Mike McCready, legendary guitarist for Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, and Mad Season, teamed up with Z2 for his original graphic novel and “lost” rock opera Farewell to Seasons.
Alongside writer Mark Sable and artist Sebastian Piriz, the story captures the Seattle music scene of the 1980s and the changes that the Grunge era of the ‘90s brought with it, including the fatal cost it had for so many artists and musicians.
McCready, Sable, and Piriz joined Z2 President Josh Bernstein and editor-in-chief Rantz A. Hoseley on an SDCC 2026 panel to discuss the musician’s path to creating the comic/rock opera and how losing so many great musicians along the way impacted the look and feel of the story.
During the panel, McCready shared intimate details about how the deaths of Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, and Chris Cornell affected his experience and how the graphic novel and accompanying original tracks were part of his grieving process.
I sat down with McCready after the panel to discuss the project.
Z2’s table had a few copies on hand at the convention, but they were essentially sold out, with only 15 copies remaining while the panel was happening (one fan jumped up and exited the panel to grab his copy right then and there). Farewell to Seasons can be preordered here. The book is slated to release on October 6.
