In the mid-70s, singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein were more than pioneers. Not only did they pioneer the new wave genre, but also broke the mold for what the New York sound was about. The band Blondie was more than a punk rock band too. From their self-titled debut album, “In the Flesh” got heads turning, and all it took were two more albums before they became mainstream with the disco-infused “Heart of Glass.”
I fell in love with their music somewhere in between, and back then, all I had were regular magazines to get any information about who they were. We didn’t have the Internet back then. Because they were relatively young, and as their fame grew, so did my passion to collect all their albums.
Coinciding with the upcoming launch of the Blondie: Against The Odds graphic novel–which features a short biography, and stories based on their music–this fall, Z2 Comics and Blondie will include the 124-track archival box set Against the Odds 1974 – 1982 too! It’s a curated collection, remastered from original analog tapes on vinyl and I can’t be any more excited. Now if only they can visit Victoria, BC and perform here! Realistically, it’d have to be in Vancouver, BC; I’ll be fine with that too.
The album will be out on August 26, 2022, but if you’re patient, buying the version with the graphic novel will make the experience all the more worthwhile.
From the Z2 Press Release:
The package features 52 bonus tracks across four albums—Plaza Sound, Parallel Beats, Coca Cola, and Home Sounds—and comes with a 128-page hardcover book inside a foil-wrapped slipcase.
The package definitively captures the iconic band’s inception and rise, as Blondie merged disco, rock, and beyond in the punk cradle of New York City’s Lower East Side. Limited to 100 copies, the Blondie 1974-1982: Against The Odds 4-LP box set will be released in platinum editions of the Blondie: Against The Odds graphic novel anthology.
The book’s 21-page biography is written by famed Harley Quinn creative duo Amanda Connor and Jimmy Palmiotti, with electric art from Montos. A cache of writers and artists contribute 14 additional stories based on standout songs. These creative teams include such standout talents as:
- Wendy Wright-Williams
- Cassie Parkes
- Jazzlyn Stone
- Dan Whitehead
- J.H. Williams III
- Sebastian Piriz
- Lisa Weber
- Emily Pearson
- Marco Perugini
To note, this list is not complete.
Combining an imaginative take on an oral history of the band, interspersed with artistic interpretations of 14 songs from their catalog and an essay by famed music journalist Victor Bockris, Blondie: Against The Odds captures the creative friction of NYC as the band fought their way to prominence, as well as the power and energy contained within the songs that fueled their rise to legendary status.
Blondie: Against The Odds features a cover by Amanda Conner and her longtime colorist Paul Mounts, and is available for preorder now for a fall release in softcover and hardcover editions at finer comic shops, book, and record stores worldwide. Exclusively available through Z2’s website in limited quantities are the deluxe and signed platinum versions, packaged with exclusive prints from artists including Colleen Doran, Alison Sampson, Brian Ewing, Michael Allred, Dan Lerner, Matthew Lineham, Scrojo, Jan Meininghaus, Jesse Phillips, Tess Fowler, Brennan Wagner, Sean Pryor, John K. Snyder III, and Jay Jay Jackson. The platinum edition includes the Blondie 1974-1982: Against The Odds box set along with a 12-inch vinyl single of “Sunday Girl” featuring new cover art from Jesse Phillips.
Preorder Today:
https://z2comics.com/products/