The world of country music singer/songwriter Sturgill Simpson’s newest album SOUND & FURY is getting the graphic treatment come next fall. Simpson is partnering with mainstay Marvel writer Jason Aaron to co-write “Sound & Fury The Graphic Novel,” due out from Z2 Comics September 14, 2020. This is Simpson’s first foray into graphic novel work, and will add to Z2’s growing line of music related comic books and graphic novels, which includes releases from Babymetal, Poppy, The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and DJ Paul Oakenfold.
SOUND & FURY is Simpson’s fourth album, and was just debuted last week on September 27th. His third album A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, his first on a major record label, was released in 2016, and earned the award of Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards in 2017. SOUND & FURY was announced this year at San Diego Comic-Con and was described by Simpson as a “really sleazy, steamy rock n roll record,” and his “most psychedelic” yet.
The album has already received a companion animated movie that debuted on Netflix and featured the work of creators from shows like The Animatrix, Afro Samurai, and Naruto. This new 144-page graphic novel will act as a prequel story to the Netflix special, “and tell the origin of a vigilante whose search for justice might make an already violent, post-apocalyptic dystopia just that little bit more bloody.”
While there’s no word yet on who will illustrate the graphic novel, Z2 Comics co-publisher Josh Frankel stated that it would be “illustrated by some of the finest artists in Japanese animation.” Simpson’s co-writer Jason Aaron is best known for his Marvel work on books like “Thor,” “Avengers,” and “Star Wars,” as well as, the Image Comics series “Southern Bastards” that he co-created with Jason Latour.
If you’re at New York Comic-Con this weekend, more information about the project will be revealed during Z2’s “Making Music in Graphic Novels” panel on Saturday at 7:45pm in Room 1A24. Simpson will also be on the “Sound & Fury: Creators of Animatrix and Batman Ninja Unite for Sturgill Simpson” panel tomorrow at 2:45pm in the same room. “Sound & Fury The Graphic Novel” will be available next September in a regular or limited edition oversized slipcase edition. The covers from both editions can be found below.
