Walking The Straight And Narrow

Johnny Cash, The Man In Black: rocker, rebel, Christian.

A life seemingly lived in contradiction makes sense when you discover a little more about the man - the passion for his music, the lifelong struggle with pill addiction, the unerring honesty of his battle that comes through in his music - whose impact has crossed generations and still remains relevant today.

Cash's life was told in comic book form in 1973 ahead of the release of his film The Gospel Road.

Released by Spire Comics, Hello, I'm Johnny Cash, obviously puts more weight on Cash's journey as a Christian than one would expect from the 2005 Oscar-winning biopic. It tells Cash's story from a Christian perspective but certainly doesn't shy away from the struggles to 'Walk The Line'.

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash is impressively illustrated by comic book auteur and contemporary of Stan Lee, Al Hartley, who is possibly most famous for writing and drawing the Archie series of comic books (more on him in upcoming Nifty Knick Knack updates).

Cash's star rose in the time where country started its evolution into rock. It was era that gave us Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley with Presley the first to succumb entirely to the prescription drugs that were indiscriminately prescribed in the industry.

In addition to his religious conviction, Cash's earthly salvation came in the form of talented singer-songwriter June Carter whom he married in 1968, 12 years after they first met. June and her family stood by him as he warred with and eventually overcame the worst of his pill addiction.

Even after the great rock and roll/country hey day had come to a close, Cash turned his talent to films and television appearances - in everything from Columbo to The Simpons - not only playing 'Himself' but also in strongly dramatic turns which again show another depth to this remarkable man.

If all you remember of Cash is A Boy Named Sue or Burning Ring of Fire, do stop and take the time to watch and listen to Hurt, Cash's last recording and film clip in which he turns Nine Inch Nail's nihilistic and self-loathing song into a reflective anthem for a life lived complete - with all the good and the bad it entails.