''Cruisin was an American

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

and

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

sampler series covering the years 1955-1970. It was released by Increase Records, originally in 1970 and 1972 on vinyl, 8-Track, and Cassette (years 1955 to 1963) with later years being released in 1986 (cassette), and in 1996 on CD and cassette tape again. Each album of the series purported to be an authentic, roughly 40-minutes recreation of a contemporary radio station from that year, complete with year-appropriate ads, station jingles, and an original radio DJ from that era introducing each song, reading out local news, and inviting the listeners to join in competitions.

Artistic contributions

The cover of each record consisted of a faux

romance comics Romance comics are a genre of comic book, comic books that were most popular during the Golden Age of Comics. The market for comics, which had been growing rapidly throughout the 1940s, began to plummet after the end of World War II when military ...

panel illustrated by

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

artist

Mike Royer Michael W. Royer (; born June 28, 1941) is an American comics artist and inker, best known for his work with pencilers Russ Manning and Jack Kirby. In later life Royer became a freelance product designer and character artist for The Walt Dis ...

, with

Paul Gruwell Paul Gruwell (November 28, 1933 – November 4, 2014) was an American multidisciplinary artist, animator, creative director, and designer, whose career spanned animation, music, publishing, and graphic arts. Best known as the director of '' Basketb ...

serving as the series'

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

from 1970 until 1972. When viewed in sequence, these panels collectively narrated the story of a young girl and boy navigating their teenage years. Royer's covers depicted scenes and characters that resonated with the cultural zeitgeist of the 1950s and 1960s, often romanticizing youth culture. In a three-part interview conducted in 2018, Royer shared that his approach involved meticulous research to ensure historical accuracy and cultural authenticity. He carefully balanced the vibrant storytelling techniques typical of romance comics with visual elements that evoked the musical themes of each album. According to Royer, the directive came from Paul Gruwell, but he was given significant creative freedom to interpret the themes visually. Royer also addressed misconceptions about the production process. Contrary to some earlier accounts that minimized his role, he clarified that the artwork required extensive planning and was integral to the success of the series.

Cultural impact

The "Cruisin’" series became a cult favorite among fans of classic rock and roll. Its unique blend of music, authentic DJ commentary, and era-appropriate advertisements offered listeners a time capsule experience. Royer's illustrations contributed to the series' popularity by visually capturing the spirit of the 1950s and 1960s, often drawing attention from both music enthusiasts and comic art collectors. In his interviews, Royer reflected on the enduring appeal of the series, noting that it provided a “tangible connection to a bygone era." His contributions have since been celebrated as an integral part of the "Cruisin’" legacy, with fans appreciating how the artwork enhanced the listening experience. ----

References

External links

''CRUISIN': The ORIGINAL History of Rock and Roll Radio!''
website dedicated to the series, including a lot of background material about its creation (

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by Internet Archive, an American nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. Launched for public access in 2001, the service allows users to go "back in ...

snapshot, dating October 16, 2013)
Increase Records
on Discogs.com, including all entries in the ''Cruisin series
''Cruisin' 1958''
review by Stephen Cook on Allmusic.com

review Compilation album series 1980s compilation albums {{1980s-compilation-album-stub