The beatles experience
Encyclopedia
The Beatles Experience is an eight-part comic book
series by Revolutionary Comics
as part of their Rock 'N' Roll Comics line. It was created and written by Todd Loren with artwork by Stuart Immonen. Originally published in the early 1990s, it was reprinted as a graphic novel
in February 2010.
Loren was found murdered in San Diego on June 18, 1992. The case remains unsolved to this day.
The main plot of this book starts out re-imagining John Lennon
's existence as a cosmic force that bears a resemblance to a star shape called the infinite one. He has grown tired of travelling his infinite spaces and planets so he goes to another being that is similar to him. He says that he wants to experience the illusions of a physical plane so the other being asks the soon-to-be Lennon many questions so that he may have the fullest enjoyment of his life. The final question asked is what would John like to learn from this experience, to which he responds trust and peace that will stay with him throughout all of his other lives he may have. The other cosmic being makes it so and John starts to narrate his own life from the day that his father Fred Lennon decides to leave John and his mother Julia Lennon
. Before he leaves he offers John the choice to leave his mother and come with him to New Zealand
and John says yes without hesitation but the cosmic one pulls John back to the plane he came from originally and warns John that if he goes with his father his time on our plane will not be as pleasant as John wanted to be. John returns and states to his mother that he has changed his mind and that he wants to stay with his mother. Before they can leave together, John's Aunt Mimi
says that she is taking custody of John until John's parents can work out their differences.
John then narrates the beginning of the lives of his future band mates Paul McCartney
, Ringo Starr
, and George Harrison
and also the rest of his life until the point he meets Paul for the first time and they decide to play together. He then meets George and makes a writing partnership with Paul which works in a way to which if one of them writes a song they both get credit. Then John narrates the band's touring until they meet Brian Epstein
for the first time and he agrees to get them a recording contract. When he does the band considers firing Pete Best
as drummer but do not know who will replace him. Paul suggests Ringo Starr and he has been listening in the whole time and agrees so once again John starts to narrate but stops at the height of Beatlemania
when his father returns to try to reap the fruits of John's success and tells him to go away so John narrates a huge portion of the Beatles
' career and stops at the point where he meets Yoko Ono
and develops a relationship with her. Some years later in John's career with the Beatles he becomes deeply depressed and is visited by a version of his cosmic self who tells him(self) that he needs to stop being so down on himself and get back to work writing and performing music. He agrees but little does John know former President of the United States
Richard Nixon
has an anti-Lennon plan in place and splinter cell assassin named Mark David Chapman
has been brain-washed to kill Lennon when commanded to. So Lennon exits his aptartment building The Dakota
and is gunned down by Chapman. John is now dead and back in his plane (which is apparently heaven
) he looks down at his former life and decides to make sure Chapman cannot get out of his murder charge on government pardon. He enters Chapman's thoughts and tells him to plead guilty. John then narrates once more the rest of his band mates' lives from 1980 through to the present and John one last time addresses the reader, saying that he has found peace and learned that peace can be found anywhere if one just imagines it.
The book ends with a tale of an alternate Earth almost completely similar to ours, except that in this world Paul McCartney was killed in a car accident and is replaced by a look-alike named William. Eventually this world's John Lennon found it out but could not tell anybody on threat of imprisonment, so he starts to put clues in the Beatles' songs albums and etc. The record company finds out what he is doing and tells him to stop but he does not. He also confronts the look-alike William who now believes that he is the real Paul McCartney, but in the end John dies. The company executive who knew died. Brian Epstein who also knew has died, so with all that, the secret itself has died. The final shot is of William looking in the mirror contemplating whether or not he is the real Paul or a impostor like John said, and saying that he knows he is Paul and could not have died if he is sitting where he is sitting. The final shot is his eyes with skulls in them, possibly symbolizing death.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series by Revolutionary Comics
Revolutionary Comics
Revolutionary Comics was a U.S. comic book publisher best known for the series Rock 'N' Roll Comics, launched in 1989. Founded by publisher Todd Loren, the line featured unlicensed biographies of rock stars, told in comic book form but geared for adults, often with very adult situations...
as part of their Rock 'N' Roll Comics line. It was created and written by Todd Loren with artwork by Stuart Immonen. Originally published in the early 1990s, it was reprinted as a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
in February 2010.
Loren was found murdered in San Diego on June 18, 1992. The case remains unsolved to this day.
