''Parade (with Fireworks)'' is a two-issue comic book

mini-series A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

by Brooklyn based writer-artist

Mike Cavallaro Mike Cavallaro is an American comic book writer and artist. His most notable work is in the realm of middle grade comics, including collaborations with Jane Yolen and his own graphic novel series ''Nico Bravo'' (both published by First Second Book ...

. It was published by

Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...

in Fall

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

. It was nominated for an

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

for Best Limited Series in 2008.

Publication history

''Parade (with Fireworks)'' was originally a webcomic published one page at a time, for free, on Act-i-vate, but proved popular enough to interest a traditional print-comic publisher,

' ShadowLine imprint, in releasing an edition (with only slight alterations from the original). According to Cavallaro, the plot is based on the true stories of his own family's history, specifically an event that occurred in his father's home town

Maropati Maropati (Central-Southern Calabrian, Calabrian: ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italy, Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about northeast of Reggio Calabria. As of 31 De ...

in 1923. The character of Paolo is modeled after Cavallaro's paternal grandfather.Warmoth, B. (2007).
"Launching 'Fireworks' From the Web"
. '' Wizard Magazine''. Retrieved October 15, 2007. The story is part of a projected larger arc titled "Seven Years without the Sun", meant to chronicle a whole host of Cavallaro's family stories passed down by oral tradition.

Plot

The story is set in Italy between the two world wars. A local man, Paolo, travels to Chicago to open an olive oil business, but returns to his Italian home town due to the violence of the then- gang-infested Chicago. Returning home, Paolo gets involved in the conflict between local members of Italy's

fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...

NFP and his family, which supports the socialist cause. He winds up in hiding after killing one of the belligerent fascists during their violent confrontation with his family on the evening of the

Feast of the Epiphany Epiphany ( ), also known as Theophany in Eastern Christian traditions, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation (theophany) of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not ...

. Paolo later goes on trial for the murder.Kois, D. and L. Brown.
"Parade (With Fireworks)"
'' New York Magazine''. Retrieved October 15, 2007.

Notes

References

* {{refend

External links

Parade (with Fireworks)
2000s webcomics 2007 comics debuts American webcomics Webcomics in print