28 Apr, 2007

Stagger Lee
Derek McCulloch, writer, Shepherd Hendrix, artist
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SYNOPSIS
The legendary folk tale of “Stag” Lee Shelton and the murder that won him infamy in numerous blues songs. The book is divided in two parts, interwoven through each other: one, a dramatization of Shelton’s murder of Billy Lyons and his subsequent trials in late-19th-century St. Louis, told from a variety of perspectives, both real and fictional. The other, a history of Stagger Lee in song throughout the 20th century.

QUOTABLE
Derek McCulloch at Prep Time Posse:
“I had what’s maybe the lamest possible introduction to Stagger Lee. I first heard it when I was a kid on an American Graffiti soundtrack. Not even the American Graffiti soundtrack, mind you, but an American Graffiti soundtrack. After the monster success of that first double album, they pumped out a couple more albums filled up with oldies that weren’t even in the movie. One of those oldies was the Lloyd Price version of Stagger Lee. I can’t say I really knew the song well then, but the title always stuck in my mind. Probably the next version I knew after that was Nick Cave’s, and I was kind of baffled how they could be the same song. When I finally came across the basics of the story in a book by Greil Marcus, I was hooked, and that set me off on the path to writing my own book.”

SAMPLE REVIEW
“…McCulloch’s script interweaves the recorded facts of the incident with close scrutiny of many of the song’s versions and its changing significance as American society progressed, bolstering the cultural archeology with a fictional account of the political upheaval caused by the murderer’s trial. McCulloch covers much territory, and sometimes loses its thread, but sharp dialogue and characterizations maintain interest. Hendrix’s solid art captures the story with a documentary precision, making this worth a look for those with an interest in America’s musical history.” – Publishers Weekly

ABOUT DEREK MCCULLOCH (from the Stagger Lee website)
Derek McCulloch returns to comics after more than a decade long absence. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Derek published Strawberry Jam Comics and wrote the series Night Life and To Be Announced. He was co-founder of The Comics Legends Legal Defense Fund in Canada and edited the organization’s two True North anthologies. Derek’s stories have appeared in comics series including Open Season, Shred!, and Cerebus. His second graphic novel, Displaced Persons is scheduled for publication in March 2008 by Image Comics. Derek lives with his wife and daughter in Oakland, California, the best town in the Bay Area.
Stagger Lee is Derek’s first graphic novel.

ABOUT SHEPHERD HENDRIX (from the Stagger Lee website)
Shepherd Hendrix started his professional comics career in the early 1990s, working mostly as an inker. His art finishes can be seen in such notable works as DC Comics’ Swamp Thing issues 112-13 collaborating with Tom Yeates and Restaurant at the End of the Universe with Steve Leialoha. Shepherd partnered with Bernie Wrightson to ink the Captain Sternn “Running Out of Time” miniseries for Tundra/Kitchen Sink. His lifelong passion for drawing and graphic storytelling steered him into the animation and gaming industries as a conceptual designer and storyboard artist. Shepherd is busy creating Highway Song for publication by Image Comics.

Stagger Lee marks Shepherd’s return to comics.

LINKS
Stagger Lee site
Derek McCulloch’s Stagger Lee blog
Shepherd Hendrix’ website
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- Rich Watson