THE AYKROYD FAMILY AND JUDY BELUSHI’S ESTATE ARE PASSING THE BRIEFCASE OF BLUES TO THE NEXT GENERATION WITH FIRST GRAPHIC NOVEL VIA Z2

DAN AYKROYD + BLUES BROTHERS GRAPHIC NOVEL CREATIVE TEAM APPEARING AT SAN DIEGO COMIC CON FOR PANEL ON THURSDAY, JULY 24

Celebrate 45 years of The Blues Brothers—the film that turned misfits into music legends and inspired generations to put on dark shades and declare themselves “on a mission from God.” Now, the legacy keeps rollin’ in a brand-new chapter with the Z2 graphic novel The Blues Brothers: The Escape of Joliet Jake, proving that the band may break up, but the mission never ends.

Written by Luke Pisano (son of Judy Belushi), James Werner, and Stella Aykroyd (daughter of Dan Aykroyd), this soulful sequel dives back into the world of Jake and Elwood Blues with all the heart, grit, and swagger fans love. Joining the panel to talk about the highs, lows, and highway chases of bringing this next chapter to life are Rantz Hoseley (Z2’s editor-in-chief), Josh Bernstein (president of Z2), and the one and only Dan Aykroyd—yes, the Hollywood legend and original Elwood Blues himself.

The vibe? Think “It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark… and we’re wearing sunglasses.” Only now, the road leads to San Diego Comic-Con and into the next great Blues Brothers adventure.

And in addition to the killer new graphic novel, our friends at Z2 are bringing fans even more to celebrate the greatest blues duo of all time—with Felipe Sobriero-designed T-shirts, and The Lost Recordings—a limited-edition blue vinyl (because of course it’s blue) featuring never-before-released Blues Brothers tracks. It’s all part of the celebration tied to The Blues Brothers: The Escape of Joliet Jake, the long-awaited sequel to the original film—now in comic book form. Get it all at: z2comics.com/the-blues-brothers.

Jake may have escaped Joliet, but The Blues Brothers are far from done—and neither are we.

WHEN: Thursday, July 24, 2025 4:14pm-5:15pm PT
WHERE: Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
WHO: “Blues Brother” Dan Aykroyd, Stella Aykroyd, Luke Pisano and James Werner
WHAT: Celebrate 45 years of The Blues Brothers & Graphic Novel: THE BLUES BROTHERS: THE ESCAPE OF JOLIET JAKE

SAN DIEGO COMIC COM PANEL

THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2025

INDIGO BALLROOM, HILTON SAN DIEGO BAYFRONT

4:15-5:15PT

The beloved Blues Brothers universe will come roaring back to life over the next few years with forays into television, film, live events, music and much more with the first IP offering being a brand new original Graphic Novel: THE BLUES BROTHERS: THE ESCAPE OF JOLIET JAKE. Written by Stella Aykroyd, Luke Pisano and James Werner with artist Felipe Sobriero, The Blues Brothers: The Escape of Joliet Jake is both a love letter and sequel to the original Blues Brothers film. With editorial oversight by Dan Aykroyd, the utmost care has been taken to ensure this new chapter is true to the classic skits, legendary film, and iconic albums. The result is a wild and entertaining ride for both the longtime fans, and those new to the world of Jake and Elwood Blues. This project was originally conceived with the architect of The Blues Brothers, Judy Belushi Pisano, who sadly passed away during this book’s production.