Steeltown Rockers #1-6

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Steeltown Rockers #1-6

Post by Col_Fury »

Similar to Wolfpack and Muties, this series has references to the larger Marvel Universe, but takes place off to the side. Super heroes and mutants are referenced in this mini, and an X-Men lookalike contest is “promoted” on the cover of issue 6. Neat!

STEELTOWN ROCKERS #1 (April 1990)
By Elaine Lee & Steve Leialoha

APPEARANCES:
Johnny D. (Giovanni), his parents, his sister (Gina) & her infant son, Tony (music shop owner), his employee & customers, Mike Johnson, Eduardo Johnson, Pizza Palace owner & employees, Syd (Sadie Rae Spivey), kid who steals Johnny’s bike, others (T.J. named), George (Johnny & Gina’s dead brother, in photo), Ellen Murphy (mentioned)

SYNOPSIS:
Johnny D. dreams of being a rock star and getting out of the crappy town he lives in. His dad’s an unemployed drunk since the steel mill closed, his sister’s a single mother who lives with Johnny and their parents and they all need him to help with the bills. Johnny goes to the music shop where he has a Stratocaster on layaway to see if he can extend the payments (to open up money in the budget), but is denied. However, there he meets Mike who also plays guitar; Mike introduces Johnny to his brother Ed, who ALSO plays guitar, and they all become friends. The next day while delivering pizzas, Johnny meets Syd, who knows Johnny from school (though he doesn’t recognize her at first). Syd plays sax and he invites her to join his band with Mike and Ed. Johnny’s bike is stolen (effectively costing him his job), so Syd takes Johnny to the bus station so he can cash in a bus ticket to buy his Stratocaster.

NOTE:
A blurb in Marvel Age Annual #4 says this series ran in real time (like the ‘Nam did), so next issue will be a month later (give or take). I guess this series was in the works for a while; M/AGE@ 4 came out in ’88; this came out in ’90. Also, Larry Hama is listed as “consulting editor” while Bobbie Chase is editor, suggesting it switched hands at some point.

Johnny is inspired by Bruce Springsteen and Yngwie Malmsteen, Mike by Living Colour and Ed by Jimi Hendrix. We don’t know Syd’s tastes in music yet, though we do know she thinks the name “Steeltown Rockers” for the band is terrible.

Johnny has a demo tape for his song “Held for Ransom.” It LOOKS like the B-side is “Born to Run,” but the panel cuts off some of the tape, so there might be more to that one.

Ellen Murphy is a “nice catholic girl” that Gina wants to set Johnny up with.

STEELTOWN ROCKERS #2 (May 1990)
By Elaine Lee & Steve Leialoha

APPEARANCES:
Johnny D., Mike Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Syd, Kevin (the drummer), Syd’s mom, Terry Campbell (the new drummer) & his other band, Jason & his dad (Chuck), Johnny’s dad, concert goers, Doris (Jason’s mom, mentioned)

SYNOPSIS:
The band prepares to practice at Syd’s house but they don’t care for their current drummer, Kevin. Syd gets embarrassed when her mom tries to help out by offering advice. That night they check out a drummer from another band that Syd knows, Terry Campbell. They like him, and he says he can drum for two bands. Later that night, they go to the place Terry lives and meets his friend Jason, who plays keyboard. Jason’s dad offers them the basement to practice in, but Jason’s a jerk (he has anger issues). Later, Kevin tells Johnny that he can’t drum for them anymore because he made it on the swim team. That night, Johnny finds his dad passed out in a chair with a lit cigarette; it caught the chair on fire. He puts it out and his dad never even woke up.

NOTE:
Syd mentions the bands the Coolies and When People Were Shorter and Lived by the Water, suggesting she’s into alternative and experimental rock. No specific bands are named from Jason, but he’s clearly into New Wave. No clue on Kevin’s or Terry’s tastes.

The band practices their song “Teen Mutant” here.

Terry is staying with Jason and his parents; we find out why later.

Jason’s dad is a comic artist, and his mom’s into pottery.

STEELTOWN ROCKERS #3 (June 1990)
By Elaine Lee & Steve Leialoha

APPEARANCES:
Johnny D. & his parents (Frank named), Mike Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Jason & his parents (bts), Terry Campbell & his friend (named in a later issue), Syd & her mom (Rayleene), Dwayne (“Grab a Snack” employee), hospital staff & patients, police, others

SYNOPSIS:
After band practice, Mike and Eddie are yelled at by their neighbors for hanging out with white kids and get into a fight. Meanwhile, Johnny’s dad get drunk. Elsewhere, Jason and Terry sneak out of the house and “borrow” Chuck’s car. Johnny tries to get his dad into bed, but he throws a fit and accidentally punches his wife in the face. Johnny beats the tar out of his dad. Terry and Jason go to a nightclub that Jason isn’t comfortable going in. Johnny’s mom yells at him for beating up his dad. Terry and Jason pick up his friend, who hits on Jason; Jason asks if Terry paid her to be nice to him. Elsewhere, Syd’s mom worries about making the rent until Johnny knocks on the door. Terry wants to party, but Jason’s not interested; Terry doesn’t mention the crack he just bought. Mike and Eddie leave the hospital and agree the band is their best bet to get out of this town. Johnny falls asleep talking with Syd at sunrise. Jason and Terry get home with enough time to get an hour’s worth of sleep before they have to get up for school.

