INTRODUCTION

If he were alive today, Bob Marley would be over seventy years old andprobablystillrockinggiventhathewasacontemporaryofBobDylanandtheRolling Stones, who both tour regularly. He’d be revered certainly, but thenyoucan’twriteabodyofsongslikehedidandnotbelaudedasoneoftheall-

timegreats.

I liketoimaginehimasanelder,castfromthesamemouldasJohnnyCashandWillie Nelson — old-time warriors who’d seen and done it all, and yet neverstopped believing in the power of music to transform our lives. Marley wouldhavecutaroguishfigureaftersquiringsomanybeautifulwomenandfrequentlygettingbustedforherb—therevolutionaryfervouroftheseventieshavinglongtransmutedintofreedomlovingeccentricities,probably.AndI’msurethemagicwouldstillbetherewhenheperformed,justlikewhenTootsstridesoutonstagein his studded leather, ready to raise the roof, or a hush descends upon the

audience as JimmyCliff starts singingManyRivers ToCrossMarley brought to his live show was the only thing that wasn’t drilled toperfection. Although no one escapes the ravages of time — not even singerswhosemusichastouchedtheheartandsoulofmillions—yetBobMarleyistheexception, sincehe’snowbecomean immortal.More than thirtyyearsafterhisdeath the trademarks that we associate with him (the dreadlocks, wry smile,ganja spliff and Rasta colours) can be seen the world over, from Australia toZambiaandallpointsin-between.He’saglobalicon,andwithalevelofculturalimportance that few other deceased celebrities can match. As yet there’s noHollywood movie but books and documentaries are plentiful and his musiccontinues to outsell all other reggae releases, including those by his sons andgrandsons.

In addition to leavingus suchgreat songs, he’s come to symbolise core values

thatpeopletheworldovercanidentifywithsuchasfreedomfromoppression,anendtodiscrimination and equal rights and justice. Unusually, he

wasmoreconcernedwithgettinghismessageacrossthanfameor fortune;buttheKingofReggaehasbecomeabrand,andthere’snowaprofusionofMarleyrelatedgoodsonthemarketincludingheadphones,skateboards,trainers,plasticdolls, coffee, soft drinks and medicinal marijuana products. Consumerism hasreplacedveracity,whilstMarley’smemory isnowcloaked inmythology—muchof it welcome given the huge boost that he’s given reggae as a genre, theRastafari movement and Jamaica itself. It’s fascinating to see how the actualperson has become secondary to our collective need for super heroes. SomeclaimthatMarleywasaprophet,andpointtohowtheuniversaltruthsinherentinhismusiccontinueto inspirepeoplefromeverywalkof life,andofallagesandnationalities.Othersseizeupontherebellioninsomeofhissongsandseehimasarevolutionary—Jamaica’sveryownCheGuevaraanddefenderofthepoorwhowasunafraidtospeakoutforwhathebelievedin,whetherhisreligiousfaith,anAfricanliberationstruggleorthelegalisationofmarijuana.

It’s against thisbackdropof shiftingperceptions that JimMcCarthy andBenitoGallego’sgraphicnovelshouldbeviewed.They’veexploredthemythologythat’sbuiltuparoundBobMarley,aswellastracingtheoutlinesofhisactualstory.Thatmeans ifTrenchTown’snarrow lanesandsingle storeyhousesget transformedintoatropicalsuburbiawith“twoup,twodowns,”it’sbecausetheartistisputtinghisownspinon things.SteeredbyJimMcCarthy’sauthenticuseofpatois,he’screatedabackdropthat’sinspiredbytherealstory,butisnolongerconfinedbyit.We’relivinginapost-truthworld,andwitnessingtheemergenceofwritersandartists who blur distinctions once considered unassailable, and create new artfrom a distillation of fact and fantasy. Jamaican novelistMarlon James did this

with his book A Brief History Of Seven KillingsassassinationattemptonBobMarleyanditsaftermathtoextraordinaryeffect.

