Rock And Roll And Mutated Pig Monsters In “The Rock Gods Of Jackson, Tennessee”

Dark Horse Books presents a rockin’ new tale in The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee. This new graphic novel combines elements of action, adventure, horror, and humor packed in one epic trade paperback book. Rock Gods is created by writer Rafer Roberts, artist Mike Norton, colorist Allen Passalaqua, and letterer Crank!.

It’s 1989 and Jackson, Tennessee’s number one juvenile delinquent, Marty Ward, never wanted to join the Rock Gods. After all, who wants to be in a band with nerds like Jonny, Lenny, and Doug? But after the high schoolers stumble into the gig of a lifetime—opening for local rock legend Tommi Tungstun—the four outcasts must put aside their differences and play together if they want to achieve their dreams of fame, freedom, and popularity.

Standing in these future superstars’ way are: their parents, their teachers, a school full of jerks and bullies, a town full of bad bosses, sanctimonious preachers, and corrupt politicians, each other, and a rampaging horde of mutated monsters tearing through Jackson and eating everything in their path. 

“This is the comic I was born to write,” says writer Rafer Roberts. “Rock Gods is incredibly weird, and a little scary, but it’s also oddly tender and caring.  

“Rock Gods started with Mike throwing ideas at me. His idea about his high school friends starting a rock band (but having to fight monsters instead) seemed like it would be in my wheelhouse. And, like Mike, I was also in a terrible rock band back in high school and thought I might have something to say.”

“The idea of this book was originally to make a serious autobiographical story about my hometown,” adds artist Mike Norton, “but I soon realized that wasn’t as fun as working with Rafer and making stuff up that never happened!”