Smut Peddler Presents: Sordid Past

Returning as editor to this sexy ongoing anthology series, Purcell (Smut Peddler: Silver) again brings together a talented roster of artists who spin diverse tales of erotic historical romance. As Yuko Ota’s saucy bisexual bodice-ripping trio on the cover art intimates, the volume offers many flavors of queer, including an invigorating amount of casual transgender inclusivity. Tzor Edery’s “Blessed By Baal” leads off with ritual sex among Canaanites of pre-Abrahamic history, and “Once in Fortriu” by E.K. Weaver (The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal) presents a steamy Pictish lesbian romance—the only dialogue told in pictograms. Meanwhile, Anderjak’s “Golden Age” lovingly recalls more recent history, as a trans woman and her partner kindle the fires of romance while founding an arcade in the early 1980s. There’s something for every level-of-lewd fan—Erica Henderson’s untitled selection turns out more playful than hardcore in its sexuality, examining a cute gay moment in the life of a Renaissance painter using men to model for women (as was the custom of the period). It’s another slam-dunk for a series that breaks new ground in erotic art. (Sept.)