Look out Marvel!
Whenever a member of the media attends The NAMM Show, they can expect to find a plethora of press kits once they venture into the press room. Some are special. You can often find press kits that fit in the palm of your hand on little thumb drives. In addition, once you remove the valuable information, press members can utilize the available memory if they so choose.
 Of course, some press releases are printouts. And others are housed on CDs, which weigh little, take up little space, and provide a lot of information. But at this year’s NAMM Show, one press kit was especially different. It was unlike anything seen in the press room before. Sitting on the table was a Polybag-wrapped comic book with a CD inside.
A comic book? What could that be about? Well, the idea came from Jim Normandy, founder of Normandy Guitars.
Normandy found an artist and co-writer in the name of Shawn Cruz. Cruz, who works during the day as a warehouse manager, had penned comic books previously for Free Comic Book Day in Salem, Ore. Cruz wrote and drew a children’s story. “I penned two comic books,” said Cruz. “One was for teens. When I agreed to do the comic for the Free Comic Day, the storeowner told me he wanted to cater to teens that day. So he was wondering if I’d do a children’s comic book. So I did a little 10-page comic book. It was called “Voodoo Boogie.” It was about a girl who had a voodoo trick backfire on her. She became really ugly and got sour at the world.”
Normandy, who was searching high and low for an artist to bring his comic book idea to fruition, visited the same comic book store a couple of days later and asked the shopkeeper who he would recommend to draw and write a comic book. The store owner brought up the name Shawn Cruz. “Jim of course wanted Normandy Guitars in the comic book, but he also wanted to incorporate a band in every comic book. We featured a [real] local band, who was actually friends of mine.”
“I’ve been thinking for years about the best way to promote the company,” said Normandy. “We launched our product at Summer NAMM last year in Nashville. I wanted to start a company that’s as well rounded as possible, and one that is responsible in the community. The comic book has done so much. It promotes the company, and it helps charities that can help keep music in the schools. In fact, I just created a non-profit group called the Normandy Guitars Foundation. Sales from the comic book will be a main source of funding for the charity.
“The comic book idea is cool on so many levels,” added Normandy. “It also gives me a voice to young children.”
How did Normandy come up with an idea for a comic book? “My main mantra for the company is, ‘If it’s not fun and it’s not cool, I’m not going to do it.’ I want to do things differently. I want to get the most mileage out of everything I do. I’m a daydreamer.”
The comic book officially launched one month before NAMM, in December. The comic book is called “Psycho Guitar Killers,” and all sale proceeds will go to charity. The comic book does not only promote Normandy Guitars. It has a theme. “It has a political viewpoint,” said Cruz. “The idea was that original, creative music has been outlawed [by the government]. The government and a fictional company called Music Incorporated have banded together to turn music into a science. They pick the artists. [The government and the fictional company] write the songs for the artists. People are buying it. It’s been awhile and now people have forgotten about great bands like Led Zeppelin. Jim [Normandy] gets Robert Johnson’s guitar out of an auction. The guitar has a special power. Jim puts the guitar in his factory and spreads creativity around. The guitars have the power to fight the anti-creative trend the ‘Thought Police,’ who work for the government.”
“It’s a statement about the dangers of too much corporate music control,” said Normandy. “Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of pop music, but some of the Top 40 stuff is blah.”
Cruz and Normandy are planning to release more issues on a quarterly basis. A second issue of “Psycho Guitar Killers” is due out soon. “One unique thing about the comic book is that every issue will feature a band I endorse,” Normandy said. “It’s great for the artist and great for Normandy. The second issue will feature The Eagles of Death Metal. The singer from Queens of the Stone Age, Josh Homme, is actually the drummer for Eagles of Death Metal and co-writes all of the songs.”
Although printing a comic book can be expensive, Normandy found a local mom-and-pop printer to publish the comic book at a low price with a quick turnaround time.
The first issue of the comic book is being sold at Oregon comic book stores. It also can be purchased online at www.normandyguitars.com. But Normandy hopes to have the comic sold nationwide in comic book and record stores. “We’re talking to national distributors right now, such as Diamond,” said Normandy.
Normandy also hopes music instrument retailers such as yourself will sell the comic book in your stores. Normandy has created a point-of-sale display for retailers that can be placed on the countertop next to the registers. The company will provide them free for dealers who purchase 25 or more comic books. Contact the company for more details.
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