Courtesy of Humanoids
MPLS Sound Graphic Novel
Comic book publisher Humanoids is releasing MPLS Sound, a graphic novel about Prince’s musical legacy. A creation of co-writers Joseph Illidge and Hannibal Tabu, artist Meredith Laxton, colorist Tan Shu, and cover artist Jen Bartel, the novel follows the musical path of Starchild, a fictitious funk band born during the Purple One’s international rise to stardom. Theresa, a young Black woman living in Minneapolis, sees Prince perform his legendary 1981 First Avenue debut, then called Sam’s. His performance inspires her to chase the future she has always wanted—as the leader of her own funky ensemble.
"Prince was a nexus and catalyst of music history, and MPLS Sound is the story of how he changed the trajectory of fictional bandleader Theresa Booker's life," said Joseph Illidge in a press release. "The way Purple Rain was a musical quasi-biography in film form, MPLS Sound is a romance, ballad, and musical drama in the graphic novel form. A narrative and visual homage to His Purple Goodness and the era of MTV's birth. Get ready for a journey of art, courage, and the price of reaching for the sky."
The graphic novel depicts Minneapolis’s early 80s funk scene in full, vivid color, capturing the flashy style and electric energy of the moment. Starchild’s musical journey is a window into Prince’s far-reaching influence in the Twin Cities music scene, and the many bands who followed in his footsteps. MPLS Sound isn’t the first graphic novel to feature Prince: the 1991 Prince: Alter Ego constructed a fantasy world where His Royal Badness battled a mortal enemy. But it’s the first to pay tribute to both the artist himself and the Minneapolis funk, soul and R&B scene from which he emerged.
“There is a certain level of expectation involved when trying to draw the unique wardrobe and general aesthetic of Controversy-era Prince and many scenes throughout the book are inspired heavily by the flashiness of 80s funk,” said Laxton in a press release. “Ultimately, the story is about Theresa finding her own voice within the MPLS music scene and her evolving style throughout the book showcases that.”
MPLS Sound is part of Humanoids’ “Life Drawn” series, a collection of books that elevates personal and political stories rooted not in science fiction, but in real life. The graphic novel is a love letter to Prince and the city he made music in, but it’s one that doesn’t gloss over Minneapolis’s complexities. In that way, it’s a tale of the past as well as the present.
"It’s hard to learn your heroes have feet of clay, but Prince’s problematic issues of colorism and capricious business practices cannot overshadow his eventual philanthropy and gigantic musical legacy,” said Tabu in a press release. “Here we got a taste of all of that while looking at some of the roots of the city that eventually killed George Floyd. Minneapolis is a complicated town, and its tragedies have left lives battered as much as its triumphs have inspired.”
MPLS Sound is out in bookstores. Check out a preview of a few pages.
