In September, Z2 Comics is set to release Chasin’ the Bird, a graphic novel biography of jazz legend Charlie “Bird” Parker written and illustrated by cartoonist/musician Dave Chisholm. Now the publisher has released, exclusive to The Beat, a preview for Chasin’ The Bird, and announced a panel spotlighting the intersection of music and comics to be held during this month’s Comic-Con@Home.
The panel, titled “Z2 Comics Presents: Soundtracks to Fandom feat. Dave Chisholm,” will be held on Thursday, July 23rd, at 3 PM Pacific. The panel will cover Chisholm’s work on Chasin’ the Bird, as well as on his other Z2 graphic novel, Instrumental, among other things. It’s the first panel Z2 has announced for this year’s virtual SDCC, with the publisher set to reveal their full slate of panels, along with details on how to virtually attend, on Monday.
Chasin’ the Bird, the release of which coincides with the 100th anniversary of Parker’s birth, tells the story of the two-year period Parker spent in Los Angeles from 1945 to 1947, performing with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and recording some of his most influential music. The graphic novel is being released in both a standard hardcover format, which includes a flexi-disc of a previously unreleased Parker single, and a deluxe edition that includes a vinyl 45 of two new Parker tracks, a limited-edition hardcover with slipcover, and a set of prints. It’s the latest music-themed graphic novel from the publisher, which has another based on The Doors album Morrison Hotel, due out in October.
Check out the six-page preview of Chasin’ the Bird below, and mark your calendars for the panel on July 23rd, and the release of the graphic novel on September 1st.
