Joseph Franz von Goez

Joseph Franz von Goez (28 February 1754 – 16 September 1815) was an Austrian lawyer, artist, illustrator and portraitist active in Vienna in the mid-18th century. He was nicknamed "The German Hogarth" for his caricatures. Goez is credited with creating the first ever graphic novel, with his authorship of Lenardo und Blandine: Ein Melodram Nach Bürger (English: 'Lenardo and Blandine: A melodrama based on Bürger'), published in 1783. This was an illustrated storybook of a play Goez had written and produced based on a poem by Gottfried August Bürger.

Life Goez was born in Sibiu, Wallachia in 1754.

Goez began his professional career as a lawyer in Vienna. In 1779, he decided to pursue an art career. He worked as a portraitist for some time before moving to Munich, Germany. In 1783, Goez wrote and produced a play based on the dramatic ballad Lenardo und Blandine (English: 'Lenardo and Blandine') by Gottfried August Bürger. He moved to Regensburg in 1801, living there until his death on 16 September 1815.