Scandalous

    (Oni, 2004)

The team behind 2003’s wonderful period piece Days Like This have reunited for another superb effort that captures the flavor of the early 50s movie industry as vividly as the previous book’s early–60s music scene.

Specifically, Torres focuses on the tabloids that sing the praises and dish the dirt on Hollywood’s most famous stars. Paige Turner is the respected but conniving gossip columnist who’s not against burying certain stories for the right price, and Harry Richards is the up–and–coming writer whose detective skills help him dig up actual facts, good and bad, about Hollywood’s icons. Of course, Tinseltown execs don’t take too well to this independent upstart stirring up controversy after years of industry–controlled gossip.

Set amid the communism–related paranoia of the day, Scandalous is a wonderfully crafted peek at an industry desperately trying to maintain its illustrious image—and at those who make their living from that image, whether it’s to promote it or shatter it. Chantler’s illustrations again convey a sense of greater innocence and simplicity, fitting for the time period, and are a perfect complement to Torres’ story. This should not be missed.

— Jim Johnson
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#1

September, 2004
Cover Price: $9.95
4 copies available from $4.99 		J. TorresScott Chandler