Hi,

Seventy-five years ago the first drive-in theater in the world opened up in Camden, N.J.

In honor of the diamond anniversary of the uniquely American form of entertainment, journalist and comic  writer Michael San Giacomo has produced a 243-page mosaic graphic novel called TALES OF THE STARLIGHT DRIVE-IN, available internationally from IMAGE COMICS on June 4.

 

San Giacomo, a reporter for the Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland and a drive-in worker bee in his youth, recruited 23 artists from around the world to illustrate 32 stories all set in a mythical upstate New York drive-in. The stories span more than 50 years, illustrating the rise and decline of the drive-in theater, as they go from 11,000 strong to the current 400. But their heart is alive.

 

The stories were written so that each one can be read and enjoyed on its own - and make perfect sense. But when read together, the 32 stories form a complete novel with an epilogue that is really a second ending. The ending will take everyone by surprise and cheer the soul of drive-in fans. The epilogue will bring a lump to your throat.

 

The stories feature strong characters readers will love. There's Adam, who is a starstruck child in the first story in 1955 and grows up in the Starlight. There's Neil, the brilliant projectionist with a deep secret which is revealed slowly through the series. There's Bruno, the brutish security guard; June, the tough-as-nails manager and "Piggy Peggy," an unfortunate teenager... And more. The characters come and go throughout the series, though Adam, Neil and June are the glue that holds everything together.

 

The movie playing at the time of the story somehow figures into each plot, if only tangentially. And like the movies, the stories cover the gamut of comedy, drama, crime, romance, politics, disaster flicks, porn (R-rated) superhero (featuring my own comic character PHANTOM JACK) and even a western story.

 

It's nostalgia, but more.

My secret identity is a reporter for the Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland. I teach a course in comic books at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

 

I can always be reached at 1-216-999-4890 (days) or 440-986-2530 (nights) or through MIKESANG@AOL.COM to talk about drive-ins in general and the Starlight in particular.

http://talesofthestarlightdrivein.com/

 

Thanks for listening, be sure to visit the snack bar.
Michael San Giacomo 2008