Revolutionary Comics
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Revolutionary Comics was an American
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
publisher specializing in unauthorized profiles of entertainers and professional athletes, as well as a line of
erotic comics Erotic comics are adult comics which focus substantially on nudity and sexual activity, either for their own sake or as a major story element. As such they are usually not permitted to be sold to legal minors. Like other genres of comics, they c ...
. Its flagship series was '' Rock 'N' Roll Comics''. Founded by Todd Loren, Revolutionary Comics was based in
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
.


History


Origins

After some success with Musicade, a
mail order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing an order by telephone call ...
music
memorabilia A souvenir (French language, French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memory, memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collecte ...
company, Loren formed Revolutionary Comics in 1989. The publisher's first title was '' Rock 'N' Roll Comics'', a line of unauthorized comic book biographies of rock stars prompted in part by the success of a 1986
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
parody comic called ''Hey Boss''.


''Rock 'N' Roll Comics''

Early issues of ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics'' contained straight biographies in comic form and '' Mad'' magazine-style parodies. The parodies were later dropped. The line featured unlicensed
biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...
of rock stars, told in comic book form but geared for adults, often with very adult situations (nudity, drug use, violence, etc.).Peisneraug, David
"Part Ramones Biography, Part Dreamscape,"
''New York Times'' (Aug. 8, 2013).
The comic sported a cover tagline reading "Unauthorized and Proud of it." Some musicians featured in the comic were supportive, while others threatened legal action. The resulting media exposure garnered ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics'' huge sales of their early issues. A later injunction"Rock 'N Roll Comics Distribution Interrupted," ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', #829 (Oct. 6, 1989), p. 1, 28. led the company to expand its distribution network outside traditional comic shops, getting their products into music and gift retail outlets which had never carried comics before. This independence from the comic book
direct market The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for American comic books. The concept of the direct market was created in the 1970s by Phil Seuling. The network currently consists of: * three major comic distributors: ** Luna ...
served the company well, as sales continued to rise from issue to issue. Revolutionary's only other title at first was the bimonthly ''Tipper Gore's Comics and Stories'', an EC-inspired horror anthology which lasted five issues. Other one-shots and short-lived titles followed, but the heart of the company was ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics'', which continued to sell large quantities.


Expansion

By the early nineties, Revolutionary Comics was among the top three selling independent comic companies in the U.S. Loren brought on his father, Herb Shapiro, to be vice president of the growing company, while Jay Allen Sanford, who'd worked for Loren's Musicade and was writing for ''Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics'', became the line's head writer. New music titles were launched, most notably ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics Magazine'' and ''Hard Rock Comics'', as well as a line of "Experience" limited series, on such subjects as
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
,
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
, and
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
(the latter of which the band liked well enough to include in their official '' Shine On'' CD box set). In 1991, Revolutionary started a line of unauthorized sports biographical comics, which eventually included such titles as ''Baseball Superstars Comics'', ''Baseball Legends Comics'', ''Sports Superstars Comics'', and ''Sports Legends Comics''.


Carnal Comics

In 1991 Loren launched
Carnal Comics Carnal Comics is an American adult comics imprint established in 1992. Carnal Comics' flagship title is ''Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars'', which features autobiographies co-created with porn stars. Since the line’s inception, ...
, an adults-only imprint, to publish Lyndal Ferguson's erotic anthology series ''Sexpot'',
SS Crompton Steven S. Crompton is a Canadian-born artist, author and designer who has worked in the role-playing and comic genres since 1981. In the gaming industry he is best known as the artist for the '' Grimtooth's Traps'' books as well as other ''Catal ...
's '' Demi the Demoness'', and Allen Salyer's ''Pineapple Perfume''. Printer troubles led to some delays, but the first three Carnal Comics titles were released all at once in 1992. All only lasted a single issue.


Loren murder and company reorganization

Company founder Tood Loren was murdered in June 1992. Despite this tragedy, the company continued for two more years under Loren's father Herb Shapiro, with Sanford serving as managing editor. During those years, the band
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
participated in a three-issue biographical series called ''Kiss Pre-History,'' and other new music titles were launched, such as ''British Invasion'' and ''Alternative Comics'' (not to be confused with the Florida-based publishing company of the same name founded around the same time). The erotic imprint's next title, the
limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
''Carnal Comics: Sarah Jane Hamilton'' was also successful, selling in numbers almost as high as ''Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics'' (which, while in decline, along with all U.S. comics publishers at the time, were still selling 15,000 to 20,000 copies per issue). The Hamilton limited series was the last title published by Revolutionary.


Dissolution and legacy

Herb Shapiro decided to close the company in summer 1994, in part because of debt accrued by a failed color sports comic line. In the end, Revolutionary published more than 300 individual issues. Under the banner Re-Visionary Press, Sanford continued to publish the Carnal Comics imprint; he later oversaw reprints of Revolutionary titles in digital editions and graphic novels licensed in the U.S. and overseas, including a 2014 ''Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics'' series licensed to Croatian publishers. Sanford and Herb Shapiro kept the Revolutionary archive intact, including over 9,000 pages of original interior artwork, around 250 original cover paintings and illustrations, and all of the scripts, production materials, and printer film used to produce the comics. The copyrights and trademarks to all of the titles Revolutionary produced are also maintained, allowing for digital distribution via
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
,
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, and other online outlets, where the comics continue to be popular with fans of both the subjects and offbeat comic books.


