I read that during her time drawing comic books, Lily Renée was subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace. Is calling someone “lovely” a no-no? I hope not. Ms Renée was certainly a talented — and lovely — artist at age 20 when she drew this Señorita Rio story for Fight Comics #36 (1945). Poor behavior by the guys she worked with was as inexcusable then as it is in the workplace today.
She said once she dressed Rio as she wanted to dress herself. So she used the opportunity to have Rio looking stylish and beautiful in an assortment of knockout dresses. The large splash panel looks more like what we find in old Katy Keene stories. The look of the Rio stories is helped by Ms Renée’s personal style sense.
Oh, and there is a story in here, about Rio disrupting a coup d'etat, all while dressed in form-fitting party dresses and spike heels. Olé!
Renée was certainly very lovely, which is obviously no excuse for the way she was treated (but her bio points out that she was paid very well, which is why she stayed.)
ReplyDeleteI do have to point out one problem with her art; she focuses so much on Rio that everything else gets the short shrift; the men figures are a bit coarse and the action is all staged in a way that Rio shows off her dresses well (for instance, her jumping from the car looks anything but.)
That's just nit-picking, though. Note how Lily almost always get Rio one large vertical panel in almost every page. Also, she out right just shots a guy, though his arm, and into his head, got to appreciate that!
Brian, I saw a piece of original art once from a Fiction House comic. Editor drew an arrow to a panel and in blue pencil wrote, REMEMBER SEX APPEAL! So the artist redrew a female figure to show more leg and boob. That was Fiction House's raison d'être, and coupled with Renée's fashion sense, Rio was perfect for that.
ReplyDeleteShe was a helluva shot, too. I'd rather have Rio on my side (or even better, on my arm!) than shooting at me.
You are so correct about that splash page. I continually am amazed at how great that page design is.
ReplyDeleteYay Lily Renee!
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