Violenzia And Other Deadly Amusements

“Let there be no mercy or forgiveness for they have shown none.” With these words, whispered into the wind, a mysterious young woman leaps into action with wild abandon, twin automatics blazing. Is she a brave and reckless heroine taking on a monstrous evil? Or is she a deranged angel of death? One thing is clear: whether she is dropping from a high window into a crowd of red-robed fanatical cultists, or facing down a horde of psychotic hillbillies, you don’t want to get in her way. Fast moving, Violenzia is a blast of pulpy fun, told in scenes of audacious action and splashes of rich watercolors. With elements of golden age comics and old movies mixed with Sala’s trademark humor and sense of the absurd, Violenzia is a bloody enigma masked as eye candy, a puzzle box riddled with bullet holes from comics’ master of the macabre.

J. Caleb Mozzocco, Las Vegas Weekly

"Richard Sala excels at drawing two things: beautiful, rosy-cheeked young women and hideous, scary monster-men. His latest book gives him ample opportunity to do both. ... Featuring page after page of a visual compromise between flat, angular cartooning and rich, vibrant painting, Violenzia not only represents Sala’s incredible range, but also Sala at his very best, which is pretty incredible."

David Brooke, Adventures in Poor Taste

"A delectable feast for the eyes as we traverse the monsters and mayhem concocted in an enjoyable retro style."

Paul F. Lai, Comics Alternative

"More than thirty years into his career, Sala seems to have found a format with Violenzia and Other Deadly Amusements that brilliantly distills his playfully creepy storytelling talents. ... Sala’s art is always a cartoon exorcism of the aura of suspicion haunting our modern moods. ... Sala’s deep and suggestive watercolored hues vividly splash those premonitions of secret darkness into lurid, pulpy pages of comics carnivalesque."

Ryan W. Bradley, Electric Lit

"I have been a fan of Sala’s visual style and entertaining mystery romps for a long time... His work feels both vintage and fresh, a nod to its influences while managing to stand on its own. His work is instantly recognizable as his, perhaps the greatest benchmark of an artist."

Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter

"Sala draws like nobody's business..."

About the Author

Richard Sala (1954–2020) grew up in Chicago. He had an MFA from Mills College, created over a dozen graphic novels, collaborated with Lemony Snicket, and illustrated a Jack Kerouac script. He spent most of his adult life in Berkeley, CA.

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