Bluewater Productions collections

In September 2009, publisher Bluewater Productions announced it would be reprinting Revolutionary's line of music comics (including stories from ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics'') in ten monthly volumes, averaging 250 pages each. The first collections were '' The Beatles Experience'' and ''Hard Rock Heroes'', released in early 2010. Many of Revolutionary's original creators participated in updating and modernizing the contents of the musical comic bios. The reprints and updates were supervised by long-time ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics'' writer/editor Jay Allen Sanford. Ultimately, Bluewater released seven titles from 2010–2012:Sanford, Jay Allen
"No more Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics reprint editions from Bluewater Productions,"
''San Diego Reader'' blog (March 23, 2013).
* ''The Beatles Experience'' (Feb. 2010), 240 pp. * ''Hard Rock Heroes'' (Apr. 2010), 240 pp. — with
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
,
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
,
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
/
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
,
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
,
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
, Spirit,
Queensrÿche Queensrÿche () is an American progressive metal band. It formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. The band has released 16 studio albums, one Extended play, EP, and several DVDs, and continues to tour and record ...
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Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
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ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...
* ''
The Runaways The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...
:
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...
Lita Ford Lita Rossana Ford (born September 19, 1958) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the lead guitarist for the all-female rock band the Runaways in the late 1970s, and then embarked on a successful glam metal solo career tha ...
'' (Aug. 2010), 32 pp. * ''The Pink Floyd Experience'' (Sept. 2010), 150 pp. * ''The Led Zeppelin Experience'' (Nov. 2010), 150 pp. * ''The Elvis Presley Experience'' (Mar. 2011), 210 pp. * ''
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
: the Biography!'' (Feb. 2012), 32 pp. Two other projected volumes, ''Rock 'N' Roll Cartoon History: The Sixties''; and ''Rock 'N' Roll Cartoon History: The Seventies'', remain unpublished.


Legal challenges

The unauthorized nature of Revolutionary's biographical titles, despite the company's commitment to journalistic reporting, led to legal issues from the beginning. Loren billed his company as an advocate for
free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognise ...
, and made his case in court in a number of decisions. ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics'' #1, cover-dated June 1989, resulted in a
cease and desist order A cease and desist letter is a document sent by one party, often a business, to warn another party that they believe the other party is committing an unlawful act, such as copyright infringement, and that they will take legal action if the other ...
from the subject band,
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
. No lawsuit was filed in that case, and resulting media coverage led to the comic going into multiple printings. ''Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics'' #3 and #4, on
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...
and
Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...
, respectively (cover-dated Sept. 1989 and Oct. 1989), did result in legal challenges over merchandising rights, which the company circumvented by distributing the comics through alternative routes. ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics'' #8, featuring
Skid Row A skid row, also called skid road, is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to people who are poor or homeless, considered disre ...
, was never published, due to a similar injunction related to merchandising rights.Herrmann, Brenda
"Rockin' Comics: Super Heroes Of Music Play An Exciting New Venue — the World Of Cartoons,"
''Chicago Tribune'' (October 20, 1991).
''Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics'' #12 (June 1990), an
unauthorized biography An unauthorized biography, sometimes called a kiss-and-tell, or a tell-all, is a biography written without the subject's permission or input. The term is usually restricted to biographies written within the subject's lifetime or shortly after ...
of
New Kids on the Block New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block had ...
, led to a lawsuit. Loren claimed the
First Amendment First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
protected the journalistic rights of his "illustrated articles" and he took the matter to the U.S. District Court in California. In April 1990, U.S. District Judge John S. Rhoades declared that ''Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics'' #12 could be distributed because it is “part biography and part satire.” The judge's 12-page ruling stated that “bookstores are filled with biographies — both authorized and unauthorized — of public figures. And, while the subjects of such biographies may be offended by the publication of their life stories, they generally have no claim for trademark infringement.” Rhoades’ ruling also stated, “It appears that the First Amendment may trump any claim that the plaintiffs have for trademark infringement.” The resultant order stated that Winterland Concessions Co. failed to show that the case met the standards required to issue a preliminary injunction. This dissolved the temporary restraining order prohibiting distribution. New Kids responded by filing suit for
trademark infringement Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attached to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees (provided that such authorization was within the scope of the licence). Infringement may occ ...
since its logo appeared in the comic. A settlement between New Kids and Revolutionary was reached in August 1990. It permanently enjoined Revolutionary from “advertising, manufacturing, distributing and/or selling or otherwise commercially exploiting any publication displaying the trademark and/or logo of the New Kids on the Block, either as a group or individually.” Loren promptly reprinted the New Kids story in magazine format (''Rock 'N' Roll Comics Magazine''), without depicting the band's logo. The lawsuits garnered Revolutionary worldwide press, eventually resulting in high sales for an independent comics publisher. ''Rock 'N' Roll Comics'' #61, about the band
Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...
, and scheduled for July 1993 release, was blocked from publication. Revolutionary's sports titles also faced legal challenges. In 1993, the company lost a lawsuit filed by the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
's
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
over the use of the team's logo in one of Revolutionary's sports comics. In 1994, the company settled a suit brought by football player
Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Co ...
based on one of its comics.