STEELTOWN ROCKERS #4 (July 1990)
By Elaine Lee & Steve Leialoha

APPEARANCES:
Johnny D. & his dad, Syd & her mom, Mike Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Terry Campbell, Jason, Adora (the girl from last issue), Ten-Pin customers

SYNOPSIS:
The band finally has their first gig at the bowling alley Syd’s mom works at. As they prepare, Syd daydreams about smooching with Johnny. Johnny goes home to shower and his drunk dad drives Johnny’s car into the garage, destroying the car. At the bowling alley, Johnny meets Adora and is immediately attracted to her, which pisses Syd off. Terry suggests Adora sing for the band, and Johnny and Eddie get into a fight over Adora. Eddie leaves but Terry talks him into coming back. Johnny tells Syd that his dad wrecked the car, and she suggests he and his mom go to Alcoholics Anonymous for families of drunks and offers to go with. The band plays their set. Afterward, Syd is heartbroken; her mom thought she’d be happy because she wanted to play in a band for so long…

NOTE:
Poor Syd. Everything was THIS CLOSE to working out perfect all in one night, and then that floozy Adora shows up and ruins everything. BITCH!

STEELTOWN ROCKERS #5 (August 1990)
By Elaine Lee & Steve Leialoha

APPEARANCES:
Adora, Terry Campbell, Johnny D. (Giovanni Degaestano), Syd, Jason & his dad, Mike Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Mr. Schultz (Tuxedo Junction manager), ice cream parlor employees, “Happy Cow” meat packing plant employees (Red named), a doctor, others

SYNOPSIS:
The band has just played at a wedding reception; most of them return their tuxedos, but Terry and Adora go out to the train tracks and get drunk. Johnny’s late for work (again) at his job at the ice cream parlor. Terry and Adora get high on some coke. Eddie gets off work at the meat packing plant and plays cards with some of his co-workers. Terry’s all coked up and tries to jump on a moving train, but ends up falling off. Eddie wins a big hand at poker. That night as the band prepares to practice, Jason’s dad notices some of his artwork is missing. Eddie arrives to say he struck a deal to get Johnny’s car fixed in a card game, but the hospital calls; Terry’s been injured. At the hospital the doctor tells Chuck that Terry had cocaine in his system.

NOTE:
Syd is still trying to convince the others that they don't need Adora in the band.

Chuck’s stolen art was supposed to be covers for Epic Illustrated.

STEELTOWN ROCKERS #6 (September 1990)
By Elaine Lee & Steve Leialoha

APPEARANCES:
Johnny D., Syd, Mike Johnson, Eddie Johnson & their dad, Jason Sanderson & his parents (Chuck & Doris (op)), Adora, Kevin, Terry Campbell & his dad, Dave (an art dealer), Sean (the kid whole stole Johnny’s bike in issue #1; the new drummer) & his aunt, a talent manager, comic convention attendees, others

SYNOPSIS:
The band plays at a comic convention and gets an offer to play a regular gig at a nightclub. Chuck finds his stolen artwork and learns Terry stole it, and sold it to buy cocaine. Eddie goes home and is confronted by his dad, who found coke in one of his jackets. Chucks goes home to confront Terry, but finds Jason and Adora having fun in a state of undress. Eddie bursts in demanding to know where the coke came from, and in walks Terry. Everyone tells at him, and Jason punches him for stealing his dad’s art. The next week, Terry’s dad moves out all of Terry’s stuff from Jason’s house. Jason explains Terry’s rich parents moved out of town when the steel mill closed, and Terry was staying with them until the end of the school year. Now, Terry is being sent to military school. Suddenly, Johnny’s bike flies by. They all follow the kid and find out the kid who stole the bike is a great drummer, but he has Tourette’s. They decide to make him their new drummer, and a week later they start their regular Friday night gig at the Dive Bar.

NOTE:
Apparently, Syd doesn’t care for Debbie Gibson. But hey! Adora's with Jason now, so maybe there's hope for her and Johnny…

Terry uses “mutants” as an insult here.

As far as I can see, Kevin, Adora and Sean don’t get last names. Weird.

CAMPBELL, MR.
STLTNRKRS 6

CAMPBELL, TERRY
STLTNRKRS 2
STLTNRKRS 3
STLTNRKRS 4
STLTNRKRS 5
STLTNRKRS 6

DEGAESTANO, FRANK
STLTNRKRS 1
STLTNRKRS 3
STLTNRKRS 4

DEGAESTANO, GINA
STLTNRKRS 1

DEGAESTANO, GIOVANNI “JOHNNY”
STLTNRKRS 1
STLTNRKRS 2
STLTNRKRS 3
STLTNRKRS 4
STLTNRKRS 5
STLTNRKRS 6

DEGAESTANO, MRS.
STLTNRKRS 1
STLTNRKRS 3

JOHNSON, EDUARDO
STLTNRKRS 1
STLTNRKRS 2
STLTNRKRS 3
STLTNRKRS 4
STLTNRKRS 5
STLTNRKRS 6

JOHNSON, MICHAEL
STLTNRKRS 1
STLTNRKRS 2
STLTNRKRS 3
STLTNRKRS 4
STLTNRKRS 5
STLTNRKRS 6

JOHNSON, MR.
STLTNRKRS 6

SANDERSON, CHUCK
STLTNRKRS 2
STLTNRKRS 3-BTS
STLTNRKRS 5
STLTNRKRS 6

SANDERSON, DORIS
STLTNRKRS 3-BTS
STLTNRKRS 6-OP

SANDERSON, JASON
STLTNRKRS 2
STLTNRKRS 3
STLTNRKRS 4
STLTNRKRS 5
STLTNRKRS 6

SPIVEY, RAYLEENE
STLTNRKRS 2
STLTNRKRS 3
STLTNRKRS 4

SPIVEY, SADIE RAE “SYD”
STLTNRKRS 1
STLTNRKRS 2
STLTNRKRS 3
STLTNRKRS 4
STLTNRKRS 5
STLTNRKRS 6
-Daron Jensen
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