frbd1-7, Exercise 3: Why Persepolis reached a wide audience

Model answer (check the details):

Three reasons:
1. A strong personal story with a clear voice: a girl's view of a revolution, which readers can follow without knowing the history.
2. A simple, bold black-and-white style that reads clearly, reproduces well and is distinctive.
3. A timely subject for Western readers wanting to understand Iran, plus an accessible form for people who do not normally read comics. Prizes, reviews, translations and the 2007 film increased its reach (check).

One reason against, or a limit: a colour adventure series can sell many more copies over time, through brand recognition, schools and merchandise, so "wider" depends on the measure (readers, languages, sales, cultural attention).

Care: sales figures should be checked, and a work's success has several causes that cannot be separated neatly.