Traitor or hero? Discover the truth behind the legendary Tokyo Rose.
Tokyo Rose: Zero Hour tells the true story of Iva Toguri, a Japanese American woman visiting her relatives in Tokyo shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Trapped in Japan, Iva refused to renounce her American citizenship. But she was forced to take a job with Radio Tokyo to host "Zero Hour," a propaganda broadcast aimed at demoralizing American troops--in the role of the infamous Tokyo Rose, "The Siren of the Pacific."The dramatic events recounted in this story include:
- Iva's arrest by the Americans, who eventually found that her actions were blameless
- Her emotional return to the United States and the racially-motivated public outcry that led to her re-arrest and prosecution for treason
- The dishonest actions of prosecutors who coerced witnesses into providing false evidence against her
- The six years she spent in prison and her eventual pardon by President Ford in 1977
Written by Andre Frattino and illustrated by Kate Kasenow, Tokyo Rose: Zero Hour has an introduction explaining the "Tokyo Rose" phenomenon and the devastating effects of World War II on Asian-American communities that continue to reverberate. In a world rife with misinformation and racial prejudice, the story of Tokyo Rose has never been more relevant.
About the Author:
Andre R. Frattino has devoted his life to the art of visual storytelling, especially within the vein of historical fiction and non-fiction. Following his graduation from Savannah College of Art and Design, Andre published several titles ranging from the 2018 Florida Book Award Winner; A Land Remembered: A Graphic Novel, Simon Says: Nazi Hunter and has recently worked on Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Shapeshifters #1.Kate Kasenow is a comic artist with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Sequential Art from Savannah College of Art and Design. She has worked on an array of graphic novels, including An Elegy for Amelia Johnson, Amy Devlin Mystery and Form of a Question, a creative autobiography of a Jeopardy champion.
Janice Chiang is an award-winning comic letterer with over four decades of experience. She began her career as a freelancer for Marvel Comics and has continued to work for all the major comic book publishers. Her most iconic work was for Ghost Rider's comic book series, where she designed the main character's flaming word balloons. Presently, she heads the lettering department for John and Sandy King Carpenter's Storm King Comics and is a freelancer for DC Comics.
Reviews:
"A fascinating biography, Iva Toguri's story is equally gripping and thought-provoking. The creative team expertly explores the real woman behind the mythical Tokyo Rose." -- Steven Scott, co-author of New York Times Bestselling They Called Us Enemy"An unflinching, eye-opening account on one of the 20th century's most misunderstood figures." -- David Lewis, editorial board member for the International Journal of Comic Art
"With Tokyo Rose, Frattino and Kasenow bring Iva Toguri's story of principle, patriotism, and pluck to vivid life."--Chris Schweizer, 3x Eisner Nominated Graphic Novelist and author of The Roanoke Colony: America's First Mystery
"…Tokyo Rose - Zero Hour might be one of the most important pieces of work you're likely to read anytime soon." --ThePullBox.com
"A firecracker of a subject helps propel this graphic biography of Iva Toguri D'Aquino and her incredible double life as "Tokyo Rose" (…) a well-researched history of an unjustly maligned woman and a crackling espionage adventure story, to boot." -- Publishers Weekly
"The team behind Tokyo Rose put in the effort and hard work to ensure their graphic novel would be a force for good at a time when the world sorely needs it. I hope everyone who works in any creative medium will learn from their example -- and the bad and hurtful decisions made in the past. -- Eileen Gonzalez, BookRiot
"This is a fascinating piece of history with far-reaching implications about how Asian Americans are treated today." --BookRiot.com
"…a moving portrait of Iva's personal life and wartime experiences. --Forbes
