CD Reviews

"Graphic Novel: BB Wolf And The Three LPs"

Top Shelf Productions

It’s not every day you see a review of a graphic novel in a blues newsletter, but that’s just exactly what you have here. BB Wolf and the Three LPs is a modern day retelling of the classic children’s story The Three Little Pigs; but this is by no means a kid’s story. Beautifully illustrated in a sepia-toned ink wash by illustrator Richard Koslowski, this is told from the reportedly “true account” of the events told from the perspective of Barnabus Benjamin Wolf, a poor Mississippi farmer by day and blues musician by night in 1920. It is a story of racism, murder and the corruptive power of Littlepig Industries and the three brothers who run it. There is a lot of historical relativeness behind the story, from the poor farming people of the South, to the seedy side of East St. Louis and the greed of big businessmen in Chicago.

The creator of the story J.D. Arnold has really taken his theme to extremes. Besides the graphic novel he has also included a seven-song CD featuring the “lost recordings” of BB Wolf and his band The Howlers. Three of the tracks reportedly recorded in 1919 carry an authentic Delta feel. Each song is then covered by modern day players, including a said big named rock act called Spinal Trance. The last song, a take of BB Wolf’s number “Rip It Up,” is a collaboration of the original track with a modern artist. It’s all tongue in cheek on these songs, though and they include illustrator Rich Kowloski as one of the performers.

This graphic novel has been receiving high accolades from the comic world, including four Glyph Awards and being named by USA Today as one of the 10 best graphic novels at the San Diego Comic-Con. For more of the story of BB Wolf or to order a copy of the book, visit the website www.bbwolfandthethreelps.com.