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Derf Backderf
Derf Backderf is the cartoonist behind the graphic novel My Friend Dahmer. He's known for his unflinching and often darkly humorous explorations of true crime and personal history.
My Friend Dahmer
Synopsis
My Friend Dahmer is Derf Backderf's graphic memoir recounting his teenage friendship with Jeffrey Dahmer before he became one of America's most notorious serial killers. Set in Milwaukee during the 1970s and early '80s, the book follows both boys through Eastview Junior High and Revere High School — a period marked by bullying, isolation, and the slow hardening of Dahmer's pathology. Told in stark black-and-white panels, Backderf reconstructs their shared adolescence: Dahmer's binge drinking, his obsession with roadkill, his desperate need for attention, and the failure of every adult around him to see what was already forming beneath the surface. It is a rare work that forces readers to confront how proximity can mask evil until it is too late.
Genres
Frequently asked questions
Is this book based on real events?
The narrative is a memoir based on the author's personal experiences attending high school with Jeffrey Dahmer in the 1970s. Backderf utilized his own memories, interviews, and police reports to reconstruct the events depicted.
Is there a film adaptation of this book?
A feature film adaptation directed by Marc Meyers was released in 2017. The film remains largely faithful to the graphic novel's depiction of Dahmer's high school years.