Rick Geary
Stanford White is one of New York’s most famous architects having designed many mansions and the first Madison Square Garden. His influence on New York’s look at the turn of the century was pervasive.
As he became popular and in demand, he also became quite self-indulgent. He had a taste for budding young showgirls on Broadway, even setting up a private apartment to entertain them in, including a room with… a red velvet swing.
When he meets Evelyn Nesbit, an exquisite young nymph, cover girl, showgirl, inspiration for Charles Dana Gibson’s “The Eternal Question” and for the later movie “The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing,” he knows he’s on to something special. However, Evelyn eventually marries a young Pittsburgh decadent heir with a dark side who develops a deep hatred for White and what he may or may not have done to her, setting up the most scandalous murder of the time.
REVIEWS:
Nominated for “Great Graphic Novels for Teens” by YALSA.
Recommended by Unshelved.
"Geary's books are a great gateway for non-comic readers who think comics are all capes & cowl *BAM* *POW* to see that there truly are other genres of stories waiting for them in the pages of comics."
-David Petersen (Mouse Guard)
"Geary’s old-fashioned black-and-white line drawings, vividly evoking the turn-of-the-century milieu, and his reliance on text-heavy captions as a sort of voiceover impart a documentary air to his thoroughly researched account. A standout entry in Geary’s consistently fascinating true-crime series."
-Booklist
"To be able to share Madison Square Tragedy, a shining example of the possibilities of the comic medium—with those who would not necessarily approach a comic book—is a triumph."
-NY Journal of Books
"A steady and enthralling account of White’s murder which also provides an impressive narrative of Nesbit’s ability to survive in a world of men trying to control her and bend her to their wills."
-Publishers Weekly
"I devoured this graphic novel in one sitting, completely absorbed in the chilling retelling of a love triangle turned tragic. Rating: 10."
-Sequential Tart
"Geary’s art is amazing in setting the stage in a booming New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. A thought-provoking, wonderfully delineated read."
-Comics Worth Reading
"TOP TEN COMICS FOR FALL. No season would be complete without the latest in Rick Geary’s ongoing series of 20th-century murders: with elegant, unsettling penwork, Madison Square Tragedy: The Murder of Stanford White tells the notorious story of architect Stanford White, who was murdered by a jealous husband in a theater atop the original Madison Square Garden."
-Heidi McDonald, Publishers Weekly
Geary Talks about this book with Comic Book Resources
6x9, 80pp, B&W cloth hardcover, $15.99
ISBN 9781561637621
Buy the e-book: $6.99