Just last week, Comixology Originals released writer Rafael Scavone and artist Guilherme Grandizolli’s new original graphic novel Sliced, a raucous romp for foodies and non-foodies alike! Set in the world of the high-stress world of restaurateurs and their competing pizza establishments, Sliced offers a yarn that is equal parts fun, heavy, and touching, a recipe that gives the tale popping flavor. The OGN throws the spotlight on two pizzaiolos who must let bygones be bygones for the greater good: competing against a high-tech competitor. Can they set their differences aside and see “the enemy of my enemy” as each other’s friend? And how do Mafia dealings play a role? That’s what cuts at the heart of Sliced.
SLICED cover
In honor of the book’s release, Rafael Scavone has exclusively shared with us a list of the inspirations behind Sliced. Check out the whole list below, followed some brilliantly rendered preview pages of the comic by Guilherme Grandizolli!
Rafael Scavone’s Sliced inspirations:
“Silvain’s Chomet masterpiece was one of my main inspirations to write Sliced. Not only because of its cool characters and the peculiar way it presents the Mafia, but also because of its smooth storytelling and exquisite art. In fact, the original soundtrack of this movie was often in my soundtrack while I was scripting Sliced.”
This series has a special place in my heart so it’s for sure a reference to my writing. In my perspective, Mafia stories are not only about goons, violence and money, it’s actually much more about relationships, promises and mistakes. I believe this is part of why The Sopranos is a perfectly crafted Mafia story. In Sliced I also drank from this “soft” approach to the Mafia that made The Sopranos so charismatic.
Spike Lee’s movie is within my references for Sliced not due to the pizzeria where most of its action takes place, but also because of this movie’s crescendo, which is brilliant! In Sliced I used the same approach from the second arc forward, with pieces being fitted almost by chance, adding a lot of energy to the climax sequence in a way you can’t dare to stop watching it till the very end.
This beautiful comic, from Serge Lehman and Frederick Peeters, served as great inspiration in how to match the story’s present time with its past time, in a smooth but vitally connected way.
That’s quite the varied, solid list! And now check out these preview pages below!
The Sliced original graphic novel is out now from Comixology Originals.
From the official graphic novel description:
Sliced is an original graphic novel about two rival pizzaiolos forced to give up their generational rivalry and collaborate against a new high-tech competitor.