Rock 'N' Roll Comics

Rock 'N' Roll Comics was a comic book series published by Revolutionary Comics from 1989 to 1993. Revolutionary's flagship title, the series was notable for its unauthorized and unlicensed biographies of rock stars, told in comic book form but well-researched and geared to adults, often with very adult situations (nudity, drug use, violence, etc.).[1]

Rock 'N' Roll Comics
Rock 'N' Roll Comics #1, featuring Guns N' Roses (June 1989)
Publication information
PublisherRevolutionary Comics
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing series
GenreUnderground
Publication dateJune 1989 – November 1993
No. of issues63
Creative team
Written byTodd Loren, Dean Hsieh, Jay Allen Sanford, Robert V. Conte, Michael K. Willis
Artist(s)Lyndal Ferguson, Greg Fox, Stuart Immonen, Scott Jackson, Ken Landgraf, Larry Nadolsky, Blackwell, Johnny, Joe Paradise, Childish, Scott E. Pentzer
Editor(s)Todd Loren (issues #1–51)
Jay Allen Sanford (issues #52–65)

Some musicians featured in the comics, like Frank Zappa[2] and KISS, were supportive; while others, like the New Kids on the Block, considered the comic akin to a bootleg recording and sued the publisher. Publisher Todd Loren's legal victory in the U.S. District Court established that comic book biographies were entitled to the same protections as other unauthorized biographies.

Rock 'N' Roll Comics originally contained straight biographies in comics form and Mad magazine-style parodies (all written by Loren). The parodies were dropped after about 18 issues. Early issues also featured the Loren/Larry Nadolsky character Stan Back in a series of humorous one-page strips. Loren wrote many of the early lead stories; Jay Allen Sanford took over as lead writer with issue #22.[1]

The series sported cover slogans reading "Unauthorized and Proud of It"[2] or "100% Unauthorized Material." Rock 'N' Roll Comics was published in a typical 6½" × 9¾" comic book format. Issues were typically 32 pages in length, printed mostly in black-and-white with a color cover. Many covers were painted by Scott Jackson. The letters page — which often featured spirited editorials by Loren — was known as "Revolutionary Comments." Although the series is numbered through 65 issues, a total of 63 issues were released due to two issues, numbers 8 and 61, never being published.

Publication history

Revolutionary Comics publisher Todd Loren was inspired to launch Rock 'N' Roll Comics in part by the success of an unauthorized Bruce Springsteen parody one-shot comic called Hey Boss (Visionary Graphics, 1986).

Hey Boss artist Larry Nadolsky was hired to draw the first issue of Rock 'N' Roll Comics, profiling Guns N' Roses. Upon the comic's release, cover-dated June 1989, Guns N' Roses lawyer Peter Paterno sent Revolutionary a cease and desist order. This was reported in a Rolling Stone story[3] that directly resulted in the entire 10,000-copy print run selling out in two weeks, thanks to buyers who thought Guns N' Roses would sue the company out of existence. No lawsuits were actually filed, and the comic went into multiple new printings, eventually totaling over 150,000 copies.[1]

Rock 'N' Roll Comics #3 and #4, on Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe, respectively (cover-dated Sept. 1989 and Oct. 1989), did result in legal challenges. The bands had exclusive merchandising deals with Great Southern Productions/Winterland Productions, which threatened comics distributors over carrying the issues and got a court injunction prohibiting Revolutionary from distributing them.[4] This forced Revolutionary to build its own distribution network outside traditional comic shops, eventually getting them into music and gift retail outlets which had never carried comics before. This independence from the comic book marketplace served the company well, as sales continued to rise from issue to issue, with their Metallica comic going into multiple print runs totaling over 75,000 copies.[5]

Issue #8 (cover-dated Feb. 1990), featuring Skid Row, was never published, due to an injunction prompted by Great Southern.[2] It was skipped in number sequencing; issue #9 (Kiss) was cover-dated Mar. 1990.

Issue #12 (cover-dated June 1990), featuring New Kids on the Block, resulted in a number of legal battles. (see: Litigation, below) Ironically, this and the other lawsuits garnered Revolutionary worldwide press, eventually resulting in record-breaking sales for an indie comic publisher.[6]

Beginning with issue #19 (Public Enemy / 2 Live Crew), Rock 'N' Roll Comics was released on a biweekly basis[7] from Jan. 1991–Mar. 1992, comprising 25 total issues.

Issue #61 (cover-dated July 1993), scheduled to be about the band Yes, was never published, and ultimately was skipped in number sequencing.

