Explore New York City’s Five Boroughs in Preview Pages from New Graphic Novel Tribute Anthology ODB: ODDITIES, DISCORD, AND B-SIDES: LYRICAL RUCKUS IN THE CITY, Now on Kickstarter!

2023/12/13 21:07:13 +00:00 | Derek Anderson

An innovative homage to MC and Wu-Tang Clan co-founder Ol' Dirty Bastard that explores New York City's Five Boroughs like never before, the new graphic novel anthology ODB: Oddities, Discord, and B-Sides: Lyrical Ruckus in the City spotlights stories from some of the most talented artists and writers working today, with Ol' Dirty Bastard himself featured as the anthology's guide through the eerily unexpected and altogether enthralling sides of The Big Apple.

A collaboration between Lion Forge, Oni Press, and Four Screens that is officially authorized by Icelene Jones, ODB’s wife and administrator of the Estate of ODB, ODB: Oddities, Discord, and B-Sides: Lyrical Ruckus in the City is now on Kickstarter, and we have a look at preview pages from one of the anthology's chilling tales, and we've also been provided with an exclusive quote from Icelene Jones!

Below, you can check out preview pages from "Demon Flow" by Troy-Jeffrey Allen & Maan House, and we also have a look at the cover art, Super7 collectible figure, vinyl single, and official press release with additional details. For more insights into this exciting anthology that's slated to debut in November 2024, here's what Icelene Jones had to say about this new tribute to her husband and his lasting legacy:

"Oni Press’ graphic novel ODB: ODDITIES, DISCORD, & B-SIDES – LYRICAL RUCKUS IN THE CITY is bursting with creativity and ideas. It’s a colorful tribute to both my husband and the five boroughs which inspired him."

To learn more about ODB: Oddities, Discord, and B-Sides: Lyrical Ruckus in the City, visit the graphic novel anthology's official Kickstarter page!

Press Release: (December 12, 2023) – Award-winning comic and graphic novel publisher Oni Press is proud to present ODB: ODDITIES, DISCORD, & B-SIDES – LYRICAL RUCKUS IN THE CITY – a volatile, genre-defying homage to hip-hop icon Ol' Dirty Bastard that reimagines New York City's Five Boroughs through the eyes of the maverick MC and Wu-Tang Clan co-founder.

Experience the chaotic harmony of ODB's art and legacy in an all-new, 112-page graphic anthology that explores the legendary artist's many identities through the prisms of hand-to-hand kung-fu combat, dystopian science fiction, darkness-haunted horror, and lovelorn romance as presented by an all-star cast of creative talents...alongside exclusive limited-run action figures, 7" vinyl, and merchandise manufactured in collaboration with Super 7, and more available for pre-order here.

Created in partnership with Four Screens and officially authorized by the Ol’ Dirty Bastard estate, this taunt and turbulent graphic novel collection debuting in November 2024 features new stories, covers, and contributions from an epic cast every bit as sprawling as the city within: Troy-Jeffrey Allen (Chuck D’s Apocalypse 91: Revolution Never Sleeps), Paris Alleyne (Miles Morales: Spider-Man), David Brame (MediSIN), Dojo Gubser (Rot8ion), Jay Hero (Green Lantern), Maan House (Bloodborne), Mike Del Mundo (Avengers), Jason Pierre (CW’s In the Dark), Ike Reed & David Gorden (Rampage Jackson’s Big Brawl), Chris Robinson (Vince Staples’ Limbo Beach), Regine Sawyer (Dark Nights: Death Metal - The Last 52), Damion Scott (Batgirl), Felipe Sobreiro (“Weird Al” Yankovic’s The Illustrated Al), Ronald Wimberly (Prince of Cats), and more.

“I am thrilled to bring ODB to life in this incredibly powerful graphic novel. ODB: Oddities, Discord and B-Sides – Lyrical Ruckus in the City combines the essence of my husband like I’ve never seen before. He was and is an inspiration to my family, children, and fans across the world,” said Icelene Jones, ODB’s wife and administrator of the Estate of ODB. “It's been such a pleasure to see this book come to life with our incredibly talented partners at Four Screens and Oni Press.”

