What They Did to Princess Paragon

An uproarious novel from a popular gay satirist involves comic book writer-artist Brian Parrish's decision to boost the waning popularity of comicdom's Princess Paragon by making her come out as a lesbian, a decision that sparks hilarious chaos. 10,000 first printing.

How the world's greatest comic-book artist, Brian Parrish, a 38-year-old gay man from Manhattan, ends up trapped in a food plant "in the middle of some piddly little college town two hours outside Chicago" is part of the delight of Rodi's new novel. Brian's scheme is to rejuvenate the faltering sales of American comic-book icon Princess Paragon by turning her into the first gay super-hero. His design is modified at every turn by a cast of outrageous characters: Perpetrial Cotton, an African American feminist lesbian whose favorite T-shirt reads "Ferraro for Veep"; Jerome T. Kornacker, a deranged fan upset at what is happening to his longtime fantasy girlfriend; and Heloise Freitag, Brian's chain-smoking publisher. Tightly plotted and consistently amusing, the novel is more farce than satire: Rodi's characters are as cartoonish as his superheroine. "This is real life," Brian says to Jerome as Rodi attempts to inject some pathos into the dialogue. Nothing about the book suggests real life, however, which is exactly the point. Real life is seldom this funny. This is another campy, breezy read from a gay comic writer ( Fag Hag ; Closet Case ) who is quickly developing his own cult following.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Rodi (Closet Case, 1993), the '90s answer to Armistead Maupin and his Tales of the City, provides more frothy entertainment, but his formula is wearing thin. Brian Parrish is a comic-book artist and writer who eagerly accepts the chance to work for Bang, a company that is revitalizing its old superheroes through controversy. His choice to remake Princess Paragon--a wondrous woman who originally came to earth from another planet to battle the evil forces of Hitler and Mussolini--into a lesbian irks many fans, but also draws the attention that chain-smoking Bang publisher Heloise Freitag needs to keep her company afloat. When rabid comic-book aficionado Jerome T. Kornacker, who has considered Princess Paragon his quasi- girlfriend for years, hears of Parrish's plans for his sweetheart, he first writes angry letters, then attends a comic-book convention in order to confront Parrish and force him to change direction. As usual, plot organization is Rodi's strongest skill: Even minor characters have specific problems, and the outcome of those affects the struggle between Parrish and Kornacker. On the repetitive side, this is the third of Rodi's three novels to involve an unforced kidnapping. Characterization is weak, and many attempts at satire fall closer to stereotyping. Kornacker is an overweight loser who lives with his shrewish mother and wears polyester pants; he is such a nonentity that a machine is about to replace him in his job as warehouse night watchman. Perpetrial Cotton, an African-American feminist lesbian hired to edit Parrish's work, is drowning in her own exaggerated attempts at political correctness and urges Parrish to redraw Princess Paragon so that she looks less like Heather Locklear and more like ``a young Vanessa Redgrave.'' A competent and often funny storyteller in need of fresh material. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

When gay comic strip artist Brian Parrish is hired to take over "Princess Paragon," an old and fading strip, word soon leaks that he intends to turn her into the first lesbian heroine. Fanatic fan Jerome goes to a convention to confront Parrish. After a series of wild incidents, Parrish holes up in Jerome's home, where he writes one script and Jerome writes another. Meanwhile, Parrish's boss and a black lesbian assistant take over the strip. The characters are zany and the situations zanier as comic strip creators and consumers clash in some very funny scenes. With crisp, naughty dialog and colorful supporting characters, the author of Fag Hag (Dutton, 1992) delivers a rowdy and witty comedy.
Robert H. Donahugh, formerly with Youngstown & Mahoning Cty. P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The author of Fag Hag (1992) and Closet Case gives us another off-the-wall comic novel that works perfectly because he develops his characters perfectly. Meet fat, reclusive night security guard Jerome T. Komacker, who lives with his mother, Peachy, and for Thursdays, when the new comic books arrive at the town's specialty comics store. Jerome is obsessed with comics, and his favorite character for two decades has been Princess Paragon, a superhero who's a virginal, uh . . . paragon of goodness. Jerome has all but four PP issues. Enter gay comics writer Brian Parrish, who has just signed a lucrative contract with Bang Comics to revitalize the princess' sales, which have slipped into the cellar. Brian intends to fulfill his promise by turning PP into a lesbian. Needless to say, that sets Jerome off a bit, and writer and obsessive reader meet. Jerome's mom, Peachy, is a wonderful minor character, and Brian's colleagues also lend great support. Rodi's third romp will most likely appeal to a much larger audience than the first two because its action is much less gay oriented. Charles Harmon