Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News | Tagged: david hine, Life House, The Who, Tower Records

The Who's Life House Includes Amazing 172-Page Hardcover Graphic Novel

The 172-page graphic novel The Who: Life House by James Harvey, David Hine, Mick Gray & Max Prentis from Image Comics through Tower Records.

It's a graphic novel that former Bleeding Cool Editor-In-Chief Hannah Means-Shannon has been working her fingers to various bones over. As Rolling Stone Magazine announce a colossal music album Who's Next/Life House from The Who, the Deluxe Edition of which will feature 155 tracks, 89 of them previously unreleased tracks, what they didn't mention that it will also include an original hardcover oversized graphic novel for the $300 cover price alongside the 10 CDs, when released on the 15th of September. The 172-page hardback book and Life House – The Graphic Novel, by James Harvey, David Hine, Mick Gray and Max Prentis. will be sold through Tower Records.

Published by Rockbox Studios, Life House: A Graphic Novel By The Who, will see a special limited run signed by Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, limited to a thousand copies and selling for $1000. The graphic novel, a 172-page sprawling sci-fi epic, is presented in an album-sized square format will also be published as standard and deluxe versions of the graphic novel from Rockbox and Image Comics for significantly less, for the 6th of December.

Pete Townshend says of the graphic novel, "Life House has always needed a story that makes sense but without the egos of new creatives who think they can 'fix' what was wrong with my first draft. The graphic novel is built around that first draft written prior to recording sessions and workshops at the Young Vic in 1971. A second draft with some good ideas from Roger in 1976 added some cohesion and more exciting collateral which really suits the comic format. I'm delighted with the comic. The art is beautiful and dense, colourful of course and engaging. The artists and their team have made an amazing and hugely collectible piece that adds depth and clarity to an otherwise complex story. 'Life House' is reborn. Tower Records was an iconic L.A. vinyl store in the '70s. I never failed to visit when touring and it's possible that around 75% of my remaining collection is from the store. It's great news to hear Tower is back in black!"

Townshend originally conceived "Life House" in 1970, a motion picture rock opera to follow the success of The Who's multi-platinum selling album, Tommy. The science fiction story, which focuses on a totalitarian society where music has been outlawed, predicted things like climate change, the internet, streaming entertainment, and racial equality. The Who worked for almost a year developing the album at the Young Vic Theatre in London, but ultimately decided to release elements on their 1971 bestselling album, Who's Next.  Townshend released a solo compilation of the project in 1999 entitled, The Lifehouse Chronicles. For decades, Life House has been considered a grail item for fans of The Who, one which will be realized later this year.

Pete Townshend described the plans for Life House as "a portentous polemic about the coming of a nation beaten down by climate issues and pollution," and how "an opportunist and autocratic government enforce a national lock-down in which every person is hooked up to an entertainment grid" and that "the idea has always held me in thrall, partly because so many of the strands of the fiction seem to be coming true."

And as well as recording, remastering, and recreating the project at a much grander scale, including 10 CDs and multiple vinyl sets, remastered from the original tapes by longtime Who engineer Jon Astley. The project will be offered as limited edition 4-LP and 3-LP sets, featuring, respectively, the complete release of the 1971 San Francisco concert and vinyl replicas of Townshend's original Life House.

"At Tower Records, our main goal is to help artists tell their stories in music and beyond," said Danny Zeijdel, President of Tower Records. "'Life House' embodies this, and we are honored to be a platform for the legendary Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and The Who as they share this exciting project with the world."

Townshend met Rockbox Studios CEO, Jeff Krelitz, several years ago and discussed the potential for the project.  They worked with writer/artist, James Harvey, to develop the story and look of the world as a future seen from a 1970 point of view, with inks by Mick Gray. British writer David Hine and Australian artist, Max Prentis, were brought in to complete the project, which was edited by former Bleeding Cool Editor-In-Chief, Hannah Means-Shannon. Additionally, letters were provided by Micah Myers.

"'Who's Next' has always been one of my favorite albums and the opportunity to help Pete advance his vision for 'Life House' with this graphic novel is a dream come true," said Krelitz. "Having been a part of the team rebuilding Tower Records' legacy for the last few years, I couldn't imagine a better home for this exciting epic that music fans have been waiting half a century on."

Since the relaunch of Tower Records in 2020, the music brand has been offering music and art fans exclusive merchandise drops, including limited edition vinyl releases and branded products.

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