Blondie have teamed up with Z2 comics for Against the Odds, a new graphic novel out this fall.
The novel is co-written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti — who previously relaunched the Harley Quinn series for DC Comics — and illustrated by John McCree. It chronicles the New Wave band’s rise from the downtown Manhattan clubs to stardom in the late Seventies, which Palmiotti was there to witness.
“I spent many a late night checking out the music scene when punk and New Wave were becoming a thing in the late Seventies and have seen Blondie perform a number of times when they started and many times after,” Palmiotti tells Rolling Stone. “I was the perfect fan in every way. I loved the music, was a vinyl junkie, and collected just about everything related to the band that there was.”
“I didn’t grow up in New York,” adds Conner. “I was in the suburbs. But the whole suburban girl who moves to the city to make it big (like Debbie), and mix it up with some very cool people pretty much inspired my life. Those are some of the parts I’m going to be bringing to the book. I think Debbie [Harry] and her attitude and her style have been influencing and inspiring my art and characters for years. Harley included!”
Harry and Chris Stein are overseeing the creation of Against the Odds, from historical details to the dialogue. “They are looking over everything we are writing, fact-checking, and adding some perspective that only they can provide, giving the book a certain edge and feel like no other,” Palmiotti says. “With both Amanda and I being fans, the whole experience has been quite surreal and a total pleasure on so many levels. All we want is to do them justice and create a unique visual storytelling that matches the attitude and music of the band. This whole project is a big deal for us.”
Against the Odds will be released in a variety of formats that include soft, hardcover, and deluxe editions, the latter of which contains Blondie 1974-1982: Against the Odds, the band’s upcoming archival box set. You can preorder on Z2 Comic’s site.
From Rolling Stone US
