Inspired by yesterday’s Twitter exchange with the esteemed Ryan Adams (the cover subject of the current issue of Relix), which included discussions of a co-branded pinball machine (stay tuned!) and perhaps even a comic collaboration, today we present a portion of Dean Budnick’s editorial which reflects on both subjects. The current issue of Relix offers a variant Ryan Adams cover which seems all the more fitting given Adams’ passion for comics.

Back in 2008, Pete Gershon, publisher of the zine Signal To Noise, contacted me to write a brief essay on “My Favorite Thing.” In commemorating the 50th issue of that publication, Pete asked me, and a few other like-minded folks, to ruminate on “a cherished and irreplaceable music-related possession and its particular personal significance.”

After pondering this for a bit, I selected the Captain Fantastic pinball machine that has resided in my basement for many years. I wrote:

“Are you searching for that plum procrastination device with just a hint of cultural relevance that also fosters hand-eye coordination? Looking to unleash your polyester soul via platform soles? Do you wish to celebrate the greatest British rock band of the 1970s (albeit indirectly, via a character/performer in a slightly dodgy film version of a rawer rock opera)? Yearning to inspire the next generation of musicians (and heck, maybe even music journalists) via a fawning bevy of boosters in all their gravity-defying splendor? Hankering for a (nearly) level surface to rest your beer…or separate caps, stems, seeds and miscellaneous vegetation? Do you seek an excuse to break away from that cookout or dinner party with a fellow traveler? Are you searching for that plum procrastination device with just a hint of cultural relevance that will allow you to redirect your energies from most any assignment with a (nearly) good conscience? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…CAPTAIN FANTASTIC!”

But wait, there’s more.

While I have adorned my office walls with the rock ephemera that you can well imagine—my collection of Jammy awards and a Wetlands Preserved lobby poster dominate the space—a few additional cultural artifacts are on display (along with an eclectic array of my kids’ art projects). If I rotate my chair and crane my neck, then I can gander at an animation cel depicting two dancing beatniks from Ralph Bakshi’s American Pop, along with a Simpsons cel, a piece of original comic book art by longtime Archie artist Dan DeCarlo, in which Betty and Veronica discuss grunge fashion, and some additional original Marvel art. Of course, these are framed by overburdened CD racks and bookshelves.

The point of all this? Inspiration comes in many forms, which is why my conversation with Ryan Adams that serves as this month’s cover story proved so satisfying. Beyond a deep-seated passion for music, we share affections for pinball and Silver Age Marvel comics. Ryan I have both read the complete Kerouac, and I found it engrossing and enjoyable to discuss all of this with him in the context of his own creative development….

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We recently posted an excerpt from the Ryan Adams feature. To learn more about the current issue with the dual Ryan Adams covers click here.