The series' final issue, #65, on "Sci-Fi Space Rockers" (Pink Floyd, Genesis, Marillion, Hawkwind, and others) was cover-dated Nov. 1993.

Spin-off titles

The popularity of Rock 'N' Roll Comics led Revolutionary to publish other music titles, most notably Rock 'N' Roll Comics Magazine (a reprint title featuring stories from past issues of Rock 'N' Roll Comics, Hard Rock Comics (a title dedicated to hard rock, heavy metal and punk bands), and Star Jam Comics (a title dedicated to pop acts as well as actors from the television show Beverly Hills, 90210. Additionally, Revolutionary published a line of Experience limited series focusing entirely on one band or musical artist. The titles were The Beatles Experience, The Elvis Presley Experience, The Led Zeppelin Experience, and The Pink FloydExperience.

Bluewater Productions collections

In September 2009, publisher Bluewater Productions announced it would be reprinting Revolutionary's line of music comics (including stories from Rock 'N' Roll Comics) in ten monthly volumes, averaging 250 pages each.[8] The first collections were The Beatles Experience and Hard Rock Heroes, released in early 2010.

Many of Revolutionary's original creators participated in updating and modernizing the contents of the musical comic bios. The reprints and updates were supervised by long-time Rock 'N' Roll Comics writer/editor Jay Allen Sanford. Ultimately, Bluewater released seven titles from 2010–2012:[9]

  • The Beatles Experience (Feb. 2010), 240 pp. ISBN 978-1-4276-4227-1
  • Hard Rock Heroes (Apr. 2010), 240 pp. ISBN 978-1-61623-924-4 — with AC/DC, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Megadeth, Vanilla Fudge, Queensrÿche, Motörhead, ZZ Top
  • The Runaways: Joan JettLita Ford (Aug. 2010), 32 pp.
  • The Pink Floyd Experience (Sept. 2010), 150 pp. ISBN 978-1-61623-930-5
  • The Led Zeppelin Experience (Nov. 2010), 150 pp. ISBN 978-1-61623-939-8
  • The Elvis Presley Experience (Mar. 2011), 210 pp. ISBN 978-1-4507-0021-4
  • Stan Lee: the Biography! (Feb. 2012), 32 pp. ISBN 978-0-9855911-2-0

Two other projected volumes, Rock 'N' Roll Cartoon History: The Sixties; and Rock 'N' Roll Cartoon History: The Seventies, remain unpublished.[9]

