Guitar hero! Jimi Hendrix saves the universe in a new sci-fi graphic novel, authorized by his sister

By Will Salmon
published

Purple Haze is a sci-fi reimagining of the rock star's life

Jimi Hendrix in space!
(Image credit: Titan Comics)

Jimi Hendrix was many things in his all-too-brief life: a rock icon, an innovator who redefined how to play the electric guitar, and an inspiration to millions worldwide. Now, a new graphic novel from Titan is adding "time-traveling intergalactic hero" to that list too. 

Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze is an original graphic novel, fully authorized by the Hendrix estate, written by Mellow Brown with DJ Benhameen, illustrated by Tom Mandrake, and created in collaboration with Janie Hendrix - Jimi's sister.

Although Titan are yet to reveal the full details of the new book, their press release promises, "A perilous quest to the very center of the universe in search of a magical talisman powerful enough to unlock the incredible latent power of his trademark sound, so that he can free a diverse population starved of rock 'n' roll by a tyrannical intergalactic force hellbent on silencing music and enslaving all life."

Here's the full wraparound cover by Tom Mandrake.

Jimi Hendrix playing a guitar in space while a spaceship explodes behind him.

(Image credit: Titan Comics)

"Jimi transcended time and space with his music, leaping generations into the future," said Janie Hendrix. "There was an otherworldliness about him that was a true fascination for many. It's thrilling to have a Sci-Fi story told introducing Jimi as a time traveller, freedom fighter, and magical musician. This graphic novel is an amazing depiction of what Jimi's music, his songs, his art conveyed with futuristic imagination! Fans of Jimi, illustrated storytelling, and science fiction will be enthralled!"

This is not the first comic about Hendrix, though it sounds the most far out. Michael I. Green and Bill Sienkiewicz produced Voodoo Child, an illustrated biography of the performer, back in 1995. More recently Ablaze Publishing released Hendrix: Electric Requiem by Mattia Colombara and Gianluca Maconi in 2022, a more earthly retelling of the performer's life.

The 128-page hardcover of Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze will be published in November by Titan Comics.

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Will Salmon
Will Salmon
Comics Editor

Will Salmon is the Comics Editor for GamesRadar/Newsarama. He has been writing about comics, film, TV, and music for more than 15 years, which is quite a long time if you stop and think about it. At Future he has previously launched scary movie magazine Horrorville, relaunched Comic Heroes, and has written for every issue of SFX magazine for over a decade. He sometimes feels very old, like Guy Pearce in Prometheus. His music writing has appeared in The Quietus, MOJO, Electronic Sound, Clash, and loads of other places and he runs the micro-label Modern Aviation, which puts out experimental music on cassette tape.