Synopsis
A community of gay men in the 1980s work to smuggle medicine across the Mexican border in order to help people who have contracted HIV. Second Avenue Caper is a firsthand account of the AIDS crisis as related to acclaimed writer Joyce Brabner.
Notes on This Title
None.
Awards
2015 Lambda Literary Award LGBT Graphic Novel
Village Voice Best Graphic Novel of 2014
Reviews
“With visuals that blend cartoon-style appeal with documentary realism, Brabner’s (American Splendor) chronicle of grassroots activism in N.Y.C.’s gay community during the early days of the AIDS crisis grabs readers from its opening splash page. Based on the account of a nurse who worked in the city in the early 1980s, as the mysterious “gay plague” wielded its scythe, this graphic novel is a testament to and celebration of the bravery of those who fought for better care for the afflicted. In a New York version of Dallas Buyers Club, the community banded together to use the profits from sales of high-quality marijuana to travel to smuggle in mass quantities of Ribavarin from Mexico for free distribution to those who suffered the ravages of the disease. Using a network of operatives (some within the medical profession), disguises, and a van tricked out with multiple smuggling compartments, these angels of mercy put their careers and personal freedom on the line in a brave, clandestine crusade of organized crime coupled with socially conscious activism. Zingarelli crisply illustrates a story long hidden.” (Source: Publishers Weekly)
Interviews
None.