Interview Nigel Patterson, Hero of the Elvis Comic Books

Elvis (book) expert Nigel Patterson published the book 'Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books' through Red Panda Publishing. Based on over 25 years of collecting and reading Elvis comic books, this 450-page book precedes the release of his "Opus Magum" project 'Elvis in Print: A Comprehensive Annotated & Illustrated Bibliography 1955-2024'. 

Reason enough for me to virtually sit down with Nigel Patterson to talk about the story behind the book - which I designed for him - to find out more about the story behind the research, writing and many images of Elvis in this book. 

Kees: Hi Nigel, great to turn the tables for a change, usually you are the one to help others with their books or ask the interview questions.

For those who have never paid attention to the person(s) behind the Elvis Information Network and a key contributor to the Elvis Book Discussion group on Facebook, can you share a little about yourself and your Elvis history?

Nigel: Thanks Kees. I was born in Northern Ireland but have lived in Australia for most of my life. I became an Elvis fan in 1969 on hearing Edge of Reality (it was the mega-hit side of the If I Can Dream/Edge of Reality single "down under"). 

My major involvement in the Elvis world started in 1986 when I joined my local fan club. I subsequently became President and what was essentially a regional club morphed into the Elvis Information Network (EIN) in the early 1990s. During this time, I contributed articles to Elvis Monthly and news items for Rex Martin's Worldwide Elvis News Service Weekly. 

When the World Wide Web (Internet) reinvented communications in the late 1990s I realized it was (then) the future, and EIN became one of the first online Elvis related sites. This allowed us to move from being a regional organization to bringing Elvis news, articles, interviews and more, to a global audience. 

But nothing stays the same, and in 2024 websites have given way to online social media (Facebook, Instagram etc.) as the primary sources of Elvis information and daily fan interaction. 

Also in the late 1990s, I established a relationship with BMG Australia. There was discussion about establishing a national fan club, but I suggested the time for that had long passed. Instead, the Coalition of (major) Australian Elvis Fan Clubs was established. I served as Convenor of the Coalition until I stood down in 2010 when I also pulled back from managerial involvement with EIN, leaving its operation in the very capable hands of Piers Beagley. Of course, I couldn’t stay too far way and I still contribute news, articles, reviews and interviews for the site. 

As Coalition Convenor I was the liaison between the clubs and BMG/Sony and each club received a complimentary copy of new Elvis CDs in return for promoting these to members. I also arranged advance tickets for club members when Elvis the Concert first toured "down under" and a "free" meet and greet with the TCB Band and Sweet Inspirations in each city. 

In 2001, I was co-convenor with Susan MacDougall, of the First Global Online Symposium on Elvis Presley. From the early noughties to 2010 I presented an in-class and online Elvis Film Course which ended up being on the curriculum at The Canberra College. For the past few years, I have enjoyed editing Elvis books for several prominent authors including yourself and Paul Belard in America. I am approaching having edited 50 books.

Kees: And at home, can you describe your book cabinet, is your house laden with books, comics and so on?

Nigel: (thinking…. book cabinet? singular?) I decline to answer this question on the grounds that I may incriminate myself.

Kees: Ha ha, you probably said enough … After all those years of helping other authors, including me - thanks again for that! - how is it to hold your own book in your hands?

Nigel: Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books is actually my fifth book, but my first major release. It is certainly a great feeling holding in my hands what is a substantial and attractive book.

Kees: What was the difference on working on somebody else's project versus your own? 

Nigel: In some respects, it is a similar process, the main difference being that working on your own project is obviously far more intensive and involves a greater level of research. But both processes involve checking grammar, facts and narrative flow.

Kees: What can readers expect in Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books?

 

Nigel: At a broad level it is about celebrating an area of Elvis' impact that has not been well recorded.

Many of the listings are nearly 70 years old so it has not been possible to source bibliographic details for all of them.

My research identified that Elvis' impact in sequential art is impressively, and eclectically, colorful. At a broad level it traverses biography, non-fiction, fiction, caricature, satire, children's comics and even X-rated publications. 

The themes in the hundreds of listings include Elvis as a superhero, crime fighter and spy, the Devil appears, and there is even a comic featuring a fairy godmother in a key role! Other themes include horror, the supernatural, science fiction, and Elvis is a regular character in the Marvel Universe, while in another universe he meets Superman. Who would have thought? And is he Dr. Bruce Banner?

