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Z2 Comics has announced a collaboration with pop culture icon “Weird Al” Yankovic to publish The Illustrated Al: The Songs of “Weird Al” Yankovic. Written by “Weird Al” Yankovic, this career-spanning visual feast unites some of our top cartoonists and illustrators to express Al’s “Yankovisions.”
The Great AL-merican Songbook features 20-plus classic Al songs interpreted by such artists as Bill Plympton (Your Face, Guard Dog), Aaron Augenblick (Superjail!, Ugly Americans), Peter Bagge (Hate), Steve Chanks (Revolver Magazine), Felipe Sobreiro (Luther Strode, Death’s Head), Gideon Kendall (Megaghost), Michael Kupperman (Tales Designed to Thrizzle, The New Yorker), Wes Hargis (My New Teacher and Me!, When I Grow Up), Ruben Bolling (Tom the Dancing Bug, Super-Fun-Pak Comix), Fred Harper (The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal), Ryan Dunlavey (Action Philosophers), R. Sikoryak (The Unquotable Trump), Jeff McClelland (The Tick), Jeff McComsey (The Fourth Man), Hilary Barta (Plastic Man), Johnny Sampson (MAD Magazine), Tom Richmond (MAD Magazine, Cracked Magazine), Bob Fingerman (Minimum Wage), and many more! The book also features cover art by Drew Friedman (MAD Magazine) and Mike & Laura Allred (Madman), as well as a custom art print set from Jesse Philips (Transformers, Star Trek), a collector’s card set by Danny Hellman (Screw, Legal Action Comics), and a foreword from legendary comic Emo Philips, who is also opening for Al on his current 133-show tour of North America, with an accompanying illustration by master MAD alumnus Sam Viviano.
“It’s such an incredible honor to see my song lyrics brought to life by some of my all-time favorite cartoonists and illustrators,” Yankovic says. “I’ve actually been playing the long game—the only reason I spent four decades in the music business is so that one day I could have my very own graphic novel.”
“Weird Al” Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time. A five-time Grammy winner, his 2014 release Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album in history to debut at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200. He is one of only three artists to have had their own Top 40 hits in each of the last four decades. On August 27, 2018, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awarded Yankovic with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The upcoming Roku Original film, WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, promises to reveal every facet of Al’s life, “from his meteoric rise to fame to his torrid celebrity love affairs.” Daniel Radcliffe is portraying Al in the titular role.
“I don’t remember a time in my life before ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic and, frankly, I don’t want to. His music, lyrics, artistry, and humor have been a constant influence in my career,” project editor and Z2 Comics Chief Business Officer Josh Bernstein continues. “Having Z2 assemble this all-star roster of the greatest living cartoonists to collaborate with Weird Al has been a dream come true. I hope both new and long-time Al-fanatics appreciate the love, care, and insane art that is going into this project. As always, we dare to be stupid.”
Z2 Comics and “Weird Al” Yankovic present The Illustrated Al: The Songs of “Weird Al” Yankovic in both softcover and hardcover formats, as well as oversized hardcover deluxe, and an oversized hardcover deluxe hand-signed edition. Drew Friedman and Mike & Laura Allred provide cover art. Deluxe editions include a wax pack of collector’s cards illustrated by Danny Hellman, a 3-piece art print set from Jesse Philips, a vinyl slipmat, drink coasters, and, in the Super Deluxe Edition, Al-signed books as well as a “Weird Al” Yankovic branded mini-accordion.
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