Anthrax have announced that their upcoming Among the Living graphic novel will arrive July 6th. The thrash heroes also shared a lineup of each chapter and the respective writers and artists.
The band previously announced the comic tie-in to their seminal 1987 album, which follows a track-by-track storyline narrated by Anthrax mascot “The Not Man”. Guitarist and longtime comic book fan Scott Ian wrote an original story for the book based on the album’s classic song “I Am the Law” and the legendary Judge Dredd. Anthrax bassist Frank Bello, Rob Zombie (whose chapter we previewed at Heavy Consequence), Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, My Chemical Romance’s Gerard and Mikey Way, and metalhead comedian Brian Posehn, among others, also penned stories for the anthology.
The graphic novel fulfills a longtime passion for the members of Anthrax, who grew up consuming the classic heroes of the golden era of comic books.
“I grew up with Marvel and DC, and they were part of my life from the time I was four or five years old,” said Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. “My mom worked at Primrose Bakery on Tremont Avenue in New York, and when I’d go to work with her, I’d sit in the back with the bakers. I’d read and draw the superheroes from the comics she would buy for me from this little shop just a couple of doors down. I’ve loved everything about comic books and the neighborhood comic book stores ever since.”
To support comic shops — which were hit particularly hard by the pandemic — Anthrax and partner Z2 Comics shipped a surprise, limited number of early copies for brick-and-mortar stores to sell as soon as this week. Pre-orders direct from Z2 are shipping now, with a universal release of July 6th.
It’s a good time to be an Anthrax fan. After taking things patiently for the past year, the band is now set to host its 40th anniversary livestream featuring a setlist of deep cuts and fan favorites on July 16th. Anthrax have been curating a video series of testimonials from friends and industry luminaries leading up to the virtual event.
You can order a copy of the Among the Living graphic novel via Z2 Comics or from your local comic shop. See the full lineup of artists and writers for the full anthology below, as well as the alternative covers and the artwork for a couple of the Rob Zombie pages that we previously unveiled.
Among the Living Graphic Novel Chapters:
01. Among the Living
Writer: Brian Posehn
Artist: Scott Koblish and Aladdin Collar
02. Caught in a Mosh
Writer: Gerard and Mikey Way
Artist: Darick Robertson, Phillip Sevy and Aladdin Collar
03. I Am the Law (featuring Judge Dredd)
Writer: Scott Ian
Artist: Chris Weston and Aladdin Collar
04. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
Writer: Rick Remender and Joe Trohman
Artist: Roland Boschi and Dan Brown
05. A Skeleton in the Closet
Writer: Corey Taylor
Artist: Maan House
06. Indians
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Freddie Williams II and Andrew Dalhouse
07. One World
Writer: Frank Bello
Artist: Andy Belanger and Tatto Caballero
08. A.D.I./Horror of It All
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Dave Johnson
09. Imitation of Life
Writer: Rob Zombie
Artist: Erik Rodriguez and Steve Chanks
