On the Ropes #[nn]

"On the Ropes" is a gripping, character-driven story from 2013, written by James Vance and illustrated by Dan E. Burr, whose evocative art brings the gritty world of a Depression-era circus to life. Fred Bloch, a former worker who lost a leg in a train accident, now finds purpose with magician Gordon Corey’s WPA circus while quietly supporting a local union fight against Republic Steel’s oppressive bosses. As violent union busters close in, their campaign of intimidation begins to bleed into the circus grounds, threatening to unravel the fragile peace Fred has built. The cover, by Dan Burr, captures the tension with a stark, shadowed image that hints at the looming danger.