The real-life Marley was always searching for ways to make his music moreaccessible, whilst retaining control over his affairs. He had his own studio,pressing plant, record label and roster of artists, and he and TheWailers alsopublishedanewspaperandhostedaweeklyradioshow.Theyutilisedwhateverplatforms were available to them and graphic novels would have been noexception,had theyexisted in theseventies.Marley’smainconcernwouldhavebeenthecontentandthemessagesitcontainsyetallnovelsareworksoffictionbydefinition,evenwhentheydoadheretoafamiliarstoryline.BenitoGallegoisat his very best when drawing Marley under attack from the supernatural, orreelingunder ahail ofbulletsduring theattemptonhis life. Elsewhere, fansof

TheHarder TheyComewill recognise the scenes as the youngMarley journeysfrom the rural parish of St Ann’s to Kingston by bus, and later makes hisrecording debut for Leslie Kong. Perry Henzell’s film was hugely influential inbringing Jamaica to life formanypeople, both visually and culturally.Over thepast forty years it’s helped shape a narrative about reggaemusic and Jamaicathat persists to this day, for good and for bad. This book is verymuch of thezeitgeist, and reflects a popular mindset that embodies all of the myths andidealism that goes into creating a legend, as seen through a prism of culturaldifferences. It’s Marley through the looking glass — a visually dynamicinterpretationofaThirdWorldsuperstarwho travelled fromrags to richesandbecameLordofallhesurveyed.

Marley’s greatest giftwas to ensure that reggaemusic has continued to thrive

beyond the era that gave birth to it. Thanks initially toposthumoushitscollectionandthebestsellingalbuminreggaehistory—he’stheonly Jamaican artist whose music has permeated the mainstream and stayed

there.There’shardlyaradiostationanywherethathasn’tplaylisted

Three Little Birds orOne Love — songs that appeal to the broadestdemographic,both lyrically andmusically. Thanks

tosongs likethese, thesinuous,one-dropstyleofreggaethathe introducedtotheworld isnowubiquitousyethealsoplantedtheseedinpeople’smindsthatreggae’snotjustagenreofmusic,butalifestyle—onethatenshrinesvaluesthataren’tlimitedtoRastafariansalone,butthatwecanallbelievein.

Inreallife,Marleywentfarbeyondthechilledout,onelovephilosophyheardonthe recordsmentioned above. He once spent US $250,000 of his ownmoneyflyinghisentirebandandtheirequipmenttoZimbabwe,sotheycouldplayatthecountry’sIndependencecelebrations.Marleydidn’tjusthavesympathieswiththeAfrican liberation movement — he took an active role and actually mademeaningfulcontributionstoit.HeandPeterToshwerefearlessinstandingupforwhattheybelievedin,whichisararequalityinsingersofallgenres,andfromany

era.WhenMarley performed at the 1976Smile Jamaicaafterbeingshot (anevent that’smemorably illustratedhere)hewasurging thepeople of Jamaica to be unafraid, even of murderous gunmen. It was thisrighteousdefiance, honedby years of hardship, that separated him fromeveryotherlong-haired,denimcladtroubadourwhoenteredtheseventies’rockscenewithaguitarinonehandandspliffintheother.IfBobMarleystillmatters—andheclearlydoes,sinceheremainsoneoftheworld’smostvisiblesymbolsofhopeand freedom— then it’snotentirelydue tohis looks,orability to fashionahittune.It’sbecausehecaredabouthumanity,andwrotesongsthatwereintendedto influenceour thinkingaboutwar,poverty,greedand injustice,aswellas theenvironmentandwhatweeat.That’swhytheBobMarleystory—which isnowhappily available as a graphic novel— continues to inspire, long after themanhimselfshedhismortalformandhasassumedmultipleothers.

AuthorofSteppin’Razor:TheStoryOfPeterTosh

GALLERY

I always likedBobMarley’smusic. In fact ‘CouldYouBe Loved’

wasoneof the first singles thatmysistereverboughtand took

home and we must have played it dozens of times. We really

enjoyedlisteningtoit.ButtruthtotellIdidn’tknowmuchabout

themanandhismusic.

WhenIgottheassignmentofillustratingthisbookIspentalotof

time researching all kinds of visual references and learning as

much aspossible aboutBobMarley’s life andmusic. I did some

preliminary studies in order to familiarise myself with Marley’s

featuresandphysicalappearance.AndnotonlyforBobbutalso

forthepeoplewhohadamajorsignificanceinhislife:RitaMarley,

PeterTosh,BunnyWailer.

