I have ploughed a unique area of publishing. Writing a series of music-related Graphic Novels. Working closely with noted international comic book artists. My books have covered a wide range of musical and cultural hot spots.
My first book was a deep dive into Latino culture with Voices Of Latin Rock. This book examines Santana and the emergence of Chicano culture and the Brown Sound. All enclosed within the political and societal upheaval of those heady, revolutionary times. This unique book contains myriad unseen photos. Its detail comes from over one hundred conducted interviews.
Nirvana and Kurt Cobain" examines his short, pained life and hurtling rise. Kurt's later revulsion of same, gets revealed in Godspeed. Michael Jackson lives again in my sixth Graphic Book, Neverland. Here, Michael's fragmented and tortured inner world is opened out with compassion.
​
From the PUNK explosion of the UK's Sex Pistols. To their USA New York forerunners, The Ramones. (Gabba, Gabba, Hey!). Both books revel in the different, spontaneous punk music creations and their times. Plus, the punk reaction to a stultified music business bogged down in prog rock and more 1970s insane excess...
​
Two superstar heavy hitters. Guns And Roses (Reckless Lives) and Metallica (Nothing Else Matters) both ascended to the top of the music business. Both bands have their riotous stories told in my graphic books. The nascent, triple XXX rap scene is investigated in both Eminem: In My Skin and Tupac Shakur: Death Rap. Tupac ends up slain in competing East and West Coast gang rivalries and violence.
One of the many UK style movements, that still casts a spell on British people. Arrived in the early 1960s in the UK and was aptly named "MOD".
I felt excited to write this original story Living for Kicks – A Mods Graphic Novel. Taking in both real characters and invented ones. In a street-real and involving story. Set in London and its surrounds, from mid 1963 to later 1964. A young Mod Spike Spillane, tries to set up a new record label - Moderne Records. He soon falls foul of both East and West London gangsters. His best friend is missing (briefly seen in Soho, tantalisingly garbed in drag?). Plus; the Mods and Rockers battles are kicking off along in the Southern UK coast resorts.
Bob Marley is Jamaica's most musical and elevating export. He urged us all to Wake Up And Live. This Graphic book looks at his rise and unfortunate end due to cancer. Plus his cultural and universal impact.
​
Keith Moon (Who Are You? The Life and Death of Keith Moon) was the crazed, extrovert drummer, who invented his own style of drumming. Untrammelled, undisciplined and exciting. He took The Who's music and created a propulsive rocket behind it. Giving the aggressive band the pulse they needed, to launch their music chart wise. Moon's story breathes in broad, humorous view and echoes his speedy lifestyle and unfortunate early death.
Another deep dive into Latin Rock music and characters was provided by my book Voices Of Latin Rock-The E-Mix. This new eBook download is a detailed and extensive follow-on from my Macasso Books imprint. Over a thousand pages in print terms. Essential for all USA music historians and indeed for all rock, soul music scholars.