by Jarrod Jones. As a writer, Arthur Schnitzler was, you might agree, ahead of the curve. In 1897, he finished La Ronde — a stageplay intersecting the lives of ten people through romance and sex — and it was so scandalous that the play didn’t see a public performance for 23 years. Schnitzler’s play held that sex and love transcended class and position, a notion condemned by the vox populi. Some called it “immoral.” We’re a touch more open-minded now.
With at least 18 film versions made from Schnitzler’s play (including the Steve Buscemi/Rosario Dawson-starring Love in the Time of Money), La Ronde continues to supply a giddy, complex brew from which a mighty romantic dramedy can be drawn. That brings us to this new trade collection of Sergio Rossi and Agnese Innocente’s comic adaptation of Schnitzler’s enduring work, titled Merry-Go-Round, which contemporizes La Ronde in a bid to further complicate the matters of the heart with our modern stresses — and, yes, our modern phones.
As you’ll see in the exclusive 12-page preview below, Rossi and Innocente are imbuing a bit of pastel to the hum-drum scramble of today’s university students. This preview focuses on one young fellow whose dreaded chemistry test — articulated disdainfully by the poop emoji — is a distraction from cryptic texts he’s received from a secret admirer. As his would-be sweetheart soon discovers, teasing flights of fancy via text results in a lack of response, underscored by the dreaded “seen” prompt. Brutal.
For those seeking a delicately-rendered stroll through messy lives made messier by loneliness and longing, Merry-Go-Round will be available through your local comic shops beginning July 5. In the meantime, enjoy this lovely preview provided by Dark Horse Comics — and pay closer mind to the strangers you encounter; you never know who is quietly taking a fancy to you.
JULY 5 | 192 pgs. | $19.99
MERRY-GO-ROUND TPB
Written by Sergio Rossi.
Art and cover by Agnese Innocente.
Translated by Carla Roncalli di Montorio.
From Dark Horse Comics: Life as a teenager is full of challenges and learning moments, from love triangles to missed appointments and beyond.
Merry-Go-Round features the stories of a group of young people just trying to get through their day-to-day life, all while romance and simply growing up are throwing roadblocks along the way. Based on the Arthur Schnitzler play by the same name, this volume is a perfect encapsulation of growing up and trying to figure everything out.