Documentary film

In 2005, BulletProof Film released a documentary titled ''Unauthorized and Proud Of It: Todd Loren’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics.'' The documentary features interviews with Loren's family, surviving "Revolutionaries," comic book colleagues, adversaries, supporters, and past and present rock 'n' roll stars featured in Revolutionary's comics. Appearing in the film are
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
, publishers
Gary Groth Gary Groth (born September 18, 1954) is an American comic book editor, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of ''The Comics Journal'', a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books, and founder of the Harvey Awards. Early life Groth is the son ...
(
Fantagraphics Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and (formerly) the Erotic comics, erotic Eros Comix imprint. They have managed sev ...
) and
Denis Kitchen Denis Kitchen (born August 27, 1946) is an American underground cartoonist, publisher, author, agent, and the founder of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Early life Kitchen grew up in Wisconsin, attending William Horlick High School, Raci ...
(
Kitchen Sink Press Kitchen Sink Press was a comic book publishing company founded by Denis Kitchen in 1970. Kitchen Sink Press was a pioneering publisher of underground comics, and was also responsible for numerous republications of classic comic strips in hardcov ...
), famed groupie
Cynthia Plaster Caster Cynthia Dorothy Albritton (May 24, 1947 – April 21, 2022), better known by the pseudonym Cynthia Plaster Caster, was an American visual artist and self-described "recovering groupie" who gained fame for creating plaster casts of celebrities' ...
, underground painter and cover artist
Robert Williams Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob or Bobby Williams may refer to: Architecture * Train %26 Williams#Robert Edmund Williams, Robert Edmund Williams (1874–1960), Canadian-American architect * Robert Williams (architect) (1848–1918), Welsh architect a ...
(known for his controversial album art for the first
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
LP), Jay Allen Sanford,
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; ; born August 25, 1949) also known by his stage persona "The Demon", is an Israeli-born American musician. He was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss, which he co-founded wit ...
(audio only), and more. The documentary also details the San Diego police department's investigation into Loren's murder; interviews with Loren's coworkers and family members suggest that the police failed to follow up on all available leads. The documentary was released on DVD in April 2012 by Wild Eye Releasing, under the title ''Unauthorized: The Story of Rock 'N' Roll Comics.'' The DVD includes over two hours of bonus footage, interviews, news footage, and art galleries, and liner notes by Sanford.


Titles published (selected)


Music

* ''The Beatles Experience'' (8 issues, Mar. 1991–May 1992) * ''The Elvis Presley Experience'' (7 issues, Aug. 1992–Apr. 1994) * ''Elvis Shrugged'' (3 issues, 1991; one-shot, 1993) * ''Hard Rock Comics'' (20 issues, Mar. 1992–Nov. 1993) * ''Kiss Pre-History'' (3 issues, 1993) * ''The Led Zeppelin Experience'' (4 issues, 1992–1993) * ''The Pink Floyd Experience'' (5 issues, 1991–1992) * '' Rock 'N' Roll Comics'' (63 issues, July 1989–Nov. 1993) * ''Rock N' Roll Comics Magazine'' (7 issues, July 1990–Nov. 1992)


Entertainers and politicians

* ''Contemporary Bio-Graphics'' (8 issues, 1991–1992) * ''Star Jam Comics'' (10 issues, Apr. 1992–Mar. 1993)


Sports

* ''Baseball Legends Comics'' (19 issues, Mar. 1992–Sept. 1993) * ''Baseball Superstars Comics'' (20 issues, Nov. 1991–Aug. 1993) * ''Sports Legends Comics'' (11 issues, 1992–May 1993) * ''Sports Superstars Comics'' (16 issues, Apr. 1992–Aug. 1993)


Other titles

* ''Tipper Gore's Comics and Stories'' (5 issues, Oct. 1989–July 1990) * ''Carnal Comics: Sarah-Jane Hamilton'' (May–July 1994)


See also

* Personality Comics


References


Notes


Sources

* * * * * *


External links

* *
An interview with Jay Allen Sanford
on Cosmic Book News'', 2010
"Rock 'N' Roll Comics: The Inside Story"
''San Diego Reader'' blog (September 12, 2007).
"Komplete Kiss Comix Kronicles,"
''San Diego Reader'' blog (September 12, 2007). {{Comic book publishers in North America navbox Comics based on musical groups Defunct comics and manga publishing companies Comic book publishing companies of the United States 1989 establishments in California 1994 disestablishments in California Companies based in San Diego Companies disestablished in 1994 Defunct privately held companies of the United States Erotic comics Privately held companies based in California Publishing companies established in 1989