MAY 20, 1994
GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 19
BOOKS
Confronting comic conventions
What They Did
To Princess Paragon by Robert Rodi
Dutton, $19.95, hardcover
Reviewed by Mark Velco
Robert Rodi is back with his third novel, What They Did To Princess Paragon. One might be wondering at this point, who the hell is Princess Paragon and why should I care if something has happened to her. Princess Paragon acts as a catalyst for action in Rodi's uproarious satire on the comic book publishing industry, including the somewhat neurotic fans it has wrought. Created in the '40s to battle Nangis and other evildoers, she has never experienced such depressed circulation and dismal sales as in the '90s.
Bang Comics is desperate and prepared
to take risks to turn around sales. Enter Brian Parrish-always gay, forever campy and perpetually egotistical-the industry's best and most talented artist. Given carte blanche to revamp Princess Paragon and more importantly, to try to bolster sales, Brian decides the Princess needs a complete makeover. Everything must go: clothes, hair and yes, even her closet door.
The industry is soon buzzing about the first lesbian superhero. Of course, Brian's plans don't sit well with everyone, espe-
cially Princess Paragon's self-appointed favorite fan and thus her savior from such "depravity." Jerome T. Kornacher is the typical comic book hero fan-posters, Tshirts and every issue of Princess Paragon (except for four issues) meticulously sealed in mylar and stored in numerical order. Jerome sets out to save his heroine by confronting Brian at the comic book convention where the new and improved, and very gay, Princess Paragon is set to be unveiled.
For all the laughs it induces, What They Did To Princess Paragon is a simple novel, readable in a day or two. Every chapter switches points of view from Brian to Jerome and back again leaving the reader confused as to who really thinks what about whom. And the character development remains static, never playing itself out to its fullest potential. Only Brian's lesbian editor, Perpetual Cotton, stands out as the best developed character.
Rodi accurately and humorously portrays today's comic book industry, not to mention the fans, whose reality is at times as shaky as the heros they live for. The book also tries to tackle issues of homophobia in what is usually taken to be a tolerant industry. Princess Paragon does come out of the closet and Brian does argue with Jerome about "perversities," but it is only halfheartedly presented. The book is supposed to be funny and that is where is succeeds.
♡
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Two collections of poetry
Reviewed by Brent Wilder Steven Blaski's poetry collection Keep the Killer Asleep is more about being an artist than about being gay.
In contrast, William Bory's Orpheus in His Underwear is full of the typical gay angst that makes gay poetry stereotypically, well, gay.
Both collections succeed on different levels, but Blaski's shines through as an artwork with more staying power than Bory's politically-correct lines.
Blaski is not for readers who want their poetry spoon-fed to them. His powerful imagery, at once dreamlike and visceral, take precedence over concrete themes and leaves readers with an inexact feeling of what his poems are about.
However, Blaski is not avant-garde to the point of being difficult to understand. On the contrary, his surreal style touches emotions within us all. His poetry exists simultaneously in different words of age, location and attitude; reading one of Blaski's poems is often like looking at a Dali painting.
Blaski has a tendency to write about writing, which can be hard to interpret for readers unfamiliar with the creative process. In his "Cartography," Blaski appears to be writing about how a poem can take a presence of its own, but the poem can just as easily be interpreted as the image of an encroaching personality in day-to-day life. Blaski's subtle manufacture of different levels is a strong point that makes his poetry distinctive.
In comparison, the poetry in Orpheus in His Underwear merely stands out-way out. An unfortunate portion of the work in Orpheus follows a formula of taking a theme from traditional poetry, putting a gay slant on it and all too often, making it rhyme. Bory's use of rhyme, occasionally coupled with meter, is contrived and does not serve well the bold statements he seems desperate to make.
However, the amount of bad poetry in
Orpheus is small enough for brave readers to hunt for Bory's wit and straightforward take on sexuality and religion.
In "The Flagellation," part of a series of "Post-Modern Devotions," Bory writes: "God is
a. A personal friend of the Marquis de Sade. b. A personal enemy of the Marquis de Sade.
c. The Marquis de Sade.
d. a and b, but not b or a."
Good stuff, but not good enough to sustain an entire collection that ranges from sing-songy to sanctimonious and often rings immature.
The difference between Bory and Blaski is a matter of taste; after all, some readers will prefer Bory's easy-to-swallow message over the challenge more complex material can create to the mind.
But the value of Blaski's subtlety is what makes his poems worth reading, and thinking about, more than a couple of times. Blaski's quiet reflection asserts itself more loudly than Bory's shout.
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We are looking for an experienced journalist with proven managerial skills. The Managing Editor is also a community leader, and must balance the needs of many individuals with those of the paper.
This is a full-time, salaried position, with health benefits. An equal opportunity employer; women and minorities encouraged to apply. Send clippings and resume to R. Pontoni, P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, Ohio 44101.
The Gay People's Chronicle is Ohio's largest gay and lesbian newspaper, publishing since 1985. The Chronicle publishes two biweekly editions, one in Cleveland and one in Columbus.