Official CBGB Graphic Novels Coming In 2027 From Z2 Comics

Posted in: Comics | Tagged: cbgb, graphic novel, new york, z2

Official CBGB Graphic Novels coming in 2027 from Z2 Comics with Daniel Kohn and Josh Bernstein

Z2 Comics and CBGB have announced a new official partnership to turn one of American music’s most iconic venues into comic books and graphic novels. The collaboration will explore CBGB’s history, characters, those who played there, and the cultural movements that emerged from the venue, while examining the club’s ongoing relevance for new generations of musicians and fans. The Illustrated History of CBGB, written by Daniel Kohn from Spin and Vice, and Josh Bernstein of Loudwire and Revolver, will be published next year; no artists have been named yet. The “official” stuff might, however, make this less of a critical examination of the club.

CBGB & OMFUG was a New York City music club based at 315 Bowery in the East Village that ran from 1973 to 2006. Founded by Hilly Kristal with Karen Kristal, it became the central hub for the American punk and new wave scenes of the 1970s and later a key venue for New York hardcore in the 1980s. The name originally stood for “Country, Blue Grass, Blues; Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers.” The Ramones debuted in 1974, followed by Blondie, Patti Smith Group, Talking Heads, Mink DeVille, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, the Dead Boys, Dictators, and more the following year. British acts followed, with the Damned becoming the first UK punk band to play there in 1977 followed by Elvis Costello and The Police. The club’s tiny stage, graffiti-covered walls, shared backstage/restroom area, and deliberately unpolished atmosphere fostered a DIY ethos. Media coverage from Punk magazine, SoHo Weekly News, and New York Rocker helped spread the word, and the Ramones‘ 1976 debut album cemented the association. Throughout its run, CBGB was famously filthy. The bathrooms were notorious for their squalor, the floor was famously used by Kristal’s dog as a toilet, the kitchen had issues with rats, ash, and hygiene, and it was noted for reflecting the outside of New York, inside. Violence became a major criticism. Mosh pits and crews led to fights, injuries, including stabbings and bottle attacks, drug use in the bathrooms, and general mayhem inside and outside the club. Kristal temporarily suspended hardcore bookings around 1990 due to the trouble, though the style returned intermittently. Accounts describe the scene turning more aggressive and less inclusive over time, with some original participants noting a shift toward mindless violence that drove people away. By the noughties, the Bowery had gentrified, the landlord sued for $90,000 in back rent, and eventually closed in 2006. Kristal planned to relocate and take fixtures, including the urinals, but he died of lung cancer in August 2007. Family disputes followed over the estate, and the brand itself was sold for merchandise, licensing, an airport restaurant at Newark, radio, and festivals, including one this weekend. And now a graphic novel.

“CBGB has always represented something bigger than a club or physical space,” said Josh Bernstein, President of Z2. “It was the pulsing heart of The Bowery where artists could take risks, where scenes were born, and where generations found their voice. That spirit is incredibly aligned with what we do at Z2. We’re thrilled to partner with CBGB to explore this history through the language of comics and graphic storytelling, while also looking forward and aligning with the CBGB FESTIVAL and what it means to artists and fans today.”

“In everything we do under the CBGB banner, our priority is to not just reconnect with longtime fans, but to also create a connection with a new generation,” said Phil Sandhaus, CBGB Brand Manager. “CBGB has always represented a spirit of creativity, independence and self-expression that continues to influence music, fashion and visual arts. Z2 Comics is totally aligned with blending our nostalgic roots with a modern musical identity with attitude in a visual format.”

Z2 and CBGB Brand are releasing an official CBGB Festival Poster illustrated by HeCreative Studios in the UK. The 11″ x 17″ art prints are available here, with limited copies also for sale at the festival while supplies last.

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