Photo By Gail

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Bob Stinson of The Replacements took a drunken detour into Dante’s Inferno, well, Stinson’s Inferno answers that question in the most gloriously unhinged way possible. This 24-page graphic novel  is a punk-rock fever dream where LA’s Sunset Strip stands in for Hell, and Stinson, guided by none other than Brian Jones  of The Rolling Stones (as Virgil), stumbles his way through an afterlife packed with fallen rock gods. Yes, it exists.

Along the way, Bob encounters the likes of Johnny Thunders, Darby Crash, and Jeffrey Lee Pierce — all of whom probably have better stories to tell than any theologian. The art, courtesy of Maria and Peter Hoey, perfectly captures the surreal, burnt-out beauty of rock’s underworld, while Dave Nuss’ writing delivers just the right mix of snark, tragedy, and amp-blasting nihilism.

In short, Stinson’s Inferno is what happens when classic literature and dive-bar jukeboxes collide. It’s dark, it’s funny, and it’s a reminder that, in the end, rock and roll might just be the only thing louder than Hell itself. Buy it, read it, and pour one out for the legends.

Spotted at the Society of Illustrator’s MoCCA Fest, NYC.