With the recent success of partnerships with The Doors, Gorillaz, and YUNGBLUD, Z2 Comics has solidified their place as the premier creator of music-affiliated graphic novels. In 2019, the publisher entered into their largest partnership to date chronicling the history of the iconic Grateful Dead. Grateful Dead Origins takes an in depth and personal look at the formation of one of the most important American rock bands of all time, exploring the early days of Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Pigpen, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart. The story of the band’s transformation from a bar band performing as the Warlocks to becoming the creators of their own sound and forefathers for the jamband culture is depicted in the original story written by Chris Miskiewicz and illustrated by Noah Van Sciver. The team behind the book will appear on the publisher’s Comic Con @Home panel on July 23 at 3pm PST, via the official Comic Con YouTube channel!
Grateful Dead Origins will be available in a strictly limited collectors deluxe edition to be released on August 4. The standard softcover edition that will feature an exclusive download of rare selections from the early years of the band. The limited run collector’s deluxe edition will come in a hardcover, oversized, individually-numbered coffee table edition featuring exclusive prints and autographed by the comic creators, along with an exclusive vinyl LP of an unreleased recording from an August 1968 performance at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.