A CONTEMPORARY DEFENSE OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST PROFESSION
Chester Brown has never shied away from tackling controversial subjects in his work. In his 1992 book, The Playboy , he explored his personal history with pornography. His bestselling 2003 graphic novel, Louis Riel , was a biographical examination of an extreme political figure. The book won wide acclaim and cemented Brown's reputation as a true innovator.
Paying for It is a natural progression for Brown as it combines the personal and sexual aspects of his autobiographical work with the polemical drive of Louis Riel . Brown calmly lays out the facts of how he became not only a willing participant in but a vocal proponent of one of the world's most hot-button topics--prostitution. While this may appear overly sensational and just plain implausible to some, Brown's story stands for itself. Paying for It offers an entirely contemporary exploration of sex work--from the timid john who rides his bike to his escorts, wonders how to tip so as not to offend, and reads Dan Savage for advice, to the modern-day transactions complete with online reviews, seemingly willing participants, and clean apartments devoid of clichéd street corners, drugs, or pimps.
Complete with a surprise ending, Paying for It provides endless debate and conversation about sex work and will be the most talkedabout graphic novel of 2011.