WhenworkingonthepagesfromthescriptthefirstthingIdoisa

very loose thumbnail on

thathelps

to visualise the size of the panels and the position of the

elements that go into each panel. I scan the thumbnails, blow

themuptoprintingsizeanddoaprovisionalletteringinorderto

seethespacethat’sleftforthedrawings.

Next step, which really takes quite some time, is finding

referencesforthepeople,placesorthings(likevehiclesorguns)

thataredescribedinthescript.OnceIknowtheaspectofwhat

I’m going to draw and how it’s going to be positioned on the

page,andalsohavinginmindthespacethat’sgoingtobetaken

upbythelettering,Idoatightersketchwithpencilonpaperbut

now at printing size. I scan this sketch, copy and paste the

lettering that I did for the thumbnails and then send it for

approval toDavidBarraclough and JimMcCarthy.Once I have

their approval I do the final art all digitally.

balloons, do the inking over

GALLERYCONT…

the sketch lines and finally colour the page. All this usingPhotoshopwith aWacom tablet. And almost all the timewhilehaving Bob Marley’s songs sounding on the computer in thebackgroundbettertogetinthemood.

It’sbeenagiftoflifehavingbeenabletoworkwithJimandDavidon this wonderful book. While making it I have learnt a lot ofthings, not only at an artistic level but also I’ve got to knowanawesome musician, a symbol of Jamaican culture and identity,andafigureofcapitalsignificanceinthehistoryofhumankind.

I wasn’t really aware of how big a figure Bob Marley was. I’vediscovered a small man who waspeople reading thisbookwilldiscoverthat,too.

BenitoGallego,2017

JIMMCCARTHY

MorganHeritageismymusicalbeverage.

LivingForKicks

OmnibusPress,followinghissuccessfulseriesofmusic

biographies,whichhasrecentlyincluded

TheLifeAndDeathOfKeithMoon

GunsAndRosesGraphic

Matters

Hey:TheRamonesGraphic

Death Of Michael Jackson

paperback collections, Godspeed: The Kurt Cobain GraphicEminem:InMySkin,HowToDrawMonstersForKids

Jim’sfirstbook,VoicesOfLatinRock,waspublishedbyHalLeonardinNorthAmericaandwasthefirstin-depthexaminationofSantana,LatinrockcultureandtheMissionDistrictof

SanFrancisco,theareawherethisnascentpoliticalandmusicalartformemerged.

VoicesOfLatinRockhasresultedinaseriesofon-goingshowsinSanFranciscopromotingAutismAwareness andwhichhave featured appearancesbyCarlosSantana, theoriginal

Santana band, TajMahal,Malo, Los Lobos, Sheila E, the political activistDoloresHuerta,

Azteca,War,SlyStone,GeorgeClintonandmanyothers.

Jim has also produced comic art and illustrations formany different publishers, and co-

createdthecomiccharactersBadCompany,BixBarton

2000AD,aswellasworkingonJudgeDredd.

His books have been translated and published in numerous foreign rights countries,

including Russia, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Norway, Italy, Poland, France, Croatia, Germany

andJapan.

www.jimmccarthy.co.uk

BENITO

BenitoGallegowasborninMadrid,Spainandhasbeendrawinghis

entire life.Hehasbeena long-timecollaboratorartist forSpanish

Sword& Sorcery fanzines andpublications providing comics and

pin-upswhileattendingtheFacultyofFineArtsinMadrid.

Formanyyearshecontinuedtodrawcomicsalongwithpursuinga

careerinadvertisingandgraphicdesign.

AftermeetinglegendNealAdamshewasinspiredtocontactRoyThomaswhohelped

BenitogethisfirstprofessionalgigswithhisseriesAnthemBolt.

Benito has since worked with top talents like Brian Azzarello, Cary Bates, PaulKupperberg and Sal Buscema, and with major publishers DC, Marvel, Upper Deck,HeroicPublishingandAFirstSalvo.

Benito is currentlyworkingonAPAMA theUndiscoveredAnimal, a series createdbyTedSikora andMiloMiller, publishedbyHero TomorrowComics andwinner of 2015S.P.A.C.E.AwardforBestGraphicNovel.

BenitolivesinAlicante,intheEastcoastofSpain,withhiswifeanddaughter.

Toseemoreofhisartvisitwww.benitogallego.com

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TextbyJimMcCarthy

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