Eisner winning artist Tula Lotay teams with acclaimed filmmaker Helen Mullane for an uncensored look at when being a devoted music fan goes wrong in Groupies. On a wild night out at the Fox Club, the coolest, hottest, and wildest girls on (or off) the Strip meet the edgiest up-and-coming band in town, and sparks fly. The Moon Show’s stardom is about to rise as they celebrate getting signed to the legendary Asmodeus Records. As the story unfolds, the excited groupies head on tour with the band – living the dream – but their tuned-in and dropped-out idyll is about to unravel. Something dark is pulling the strings, and the girls are about to discover the true cost of rock and roll.
British comic artist Tula Lotay has generated a strong following over the years with her lush painted style gracing the pages and covers of comics across several publishers. Her latest work however has led to some of the most memorable comics in recent memory. Her collaborations with the likes of Scott Snyder and Becky Cloonan on Barnstormers and Somna respectively netted her three Eisner Awards in a row from 2023 to 2025. Groupies – which sees her collaborate with filmmaker and rising comic writer Helen Mullane – is a series very much tuned to her strengths as an artist.
Lotay has always had a classical sensibility to her art which is particularly effective when her work is exploring themes of eroticism or horror. It has also served her well when the comics she’s illustrating are leaning into pulp storytelling, with Somna and Barnstormers being two recent examples. Because of this, she is a natural fit for showcasing both the glitz and glamour of the music industry along with its darker side. Mullane clearly realises this as she gives her plenty to work with by delving fully into the as the sexual nature of groupies being woven into a saga involving dark magic.
Beyond Lotay’s lush art, the story also holds a lot of weight. Mullane fully immerses herself into the culture of the time period and does not shy away from the dark side of that world – with the drugs, booze and rather promiscuous lifestyle that being a groupie entails all on display. The whole book has a foreboding quality that is masterfully built across both the devoted rock fans and the desperate band who are willing do anything for success.
Groupies is a strong showcase of Tula Lotay’s masterful art and an enthralling dark story to boot. Old school music and horror fans definitely should be giving this a read.
Groupies is out now from Mad Cave Studios (9781545821268, p/b, £17.99)
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