Pete Townshend's magnum opus “Lifehouse” to become a graphic novel

getty_petetownshendguitar_040119

Chris Morphet/RedfernsIf you’re a Who fan, you’ve probably heard of Lifehouse, the ambitious rock opera that Pete Townshend tried — and failed — to get off the ground before eventually turning its songs into the album Who’s Next. He’s revisited the work several times since then, and next year, we’ll get to experience at as a graphic novel.

According to Variety, Townshend is teaming up with the sci-fi fantasy magazine Heavy Metal to release a 150-page graphic novel in July of 2020, based on the Who guitarist’s original screenplay and songs, which he wrote back in 1971. The illustrations will be done by James Harvey.

Variety quotes Townshend as saying, “A graphic novel based on my very first…concept for The Who’s abandoned Lifehouse project is perhaps the most exciting creative development in my long career. Lifehouse always had a strong and important visual story that was never even touched on.”

“Even by 1971 when ‘Lifehouse’ was written, it had to be treated as a film script, which was entirely beyond my skill set, and beyond the financial scope of The Who,” Townshend continued.

“If I had completed my art studies, instead of staying with The Who, I might have made my own graphic novels,” he adds. “I am excited then, with huge anticipation, that at last Lifehouse can be realized visually, and as a story –- part science fiction, part spiritual allegory.”

Lifehouse is an extremely complex sci-fi story set in a dystopic future where all experiences are dispensed to people via suits hooked up to something called “The Grid.” To encourage young people to rebel, a hacker stages a special concert where the “music” is created from each individual’s personal data. 

As all the songs combine to form the legendary “perfect note,” everyone disappears just as the authorities storm the concert.

Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.