There is also a 20-page "For Mature Eyes Only" section featuring adult content. There are comic books that were never published and an Elvis comic book that should be published! And of course, the book would not be complete without a section devoted to Elvis' childhood hero, Captain Marvel Jr. Did this inspire Elvis’ stage attire in the 1970s?

 

Interestingly, Elvis comic books are a global phenomenon. They continue to be published in many different countries and various languages. For instance, there are entries from the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Spain in the book. 

Kees: What gave you the idea for a book about Elvis' appearances in comic books?

 

Nigel: I have been compiling my multi-volume set, Elvis in Print: A Comprehensive Annotated & Illustrated Bibliography 1955-2024, for a long time and the first volume, which should be published later this year, includes a section on Elvis' impact in the sequential art area (comic books, graphic novels and biographies, caricatures and comic strips). 

 

During my research for Elvis in Print I came across comic book compendiums covering The Beatles, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, and Queen. It struck me that Elvis had not yet been given the same treatment. 

I suspected I had enough material to fill a 150-200 page book and that was my original idea. However, as I started digging deeper into Elvis in the comic book world I found more and more publications. And I have to also sincerely thank my book designer, Kees Mouwen (I think you may have heard of him), who not only has done a magnificent job in designing the look and feel of Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books, but also found many publications and artworks I had not come across. 

The book kept on growing and as it approached 450 pages, a 300% increase on my original idea, it was time to stop adding to it. It could have been even bigger as I've archived many more publications, comic strips, etc.

 

Kees: Any plans for a second volume?

 

Nigel: I briefly considered a second volume. The material I did not use in the book would likely have added another 100+ pages and as I am still discovering other Elvis sequential art there is likely a lot more to be found. 

There were also many images I could not include because of their pornographic nature, so an expanded stand-alone "For Mature Eyes Only" release has also been a possibility.

 

For the record, there were several artworks I would like to have included but couldn’t get permissions to do so. In particular, I had hoped to include the original storyboards for the Baz Luhrmann film, Elvis. The artist, Sam Uther, lives in Australia. Unfortunately, Sam had sold the storyboard rights to Warner Bros., and time and likely money, prevented me from pursuing permission through that company. 

My current priority is to finally publish the first volume of Elvis in Print (it has only been over two decades in the making!), so another volume of comic book material is not on my agenda. But, never say never.

Kees: How does Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books compare to the similar books you mentioned about other music icons?

Nigel: The books about David Bowie, Michael Jackson and Prince in comics are around 200 pages, with The Beatles release around 250 pages. At 450 pages, Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books dwarfs all of them. Given it is nowhere near complete, I suspect this reflects the greater presence Elvis has had, and continues to have, in the world of sequential art.

And unlike my book, the other "...in Comics" releases do not cover all elements of sequential art. 

Kees: Are there any images/cartoons that had an effect with the general public (like the Mad magazine picture?).

Nigel: Several images have resonated strongly with the public, but intermittently. 

While Al Hirschfeld is considered to have drawn the first caricature of Elvis in Collier's magazine (July 1956) it was Jack Davis' caricature in the December 1956 issue of MAD that attracted much publicity at the time. 

Generally though, Elvis has been pictured in so many different ways over the years that “consequently”, few have gained any real traction. What has become well known are the countless caricatures of the 1970s overweight Elvis in a white jumpsuit (yet that time represents less than a quarter of his life as a performer).  

Kees: Please tell us about the history of Elvis comic books. What does this teach us about Elvis' lasting presence? 

Nigel: At his first peak in the 1950s Elvis was a popular theme as caricature in prominent newspapers and periodicals, and as a character in comic books, particularly many of the Archie brand comics - graphic novels and graphic biographies were yet to become common. 

During the 1960s and 1970s interest in Elvis was generally in music papers and film and TV gossip magazines, where he was arguably the most prevalent celebrity featured. His often allegedly tawdry personal and professional life took on several inter-dimensions in these decades…...at least if you believed the tabloid magazines.

As with books about Elvis, the majority of comic and graphic book releases about him have occurred after his death. He is also still a regular celebrity in periodical stories (though, after the first decade of his death, at a lower frequency level). Overall, this is an indication of his enduring impact as a socio-cultural icon.

Kees: What are your main observations on how Elvis was portrayed in “comics” when he was around in the fifties, sixties and seventies? 

Nigel: Again, most portrayals or references to Elvis in the comics world were in the 1950s and then post 1977. There were only a handful in the 1960s and early 1970s and they were routine (usually non-offensive). 

The 1950s portrayal was strikingly split between his controversial hip-shaking gyrations (negative) and his role as "the" teen idol (positive). 

