Jeff Rougvie on AllMusicBooks Podcast 9/15/2020
Discussing Gunning For Hits, the forthcoming Rykobook and lots more. Check it out wherever great podcast are found!
Digital Gunning For Hits Kindle / Comixology Sale - only $6.99
The Gunning For Hits Graphic Novel is on sale digitally via Kindle and Comixology for only $6.99.
In addition to being a swell bargain, these platforms are a great way to read comics, as it has (optional) guided view technology, taking you from panel to panel, as opposed to seeing the whole page on one screen. It allows the reader to appreciate the artwork on another level.
Find it on Comixology here
And on Kindle here
Sale ends Thursday, 09/24/2020
Deluxe limited, signed & numbered hardcover edition with Butcher Billy cover art. Debuting at San Diego Comicon on July 17th.
PAPERBACK COLLECTION & DX SIGNED & NUMBERED HARDCOVER @ SDCC
Standard trade paperback edition. At comic shops and from digital providers (kindle & ComiXology) on July 17, available from your local bookseller and Amazon and Barnes & Noble on July 23rd.
Back in 1989, when I first started working with David, before the release of Sound + Vision, we had invested a lot of money (for us) in his catalog. If it hadn’t worked out - if he wasn't self-aware enough to know he needed to take steps to reinvigorate his art - we would’ve gone out of business. For a second I pondered that possibility and the germ of Gunning For Hits was born, and it burned inside me for decades.
30 years later, the loss of many of my heroes in 2016 finally motivated me to bring it to life as a comic book, which I’ve been very fortunate to have published by Image (Walking Dead and Saga, to name a few). They connected me with the amazing artist Moritat, who brought aboard the incredible Casey Silver to color and letter. Now all six issues are collected in a graphic novel so you can read it in one sitting.
If you’re interested in the music business and enjoy shows like Madmen and The Wire, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this book, which crosses crime with an inside-baseball look at the music business. I assume you, it’s a lot better than HBO’s Vinyl.
Here’s the publisher’s blurb: “Record company talent scout Martin Mills jumps at the chance to make a comeback album with his favorite rock legend, Brian Slade. But when it goes sideways, Martin is forced to use deadly skills from his past in a desperate bid to save his reputation, and the artist’s career. Set in the 1980s New York City music scene, this real-world music business crime thriller from writer/music producer JEFF ROUGVIE (David Bowie, Big Star) and artist MORITAT (Spirit, Harley Quinn, Hellblazer). Check out the massive Spotify playlist! Collects GUNNING FOR HITS #1-6.”
Bowie fans will get the Brian Slade reference of course. The book contains an all-new essay answering the much-asked question: “Brian Slade & Brian Slade & David Bowie - Are They The Same Character?” Also included are a new intro and a cover gallery with commentary and gorgeous book design by the Image team including Deanna Phelps, who, like all my collaborators, performed with generous grace under pressure and delivered the goods every time.
Barnes & Noble has picked it as one of the best graphic novels of July and I’ve been truly overwhelmed by the response from the comic community (see some pull quotes below). It’s going to be exciting to see what the larger world makes of it.
“Fucking amazing! This book was phenomenal – above and beyond! 5/5” - Geek Brunch Podcast
“I give GFH 4.8 out of 5 Bowie Blackstars.” - Thecomicslounge
"When Jeff Rougvie describes the '80s record industry as the "only business dirtier than killing people for money" in Gunning For Hits, he's speaking from experience. Only a seasoned A&R pro could so easily weave insider details into this fast-paced tale of ego, power and greed." - S.W. Lauden, author of the Greg Salem Punk Rock PI series and That'll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist
“Rougvie continues to parley his industry experience into platinum level hits. The fully realized characters. The Mad Men-like interactions and A, B, and C plots, and the air of danger and excess that this book breathes make it a must for heavy rotation. This is definitely a book for everyone that absolutely everyone should read.” – Comic Watch
“nearly flawless” – you don’t read comics
“dripping with authenticity. The premise (and the clever title) is very original. The dialogue is West Wing and Mad Men-level good. The theme and feel reads like a Neil Strauss music bio.” – popcult HQ
If you’re attending San Diego Comicon, I’ll be signing the book at the Image Comics booth at the following times:
Thursday 11am
Saturday 11am
Sunday 1pm
If not, I’m planning to do a tour throughout the Northeast celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the Sound + Vision box (!!!) in the fall, and will bring copies of the signed hardcover if any remain.
