SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer, comic book creator and author John Dolmayan has announced his new series “Dead Samurai”. A zombie thriller set in 16th century feudal Japan, issue one features cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz (“New Mutants”, “Moon Knight”, “Elektra: Assassin”) and illustration by Ryan Benjamin (“Star Wars”, “Iron Man”, “Batman”, “Wonder Woman”). “Dead Samurai” will be out on October 9 via Diamond Distribution.
About the upcoming release, Dolmayan shares: “With ‘Dead Samurai’, I’ve had the chance to combine two things I love: feudal Japan and zombies! I hope people enjoy the adventure!”
Fans can pre-order the comic now at this location. Stay tuned for details on additional cover variants — coming soon.
About “Dead Samurai”: In 16th century feudal Japan, a leprosy-based infection that penetrates the brain has turned millions of humans into cannibalistic creatures devoid of morality or memory. A half-Japanese, half-Portuguese Samurai named Shinzu has failed to defend his Daimyo and his family from danger. Shamed beyond redemption, he resigns himself to seppuku (ritual suicide). Before he has a chance, he discovers the Daimyo’s youngest daughter has survived. With a regained sense of purpose and a way to regain his honor, he sets off on a quest to find a safe haven for his ward.
“Dead Samurai” is a “Three Musketeers”-esque story of duty and honor, as well as personal sacrifice and friendship.
Dolmayan has always had a passion for acquiring and collecting rare comics; a hobby that began long before he joined Grammy Award-winning and multiplatinum rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN. As a child, Dolmayan would utilize his $5 per week allowance to purchase new issues of his favorite series, and in time, eventually began selling off back issues via newspaper ads and at conventions. After a few years of honing his entrepreneurial skills, Dolmayan was making more money selling comics than he was working at “real” jobs.
Dolmayan took a step back from the comic world when he joined SYSTEM OF A DOWN in 1997, though he never gave up collecting. Touring with the band allowed him to explore comic bookstores, shops, and antique treasures all around the world, looking for vintage, high-end titles that were not readily available. During rare breaks from the road, he would return to conventions to continue selling his finds.
Those pop-ups eventually led to the launch of Torpedo Comics in 2003 — Dolmayan‘s first brick-and-mortar comic book shop in Las Vegas. It has since expanded into three more stores located throughout Southern California, all specializing in rare and hard-to-find titles.
Dolmayan has taken his love for comics even further by creating and authoring his own series. His first body of work, “Ascencia”, is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller set 150 years in the future that explores the question: how far will human civilization go to attain immortality?
Dolmayan — who continues to fire on all cylinders in his business as well as in SYSTEM OF A DOWN — likens the process of writing comics to writing music; both provide a much-needed creative outlet. With each new title, Dolmayan draws inspiration from modern life and creates characters that incorporate bits of himself into worlds of his own creation.
Photo credit: Clemente Ruiz