Tag Archives: life of agony

NYCC 2023: Z2 Rocks with Rock & Roll’s Heaviest Hitters

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Z2 NYCC 2023

Z2 is set to raise their fist in celebration of their music creators this October at New York Comic Con with plans to host multiple signings at their booth, debut new titles, and participate in panels.

Z2 Comics will invade New York Comic Con in October with an array of talent appearing in support of current and upcoming graphic novels. While days and times are yet to be finalized, among those confirmed includes Halestorm, GWAR, Alan Robert of Life Of Agony, and Dee Snider of the legendary Twisted Sister.

The entire band of Halestorm, including Lzzy Hale, will appear at NYCC 2023 in support of their graphic novel entitled Hyde Manor released in late August 2023. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2012 EP Hello, It’s Mz Hyde and its ensuing LP, The Strange Case Of…, the Hyde Manor graphic novel depicts the members of Halestorm encountering sinister doppelgangers of themselves. Within the decrepit halls of Hyde Manor, mirror reflections independently talk back and photographs transform to reveal sordid prophecies, leading the band to slowly succumb to madness while recording a new album. The tale creaks and twists with doom-filled revelations, perfectly tied to Halestorm’s scorching discography. Twins Brittany and Brianna Winner (the Twin Soul series), artist Sara Scalia, cover artist Alison Sampson, and colorist DJ Alonso weave a tale of the celebrated group as they seek refuge in the titular Hyde Manor—a sprawling gothic estate perched on the remote end of the Oregon Coast. 

GWAR will also be attending NYCC to promote In the Duoverse Of Absurdity released earlier this year. The story follows the band into the multiverse where they encounter alternate versions of themselves from another dimension, forcing GWAR to defend their universe from the intruders. If unleashed upon the universe, these dark mirror incarnations would dominate and subjugate all of humanity to the will of The Master. In the Duoverse Of Absurdity is co-written by GWAR rhythm guitarist Michael Derks and singer Matt Maguire, with art by Andy MacDonald (2020 Machine Man) and Shane White (Negative Burn).

The legendary Twisted Sister frontman, Dee Snider will be on hand to support He’s Not Gonna Take It set to be released in late November. This new graphic novel will follow the impact of Dee’s battle for freedom of expression in the arts throughout his life. From a childhood where he was frequently silenced, through the early efforts to stifle his band’s music, to the open warfare of the PMRC hearings in Washington DC, and his current efforts on social media. He’s Not Gonna Take It tells the story of why free speech is so important to this man who has fought for it…even when it endangered everything that was important to him. 

Comic creator and bassist for the heavy metal band Life of Agony, Alan Robert will be signing copies of his just released Pantera: Vulgar Display of Power graphic novel exclusive cover at the Z2 booth. He’s created popular graphic novels such as Wire Hangers, Crawl to Me, and Killogy, as well as a horror-themed adult coloring book series called The Beauty of Horror. 

Finally, on Sunday, over a dozen contributors of the 2023 Eisner-winning and 2023 Ringo-winning The Illustrated Al, will be in attendance at the Z2 booth signing the “Weird Al” Yankovic art book for fans for the first time ever. Guests include Billy Plympton, Steve Chanks, Ryan Dunlavey, Patrick McQuade, Sean Pryor, and project editor, Josh Bernstein.

GWAR: In the Duoverse of Absurdity is now available as a Deluxe Edition for a list price of $99.99 (includes Deluxe Edition Graphic Novel Oversized HC with Slipcase, an audio version of the book as read by members of the band, and an exclusive vinyl variant of The New Dark Ages LP in color variant Sunbolt with art by Alex Horley), hardcover for a list price of $29.99, and paperback for a list price of $24.99 (ISBN: 978-1-94087-8-799) – available at retailers everywhere now. Link to order.

DEE SNIDER: He’s Not Gonna Take It will be available as a Deluxe Edition for a list price of $99.99 (includes Deluxe Edition Graphic Novel Oversized HC with Slipcase, Signed by Dee Snider, Commemorative Coin, and three Retro Dee Snider Commemorative Art Prints), hardcover for a list price of $29.99, and paperback for a list price of $24.99 (ISBN: 979-8-88656-030-5) – available at retailers everywhere on November 21, 2023. Preorder link.

