Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith

Shot through with thick cigarette smoke and snappy dialogue, this graphic account by Ellis (the Moonstruck series) and Templer (Cosmoknights) of Patricia Highsmith’s early career evokes the mood of the 1940s, along with its misogyny and homophobia—neither of which Highsmith, as a lesbian and ambitious artist, was immune to herself. Highsmith spends her days writing low-brow comics and her nights typing out “good novels with criminal elements.” The mood is playfully captured in a panel where Stan Lee tries to recruit her. Highsmith’s speech bubble is filled with smoke, a handgun, and a close-up of men trying to strangle each other. (Lee’s sports caped super heroes.) Highsmith seeks psychoanalysis to become straight, but begins a romance with Virginia, a married redhead in her support group for “latent homosexuals,” and their romance and breakup form the seed of her novel The Price of Salt (later Carol). After she finally finds a pulp publisher, a fan says the work inspired her to “find my own Carol and live happily ever after.” Highsmith refuses to play the victim, but never quite escapes the forces that oppress her, which echo in the noir-esque art (dense shadows, imposing buildings). Highsmith devotees will appreciate this glimpse into how a life of secrets extended beyond the pages of her fiction. Agent (for Templer): Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management. (Mar.)