Matteo Pizzolo’s ‘Rogue State’ Gets A Special Three-Part Variant From Public Enemy’s Chuck-D

by Richard Bruton

The hip-hop legend behind Public Enemy will contribute a triptych cover for Matteo Pizzolo’s vision of a dystopian present in Rogue State.

Coming out from Black Mask Studios on November 9th, Rogue State speculates on an all-too believable situation where America is riven by political turmoil leading to a paramilitary police state opposed only by a new civilian army.

It’s scary how rooted in events the synopsis for Pizzolo’s new comic appears to be. Take a read of Black Mask’s PR and see if a shiver doesn’t run down your spine…

“What if a contested Presidential election plunged America into turmoil? What if political violence consumed the streets? And what if a raging Supreme Court, in a strict interpretation of the Second Amendment, legitimized and deputized all militias—transforming the entire country into a paramilitary police state? What if a freedom fighter emerged from the chaos, raised a civilian army, and carved out a territory across the United States–pushing out police, militias, and National Guard… enforcing its own laws… sovereign. What if Americans refused to be governed?”

Yep, doesn’t sound all that far fetched does it?

Anyway, that’s the world of Pizzolo’s Rogue State, the new ongoing graphic novel series that marks the writer’s return to comics for his first new series since 2017’s acclaimed Calexit. For Rogue State, he’ll be reuniting with artist C. Granda (who illustrated 2018’s Calexit: San Diego comic book that raised funds for families separated at the US-Mexico border) and Calexit cover artists Soo Lee and Ashley A Woods.

Rogue State launches with a special variant cover drawn by hip hop legend Chuck D of Public Enemy, himself an accomplished artist.

“The concepts Matt is presenting here are so familiar they should be terrifying. I thought the concept that there are good people out there but are surrounded by adversaries, even though they might look normal, was radical. Plus, it had a throwback to the last century kind of vibe mixed in.” – Chuck D

“Chuck’s illustration so perfectly captures the book’s vibe of feeling trapped in a cauldron of turmoil but not giving in to the chaos, still rising against it. Chuck is the preeminent incendiary storyteller, for decades through music and visual art as well, so to see the world of ROGUE STATE through his eyes is mind-bending. Of course it’s powerful and booming and bold and fearless, it’s Chuck D.” – Matteo Pizzolo

In addition to appearing as a cover, Chuck D’s illustration will also be inside the book itself as a street-art mural, in an homage to the Mission District’s history of socially-engaged public art.

“We set out to make Rogue State a comic that’s politically charged but is optimistic and celebrates the history of radical art and street art. At first, Chuck was going to do one cover, but he went far beyond with this panorama of our modern hellscape, and as soon as I saw it I realized that it needed to be part of the story world itself. It’s like the most raging street art, and it conveys the inferno of horrors we all have burning away in our minds. The story is about staying hopeful enough to keep fighting, and Chuck captures that too. His work is never about wallowing in the turmoil, it’s a call to arms.” – Matteo Pizzolo

Here’s each part of Chuck D’s cover…