The Press Release:
News of Z2’s 2021 lineup begins to roll out with news of what is sure to be one of the publisher’s most anticipated projects yet – the Holy Diver graphic novel, creating an original storyline inspired by one of heavy metal’s most iconic album covers. Today’s announcement brings news that acclaimed horror comics writer Steve Niles will tell the tale behind the events leading to the powerful moment captured on the cover of DIO’s debut album, definitively addressing 30 years of fan speculation. Why is the priest being thrown into the ocean? Who is truly the villain in this scenario? All of these questions are exclusively answered for the first time within the pages of this 120-page graphic novel.
“Steve Niles tells the story behind the album cover ‘Holy Diver,’ a story about how you can’t judge a picture by the way it appears, which is what Ronnie wrote many times in his songs; that you have to see inside the person and not judge them by the way they look or by what they wear,” says Wendy Dio. “Together with Scott Hampton’s amazing artwork they tell the story of ‘Holy Diver,’and I know Ronnie would have given his stamp of approval on this great graphic novel.”
It seems like more and more music artists of the Rock Realm are tossing their hat into the comic creator ring and I couldn’t be happier about it. We’ve learned of Andy Black’s offering “The Ghost Of Ohio” some months ago and then there was a Starset graphic novel “Prox Transmissions” as well. Now the folks at Z2 Comics have announced a collaboration with the band Skillet and you can learn all about that down below. Enjoy.
The Press Release:
Coming on the heels of Apocrypha: The Legend Of BabyMetal and the upcoming The Ghost Of Ohio graphic novel, Z2 Comics is pleased to announce their next title is a collaborative partnership with multi-platinum, GRAMMY-nominated rockers Skillet. Eden: A Skillet Graphic Novel is based on an original story idea created by Skillet frontman John Cooper alongside the creative team of Z2 Comics: Josh Frankel and Sridhar Reddy. Writers Alex Paknadel and Dan Watters of Random Shock Studios are writing the comic with Cooper. Artist Chris Hunt created the cover and will be working on the pages of the comic scheduled for release late Summer 2019.
“I am beyond thrilled about ‘Eden.’ It has always been a dream of mine to create a comic. Comics are still an important part of my life today and I can now share that love with my children with the release of this book. In many ways, this graphic novel is a natural extension of Skillet’s career. It is about perseverance, unlikely heroes, and faith in what you believe. I hope that the fans love it!” exclaims John Cooper of Skillet. Continue reading Z2 Comics & Skillet Announce “Eden” – A Skillet Graphic Novel→
The Press Release:
Coming on the heels of the recent release of Apocrypha: The Legend Of BabyMetal, Z2 Comics is pleased to announce their next title is a collaborative partnership with musician Andy Biersack (Black Veil Brides/Andy Black). The Ghost Of Ohio is a graphic novel based on an original story idea created by Biersack alongside the creative team of Z2 Comics: Josh Frankel and Sridhar Reddy. Scott Tuft, known for his work on the Severed and Swamp Thing titles, is writing the comic with Biersack. Artist Eryk Donovan, best known for his Batman creations, created the cover that was unveiled at a gathering in New York City on October 4th. The Ghost Of Ohio is scheduled for release in mid-2019. Pre-orders for The Ghost Of Ohio will be announced in the near future and fans can go to https://www.z2comics.com/ for more information.
“I am so excited to finally be able to share the news about ‘The Ghost of Ohio’ graphic novel and upcoming solo record of the same name and inspired by the comic book story. The truth is that I would never have discovered my love of rock music without my passion for comic books and characters like Batman and Spawn, which ultimately lead me to larger than life bands like KISS and The Misfits. To be able to combine my love of the graphic novel medium with a concept record is a dream come true and something I have wanted to do for many years. Working with the Z2 Comics team and alongside Scott Tuft and Eryk Donovan to bring this dream to reality has been an incredible process. The story takes place in southwestern Ohio and spans across historical eras from the 1800’s to modern day. ‘The Ghost of Ohio’ is a tale of loneliness, redemption and strength and I hope both the album and book capture that tone while giving people some fun entertainment to escape into!” explains Andy Biersack.