Post 1977, Elvis transcended his role as a music superstar to become a prominent agent in the socio-cultural fabric. As Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books shows, that impact is incredibly diverse and not definable into one or two categories. 

Kees: What was the first comic book to feature Elvis?

 

Nigel: That is a great question!

Single frame Elvis "caricatures" started appearing in newspapers and magazines from the first time Elvis moved his pelvis on American national television in the first half of 1956 and caused a hysterical backlash from conservative-religious elements in US society (it is interesting how in 2023-24 some fans view the Agent Elvis satire as offensive, yet they were likely the same people who, in 1956, protested Elvis’ innocence of vulgarity charges). 

Many sources list the debut issue of Jughead's Folly as the first "comic book" to feature Elvis in name or image. It was cover-dated July 1957. However, the December 1956 edition of the satire comic-magazine MAD, featured the article, Elvis Pelvis, with artwork by the legendary Jack Davis. And there was the True STRANGE magazine article in June 1957. It featured strong Elvis comic style artwork. 

Kees: If, based on your research, you were to make a Top 5 Elvis portrayals, how does that look and what do we learn/conclude from that in regard to Elvis?

Nigel: Given how diverse Elvis' portrayal is across more than 400 comic books, that is a hard question to answer. Some of the stand-outs are:

Bawk & Roll and Chicken Dance - the character of Elvis Poultry and his barnyard exploits is wonderfully done in these colorful and very amusing books. They will be enjoyed by both children and adults.

Melvis Pelvis and the Screaming Guitar of Justice - this character is so expressively crafted and the comic sub-title is equally evocative, "He's fat, he's hungry and he's got a really big gun!". And at times he looks like the Incredible Hulk.

King! - Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford's characterization of Elvis as a gun-toting tough guy is a lot of fun and the artwork is striking and edgy.

Elvis vs Godzilla - Shaky Kane's classic artwork (which is a double page spread in the book) is simply marvelous.

Did the Devil Send Elvis Presley? - Thomas Beecham's drawings of Elvis for True Strange (June 1957) magazine perfectly inhabit and express the article’s title.

I also love the crisp and colorful artistry of Super Sikh: Loves Elvis, Hates Bad Guys! and the secondary character, Kane Creole, in the Thriller comic book series.

Kees: Leafing through the book, what's up with all those zombies?

Nigel: (laughs) Yes, it was surprising to see how Elvis either as a zombie or battling zombies was a recurring theme in comic books. Many fans will be familiar with the Bubba Ho-Tep films but will be surprised about how prevalent the zombie concept is across the canon of Elvis sequential art. 

Kees: Your book includes an "adults only" section. Tell us about this.

 

Nigel: There are several comic books included in the book featuring nudity and/or graphic images and themes of a sexual nature......Birdland, Lady Death, Miss Elvis Presley, Sex Slave and Zombie Tramp are examples. 

It is not surprising that Elvis has resonated in pornographic comics - it is a natural extension of his earlier thematic presence in pornographic films (eg. Elvis Slept Here and Elvis XXX: A Porn Parody) and is another example of how pervasive Elvis has become in the fabric of our socio-culture.

 

In the book I have avoided including explicit images but there are several images featuring a censor bar.

 

One of the earliest books about Elvis was published (probably) in Europe circa 1958-59 - as a hand-drawn, one-off copy, it is the rarest Elvis related comic book ever published! 

It is called 'Miss Elvis Presley' and it forms part of a set of 21 gay-themed hand-drawn cartoon books. Each book is composed of seven or eight index cards that have been illustrated on the unlined side and bound into hand decorated stiff wraps, some with applied elements. 'Miss Elvis Presley' features images of Elvis with other men in highly explicit sexual situations. It is classically pornographic, while more recent comic books such as Birdland are not as graphic.

Kees: What surprised you in writing the book?

 

Nigel: On a broad level the incredibly diverse range of themes involving Elvis was a surprise. Before submerging myself in research for the book I had only thought about Elvis and comic books as characterized as biography, teen interest, zombies and super-hero. As often happens when thinking about Elvis, his impact is greatly underestimated.

I was also caught off-guard by Elvis' impact in the various Archie group comic books in the 1950s to early 1960s. Elvis was a common name and theme in Archie, Jughead's Folly, Betty & Veronica, Archie's Annual, Archie's Joke Book, Life with Archie, Pep, and in the past year, the 'Archie 55' series. 

