Johnny Cash's 1976 Comic Book, Drawn by an Archie Artist, Is Getting a 50th Anniversary Reissue

Johnny Cash fans and comic collectors, we have news you didn’t know you needed. In 1976, at the height of his career, Cash’s life story was turned into a 32-page evangelical comic called“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.”The art came from Al Hartley, an illustrator who spent nearly thirty years drawing Archie Comics, so the book looks like Riverdale with a country music legend at the center. It was published by Spire Christian Comics and sold for less than fifty cents. The script was written by Billy Zeoli, an evangelical film producer, and the whole thing was part of a larger line of 59 titles that included at least 19 Archie books.

Now, Z2 Comics is bringing it back for the 50th anniversary. The reissue drops September 23 for $9.99, limited to just 1,000 copies, and comes with new covers by Chip Kidd and Tim Bradstreet plus an essay by Alex Segura. But the real headline is in the new back matter written by Cash’s son, John Carter Cash. It confirms that Cash and Zeoli sat down with Hartley and taped the entire story, meaning the comic’s panels reflect Cash’s own words about his addiction and his faith. That settles a debate fans have had for five decades about how much of the book was truly his account.

Whether you’re a Cash diehard, an Archie completist, or just someone who loves strange pop culture artifacts, this is a genuinely fascinating piece of music history. Only 1,000 copies exist, so mark your calendar for September 23. So tell us, what’s the most unexpected piece of memorabilia in your collection?