Elisabeth Garber-Paul
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Johnny Cash, May 10, 1976. CBS/Getty Images Johnny Cash was a lot of things — devout Christian, country superstar, anti-Vietnam activist, variety show host. But folks might not remember him as the writer and star of his own comic book, Hello, I’m Johnny Cash. Now, that little-known comic is getting a 50th-anniversary rerelease from Z2 Comics, set to come out on Wednesday, Sept. 23, which is Local Comic Store Day.
Released in 1976 and cowritten with Evangelical leader Billy Zeoli, Hello, I’m Johnny Cash was an autobiographical look at Cash’s career up to that point, from his early recording career to his marriage to June Carter and the subsequent birth of their children. The comic was an attempt to bring in younger fans, and as such, had a particular focus on his redemption arc, i.e., how he managed to overcome the temptation of illicit drugs and sex, and, thanks in no small part to June Carter, rededicate his life to God.
Z2 Comics Though the original comic was illustrated by Al Hartley, whose unique style made Archie Comics so recognizable, the rerelease will also be available with two alternate covers by renowned cover artists Tim Bradstreet (Vampire: The Masquerade, The Punisher) and Chip Kidd (Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, Haruki Murakami’s IQ84). It will also include an interview with Johnny and June’s son, John Carter Cash, as well as an essay by comic book writer Alex Segura. “It was fairly unusual for musicians to have licensed comic books back in the late Seventies,” John Carter Cash said in a release. “Having people celebrate something as unique as this comic and the continued interest in my father says as much about the fans as it does about him.”