Another thing that surprised me, and shouldn't have, is the sheer brilliance and complexity of much of the sequential art illustrations. As an avid comic book reader into my teenage years, I had forgotten how good the artistry can be! It is not surprising that increasingly, sequential art studies form part of the syllabus at tertiary institutions. The complexity, color and design of many comic books is more than impressive (I hate to think how AI will move the landscape, its impact on Elvis literature is already a massive backwards step).

Kees: Do you have a substantial Elvis comic books collection?

 

Nigel: Before I embarked on Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books, I had around 40 Elvis comic books, graphic novels and graphic biographies. In preparing the book I have to admit my Elvis sequential art collection has grown.

Kees: Is there an Elvis comic book you don’t own, but really would love to own?

Nigel: I'd love to own Miss Elvis Presley but as it is part of a 21-book set last listed for sale at US$50,000.00, it's not going to happen. However, there are a few comic books that I would like to have and are financially affordable. They include the 1960 (Archie series) Pep (The King Is Back), the crowd funded Big Jackson, and Dick Mantena's Mythen / Mythes / Mitos (any edition including the Heartbreak Hotel story). A copy of Mythes that I bought was sadly missing this story, though Elvis had a minor role in the John Lennon/Beatles story.

 

Kees: Do you think that at the end of his life, Elvis had become a cartoon image of himself? 

Nigel: Sadly, at times in his last years he was a parody of his once vibrant self. He had put on weight, became bored with doing the same show night after night, and his lack of real interest in live performing was reflected in many of his older hits being rushed versions. Of course, most fans didn't care, they still loved his performances. 

Where he was at was mirrored in a number of parody comic-magazines, including National Lampoon (1976) – as an aside, I’ve long thought that those behind the National Vacation films could do a wonderful satire involving Elvis. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) meeting Elvis has a host of comedic possibilities.

As we know, Elvis was (unsuccessfully) searching for meaning in his life and sadly it led to his far-too-early demise, but ensured the lasting potency of his legacy.

Kees: What do you want readers to take away from Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books?

 

Nigel: I hope readers will appreciate the breadth of often stunning artwork and diverse narrative themes. There are several stunning double page spreads in the book including Elvis vs Godzilla and Did the Devil Send Elvis Presley. 

Also, Elvis long-ago transcended his musical legacy and has become ingrained in our socio-cultural fabric. For some time, it has been this impact, rather than his musical impact, that we experience on a daily basis. While it derives because of Elvis' music, it has its own distinct characteristics which are largely non-musical. The body of sequential art around Elvis is one vibrant reflection of this.

Kees: What do you think Elvis thought about the cartoons or references like the Archie cartoons in the fifties or the before mentioned Mad magazine caricature?  

Nigel: It is well known that Elvis was an avid comic book reader, and as evidenced by the Alfred Wertheimer photo of Elvis on the train, he was still reading Archie comics in 1956. I suspect he would have been flattered appearing in a medium he enjoyed.

Kees: A more recent portrayal of Elvis as a cartoon was in the Netflix adult animation series, "Agent King". What do you think of how they presented him?

Nigel: Didn't 'Agent Elvis' divide fans!! Personally, I liked the series. I accept it wasn't to everyone's taste, but to me it was an admirable attempt to present Elvis to a new audience in an adult and tongue-in-cheek way. It lacked the biting satire of Archer and South Park, but each episode had its moments. 

I was disappointed that Netflix cancelled the series after only one season. How can you not like a series that features a gun-totin', secret agent, Elvis and his psychotic, drug addled chimpanzee sidekick, Scatter?

As I argue in the book, Agent Elvis is ripe for a comic book release.

Kees: Are you happy with the initial response to Elvis Hero of the Comic Books?

Nigel: Most definitely. There are already four or five reviews of the book which are glowing in praise. And Emiel Meier who produces the monthly Elvis Presley news video likes it so much that he will be including a special segment about it in his July 2024 program. 

Also, sales have been brisk, even for the rather pricey hardback edition, while a number of prominent Elvis, Rock and Roll and pop culture outlets in England and Europe have expressed interest in stocking the book. So, it is all very positive……

Kees: Wrapping things up, where can Elvis comic book fans get the book?

Nigel: The hardback (8 x 10 inches) edition is available from the >>> Blurb webshop and the softcover edition is available on Amazon sites like >>> Amazon U.S. and >>> Amazon Germany (associate links). A PDF edition is also available from Blurb.com

Australian based fans interested in a “signed copy” of the softcover can contact me at: smorgasboard777@gmail.com for a “special price” offer.