The main plot of this book starts out re-imagining John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's existence as a cosmic force that bears a resemblance to a star shape called the infinite one. He has grown tired of travelling his infinite spaces and planets so he goes to another being that is similar to him. He says that he wants to experience the illusions of a physical plane so the other being asks the soon-to-be Lennon many questions so that he may have the fullest enjoyment of his life. The final question asked is what would John like to learn from this experience, to which he responds trust and peace that will stay with him throughout all of his other lives he may have. The other cosmic being makes it so and John starts to narrate his own life from the day that his father Fred Lennon decides to leave John and his mother Julia Lennon
Julia Lennon
Julia Lennon was the mother of English musician John Lennon, who was born during her marriage to Alfred Lennon. After complaints to Liverpool's Social Services by her eldest sister, Mimi Smith , she handed over the care of her son to her sister...
. Before he leaves he offers John the choice to leave his mother and come with him to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and John says yes without hesitation but the cosmic one pulls John back to the plane he came from originally and warns John that if he goes with his father his time on our plane will not be as pleasant as John wanted to be. John returns and states to his mother that he has changed his mind and that he wants to stay with his mother. Before they can leave together, John's Aunt Mimi
Mimi Smith
Mary Elizabeth "Mimi" Smith was the maternal aunt and parental guardian of the English musician John Lennon. Mimi was born in Liverpool, England and was the oldest of five daughters. She became a resident trainee nurse at the Woolton Convalescent Hospital, and later worked as a private secretary...
says that she is taking custody of John until John's parents can work out their differences.
John then narrates the beginning of the lives of his future band mates Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, and George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
and also the rest of his life until the point he meets Paul for the first time and they decide to play together. He then meets George and makes a writing partnership with Paul which works in a way to which if one of them writes a song they both get credit. Then John narrates the band's touring until they meet Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
for the first time and he agrees to get them a recording contract. When he does the band considers firing Pete Best
Pete Best
Pete Best is a British musician, best known as the original drummer in The Beatles. He was born in the city of Madras, British India...
as drummer but do not know who will replace him. Paul suggests Ringo Starr and he has been listening in the whole time and agrees so once again John starts to narrate but stops at the height of Beatlemania
Beatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
when his father returns to try to reap the fruits of John's success and tells him to go away so John narrates a huge portion of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' career and stops at the point where he meets Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
and develops a relationship with her. Some years later in John's career with the Beatles he becomes deeply depressed and is visited by a version of his cosmic self who tells him(self) that he needs to stop being so down on himself and get back to work writing and performing music. He agrees but little does John know former President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
has an anti-Lennon plan in place and splinter cell assassin named Mark David Chapman
Mark David Chapman
Mark David Chapman is an American prison inmate who murdered former Beatles member John Lennon on December 8, 1980. He committed the crime as Lennon and Yoko Ono were outside of The Dakota apartment building in New York City. Chapman aimed five shots at Lennon, hitting him four times in his back...
has been brain-washed to kill Lennon when commanded to. So Lennon exits his aptartment building The Dakota
The Dakota
The Dakota, constructed from October 25, 1880 to October 27, 1884, is a co-op apartment building located on the northwest corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City...
and is gunned down by Chapman. John is now dead and back in his plane (which is apparently heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
) he looks down at his former life and decides to make sure Chapman cannot get out of his murder charge on government pardon. He enters Chapman's thoughts and tells him to plead guilty. John then narrates once more the rest of his band mates' lives from 1980 through to the present and John one last time addresses the reader, saying that he has found peace and learned that peace can be found anywhere if one just imagines it.
The book ends with a tale of an alternate Earth almost completely similar to ours, except that in this world Paul McCartney was killed in a car accident and is replaced by a look-alike named William. Eventually this world's John Lennon found it out but could not tell anybody on threat of imprisonment, so he starts to put clues in the Beatles' songs albums and etc. The record company finds out what he is doing and tells him to stop but he does not. He also confronts the look-alike William who now believes that he is the real Paul McCartney, but in the end John dies. The company executive who knew died. Brian Epstein who also knew has died, so with all that, the secret itself has died. The final shot is of William looking in the mirror contemplating whether or not he is the real Paul or a impostor like John said, and saying that he knows he is Paul and could not have died if he is sitting where he is sitting. The final shot is his eyes with skulls in them, possibly symbolizing death.