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A blog devoted to RUSH:
Neil Peart, Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson

Thu, Apr 18, 2024

Rush 2112 Deluxe Edition back cover art originals up for auction

Fri, Dec 14, 2012@3:34PM | comments removed/disabled

UPDATE - 12/15@8:49AM: Unfortunately the record company made Hodges remove these auctions. Bummer.

The 5.1 Surround Sound Deluxe Edition version of 2112 will be released this coming Tuesday, December 18th in the US/Canada and be available as a CD plus Audio DVD Deluxe Edition, a CD plus Audio Blu-ray Deluxe Edition and a CD plus Audio Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition. All 3 versions will contain a digitally remastered CD with 3 unreleased live tracks along with a DVD or Blu-ray 5.1 Surround Sound mix of the album. Also included in each version will be expanded artwork, liner notes, lyrics, unreleased photos and brand new liner notes by David Fricke. The Super Deluxe version will be housed in a hardbound book with a 40 page comic book by story artist Tom Hodges. Earlier today Hodges made available some original hand-inked and hand-drawn (not prints) early versions of the comic book back cover art available on eBay. From Hodge's website (thanks HighFidelityRob):

When I had finished the artwork for the RUSH: 2112 5.1 Deluxe Box set, the record company had asked me to do a piece of art featuring the Band's image from the back cover of the original album for possible use for promotional items such as T-Shirts or Lithograph's.

One thing I had done was pitch I do the artwork LIVE on my USTREAM channel and allow fans to watch it being done LIVE or recorded. They countered with having me film myself doing it and they would edit a "time lapse" into a short video. I attempted to do this 4 times, all with bad results. Out of focus, bad lighting, bad angle... you name it, it couldn't get done right.

In the end, I wound up doing a fifth piece off camera, which is the final piece sent to UMG and the band.

Sadly, ALL of the sequential art produced for the book that was completed and paid for is automatically owned by UMG and RUSH so any and all artwork from the book will go into their archives and will not be made available to the public.

However...

After shooting four attempts at recreating a "Tom Hodges" version of the back cover photo of the Band, I have those original pieces and I am making available to the lucky fans who wish to own one! ...

You can bid on one of four of these on eBay at this location. The DVD/Blu-ray will contain a digital version of this comic book, and an iBook version which also includes the lyrics, liner notes and photos will be available for sale separately. For all the details and technical specs, check out the Rush.com press release. There's also this short, 20-second preview video that shows a few images from the included 2112 comic book with 2112: Temples of Syrinx playing in the background which you can check out online at this location. The 2112 Deluxe Edition has already released in parts of Europe and reader rushfanben received his copy of the standard Deluxe Edition and sent along some scans of the liner notes.

When you play the DVD/Blu-ray, a picture (also drawn by comic book artist Tom Hodges) is displayed depicting the song, as shown in this image for Something for Nothing. The comic book faithfully depicts the story of 2112 as described in Neil Peart's lyrics - with each section of the song broken out in a chapter of its own. I've attached a screenshot of a scene from Discovery.
You can pre-order your copy today at Amazon (pre-order CD+DVD Deluxe Edition, pre-order CD+BD Deluxe Edition, pre-order CD+BD Super Deluxe Edition).