The Meaning Of Pop Zeus

When I started Pop Zeus, the only purpose I had in mind was an expression of fandom and gratitude- how much Guided By Voices has meant to me and an attempt to give something back to my favorite rock band of all time.

But as I have been researching and writing, some pretty deep questions about the purpose of this project have come up. Why does Guided By Voices mean so much to me? What is it in their music that I get from no other band? What has GBV music reflected in my own life over the last 10+ years? And what influence has it had on who I have become? Does rock music have the power to save your life? Destroy your life?

This may all sound very ambitious, but that's just what I want Pop Zeus to be. As I said back in February when I started this blog- "I really want the comic to reflect the deep respect and love I have for Bob and his music, so I am going totally balls out on this one. Ambitions: To make the best rock and roll comic book ever". And I mean it. The only way for me to approach those heights is to try to answering these tough questions. By showing how the thread of GBV's music was woven into my life, I hope to dig that deep and express something meaningful and true.

I also want to briefly touch on the stylistic concept behind the project, because I've had some insight into that recently as well. Way back when I was devising the basic ideas for Pop Zeus, I decided to draw each chapter in a different style. I instinctively knew it was a great idea and a perfect match but I wasn't sure why. But now I know- it just kind of hit me one day in spite of being fairly obvious in retrospect.

Not unlike Bob's sonic and visual collages, Pop Zeus will be a collage of everything I've loved about comics since I was a kid. And just as Bob pools all his influences to create his music, I too will pool my influences to make this comic book. As GBV used The Beatles, The Who, REM, Wire and David Bowie, I will use Los Bros Hernandez, Paul Pope, Mad Magazine, Baru and Monkey Punch. I will be guided by these voices (corny, I know).

It's not going to be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. (stepping off my soapbox... :)