GFH #6 Today! Contest! Letters! Trade! More!
WHAT’S NEXT? TWITTER ACCOUNT!
Super excited about the end of our first arc - but it’s not all over! The @MartinMillsHits twitter page will ramp up whilst I pound away on my forthcoming history of Rykodisc, “Big Enough To Matter, Small Enough To Care.”
PLAYLIST
Along with this issue we have our usual Spotify playlist update and corresponding liner notes, please enjoy!
BACKMATTER LYRIC CONTEST
We’re also accepting entries for our contest. For those of you who didn’t realize, every issue’s Backmatter was titled, using a modified song lyric. Please enter your guesses via THIS FORM. We’ll pick a random winner from correct entries during SDCC. Win cool prizes!
One example of a backmatter title from Issue 2, collect ‘em all!
LETTERS
LOL, none of ours came in the mail!
Because we jammed SO MUCH into the last issue of GFH, there wasn’t room to print your mail, so we’ll be adding a letters page here, complete with responses, HERE. We will gladly post and respond to subsequent correspondence with our customary fucking good humor.
TRADE COLLECTION
The 160-page (!!!) trade comes in time for SDCC and we’re hoping to have a surprise at the con! Look for hard coverage about that soon!
We tweaked a few things in the trade, and for those of you who dig our backmatter, the trade will have loads of brand new backmatter (it has the story-specific stuff from issues 4/5/6 but NONE of the backmatter from #’s 1/2/3).
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!
Issue 6 - Out June 12, 2019
Image Comics’ Gunning For Hits #6: Surprise Cover By (In)famous Pop Artist Butcher Billy!
Image Comics acclaimed crime and music mash-up, Gunning For Hits, will have a cover by internationally renowned pop artist Butcher Billy.
Mash-ups are the Butcher’s specialty, frequently combining 80s music figures and comic book imagery, making him the perfect cover artist for the last issue of Gunning For Hits first arc. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, NME, Wired, and Vanity Fair. He’s exhibited in London, San Francisco, Miami, Lisbon, Chicago and Dubai.
Created by noted music producer Jeff Rougvie (David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Big Star), Gunning For Hits has been praised as “dripping with authenticity.” Artist Moritat (Harley Quinn, Jonah Hex) and colorist/letterer Casey Silver complete the creative team.
An immersive experience, every issue of GFH has an exclusive background feature and Spotify playlist. The main character’s journals are being excerpted on the twitter account @MartinMillsHits, providing clues about his mysterious past.
From the publisher: Set in the shady New York City music scene of the mid-80s, GUNNING FOR HITS stars Martin Mills, a record company talent scout with an inscrutable past. Follow Martin as he attempts to sign a rock band that’ll conquer the world in this music business crime thriller.
Issue 6: 29 pages of all-new story & backmatter! Brian Slade returns to the stage for a make-or-break worldwide TV broadcast, but not everyone wants him to make it through the show. Billy has that “one bad day” everyone talks about.
Published: June 12, 2019
Diamond ID: APR190145
Age Rating: M
ISSUE 5 - OUT May 8, 2019
COVER BY DAN VEESENMEYER
It all goes crazy.
Publisher’s description:
“Things are working out pretty good for Stunted Growth’s career, but they’ll find a way to screw that up. Things aren’t so hot for Brian Slade, but he’s oblivious, and these are all Martin’s problems anyway.”
This issue has a great cover by Dan Veesenmeyer, former storyboard artist for the X-Men Animated Series, the Batman Animated Sub-Zero movie and currently the artist on many Lego DC & Marvel video games.
Pretty proud of this one - things are going wildly off the rails for Martin, setting up next issue’s climactic last-ditch attempt to save his ass from a myriad of forces conspiring against him. The ending of this issue is as shocking as the first, don’t miss it!
Moritat does it again!
Gunning For Hits #4 Final Cover!
Gunning For Hits #4 coming in April! Martin makes two business trips and an important phone call, Cook tries to sabotage him, Slade spins his web, Diane & Billy fight, shots ring out, Melch drinks & speaks the truth. FOC Mon 3/18 Order Code: FEB190146
Issue 3 Out Today!
As Martin closes in on signing Brian Slade, Slade’s bodyguard threatens to torpedo Martin’s plans. Stunted Growth begins to record their debut album, but Slade is lurking with evil intent. Plus: don’t miss this issue’s background feature and Spotify playlist!
