Sublime to Share Group's History in '$5.00 at the Door' Graphic Novel

Kathryn Milewski -

Like with Freddie Mercury and Elvis Presley, Z2 Comics has once again released a graphic novel based on the life story of a musical artist. This time, it's Bradley Nowell and the original members of SoCal band Sublime.

This will be the first graphic novel to chronicle the band's legacy and misadventures. Sublime is known for their unique Long Beach sound infused with reggae, punk, ska, folk, and hip hop influences.

Clocking in at 120 pages, $5.00 at the Door traces the group’s history from their early days on the California club scene to the recording of 40oz. to Freedom. It also takes a look at the creation of Robbin’ the Hood, and the band's mainstream success shortly before Nowell died from a heroin overdose.

Described as “Xanadu meets Superbad,” the Sublime graphic novel was written by Ryan Cady and illustrated by Audrey Mok, Alex Diotto, Hayden Sherman, Logan Faerber, Bill Masuku, Robert Ahmad, and more. Sublime family members Opie Ortiz, DJ Product 1969, and Lou-Dog contributed to the cover art.


“We knew the band’s iconic music always had the added elements behind it of their history of hijinks, anti-authority attitude and follow-no-rules lifestyle, and this combination would make for an amazing comic book the fans would cherish,” said Scott Seine, of Sublime’s management company Surfdog/DKM.

Writer Ryan Cady said, “When you grow up in SoCal like I did, Sublime’s music is this powerful background radiation, permeating the culture. You hear it everywhere. Opie’s sun is everywhere–stickers of it slapped on taco stand walls, sharpie-tagged inside of every high school bathroom, screen-printed in every possible iteration. I saw these guys like neighbors, and as I research the human moments underneath their phenomenon with Bud and Eric, I get to share that feeling with everyone who picks up the book.”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Sublime’s self-titled LP, which wound up being their final release before the overdose of Nowell. Sublime broke up after Nowell’s death, but members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh teamed up with Rome Ramirez in 2009 and started playing shows as "Sublime with Rome." While Gaugh left the project in 2011, Wilson and Ramirez continue to tour under the name.

$5.00 at the Door is available in hardcover, softcover, deluxe, and super deluxe editions and can be ordered off the Z2 Comics website.


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Article Image: Sublime with Rome's Bud Gaugh, Rome Ramirez, and Eric Wilson on the red carpet at the 2011 iHeartRadio Music Festival. (Amy Nicole Harris via Shutterstock.)