Pyongyang

Pyongyang is a graphic travelogue by Canadian cartoonist Guy Delisle documenting the two months he spent in North Korea's capital while working for a French animation studio. The book captures his observations of daily life, pervasive propaganda, and the surreal atmosphere of one of the world's most isolated cities.

Pyongyang was originally published in French in 2003 by L'Association and was later translated into English by Drawn & Quarterly. It was one of the first widely read graphic novels to provide a firsthand visual account of contemporary North Korea.

Guy Delisle has produced several other acclaimed graphic travelogues, including 'Shenzhen' about his time in China, 'Burma Chronicles' about living in Myanmar, and 'Jerusalem' about a year spent in the West Bank. His work is distinguished by its understated observational style and clean line art.

Guy Delisle was working as an animation supervisor for a French animation company that had subcontracted work to SEK Studio, North Korea's state-run animation studio. SEK has done subcontracting work for various international productions, which is how foreign nationals like Delisle were able to enter the country.