What happens after your first graphic novel ends with the world literally getting destroyed? If you’re Dance Gavin Dance, you tear it all down and come back with two brand new universes — and then tell both stories at once.
The band has teamed up with Z2 Comics again for a new release, Dance Gavin Dance: Night of the Fruit Mafia / Dance of the Robot. It’s a flipbook-style graphic novel (yes, literally two covers, two stories, one book) that dives deeper into the chaotic world-building and surreal mythology that’s been threaded through DGD’s lyrics for years.
Each side is its own trip. Fruit Mafia is frenetic and lawless, drawn by Ulises Fariñas in a style he describes as “graffiti artists in high school.” On the flip side, Dance of the Robot is stark and grounded, brought to life by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia to make the moments of surreality feel even more intense.
As an exclusive treat, Z2 has even let us preview the first five pages of each story, which you can check out further below. See what a little green duck is up to with a unique invention that’s ready for the science fair and then immediately plunge into an unsettling dystopian future.
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Both stories expand on the canon created by DGD members Will Swan and Jon Mess — and according to writer Chris Miskiewicz, bring some of the band’s “coolest characters” into new dimensions.
“This was a rare opportunity to create a different experience for fans,” Swan says. “New characters, new ideas, but it still builds on everything we’ve been doing through the music.”
The deluxe edition clocks in at 100 oversized pages (12”x12”) and comes with a slipcase, exclusive vinyl, art prints, and collector cards. A platinum version adds even more extras. And yes — Pantheon, the band’s first album with Andrew Wells in the lead vocalist spot, is included on a special double LP. If you’re a longtime fan, a collector or just into weirdly beautiful books, this one’s worth grabbing.
Both editions are available now at the Loudwire Store — but they won’t last long.
Dance Gavin Dance, ‘Night of the Fruit Mafia/Dance of the Robot’ Flipbook Preview
Preview the first 10 pages of Night of the Fruit Mafia/Dance of the Robot, the new graphic novel by Dance Gavin Dance, released on Z2.
Gallery Credit: Z2
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