Read along to The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee with this epic playlist!
Comic writer Rafer Roberts (Grumble, Minecraft: Stories from the Overworld) shares some of the musical inspiration behind his newest action/adventure graphic novel, Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee. This epic saga taps into the nostalgia of teen angst and adolescence, rock and roll culture, and mutated pig monsters! Co-creators on this comic include artist Mike Norton (Grumble, Battlepug, Revival), colorist Allen Passalaqua (JSA, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey) and letterer CRANK! (Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, Rick and Morty).
It’s 1989 and Marty Ward, Jackson, Tennessee’s number one juvenile delinquent, never wanted to join the Rock Gods. After all, who wants to play 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 townful of bad bosses, sanctimonious preachers, corrupt politicians, each other, and a rampaging horde of mutated monsters tearing through Jackson and eating everything in their path.
Check out the playlist details below, and listen now on the Dark Horse Spotify channel!
The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee can be ordered now and/or purchased at comic shops and bookstores. It is available on digital comics platforms as well. Amp up these epic tunes as you read along!
Playlist Intro by Rafer Roberts:
Comics take a long time to make and I have a short attention span, so every comic I write starts with a playlist. That playlist, played every time I sit down to work on that project, becomes like a hypnotic mantra pulling me into a consistent mental state to start working. It sounds way more pretentious than it is. It took a good long while to write The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee, and even I have limits to how many times I can listen to the same song over and over. This playlist ballooned as I kept adding songs, but they’re all on there for a reason. Here’s some selected tracks and why they made the cut.
Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee – Listen on Spotify
“Wasted Years” — Iron Maiden
Finding the correct opening track is critical to the success of any writing project, especially since you’ll be listening to it A LOT. Wasted Years begins with a blistering guitar riff that never gets old and wakes up my brain like a heavy metal alarm clock. And, like all good songs, the lyrics seemed like they were written just for us:
“So understand / Don’t waste your time always searching for those wasted years / Face up, make your stand / And realize you’re living in the golden years.”
“Heavy Duty/Defenders of the Faith”— Judas Priest
If Wasted Years wakes me up, then Heavy Duty gets me to work. Singing along with the pure, unapologetic lyrics works like a daily affirmation, giving me the same unearned confidence as four high school kids who stumble unto the gig of a lifetime. Plus, “Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee” has the same syllable count as “We are defenders of the faith,” so you can change the lyrics if you want.
“I Think We’re Alone Now” — Tiffany; “Bust a Move” — Young MC
Moving away from the metal. The next few songs are for mental time-travel, so I can put on my headphones, close my eyes, and forget for a second that I’m not a kid anymore. For some folks, smell unlocks memories. For me, it’s music. Even though it’s a book about mutant pigs terrorizing a town, I didn’t want the kids to feel fake. I needed to remember what it actually felt like to be there then, the unvarnished pure emotional trash that only a song not heard since forever ago can dredge up. Not only were both of these songs INESCAPABLE the years they came out, and not only did I own both on cassingle, but I hadn’t heard either of them in decades. (Ask your parents about cassingles and make them feel old.)
“Trash” — New York Dolls
This felt like a song that Marty, The Rock Gods’ misunderstood juvenile delinquent guitarist, would’ve listened to… if he’d had actual musical taste. (Marty may like Winger, but I’m the one assembling this playlist.)
“The Jack” — AC/DC
A simple song that was easy to play, which meant it made it on my high school band’s set list. It’s the kind of song that The Rock Gods would play. One of the songs that most got on my nerves over time, to be honest. Maybe I should’ve gone with Big Balls.
“Oingo Boingo” — Weird Science
Sometimes the songs on the playlist actually relate to the plot of the thing I’m writing. There’s definitely some “weird science” going on at the cosmetics factory just outside of Jackson!
“Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Hazy Shade of Winter” — The Bangles
More time travel songs. When’s the last time you listened to The Bangles? They’re even better than you remember.
“Russian Folk Themes” and “Ode to Joy” — Pete Seeger