Issue guide

#Cover-dateSubjectCover artistWriterStory artistNotes
1July 1989Guns N' Roses?Todd LorenLarry Nadolsky7 printings; 7th printing is entirely new with new color artwork and a different cover
2Aug. 1989MetallicaLyndal FergusonTodd LorenLarry Nadolsky & Scott Goodell6 printings; 6th printing is entirely different with new color artwork, a different cover and two new backup stories featuring Megadeth and Motorhead.
3Sept. 1989Bon JoviLyndal FergusonTodd LorenLarry Nadolsky & Scott Goodell
4Oct. 1989Mötley CrüeLyndal FergusonTodd LorenLarry Nadolsky & Johnny Childish
5Nov. 1989Def LeppardLyndal FergusonTodd LorenLarry Nadolsky & Johnny Childish2 printings
6Dec. 1989The Rolling StonesScott JacksonTodd LorenAndy Kuhn
7Jan. 1990The WhoTom LuthTodd LorenTom Luth
8Feb. 1990Skid RowN/ATodd Loren?Prevented from being published by injunction from Great Southern Company; skipped in issue number sequencing
9Mar. 1990KissScott JacksonRobert V. ConteGreg Fox
10Apr. 1990Whitesnake/
Warrant
Scott JacksonTodd Loren/
Dean Hsieh
Greg Fox/
Dave Garcia
11May 1990AerosmithScott JacksonDean HsiehGreg Fox
12June 1990New Kids on the BlockLyndal Ferguson & Greg FoxRobert V. ConteMitch Waxman & Greg Fox2 printings
13July 1990Led ZeppelinScott JacksonMary KelleherGreg Fox
14Aug. 1990Sex PistolsScott JacksonTodd LorenMarc Erickson
15Sept. 1990PoisonScott JacksonTodd LorenGreg Fox
16Oct. 1990Van HalenScott JacksonTodd LorenGreg Fox
17Nov. 1990MadonnaRudy BaldacciTodd LorenGreg Fox
18Dec. 1990Alice CooperScott JacksonSpike SteffenhagenSteve Goupil
19Jan. 1991Public Enemy/
2 Live Crew
Stuart ImmonenTodd LorenMarc Erickson/
Stuart Immonen
20Jan. 1991QueensrÿcheScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordKen Landgraf
21Feb. 1991PrinceScott JacksonTodd LorenStuart Immonen
22Feb. 1991AC/DCScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordMike Sagara
23Mar. 1991Living ColourScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordGreg Fox
24Mar. 1991Anthrax/
Faith No More
Scott JacksonSpike Steffenhagen/
Jay Allen Sanford
Stuart Immonen/
Larry Nadolsky
25Apr. 1991ZZ Top/
Mojo Nixon
Scott JacksonJay Allen Sanford/
Todd Loren
Stuart Immonen/
Scott Jackson
The Mojo Nixon story was billed as the first authorized biography to appear in the series
26May 1991The DoorsScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordGreg FoxThe Doors, part I
27June 1991The DoorsScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordGreg FoxThe Doors, part II
28June 1991Ozzy Osbourne/Black SabbathScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordMarc EricksonOzzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath, part I
29July 1991Ozzy Osbourne/Black SabbathScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordMarc EricksonOzzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath, part II
30July 1991The CureScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordGreg Fox
31Aug. 1991Vanilla IceScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordGreg Fox
32Aug. 1991Frank ZappaScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordBlackwell
33Sept. 1991Guns N' RosesScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordJohnny Childish & Mike SagaraBilled as "Guns N' Roses '91"
34Sept. 1991The Black CrowesScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordScott E. Pentzer
35Oct. 1991R.E.M.Earl FergusonJay Allen SanfordBlackwell
36Oct. 1991Michael JacksonStuart ImmonenJay Allen SanfordChas Gillen
37Nov. 1991Ice-TScott E. PentzerJay Allen SanfordScott E. Pentzer & Stuart Immonen
38Nov. 1991Rod StewartScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordTerry Dodson
39Dec. 1991New Kids on the BlockJoe ParadiseJay Allen SanfordMarc EricksonBilled as "The Fall of the New Kids"
40Dec. 1991N.W.A/Ice CubeEarl FergusonJay Allen SanfordJoe Paradise
41Jan. 1992Paula AbdulScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordAllen Darnell Salyer
42Jan. 1992MetallicaScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordScott E. Pentzerbilled as "Metallica II"
43Feb. 1992Guns N' RosesScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordJim McWeeneybilled as "Tales from the Tour"
44Feb. 1992ScorpionsScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordMarshall Ross
45Mar. 1992Grateful DeadScott JacksonHeather Cheney & Jay Allen SanfordBlackwellbilled as "Grateful Dead (Part One: The Summer of Love)"
46Apr. 1992Grateful DeadScott JacksonHeather Cheney & Jay Allen SanfordBlackwellbilled as "Grateful Dead (Part Two: The

Seventies)"

47May 1992Grateful DeadScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordBlackwellGrateful Dead, part III
48June 1992QueenScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordBlackwell
49July 1992RushScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordTerry Pallot
50Aug. 1992Bob DylanScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordBlackwellBob Dylan, Part I
51Sept. 1992Bob DylanScott E. PentzerJay Allen SanfordBlackwellBob Dylan, Part II
52Oct. 1992Bob DylanScott E. PentzerJay Allen SanfordBlackwellBob Dylan, Part III
53Nov. 1992Bruce SpringsteenScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordDavid Neer
54Dec. 1992U2Ken V. Meyer, Jr.Jay Allen Sanford & Michael K. WillisDave Briggs & Tom SimmonsU2, part I
55Jan. 1993U2Scott JacksonMichael K. WillisDave BriggsU2, part II
56Feb. 1993David Bowie?Jay Allen SanfordGreg Fox
57Mar. 1993Aerosmith?Michael K. WillisLarry Nadolskybilled as "Aerosmith II"
58Apr. 1993Kate BushScott JacksonJay Allen SanfordMarshall Ross
59May 1993Eric ClaptonScott JacksonMichael K. WillisSteven S. Crompton
60June 1993GenesisKen V. Meyer, Jr.Jay Allen SanfordGreg Fox
61July 1993YesN/A??Never published due to injunction from Great Southern; skipped in issue number sequencing
62Aug. 1993Elton John?Michael K. Willis?
63Sept. 1993Janis JoplinPete Mullins?Randy Silverman & Bill Williams
64Oct. 199360s San FranciscoKen V. Meyer, Jr.Jay Allen SanfordBlackwell, Greg Fox, Scott E. Pentzer, Randy Silverman, Bill Williams
65Nov. 1993Sci-Fi Space RockersLyndal FergusonJay Allen Sanford, Spike SteffenhagenGreg Fox, Ken Landgraf, Terry Pallot, Marshall RossFeatured "Pink Floyd, Genesis, Marillion, Hawkwind, and more"

