The epic team of Robert Venditti (Superman ’78, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps) and Brockton McKinney (Jenny Zero) join forces once again to share the inspiration that helped them create their latest action-packed comic series, Savage Squad 6. They are joined by interior and cover artist Dalts Dalton, colorist Geraldo Filho (Jenny Zero II) and letterer Micah Myers (Youth, It’s Only Teenage Wasteland).
The year is 2037. A brutal world war has left humanity in shambles. The remnants of civilization are tracked down and systematically eliminated by The Scourge. For the people of the central colonies, only one hope remains, an elite team deployed into the deadliest location on the planet: Savage Squad 6!
Sip along to some Musical Coffee as you read the through issue #1 of Savage Squad 6, out now wherever comics are sold, and get ready for issue #2 arriving August 16. The playlist can be found here on the Dark Horse Spotify channel, and more below!
Playlist Intro by Brockton McKinney:
Musical Coffee is a catch-all sonic journey that I’ve been curating for years. I usually play it every morning. And although I normally hit shuffle, this playlist is the first twelve tracks in order, the way I played them for Robert Venditti on the first morning that we started writing Savage Squad 6. I began each new writing day by blasting Musical Coffee at full volume, for a week. Rob was overjoyed.
Every song is a pump-you-up-for-the-day banger, and I’m quite excited to see what my creative cohort has to say about these melodic masterpieces.
Playlist with Commentary by Robert Venditti:
1. Kickstart My Heart — Mötley Crüe
I enjoy hair metal. Just not this song. Or Mötley Crüe. At all.
2. The Secret of My Success — Night Ranger
Imagine you’re writing with someone for the first time, and they put on a playlist that starts with “Kickstart My Heart.” Then imagine it’s followed up by this song, and when the chorus hits “I’M LIVIN’ TWENTY-FIVE HOURS A DAAAAAAAAAAY,” they slowly raise their pointer finger to the sky.
It was at this moment that I realized I had invited the metaphorical vampire into my home, and I had no power over what might happen next.
3. So Emotional — Whitney Houston
Okay, sure. Whitney Houston is an all-timer voice. Just not at 8:00 a.m. YMMV.
4. Don’t Stop Runnin’ — Y&T
I’m not sure why, but when I hear this song, I think of Matthew Modine running in his rubber suit during the opening credits of 1985’s Vision Quest. But the song playing during that scene isn’t this song, it’s “Only the Young” by Journey. Which is a better song because it’s by Journey.
5. Edge of a Broken Heart — Vixen
I was there when this one happened. Brock and I were riding in my car, and I was listening to the Hair Nation channel on Sirius/XM (as previously stated, I enjoy hair metal). This song came on, and Brock starting thumbing at his phone. Little did I know he was sentencing “Edge of a Broken Heart” for all time to his Musical Coffee playlist.
Congrats, Vixen, you made it all the way up to number 5 in the playing order, so that’s an achievement. I guess?
6. Jump — Van Halen
The concept album this song appears on was inspired by George Orwell’s 1984. Actually, that’s not true. What is true is that I remember seeing this video for the first time on MTV in 1984. My first thought was, “I didn’t know Eddie Van Halen could play the piano.”
7. Under Pressure — Queen & David Bowie
A+ song. No notes. The lyrical and vocal interplay between Freddie Mercury and David Bowie results in one of my favorite duets ever.
How much do I love this song? So much that I don’t even mind the cover version by Vanilla Ice.
8. 25 or 6 to 4 — Chicago
This song brings me back to my father’s custom van with the shag carpet and wood paneling, and the 8-track player that often-played Chicago’s Greatest Hits. None of what I just typed is in any way a fond memory.
9. Steel Claw — Tina Turner
I actually don’t think I’d ever heard this song until Musical Coffee played it just for me. So I owe Musical Coffee for that. Can’t go wrong with Tina Turner.
10. Nothing’s Gonna Stop us Now — Starship
Woof. The best thing I can say about this song is it isn’t “We Built This City,” another Starship entry on the full version of the Musical Coffee playlist. If you survive long enough to get to it.
11. Hungry Like the Wolf — Duran Duran
A wonderful reprieve. But, to be fair, every song I’ve ever heard play after “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” is the best song I’ve ever heard. (Unless it’s a double-shot of Starship and, well, you know.)
12. Causing a Commotion — Madonna
I don’t mind Madonna (check out her on-stage cameo in the aforementioned Vision Quest). But there are plenty of her songs that I mind less than this one. Though the opening does sound like it could be a foot-chase tune in Beverly Hills Cop.
SUMMATION: So there you have it, the first twelve songs in Brock’s 101-song Musical Coffee playlist. (That’s the real number; I fact-checked.) You can listen to the opening salvo right now at the Spotify link provided.
If you want to hear more, let us know on Twitter (@BrocktnMcKinney, @robertvenditti) or Instagram (@brocktonmckinney, @robertvenditti). And be sure to pick up Savage Squad 6 #1, so at least some good can come from this.
