Hot on the heels of her Eisner Award-winning comic book Barnstormers with Scott Snyder and recent collaboration with Becky Cloonan on the evocative series Somna, Tula Lotay heads to the Sunset Strip and the world of sex, drugs and rock and roll with Groupies. Announced timed to Comic-Con International San Diego, Groupies – co-created with writer Helen Mullane (Nicnevin and the Bloody Queen, Superstate) – is a chilling journey into the heart of rock and roll excess.
Fans of Lotay’s work will be enraptured by her art in this sinister, supernatural, and intoxicating all-new 5-issue comic book series. Featuring colors by Dee Cunniffe and Lotay, lettering and design by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Tyler Smith and edits by Will Dennis, Groupies #1 arrives October 22, 2024, from Comixology Originals, Amazon’s exclusive digital content line.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the lives of groupies,” says writer Helen Mullane. “The daring fashion, devil-may-care lifestyle, and the girls’ determination, getting their kicks despite most people’s censure and judgement. It’s a world of glamour and darkness, where some people have their wildest dreams come true, while others are chewed up and spat out. Our story is a blood-soaked and acid-drenched journey into the heart of darkness, where most people are out for what they can get. But just because the girls are living in a world that sees them as disposable, doesn’t make them any less extraordinary.”
On a wild night out at the Fox Club, the coolest, hottest, and wildest girls on (or off) the Sunset Strip meet the edgiest up-and-coming band in town, and sparks fly. The Moon Show’s stardom is about to rise as they celebrate getting signed to the legendary Asmodeus Records. The girls and the band share a magical night, a night that nobody wants to end.
As the story unfolds, the excited groupies head on tour with the band – living the dream – but their tuned-in and dropped-out idyll is about to unravel. Something dark is pulling the strings, and the girls are about to discover the true cost of rock and roll.
“Groupies is a dream to work on,” says artist Tula Lotay. “I’ve known Helen for ages and we share exactly the same interests in horror and music so it’s the perfect story for us to tell together – sexy, dark, twisted rock at the height of the Satanic Panic.”
Mullane continued, “It’s been a dream to collaborate with Tula Lotay on this book. The surreal and emotive beauty of her work transports you straight into the thick of the scene. She has created a world that is so opulent you can almost forget how dangerous it is. Almost.”
“Tula’s stunning art continues to elevate the comics reading experience,” says Jeff DiBartolomeo, Comixology’s GM and CTO. “What she and Helen have created in Groupies is a mesmerizing fictional look into the world of rockstars and the fangirls who follow them – the beauty and the horror. The anticipation of the launch of this amazing series gives us the same feeling we get when the house lights have just come down and the show is about to start!”
About the Creators:
Tula Lotay is the pen name of illustrator Lisa Wood. Born and raised in Yorkshire, England, Tula specializes in comics, film and editorial illustration, as well as being the founder and director of the world-renowned Thought Bubble Festival.
In 2024 Lotay won an Eisner award for her series Barnstormers with Scott Snyder. In 2019 she was awarded the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award for her charitable and fundraising work. In 2015 she was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book for The Wicked and The Divine #13. More at: https://www.tulalotay.com/
Helen Mullane began her career in film distribution, managing the release of major films for the likes of Studio Canal and EOne. Later she produced the feature documentary FUTURESHOCK! THE STORY OF 2000AD and shorts such as the multi-award-winning NASTY.
Her first graphic novel, Nicnevin and the Bloody Queen was released in 2020. Since her debut, Helen collaborated on Graham Coxon’s multi-media Superstate project, co-wrote the graphic novel Painted and wrote Beavertown Breweries’ widely acclaimed Flightmare short film. She has written short stories for the likes of Storyworlds and Heavy Metal. In 2023 Helen moved to Ireland to pursue a Masters in Creative Writing at UL.