Legendary So-Cal band announces first-ever graphic novel
Sublime has teamed with Z2 Comics for their first-ever graphic novel that chronicles the misadventures of one of the most defining bands of the last three decades. The Ryan Cady-written novel — Sublime: $5 at the Door — clocks in at 120 pages and will be available in soft and hardback editions in comic shops and bookstores in June 2021. Special super deluxe and deluxe editions are available via the Z2 website and include a special first-time vinyl edition of Doin’ Time EP, exclusive prints, Lou-Dog toy and more.
The laid-back Long Beach trio spawned an entire genre — fusing reggae grooves, punk grittiness, ska energy, back-porch folk introspection, and hip-hop swagger.
Those disparate sounds first collided back in 1988, when the gregarious Bradley Nowell paired up with a sturdy, simpatico rhythm section — bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh — and quickly amassed a cult following in the SoCal scene. Sublime found their niche at house parties: uniting Rastas, surfers, skaters, frat boys, cholos and ink-covered outcasts with a free-flowing melting pot approach that, much like the region itself, was impossible to pigeonhole. The band goes from playing backyard parties and selling cassettes out of the trunks of their cars to creating an entirely new and revolutionary blend of chart topping music.
Xanadu meets Superbad in this heartfelt anthology of Sublime legends brought to life by Ryan Cady (Green Lantern, Poppy’s Inferno), Audrey Mok (Archie), Alex Diotto (Youth), Hayden Sherman (Angel & Spike), Logan Faerber (‘Namwolf), rising stars Bill Masuku, Robert Ahmad, and more. Featuring brand-new cover artwork by Sublime family members Opie Ortiz and DJ Product©1969! Plus: the one and only Lou-Dog!
“When you grow up in SoCal like I did, Sublime’s music is this powerful background radiation, permeating the culture” says writer Ryan Cady. “You hear it everywhere. Opie’s sun is everywhere–stickers of it slapped on taco stand walls, sharpie-tagged inside of every high school bathroom, screen-printed in every possible iteration. I saw these guys like neighbors, and as I research the human moments underneath their phenomenon with Bud and Eric, I get to share that feeling with everyone who picks up the book.”
“The gritty California sounds of Sublime transcended location and musical genres to foster a state of mind in listeners from coast to coast and beyond,” adds Publisher Josh Frankel. “Our book will highlight Sublime’s vast musical influences and behind-the-scenes stories, all centered around the unbreakable bonds of friendship, and continuing in the tradition of essential graphic biopics we established with our Grateful Dead and Charlie Parker releases last year.”
Decades after Nowell’s untimely death, they remain an institution: They’ve sold over 20 million albums to date; their music still fills the airwaves and their merchandise, emblazoned with the iconic sun logo, dominates sales at retailers across America.
Most importantly, the music remains timeless — a rite of passage for misfit listeners who refuse to color within the lines of conventional genre.
