Passing The Briefcase To The Next Generation — ‘The Blues Brothers: The Escape Of Joliet Jake’

The Blues Brothers universe will come roaring back to life over the next few years with forays into television, film, live events, music and more. The first IP offering will be The Blues Brothers: The Escape Of Joliet Jake.​ The original graphic novel will feature a script by Stella Aykroyd, Luke Pisano, and James Werner, with art by Felipe Sobriero. 

The Blues Brothers: The Escape of Joliet Jake is intended as a love letter and sequel to the original Blues Brothers film. With editorial oversight by Dan Aykroyd, the creative team has taken utmost care to ensure this new chapter is true to the classic skits, legendary film, and iconic albums. 

The result is a wild and entertaining ride for longtime fans and those new to the world of “Joliet” Jake and his brother Elwood. This project was originally conceived with the architect of The Blues Brothers, Judy Belushi Pisano, who sadly passed away during the book’s production.

“The Blues Brothers weren’t just a SNL act or movie. They were real musicians, in awe of the legends who came before them,” shares Luke Pisano. “This book is a continuation of that labor of love. This book is dedicated to my mother, Judy Belushi Pisano, (who was) the widow of John Belushi and the fierce, loving steward of the Blues Brothers legacy for over 40 years. 

“After John’s passing, she didn’t just preserve the story—she expanded it. With the team at Z2, and with the talents of Stella and James, we finally found the right partners to make that dream turn reality. I am proud—and humbled—to continue her work in expanding this world of fun, music, and mischievousness.”

“It makes complete sense to me that the new generation of Blues Brothers will begin in comic book form, where the possibilities for destroying police cars is infinite, physics have no bounds, and the potential for jam partners is off the charts,” James​ Werner points out. “The Blues Brothers universe is full of music and absurdity. Jake and Elwood are FINALLY reuniting , and I am forever grateful that Luke and Stella have asked me to join the band.”

“Elwood and Jake are precious to me, in fact, one of them is actually my Dad,”  Stella Aykroyd adds. “I’ve helped him sharpie “ELWO OD” onto his knuckles before Blues Brothers shows with ‘Brother Zee,’ I’ve walked behind him as he’s made his way through a sea of fans dressed as Elwood and Jake all over the world and I’ve been his co-pilot on the road, where he’s explained to me the proper way to T-bone a car. 

“Now, with Elwood, and the one and only ‘Sister Zee’,​Judy Belushi’s blessing, Luke, James, and I take the wheel and  swerve into the endless possibilities that Z2, Felipe Sobreiro, and the comic book world provide for Jake and Elwood. In many ways the antics we’ve seen from the Blues Brothers have always been perfectly suited for the comic strip; flying cars, supernatural nuns, dusting an entire apartment building worth of bricks off your shoulders, and now Felipe Sobreiro’s illustrations bring them to life once again.  

“Our development process was guided and inspired by the stories and real life occurrences from the lives of Judy, John, and Dan and their process of conception of the Blues Brothers and using it not only for easter eggs but for plot points. I am so excited to share this whole new story with all our music loving anarchists.”

The Blues Brothers: The Escape of Joliet Jake is available to pre-order via Amazon or Barnes and Noble at this link.