Z2 Comics merges music and comics once again for its latest title Sound & Fury. Singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson and master of the Thor epic Jason Aaron are co-creating a graphic novel named after Simpson’s most recent album with promo art from Tyler Boss, per a Hollywood Reporter exclusive.
The news is doubly exciting considering that Simpson also revealed that Sound & Fury is also be accompanied by an animated feature from the folks who brought us The Animatrix, Afro Samurai and Akira. The Sound & Fury Graphic Novel will serve as a prequel to that film, using its 144 pages to provide the origin of a justice-seeking vigilante whose search, naturally, leads to a conclusion that shreds in more than one way.
Simpson, for those unfamiliar with his music, is a country singer-songwriter who’s new album slaps and, dear reader, I don’t even like country music. Since stepping onto the stage in 2004, he’s picked up a handful of Grammys and Americana Music awards in various categories including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and International Song of the Year. In short, he’s sort of like if Jason Aaron made music instead of comics, which adds to the appeal of this unexpected partnership.
Although Z2 has yet to make any official statements on who’s providing interiors for Sound & Fury other than that they’ll be “some of the finest artists in Japanese animation,” the publisher has provided some cover art. One of which is from 4 Kids Walk into a Bank artist, Tyler Boss and – wow.
For the time being, this is all the info Z2 has cared to share on the Sound & Fury Graphic Novel – that is until a later panel. The official reveal will come during the publisher’s “Making Music in Graphic Novels” panel Friday evening at 5:30pm. Simpson himself will also appear to talk about the Sound & Fury visual album in the “Sound & Fury: Creators of Animatrix and Batman Ninja Unite for Sturgill Simpson” panel on Friday at 2:45pm.
Over the past few years, Z2 comics has bridged the gap between music and comics to great success, collaborating with and ever-expanding list of artists including Babymetal, Poppy, The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and DJ Paul Oakenfold.
The Sound & Fury The Graphic Novel is set to hit shelves on September 14, 2020 and you can check out covers for the regular edition and limited edition oversized slipcase edition below.
