The ultimate love letter to the funky pop-rock sound that made The Artist Formerly Known as Prince a legend.
When Prince burst onto the pop scene in 1978, he put Minneapolis on the music map. Many up-and-coming bands followed the trail that he blazed. MPLS Sound is the story of one such group—Starchild, led by a young woman inspired by Prince to start her own revolution. Through her journey, we see from within exactly how His Royal Badness transformed the entire Minneapolis scene.
MPLS sound was an expected gem of a graphic novel that not only showcases some interesting aspects about a band, but also how that band was influenced by the one and only Prince.
I believe that I found out about MPLS Sounds through my library's website. I always check to see what graphic novels/comics they have purchased and this one was on the list. It's told in the vein of "behind the scenes" of xyz band, but adds a different flare when it showcases how Prince influenced the music industry but also this particular band. Now while I was hoping that this was based on a true story, the band itself is made up. This is their story, but Prince's role in this story is a lot larger than I expected and I was particularly excited when Tabu made the decision to weave him into the narrative. There is a lot to be said about the legacy of Prince and the impact he made on Minneapolis. This isn't a biography of his life, but an ode to his greatness and achievements and his influence. The story didn’t end the way I anticipated, but I think that it was handled well. It definitely made me want to read and know more about Prince. The artwork was amazing and I loved the use of the hues of purple. If you know anything about Prince then you know this is particularly important. The artwork also was crafted in way that placed me in the "time" the story takes place which is amazing. It wasn't just in the clothes that the characters were wearing, but just the entire vibe and energy of the artwork as a whole. If you haven't checked out MPLS sound I highly recommend it.
This historical fiction is sunk by shallow and abrupt scripting that left me with the bare sketch of a story. It read like the outline for a longer work or perhaps a movie pitch.
The books published under the Life Drawn imprint usually tend toward nonfiction, but this one features an imaginary band coming together in 1980s Minneapolis, inspired by the music of Prince and aspiring to have his mentorship. There are too-brief cameos from Prince and some other Minnesota music celebrities with whom I am not very familiar. But since nothing much happens -- or at least nothing that is dwelt upon for more than a page or two -- this falls short as a tribute to Prince and as its own story.
A fictional story about a Minneapolis funk band, and how their history and style was influenced by Prince.
So many stories about bands, be they real or fictional, end up following the pattern of VH1's "Behind The Music" episodes. All the drama, all the infighting, a focus on why the band deteriorated and whether or not they have/will ever get back together. This story, refreshingly, didn't follow that template. Oh, the band goes through may of the struggles but they're brushed to the side to focus o the lead singer's drive to make the band famous through hard work. There aren't any real villains. The music industry people (including Prince and his employees) suck but they're shown as selfish, not evil.
I would love to see more books (again, about fictional or real bands) use this template to tell stories that expand on characters within a band rather than the Demons and Destructiveness of being in a band.
I also appreciated the layout of the book. It was almost never noticable (which is an underappreciated art) but the occasional two page spreads were gorgeous.
This was, by far, my favorite of the recent Humanoid book releases. I'll keep an eye out for Tabu and Meredith Laxton's work in the future.
And this is an entry in my Black Comic Books TBR series so we are also going to be highlight a Black Youtuber! Today I'm recommending Erin Hudson, a solid follow that talks books, movies, and make-up. I think I discovered them through their bookish goals video for this year (as I am want to do) and I've really enjoyed their wrap-ups.
Going through the bio's of the creators we can start with Hannibal Tabu, who according to his website is "an award-winning writer, futurist, brother, DJ, father, journalist, designer, pundit, husband, poet, vocalist, son, karaoke host, jerk, and digital project manager based in Los Angeles, California." my library has a couple of other comics by him so we will certainly circle back to Hannibal again.
According to Comic Book Resource (because they only have a linked in and I don't) "Joseph Phillip Illidge is a Senior Editor for Lion Forge Comics, and a public speaker on the subjects of race, comics and the corporate politics of diversity... In 2017, he oversaw the launch of Catalyst Prime, Lion Forge's new shared universe superhero comics line, with a focus on inclusivity in characters and creators."
And to conclude we have Meredith Laxton, who according to their portfolio website is a freelance artist who lives in Savannah Georgia and works on comics and video games.