HALESTORM: Hyde Manor is now available as a Deluxe Edition Oversized Hardcover (includes Graphic Novel Slipcase, Lzzy Hale / Ms. Hyde two-sided coin, Lzzy Hale / Ms. Hyde Collector’s Card in plastic frame, 3-Piece Exclusive Art Print Set – limited run of 999) for a list price of $99.99, Super Deluxe Edition (includes Oversized Hardcover Hand-Signed by the members of Halestorm, Graphic Novel Slipcase, Lzzy Hale / Ms. Hyde two-sided coin, Lzzy Hale / Ms. Hyde Collector’s Card in plastic frame, exclusive Halestorm Deck of Cards, 3-piece exclusive Art Print Set – limited run of 500) for a list price of $199.99, hardcover for a list price of $29.99, and paperback for a list price of $24.99 (ISBN: 978-1-95492-853-4) – available at retailers everywhere now. Link to order.

The Illustrated Al: The Songs of “Weird Al” Yankovic is now available as a Deluxe Edition Oversized Hardcover (includes Graphic Novel Slipcase by Josh Bernstein, 3-piece Art Print Set by Jesse Phillips, and “Weird Al” Yankovic wax pack of Al’s collector’s cards by Danny Hellman – limited run of 1999) for a list price of $99.99, and hardcover for a list price of $29.99 (ISBN: 978-1-95492-864-0) – available at retailers everywhere now. Link to order.

PANTERA: Vulgar Display of Power is now available as a Deluxe Edition Oversized Hardcover (includes Graphic Novel Slipcase, Limited Edition Vinyl LP in ‘Blood Splatter’ with Sleeve Artwork Inspired by the Paul Booth Graphic Novel Cover Artwork, and 3-piece Art Print Set by Erik Rodriguez, Danijel Zezelj and Alan Robert – limited run of 1999) for a list price of $99.99, Platinum Edition (includes Oversized Hardcover Hand-Signed by the members of Pantera, Graphic Novel Slipcase, Limited Edition Vinyl LP in ‘Blood Splatter’ with Sleeve Artwork Inspired by the Paul Booth Graphic Novel Cover Artwork, and 3-piece Art Print Set by Erik Rodriguez, Danijel Zezelj and Alan Robert, Punch-Action Pantera Resin Statue, and Pantera Sticker Set – limited run of 500) for a list price of $199.99, hardcover for a list price of $29.99 (ISBN: 978-1-95492-857-2) – available at retailers everywhere now. Link to order. 

Heavy Metal Meets Comics

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Official Press Release

Life of Agony founding member hosts cover contest for first issue of
new twisted miniseries: Wire Hangers

Coming in April

Wire Hangers cover contest imageSan Diego, CA (February 17, 2010) – Alan Robert, Life of Agony bassist and Spoiler NYC front man, and IDW Publishing together present a new horror comic series, Wire Hangers. This four-issue miniseries is a multi-layered story of kidnapping, murder, revenge and government conspiracies. Wire Hangers will debut in April with a 32-page, ad-free first issue. Pill-popping detectives, corrupt secret agents and a mysterious, disfigured homeless man are only a few of the characters greeting readers in the first issue.

To commemorate this first issue, IDW and Robert are inviting fans to join this cast of characters on the cover. Robert will randomly select one lucky winner, who will have their face drawn into the cover. All interested fans must submit their name, age, email address and name of their local comic book store to WireHangerscomic.com/contest by Friday, February 19, 2010 at 5:00 pm PST. In addition to getting their face on the cover, the winner’s local comic store will be mentioned on the inside front cover of the issue.

Created, written and illustrated by Robert, Wire Hangers follows a twisted tale of serial kidnappings and murders in New York City and the cop assigned to solve the case. Nelson DeCastro (Marvel Masterpieces) will provide gripping covers. Explains Robert, “There is a lot of big reveals in the book, so I don’t want to give too much away, but the basic premise is that the kidnappings seem random, so it’s even scarier for the public. The mayor puts a once-known hero cop on the case, but he isn’t the hero cop he once was, and so there’s a lot of twists and turns.”

Robert is best known for being the primary songwriter for Life of Agony‘s River Runs Red album, but he is also an accomplished artist. Robert studied cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, under Walter Simonson (The Mighty Thor) and has had his work appear on ad campaigns, merchandise and web sites for 3 Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd and Shinedown.

“I really can’t express how excited I am to finally see this idea come to life. I’ve been a huge comic book fan since I was just a kid and so to finally create my own original comic series is a dream come true,” added Robert. “Releasing it through IDW is the icing on the cake. They’ve put out some of my favorite books, like 30 Days of Night and Welcome to Hoxford. It’s a real honor to have Wire Hangers appear alongside those titles.”

Visit IDWPublishing.com to sign up for updates and learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

Wire Hangers #1 (of 5, $3.99, 32 page ad free, full color) will be available in stores in April. Diamond order code FEB10 0963.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and television’s #1 prime time series CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; YOE Books, a partnership with YOE! Studios; and is the print publisher for ComicMix.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.