Van Coke Kartel gets graphic novel

Cape Town - Afrikaans rock band Van Coke Kartel have released a graphic novel series as part of the launch campaign for their forthcoming album, Wie's Bang, due for release in November 2011.

Three novels have already been released online by Watkykjy and the fourth and final graphic novel will be launched at the same time as the album. These graphic novels can be downloaded free of charge at Zefshop.com.  

The series follows Van Coke Kartel as they get drawn into a deserted bar in the Karoo. Little do they know that the whole place is a hang-out for vampires.  After getting very drunk, the guys are attacked and turned into vampires themselves.

They meet the ghost of Kurt Cobain, who tells the band that the only way they can re-capture their souls is to produce Van Coke Kartel's greatest album ever before the year is up! We follow the band to see if they reach their goal.

Part Four was illustrated by Anja Venter and will be released by the end of November.  

'The rest is history'

The graphic novels of Wie's Bang is the brainchild of art director Marais Janse van Rensburg, of interactive advertising agency WonderMutt. "We did a TV commercial with Van Coke Kartel for another advertising agency last year, to be entered into the Pendoring Awards, and the band agreed to do it at no charge. I then undertook to contribute to the band's next album launch campaign if the ad won. The rest is history, and this year we came up with the idea for a comic book centered around Van Coke Kartel, which will lead up to the album's launch."
 
Griffin and Blink Stefanus from Watkykjy wrote the comic book series.  Each comic book is illustrated by some of the country's finest designers.