One of the forgotten women of comics is getting a biography – in comics form! Ruth Roche, a prolific comics writer and editor who ran the Roche-Iger Studio for decades, is getting the spotlight in RUTH ROCHE: THE PHANTOM HAND OF COMICS, a graphic biography written by Eisner-nominated editor Joe Corallo (DC Pride: To The Farthest Reaches, Archie Horror Presents: Chilling Adventures) and artist Meghan Hetrick (Bodies, Red Thorn), with colors by Dee Cunniffe (Marvel Rivals, DareDevil: Woman without Fear) and letters by Morgan Martinez (Galaxy of Madness). The book will be published by Mad Cave in October.
As Jerry Iger’s business partner, Roche was behind the studio that produced some of the Golden Age’s most memorable comics, and she penned titles including Phantom Lady, Senorita Rio, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, Kaanga, and Camilla. She also created the comic strip Flamingo, which was drawn by Matt Baker. She also edited the Classics Illustrated line for four years. Roche’s comics career was brought to a halt by the Wertham scare, but she continued to work in animation. Despite her importance both creatively and behind the scenes, Roche’s story has never really been told – until now.
For Corallo and Hetrick, bringing Ruth Roche’s story forward meant confronting both her absence and her impact.
“As a lover of both comics and history, I made it a point years ago to explore the Golden Age of comics,” said Corallo in a statement. “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 artist Meghan 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.”
Ruth Roche: The Phantom Hand of Comics joins a slim but growing list of titles that reexamine the little known women of comics history, including Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund by Caitlin McGurk and Lily Renée, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer by Trina Robbins, Anne Timmons and Mo Oh.
Twelve years ago, in writing about Roche, I noted:
In Roche’s bio she’s called a pioneer, even though O’Neill and Brinkley were making comics a mere 30 years prior. It’s amazing how just about every woman becomes a “pioneer,” no matter how many have done the same thing before. Perhaps in the modern era of massive achievement by female cartoonists we can admit that they aren’t the first, and they won’t be the last.
Ruth Roche: The Phantom Hand of Comics goes on sale October 13, 2026, in paperback (ISBN: 9781545812624 | $19.99) and hardcover (ISBN: 9781545827376 | $29.99) formats. Final order cut-off is September 21, and it is now available for preorder at your favorite bookstore, comics shop, and directly from Mad Cave.
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