Sunshine Patriots

by Howard Chaykin

You think you’ve read everything about Hollywood? Think Again!And when legendary creator Howard Chaykin is in the director’s chair, expect the unexpected.Follow the adventures of two former members of Roosevelt’s Rough Riders cavalry, who arrive in Hollywood in 1913 and find themselves caught in the web of a dangerous new world. As the first Sicilian mobsters make their way to the City of Angels, the two heroes find themselves recruited as mercenaries forthe movie studios and drawn into the cutthroat world of cinema, with a front- row seat to the building of a new American empire.With its action-packed narrative and exciting new historical setting, Sunshine Patriots is a must-read for fans of the Western genre and anyone interested in the early days of Hollywood and the formation of one of the most important facets of modern American culture. Written, drawn and delivered by Howard Chaykin (Hey Kids, Comics!, American Flagg,…).

Genres: Comics

104 pages, Hardcover

Published June 15, 2023

About the author

Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker.

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

If Babylon and its 17 endings didn't sate your appetite for sordid stories of Hollywood's birth, here's Howard Chaykin's take, though the emphasis in Sunshine Patriots is more on the violence and double-crosses than the debauchery. Not to mention the appalling attitudes of the time - as his opening disclaimer warns the reader, "Rest assured - people actually spoke like this.

Nowadays they just think it."

Which if anything is depressingly optimistic about modern mores. But what it means in practice is that if there's a possible slur which could be used in any given interaction, it will be, and I think there's one which might have been invented specially - 'Mexikraut'. Because in this 1913, (an?) Emperor Maximilian is still active and providing Mexican air support as the Mob tries to muscle in on the nascent movie business. Standing in their way: former Rough Riders Appomattox Benjamin and Big Bob Hitler, and I know it's not like nobody else ever had that surname, but it speaks volumes about Chaykin's attitude that a Jewish creator would use that name for one of the closest things this story has to a hero, because fuck you, that's why. Even amongst his recent work I wouldn't say this was one of the high spots, but somehow I still take comfort in knowing that, like the Dude with none of the chill, somewhere out there Chaykin abides.

[Paul]

Howard Chaykin delivers the goods once again. This time it is set in 1915 and centers around the machinations of a pair of former Rough Riders with complex history and their entanglement with both Mobs, Jewish and Sicilian, in both filmed entertainment hubs, New York City and Hollywood.

This is a splendid bit of fiction that doesn't warp or twist the sensibilities of the era with modern interpretations. It delivers action, adventure, suspense and intrigue all within its historical context.

My advice to anyone confused, offended or misguided about the era is to read this with an encyclopedia next to them or loaded on their mobile device. You might learn something and appreciate how far we have come (and not) socio-politically.