ERASED: An Actor of Color’s Journey Through the Heyday of Hollywood

Hollywood is the Great Dream Factory and peddler of lies. All those movies we watch will have the audience believing that the hero is the larger-than-life white guy riding in on his steed and saving the gorgeous actress from the “others.” The “others” are anyone who does not look like the hero. We all know the names of those silver screen heroes. I do not need to list them here. But the names that are forgotten are the actors who played the “others”, names like Maximus Wyld that have been erased.

Erased: An Actor of Color’s Journey Through the Heyday of Hollywood is a historic fictional graphic novel by Loo Hui Phang and Hugues Micoi. This convincing story, mixed with the incredible artwork, makes for a surreal experience. Phang unmasks the racism that plagues Hollywood in a brilliant and thought-provoking way. The story is so well written that it is believable.

As were the movies of the time, Micoi’s art, in black and white, gives life to the tragic tale. With the preface written by Raoul Peck, this graphic novel shines a spotlight on some of the darker shadows of Hollywood.