Madame Sata

Madame Satã, born João Francisco Dos Santos, was a true Brazilian legend: a black, queer hustler and the first drag performer in Rio de Janeiro in the 1920s. He faced violent prejudice, but never backed away from a fight. This fascinating illustrated story /comics portrait depicts his life and also the infamous neighborhood of Lapa, where he lived amidst a heady mix of outcasts, artists, and the upper class. He lived a life of contradictions and spent the second half of it in and out of prison, only to be discovered by the press and made into a national symbol at the end of his life.