Out this week: “Morrison Hotel” by Leah Moore et al, from Z2 Comics

By John Freeman on October 12, 2020

Five decades after the release of their landmark album, Morrison Hotel, The Doors and US publisher Z2 Comics will release a brand new graphic novel written by Leah Moore, this Tuesday, 13th October 2020.

With an intoxicating, genre-blending sound, provocative and uncompromising songs, and the mesmerising power of singer Jim Morrison‘s poetry and presence, The Doors had a transformative impact not only on popular music but on popular culture.

Their fifth studio album, Morrison Hotel was released in 1970 and was a return to their blues roots, which featured some of their most timeless songs such as “Roadhouse Blues,” “Peace Frog,” and “Waiting for the Sun.” The album was a critical and commercial success upon its release and still stands today as one of the band’s classic albums.

Z2’s Morrison Hotel will feature some of the lore that led to their status as the architects of counterculture, influencing artists, poets, and outsiders for generations to come, set against the backdrop of the close of the free spirit of the 1960s into the tumultuous 1970s. A decade in which women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays, lesbians and other marginalised people continued their fight for equality, and many Americans joined the protest against the ongoing war in Vietnam.

“Very few bands have had such lasting importance to American rock history as The Doors, and to be able work with them directly is unreal” says Z2 publisher, Josh Frankel. “To have been afforded the honor to add to the band’s enduring legacy with their first comic anthology further cements Z2’s status as the premier publisher of comics for music fans, and an honour we don’t take lightly.”

Morrison Hotel will be formatted as an anthology written by Leah Moore, in collaboration with the surviving members of the legendary rock band and drawn by artists from around the comic book world, each weaving the band’s influence into the 144 pages of story.

Morrison Hotel will be released in finer comic shops and book shops this week, on Tuesday 13th October 2020, with a special deluxe limited edition available exclusively through both Z2’s website and www.thedoors.com. This limited edition of 5000 copies comes bound in a beautiful slipcase, and includes an exclusive 50th Anniversary Edition 12” picture disc of the complete Morrison Hotel album. The LP, which includes theclassic “Roadhouse Blues” , will feature theoriginal 1970 stereo mix remastered by The Doors’ longtime engineer/mixer Bruce Botnick.

The limited edition set will also include three exclusive art prints (9” x 14.5”) featuring images from the book, along with a certificate of authenticity signed by writer Leah Moore.

• Buy the standard edition of Morrison Hotel from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.