Mad Cave Studios will publish Ruth Roche: The Phantom Hand of Comics, a graphic biography of Ruth Roche, comics writer and editor and the business partner of Jerry Iger. Roche was active as a writer and editor during the Golden Age, up until the anti-comics crusade of Frederic Wertham decimated the business. She joined what was then S.M. Iger Studio in 1940, shortly after the departure of Will Eisner, and after she became Iger’s business partner, in 1945, the company was renamed Roche-Iger Studio. Despite that, her career has not been well documented. Mad Cave describes this graphic novel as “a biography with historical reconstruction.” The book will be released on October 13, 2026, as a paperback with an MSRP of $19.99 and a hardcover with an MSRP of $29.99.
“As a lover of both comics and history, I made it a point years ago to explore the Golden Age of comics,” Corallo said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “One name that I would see pop up over and over again was Ruth Roche, but when I would try to look more into her, there was very little information available despite her being a major player for most of that era. Years of looking into her revealed one known photo and a handful of people acknowledging her work. It really frustrated me, which motivated me to dive deep into this research and write the most comprehensive story that could be told about Ruth at this point. I hope people who read this come away having a deeper understanding of comics, of Ruth, how women have played a pivotal role in comics from the very early days of the medium as we know it, and, unfortunately, how the more things change in comics, the more things stay the same.”
“Ruth Roche’s story feels both inspiring and sobering to me,” added Hetrick. “As a woman working in comics today, I’m acutely aware of how many women helped shape this industry, only to have their names fade from the conversation over time. Ruth’s work is a reminder that the history of comics is far broader and richer than we often acknowledge. I hope readers come away not only appreciating her contributions but also feeling a renewed curiosity about the creators whose voices have been overlooked.”
Mad Cave also announced a new series set in the world of The Last Starfighter (see “Mad Cave to Publish New Stories in ‘The Last Starfighter’ World”).
Source: ICv2
