| Rock 'N' Roll Comics | |
|---|---|
 Rock 'N' Roll Comics #1, featuring Guns N' Roses (June 1989) | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Revolutionary Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Underground |
| Publication date | June 1989 – November 1993 |
| No. of issues | 63 |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Todd 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) |
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,[1] told in comic book form but well-researched and geared to adults, often with adult situations (nudity, drug use, violence, etc.).[2]
Some musicians featured in the comics, like Frank Zappa[3] 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 unauthorized 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.[2] The stories were illustrated by a grab-bag of artists without many other credits in the industry.[1]
The series sported cover slogans reading "Unauthorized and Proud of It"[3] 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 due to legal challenges.
- ^ a b Reed, Patrick A. "Pop Music Comics: The 90s, part one. Rock-It Comics, Revolutionary, Marvel Music, Grateful Dead Comix," Depth of Field magazine (November 10, 2011).
- ^ a b Peisneraug, David. "Part Ramones Biography, Part Dreamscape," New York Times (Aug. 8, 2013).
- ^ a b Herrmann, Brenda. "Rockin' Comics: Super Heroes Of Music Play An Exciting New Venue — the World Of Cartoons," Chicago Tribune (October 20, 1991).