Exclusive Preview: Czarface Causes Interstellar Mayhem in Comic/Record Hybrid, First Weapon Drawn

Jack Kirby may have transcended our reality 23 years ago, but his legacy remains as potent as ever. From Tom Scioli’s chiseled, angular space operas to Paul Pope’s reality-hopping fantasy and Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s cosmic cornucopia Descender, the King of Comics still reigns supreme.

That influence transcends sequential art, too. Esoteric, 7L and Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck—the trio better known as Czarface—have spent their career channeling the drama, fisticuffs and glorious excess of Silver Age Comics into taut hip-hip. In the past, they’ve offered cross-media experiences that bundle records with original comics illustrated by artist Gilberto Aguirre Mata for releases including Every Hero Needs a Villain.

For Record Store Day on April 24th, the trio is releasing First Weapon Drawn, a particularly badass package consisting of an original 24-page comic and a readalong record featuring voice actors and an original score from 7L. The project draws heavily from Power Records, a ‘70s label that licensed Marvel superheroes, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes and all manner of genre staples from the era into audio narratives.

7L’s soundtrack weaves Dick Dale guitar twang, organ, synth and theremin that perfectly dovetail with a comic about a soviet wrestler transported to a brutal outer-space arena. The comic is written by all three members and scripted by Esoteric (née Seamus Ryan), with Mata returning for art duties. Paste has an exclusive preview of the issue below, which will be included in a gorgeous gatefold cover come next month. Also included: the character’s batshit crazy origin story. Check out the theme song on SoundCloud.

First Weapon Drawn Art by Gilberto Aguirre Mata

First Weapon Drawn Art by Gilberto Aguirre Mata

First Weapon Drawn Art by Gilberto Aguirre Mata