Litigation

Rock 'N' Roll Comics #12 (cover-date June 1990), an unauthorized biography of New Kids on the Block, got Revolutionary sued again.[2] Publisher Loren claimed the First Amendment protected the journalistic rights of his "illustrated articles" and he took the matter to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Loren set up a 900 number, "Nuke the New Kids," to raise money for the company's defense ($10.00 per call, billed by phone company). In April 1990, U.S. District Judge John S. Rhoades declared that Rock 'N' Roll Comics #12 could legally be distributed because it is "part biography and part satire." The judge's twelve-page ruling stated that "bookstores are filled with biographies — both authorized and unauthorized — of public figures. And, while the subjects of such biographies may be offended by the publication of their life stories, they generally have no claim for trademark infringement."

Rhoades' ruling also stated "It appears that the First Amendment may trump any claim that the plaintiffs have for trademark infringement." The resultant order stated that Winterland Concessions Co. failed to show that the case met the standards required to issue a preliminary injunction. This dissolved the temporary restraining order prohibiting distribution. Nonetheless, the New Kids responded by filing suit for trademark infringement since their logo appeared in the comic.[10] A settlement between the New Kids and Revolutionary was reached in August 1990. It permanently enjoined Revolutionary from "advertising, manufacturing, distributing and/or selling or otherwise commercially exploiting any publication displaying the trademark and/or logo of the New Kids on the Block, either as a group or individually." Loren promptly reprinted the New Kids story in magazine format (Rock 'N' Roll Comics Magazine), without depicting the band's logo anywhere in the story.

Documentary film

In 2005, BulletProof Film released a documentary film titled Unauthorized and Proud of It: Todd Loren's Rock 'N' Roll Comics. The film features interviews with Loren's family, surviving "Revolutionaries," comic book colleagues, adversaries, supporters and past and present rock 'n' roll stars featured in Revolutionary's comics. Appearing in the film are Alice Cooper, publishers Gary Groth (Fantagraphics) and Denis Kitchen (Kitchen Sink Press), famed groupie Cynthia Plaster Caster, underground painter and RevCom cover artist Robert Williams (known for his controversial album art for the first Guns N' Roses LP), Jay Allen Sanford, Gene Simmons (audio only), and more.

The film also details the San Diego police department's investigation into Todd Loren's 1992 murder; interviews with Loren's coworkers and family members suggest that the police failed to follow up on all available leads. The film was released on DVD in April 2012 by Wild Eye Releasing, under the title Unauthorized: The Story of Rock 'N' Roll Comics. The DVD includes over two hours of bonus footage, interviews, news footage, and art galleries, and liner notes by long-time Rock 'N' Roll Comics writer-editor Jay Allen Sanford.

See also

References

Notes

  1. Peisneraug, David. "Part Ramones Biography, Part Dreamscape," New York Times (Aug. 8, 2013).
  2. Herrmann, Brenda. "Rockin' Comics: Super Heroes Of Music Play An Exciting New Venue — the World Of Cartoons," Chicago Tribune (October 20, 1991).
  3. "New Kids vs. Revolutionary," Rolling Stone (Apr. 1992).
  4. "Rock 'N Roll Comics Distribution Interrupted," Comics Buyer's Guide, #829 (Oct. 6, 1989), p. 1, 28.
  5. Fogel's Underground Comix Price Guide, 2006.
  6. Sanford, Jay Allen. "New Kids on the Block versus Revolutionary Comics," San Diego Reader blog (Sept. 13, 2007).
  7. Loren, Todd. "Rock 'n' Roll Comics to Go Twice Monthly," "Revolutionary Comments" (letters page), Rock 'N' Roll Comics #17 (Nov. 1990).
  8. Parkin, J.K. "Don't call it a comeback: Bluewater to collect classic Rock 'N' Roll Comics," Comic Book Resources: Robot6 (September 10, 2009).
  9. Sanford, Jay Allen, "No more Rock 'N' Roll Comics reprint editions from Bluewater Productions," San Diego Reader blog (March 23, 2013).
  10. "New Kids On The Block Sue Revolutionary," The Comics Journal #136 (July 1990), p. 17.

Sources consulted

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