incredible artist or seeking a fresh take on her story – this is Yayoi Kusama’s life as you’ve never seen it before.

Kusama is the latest title in SelfMadeHero’s Art Masters series, which includes biographies of Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Leonora Carrington and Vincent Van Gogh.

Written and drawn by Simon Elliott

144 pages • Hardback • colour • ISBN 978-1-914224-30- 0 PRICE: US $19.99 / CAN $24.99/ UK £14.99

US Release: 20 May 2025 • UK Release: 10 April 2025

Simon Elliott is a criminal barrister, art obsessive, and lover of all things colourful. Inspired by Hockney’s message in 2021 that “spring cannot be cancelled”, Simon put his lockdown to good use by engrossing himself in all things Hockney, learning how to paint on an iPad, and creating his first graphic novel – Hockney: A Graphic Life (Frances Lincoln, 2023), which was published with Mr Hockney’s blessing. His other works include Vincent: A Graphic Biography (Frances Lincoln, 2024), and Kusama: Polka Dot Queen (SelfMadeHero, 2025).

About SelfMadeHero

SelfMadeHero aim to publish ground-breaking and beautiful work by authors and artists from across the globe, from the quirky and humorous to the political and profound. We are proud to bring readers graphic novels and visual narratives that provoke, entertain, inspire, and inform. Releases for Spring 2025 include: Peter Kuper’s Monarch’s Journey: A Coloring Book (US only), Simon Elliott’s Kusama: Polka Dot Queen, Reinhard Kleist’s Low: Bowie’s Berlin Years, Gareth Brookes’ The Compleat Angler. www.selfmadehero.com / @selfmadehero

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!