What kinds of keywords came to mind? Bands, success, music industry, diversity, and punk fashion.
The official synopsis on the goodreads is "When Prince burst onto the pop scene in 1978, he put Minneapolis on the music map. Many up-and-coming bands followed the trail that he blazed. MPLS Sound is the story of one such group—Starchild, led by a young woman inspired by Prince to start her own revolution. Through her journey, we see from within exactly how His Royal Badness transformed the entire Minneapolis scene."
As a not music person I did feel a little bit disconnected from the plot. Only because it felt (particularly at the beginning) to very much be a band story. As we go on we do see some development of our main characters. but I was a bit surprised how generic people felt to start. Kind of the opposite of Jem and the Holograms where we are somewhat beat over the head with trademark personality traits to start.
That said, the art did differentiate between the characters well and was overall very good in my opinion although not very distinct.
Race is obviously one of the bigger themes woven into the story. Centering both Black characters and some of the ways that the music industry uses Black creators to their own ends.
Gender, sexuality and disability are somewhat tied together in the fact that we end up following two female characters Theresa and Lizzie who become lovers and then... Spoiler alert... Lizzie becomes sick, leaves Theresa, and presumably dies. To say I found this rather seemingly random plot point that rounds out the end of the book weird is an understatement. It reminds me a lot of Blue is the Warmest Color and I believe is generally seen as a bad cliche.
And while class didn't jump out at me, there is some round about discussion largely funneled through progressing the band to wider popularity.
So, to conclude, in many ways a decent book that people who are more into music and bands will likely enjoy. The way it explores the influence of Prince is interesting. I am, however, very bothered by the lesbian/chronic illness plot point so I am going to lean towards a two star review I think. Ok, but not great.
MPLS is kind of an odd story that I really enjoyed. It's a tribute to Prince (the musician) while also kind of making him the bad guy of the book. It's about a band called Star Child trying to make it big in Minneapolis, where the shadow of the purple one hangs over the music scene. The fictional band ends up doing battles on stage against other real bands from the era, including Morris Day and the Time and Lipps, Inc. The book traces the band from its formation to its breakup and eventual reunion.
This was a quick read, three issues, but it felt longer for two pretty good reasons. First, the presentation by Humanoids is really great. This was the best feeling trade I read this year by a large margin. The cover is a thick cardstock, and the all the paper feels a bit thicker than normal industry standard. More importantly, the art was great, with distinct character and great colors that really popped off the page. The story being so short is the only thing that kept it from being a five, as it feels like one more issue could have fleshed out the demise and reunion of the band.
This story has many faults, first and foremost as a story it feels rushed, Like someone before me said it feels like an outline for a bigger story that was rejected and they settled with using it. Second the band name just makes me think of KISS who by this time are already well established artists. Third what does this band sound like what is their music style? Why not hire a song writer to write a verse and chorus that's all that was needed for the music aspect. Fourth the portrayal of Prince, Vanity, and Morris Day felt like caricatures of the characters from Purple Rain. Last thing is the feeling that this was a money grab released alongside the anniversary of Prince's passing, I wanted to enjoy this because of my love for the artist Prince and understanding of his many faults as the man Prince but the only redeeming factor in all of this was the art and coloring.
I wanted to like this more than I did. The artwork is awesome, and I love the setup and the main characters. However, I don't feel like I really learned anything about the world beyond that. I don't get a good sense of the reception of the band or how they get along (except for two instances that are played out very quickly). On top of that, a major relationship happens completely off-page and is rammed into a two-page spread at the very end of the book as a flashback. I felt cheated, especially since that relationship drives what ultimately happens to the band.
I liked that the story went against established (and, honestly, realistic) tropes for this kind of narrative. I loved the brief--and sometimes extended--cameos of the artists from Minneapolis, but ultimately I was dissatisfied with the overall story. What was there I liked, but I wanted more of it.
The art and the concept of this story are great, but nothing really grabbed me.
This recommended on a Pride Month comic rec list and the lead character is a Black queer woman, so there's that. It's certainly more centered around her love of music and her career than really delving into her queerness. Barring the few scenes with her future partner, her queerness isn't really discussed much.