Thanks to everyone for all the great reviews and help spreading the word about GFH!
Where you can get it:
physical copies - use the Comic Shop Locator to find a comic shop near you!
digital copies to read on tablets, phones, etc
Issue 2 Available Feb 13th
“Against his boss’s wishes, Martin jumps at a chance to make a comeback album with his favorite classic rock legend. But an unwelcome figure from his violent past is about to resurface… Introducing Melch and his amazing rat trap! Plus: don’t miss this issue’s background feature and Spotify playlist.”
Available at your local Comic Shop, or if you don’t have one nearby or would prefer to read on a tablet, it’s available for pre-order now on Amazon Kindle and the Comixology app.
Reviews of #1 Are Pouring In - Thank You!
Thanks to all!
“a fantastic mix of words, pictures and great music” – Original Rock
“enticing and fresh” 92%/100 – Comicsverse
“seems like something that Shelly Bond or Karen Berger would have put together” – Twin Cities Geek
“a cleverly written book and I’m highly anticipating the next issue” – Comics Heating Up
Comic of the Week! “a Wolf of Wall Street style survey of the biz, before pulling out the big guns and flipping into noirish territory. Rougvie’s experience and candid sense of humour makes him the perfect tour guide, with Moritat’s gift for impish illustration giving the story a page-turning playfulness.” – Broken Frontier
“8/10” – Batman’s Bookcase
“A perfect first comic of the year for any music and/or gangster fans out there, and one that’s already setting a high bar to jump over for the rest of 2019. - 4/5” – Big Comic Page
“quite original – 9/10” The Brazen Bull
“a compelling read -4.5/5” – Comic Crusaders
Creator Jeff Rougvie Signing #1 @ Harrison's Comics January 9th
Stop by Harrison’s Comics on Essex Street in Salem, MA between noon and 4pm on Gunning For Hits street date and Jeff will gladly sign your copy (or any Bowie stuff he worked on)!
See you there!
It's Real!
Street date is January 9th, 2019. Stay tuned for event announcements, signings and such.
Bowie Assassination Fear In 1987
I’ve never heard this story about Bowie’s fear of being killed at a gig in Ireland in 1987. Some of the paranoia came from the Troubles, but there was apparently paranoia lurking after Lennon’s killing 7 years earlier.
Check it out here
From the Irish Independent Newspaper
Gunning For Hits on The Beat!
New interview with Zach from the Beat, a great comics website. We delve more into how Bowie inspired Gunning For Hits.
Read it here.
Interview About Bowie Presentation
Here’s an interview in advance of an a Bowie Presentation I did at the Palace Danbury in Connecticut, while touring around the Northeast. It’s brief, but the interviewer, geez, dude.
Click HERE
Multiversity Comics Interview
Quick, fun interview with Brian Salvatore of Multiversity Comics. We talk about the amazing Tsar and their frontman, Jeff Whalen, whose solo album is available through Pledgemusic here. Also, what comics are great and inspirational, the importance of sequencing and the pure awesomeness that is Moritat.
"One To Keep Your Eyes And Ears On" - Thanks Comics-Now.com!
Check out this great preview at comics-now.com here
More great art from Moritat!
L-R (Gerry Duggan, Joe Casey, Jeff Rougvie, Jen Bartel, Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, Jason Aaron and Daniel Warren Johnson. Sean Edgar moderating.
Gunning For Hits on Image Comics Panel NYCC 2018
Read about the NYCC panel where GFH was announced. The announcement was made by Sean Edgar of image and the panel featured GFH writer / creator Jeff Rougvie, alongside Jason Aaron (Southern Bastards, The Goddamned), Gerry Duggan (Dead Rabbit, Analog), Jen Bartel (Blackbird), Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Die), Stephanie Hans (The Wicked + The Divine, Die), Joe Casey (MCMLXXV, Jesus Freak) and Daniel Warren Johnson (Space Mullet, Murder Falcon).
Read about it here, thanks to out friends at the Beat!
Official Martin Mills Journal Excerpts on Twitter
GFH starts during the mid-80's during Martin’s adventures in the music business, but his entire life story has been plotted out. Find clues about his pre- and post-music business life here.
Interview From SYFY Wire
Here’s a video interview with Jeff from New York Comic Con on the SYFY network.