Most people know Dee Snider as the front-man of one of the best “hair bands” of the eighties, Twister Sister. What many might not know, especially younger fans, is that his legacy transcends far beyond being listed as one of the top 100 metal singers of all time. He has also been a prominent and vocal advocate for free speech rights here in America. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Snider to talk about those efforts at New York Comic Con (NYCC 2023) yesterday. He has now chronicled his story in the upcoming graphic novel “He’s Not Gonna Take It.”

Dee Snider

Dee Snider: Champion for free speech

Snider made nearly every headline thirty-five years ago. It was then when he stormed into Congress to testify before the Senate Committee on Commerce. He delivered testimony in opposition to Tipper Gore’s and others’ efforts to censor musical lyrics. (That included labeling them with parental advisories.) That testimony, he told us, was effectively the culmination of years grown up being told to “sit down and shut up” and stay in the background.

“It’s difficult,” Dee Snider told us of his efforts to advocate for free speech in this country:

 “There is this idea that some people have that the First Amendment means that you can say whatever to want to say whenever you want to say it, no matter how it affects people. That is not the intent of the First Amendment. That’s not freedom of speech, that’s being an asshole.”

Dee Snider
Dee Snider talks free speech at NYCC 2023. (Image: that Hashtag Show, LLC)

Dee Snider has now partnered with Z2 Comics to tell his broader story. The new graphic novel illustrates, literally and figuratively, the importance of free speech in this country:

Z2 Comics and Dee Snider present “He’s Not Gonna Take It” in both softcover and hardcover formats, as well as oversized hardcover deluxe, and an oversized hardcover deluxe hand-signed edition. Erik Rodriguez and Josh Bernstein provide cover art. Deluxe editions include retro-comic art prints from Roy Burdine, Javier Aranda, and Carlos Olivares, as well as a Dee Snider commemorative coin.  

“Dee Snider: He’s Not Gonna Take It” will be available in paperback via Z2 Comics for $24.99. You can pick it up at physical retailers everywhere on November 21, 2023. You can preorder HERE.