A graphic novel retelling of the inspiring true story of polymath Santiago Ramón y Cajal, visionary pioneer of modern neuroscience, and his early dreams of becoming an artist.Based on a true story, Santiago Ramón y Cajal is every kid who has struggled to navigate the expectations of adults. He is the kid who can drive teachers crazy with his intense intellect and incomprehensible mischiefs. As a child, all Santiago wanted to do was be an artist. But his father wanted him to become a doctor, always insisting that pursuing art was not a true profession. Of course, Santiago didn't listen and spent untold hours secretly refining his skills and honing his craftsmanship, making his own paint and brushes which he used on paper and on walls. He was also interested in figuring out how things worked-he built a cannon and shot it at a neighbor's gate. He made slingshots for his friends, all the while butting heads with his father. Santiago eventually graduated from medical school and went on to do research, painting his discoveries of how the brain functions. His pursuit of art trained him to be observant, persistent, resourceful, and creative in his research. In 1906 he won the Nobel Prize for medicine and is considered the father of modern neuroscience-proving anything is possible, even for a mischief maker. Santiago! is based on the recollections from Santiago Ramón y Cajal's memoir and other sources and also includes extensive backmatter about Jay Hosler's own research in the making of this book.