“Collaborating with our immensely creative partners at Lion Forge and Oni Press to develop a brand new graphic novel has been mind blowing! Thanks to the steadfast support of our partners at the Estate of ODB, we have merged the five personas of ODB with the five boroughs of New York to create the ultimate hip-hop universe,” said Four Screens CEO Messiah Jacobs. “ODB: Oddities, Discord and B-Sides – Lyrical Ruckus in the City pays homage to The Culture. It has been an honor to work with each and every writer and artist on this project. We’re bringing the ruckus with this one.”

In a fractured New York City, an elemental impact event has caused different versions of the city’s most infamous neighborhoods from across the multiverse to converge together into a single reality. Spectral apparitions now haunt the streets of Queens. In the Lower East Side, a rogue artificial intelligence has seized the streets. A hundred blocks north, time travelers are throwing a block party in Harlem. And that’s only the beginning… Our guide through this splintered mutation of New York’s past, present, and future is none other than Ol' Dirty Bastard himself. Follow him as he leads us through odd, urgent, and powerful tales that cast freedom and oppression, wealth and poverty, love and loss, and even life or death like so many dice in a cosmic game of chance.

Available for pre-order today via the latest ONI PREMIUM DIRECT campaign to debut on Kickstarter, Oni Press is offering fans the first opportunity to obtain a cadre of specially manufactured items – including highly limited hardcover and slipcase editions of the graphic novel, alongside a brand-new Ol' Dirty Bastard "Lyrical Ruckus" variant action figure (manufactured in partnership with Super 7), an exclusive “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” 7" single featuring cover art by multiple Eisner Award nominee Ronald Wimberly, merch, and more – before the standard graphic novel collection arrives in comic shops and bookstores worldwide in November 2024.

Born Russell Jones in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and re-christened Ol' Dirty Bastard as a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, ODB's outrageous lyrics and captivating style stole the spotlight as Wu-Tang's popularity exploded into the mainstream with their now-classic debut album, Enter the 36 Chambers. By the mid-1990s, ODB was enshrined as one of the biggest artists in hip-hop, releasing his Grammy Award-nominated solo debut, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, and releasing multiple chart-topping collaborations that included Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" and Pras' "Ghetto Superstar." Just as ODB's fame and notoriety continued to expand into a variety of pseudonymous identities – Dirt McGirt, Osiris, Big Baby Jesus, and more – Jones tragically passed away in 2004 at the age of 35, but, today, remains one of the most universally recognized and respected MCs of his generation. The first authorized documentary film chronicling ODB's turbulent life and times – Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys, produced by Four Screens – will debut in 2024 on A&E Network.

Visit ODB: ODDITIES, DISCORD, & B-SIDES – LYRICAL RUCKUS IN THE CITY on Kickstarter now.

About the Estate of ODB

The Estate of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, managed by Four Screens is dedicated to promoting the

legacy of a Platinum Recording Artist and hip hop icon. Ol’ Dirty Bastard was a founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group that first rose to mainstream prominence with their 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). After establishing the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol’ Dirty Bastard went on to pursue a successful solo career, working with musicians such as Mariah Carey, Kelis, and Busta Rhymes. His solo albums include Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. Hit songs include Got Yo Money, Shimmy Shimmy Ya and Fantasy. Most recently ODB has been featured in SZA’s chart topping album SOS and Latto’s hit song Big Energy.

About Four Screens

Four Screens is a production and management company that is on a mission to bring lasting inclusion to Hollywood. For over two decades, Four Screens has prioritized creative vision and diverse perspectives in all the projects they spearhead. They are dynamic trailblazers in the media industry, from successful licensing partnerships with renowned legacy brands, including Smokin’ Joe Frazier, to captivating films like the Ol ' Dirty Bastard documentary. Four Screens is committed to delivering exceptional content.

About Oni Press

Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year history as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed publishers of award-winning comic books and graphic novels with titles including Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim, K. O’Neill’s Tea Dragon Society, Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt's The Sixth Gun, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Ezra Clayton Daniels' Upgrade Soul, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy, and many hundreds more. In 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics – the Eisner Award-winning independent comic book publisher founded by Academy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur David Steward II – to create one of the largest, independent libraries of comics content anywhere in media. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified global media company, Polarity.

The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group publishes more than 60 original and licensed graphic novels annually, in addition to an extensive list of periodical comics.