This story follows a band in the 1980s trying to make a name for themselves as the Minneapolis Sound was really taking off. Prince's influence is seen throughout the book and it's said to be a tribute of sorts to the late legendary musician. I wished there was more to grab onto character wise, but this book is mostly vibes, IMO.
Written as a kind of sidelong tribute to the departed Prince, MPLS Sound tells the story of Starchild, a fictional Minneapolis band that worked hard enough to gain Prince's notice. If they accept his guidance they will surely rocket to superstardom, but they will sacrifice their identity along the way. And what is it that they really want? Captures the struggles and passion of a Black-led band trying to make it in a nearly all-white city, managing its ambitions against its humanity, and ultimately being at peace with where their road takes them. Deftly sidesteps a lot of the cliches of musical drama and tells a story so credible it's easy to think, "Wait, why haven't I heard of Starchild?"
Graphic novel about a fictional Minneapolis funk band inspired by and to some extent mentored by Prince, set in the early 80s. Portrays the drive to be a musician and get a band together as well as the darker competitive side and difficulties of being a black or rainbow band with women calling the shots. Exquisite artwork including full page spreads. There were also recurring bittersweet moments when the lead singer and guitarist Theresa is struggling in the present day of 1982 and remembering back to years earlier when her parents died. Beautifully done.
This is fiction. It appeared to be, but I had to look at the reviews to find out. And I never figured out why. Weren't there plenty of actual bands to write about? The art was nice, but the story seemed choppy, and I never understood much about the characters besides the main woman, and of course Prince. There was some follow-up, but it didn't resolve my questions. What happened to the girl who was sick, apparently the main character's girlfriend? Sweet story, but largely incomprehensible to me. I guess it just wasn't my time or place.
This was definitely a cover buy for me — I’m a sucker for anything Jen Bartel does.
The ultimate love letter to the funky pop-rock sound that made the artist formerly known as Prince a legend. When Prince burst onto the music scene in 1978, he put Minneapolis on the map. Consequently, many up and coming acts followed the trail that he blazed.
This is the story of Starchild, a fictional group that almost made it to stardom in 1983, led by a young woman whose desire to change the world through her music ignited a revolution. Through Starchild’s journey, MPLS Sound chronicles, from a distance, the rise of a musical genius, and the rebirth of a city.
I appreciated that this wasn’t the typical behind-the-scenes band book loaded with sex and drugs, and the typical conflict that comes along with it. It was a band that wanted to put in the work, with a fearless leader to take them there. Yes, they disagreed, and of course there was inter-band romance (is there a word for this?), but it worked for the story. I most of all loved the diversity of the band. Honestly, the book could’ve been longer, but the “where are they now” at the end was a nice touch.
Love, love, love the illustrations and artwork. This is perfect for fans of Prince and/or funk-rock; any musical historians will love it! Great for fans of historical graphic novels, such as March v.1-3 by John Lewis.
Kind of unusual in that it takes on Prince through a fictional band, rather than actual events. I wish I was more invested in this, especially since even though it does touch on Prince's life, it's much more focused on the band that never was.
A good story and love letter to Prince and his influence on the Minneapolis music scene. Reading about the fictional band Starchild makes me want to look up a bunch of the actual bands from that time period.
Ein Bilder und Sprechblasen gewordenes Stück Musikgeschichte. Nicht unbedingt meine geschmackliche Baustelle, aber zugleich herzlich und informativ gemacht. Insgesamt nur leider wahnsinnig unspektakulär, weshalb ich fürchte, abgesehen von grundlegenden Vibes den Rest schnell wieder zu vergessen.
The art was pretty (it reminded me of JEM!) but it was also static, it didn't feel alive in most places. The story was much the same. Ok, but felt mostly detached, didn't take any risks.
A graphic novel about a fictional band coming up through Minneapolis in the 80s, and finding their own identity in a scene dominated by the Great Purple One. Decent story (more about external pressures on the band rather than internal turmoil), and decent art. The color was a lot more effective than the art style.
MPLS Sound is a love letter to Prince and the music and musicians he inspired. I really enjoyed the art and the promise of this book - I wanted to just LOVE it and I didn't. It shows some of the majesty of Prince's vision while also showing his way of building fame under his name - you either did it like he wanted or you didn't do it. I like all of that. I liked the storyline and the three just didn't come together like I wanted.