The Quarter Bin

The Kids of Widney High, special needs rock stars write critically acclaimed comic book.

The Kids of Widney High: Beyond the Sky’s the Limit (Atomic Basement Entertainment) is being offered in the current PREVIEWS catalog from Diamond Comics. The book has been highlighted as a “Staff Pick” and is the latest in a long line of accomplishments by The Kids of Widney High, a music group composed of students with developmental and/or physical challenges from J. P. Widney High School, a special education center in Los Angeles, California.

Written entirely by members of the band and illustrated by some of the comic book industry’s top talent, this gorgeous 36-page book is a milestone event in both rock n’ roll history and comic book history. Contributors to the book include award winning artists such as Chuck B.B., Jim Mahfood and Rafael Navarro, along with up and coming new talent like Rikki Niehaus, Neal Von Flue, Robbi Rodriguez and Chris Brandt.

“The comic book medium provided a new way for the members of the band to not only communicate some of their challenges and frustrations, but many of their triumphs and fantasies as well,” said editor/publisher Mike Wellman. “All of the dialogue spoken by the characters in the book was drawn directly from quotes recorded during story sessions and really captures the spirit of the band. It was a very unique way to tie a story together!”

The Kids of Widney High first formed in a songwriting class in 1988 and has grown into a world-wide cult sensation. They have performed on stages all along the west coast including The House of Blues, The Key Club and Chain Reaction. They were recently featured in The Ringer, a major motion picture from Fox Searchlight Pictures. A documentary detailing the history of the band is currently in production.

Kids of Widney High member Tony Whitfield proudly says that the comic is “the music that will rock your eyes!”