Marjane Satrapi will forever be known for creating the iconic graphic novel and animated film "Persepolis." According to a statement sent to Agence France-Presse, Marjane passed away from sadness, just one year after the passing of her husband, Mattias Rippa. She was 56.

In "Persepolis," we are given a glimpse into the sudden change in the author's life during her childhood years after the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran back in 1979. Readers are provided with the perspective of how the treatment of women also changed drastically. We also learn about the hardships her friends and families had to go through after Iran declared war on Iraq in 1980. In the second graphic novel, we are shown Marjane's life as a student in Vienna, before returning home to Iran to move back with her family and settle down with a husband.

"Persepolis" was known to face challenges through the years. Often, it had been included in lists of banned books in the US due to some scenes depicting torture and coarse language. In several cases, copies of the book were pulled from libraries due to the nature of its content, which some parents and school authorities deemed not suitable for its intended age groups. Fortunately, in most of these isolated cases, the books would later end up reinstated due to protests regarding blatant censorship. 

An animated adaptation of "Persepolis" came out in 2007. It participated in the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and later won the Jury prize alongside the film "Silent Light." Up to 20 animators worked on the film. Vincent Paronnaud, who is best known for working on comics like "Monsieur Ferraille," "Super Negra," and "Welcome to the Death Club," joined Marjane in directing the film. An Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature was given to the film, pitting it against "Ratatouille" and "Surf's Up." This made her the first woman to land a nomination for Best Animated Feature. Brad Bird's "Ratatouille," however, took home the award that year.

With Marjane's passing, may we remember her for the way she used comics as a medium to tell historical events. In a way similar to Art Spiegelman's "Maus," "Persepolis" acts as a harrowing reminder of how war unfairly affects citizens trying to live their day-to-day lives. May her story live on through future generations who come upon her work.