“When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books and I was the hero of the comic book…so every dream I’ve dreamed has come true a hundred times.” Elvis Presley (1971 Top Ten Outstanding Man of America award)
Elvis The King and Comic Books
Don’t tell Bubba, but he’s going to be in the funny pages. Well, maybe not the actual funny pages but at least in comic books. Liquid Comics just announced they have licensed the name, image and likeness of Elvis Presley from Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE, Inc.) in order to produce Graphic Elvis, a unique illustrated anthology inspired by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
“Elvis Presley transcended every entertainment medium he touched, from music to movies to concerts, and now, graphic novels,” said Liquid Comics Co-founder and CEO, Sharad Devarajan. “We are honored to be working with EPE Inc. on this iconic celebration of Elvis’ legacy. Through his personal reflections and archives we hope to allow Elvis’ creativity to be channeled through the inspiring visuals from some of the most acclaimed creators in graphic fiction.”
Graphic Elvis will combine original pieces of artwork from leading international comic book artists with photos, quotes and even notes written by Elvis himself. Scheduled to be released in time to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death in April 2012, Graphic Elvis celebrates his lifelong appreciation of comic books.
Elvis illustrated
Comic books are sometimes credited as sources of inspiration for Elvis’ unique sense of personal style not to mention his on-stage fashion sense. They also impacted the man off stage. Perhaps now he is in some way returning the favor, not just to with the artists involved, but also to their fans and a future generation of comic book artists and reader too young to remember The King.
Graphic Elvis will enable today’s premiere comic book artists to draw inspiration from Elvis’ treasured archives at Graceland in order to create a unique and new visual experience for fans. Among the graphic novel artists participating in the Graphic Elvis project are: Paul Pope, Greg Horn, Jeevan Kang and Mukesh Singh. Pope is an Eisner Award winning artists and writer perhaps best known for his Batman: Year 100 mini-series from DC Comics and his “cutie-pie” manga SuperTrouble for Kodnasha. Digital painter Horn is widely recognized for his comic book covers and pin-up girl styled female characters. Kang creates art for Vertigo Comics in India and is the artist responsible to the Spider-Man India comic. Singh, who went from gaming to comic books, is currently senior illustrator and concept artist for Liquid Comics. Graphic Elvis will be edited by Devarajan and Liquid Comics co-founder, Gotham Chopra.
“We are very excited to work with Liquid Comics on such a unique book that we are certain Elvis’ fans are going to love,” said Carol Butler, Vice President of Worldwide Licensing for EPE. “The Images we’ve seen so far do an amazing job of representing the spirit, energy and the passion of Elvis that continues to create new fans around the world today. “We can’t wait to see what fantastic imagery will be created by the time the book is completed.”
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