About Weird Tales
There’s something delightfully fitting about Weird Tales finding new life in the graphic novel format. After all, this is the magazine that gave us Lovecraft’s cosmic nightmares, Howard’s sword-and-sorcery epics, and Bradbury’s poetic darkness – stories that have been begging to be visualized since they first graced those pulp pages over a century ago.
Monstrous is partnering with Weird Tales Magazine to create something that’s been a long time coming: the first-ever official Weird Tales graphic novel. And they’re doing it right, with covers from legends Kelley Jones (Dracula, Sandman) and Eric Powell (The Goon), plus a murderer’s row of contributors that reads like a who’s who of modern horror and fantasy storytelling.
What’s Inside This Beautiful Beast
The graphic novel adapts some genuinely seminal stories from the pulp era. We’re talking Ray Bradbury’s “The Scythe,” adapted by J.K. Woodward and Jonathan Maberry (who also happens to be the current editor of Weird Tales). There’s Robert E. Howard’s “Skulls in the Stars,” handled by 30 Days of Night co-creator Steve Niles. And C.L. Moore’s “Shambleau” gets the graphic treatment from George Quadros and Blake Northcott.
But here’s where it gets really interesting: they’re not just adapting the classics. There’s an original Lovecraft Mythos story from Peabody Award-winning writer Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia) with art by Lukas Ketner. And they’re reaching back to the very first story Weird Tales ever published – Anthony M. Rud’s “Ooze” from 1923 – reimagining it for modern readers.
Nancy A. Collins, the first woman to write both Swamp Thing and Vampirella, is adapting Allison V. Harding’s “The Damp Man” with artist Marco Finnegan. There’s also a touching father-son collaboration, with David Avallone adapting his late father Michael Avallone’s 1953 story “The Man Who Walked on Air” alongside artist Robert Hack from Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
A Century in the Making
Weird Tales first appeared in 1923 and basically defined what horror and fantasy could be. It was the breeding ground for genre legends, the place where writers could get genuinely weird without apology. That it’s taken this long for an official graphic novel feels almost criminal, but then again, some things are worth the wait.
Jonathan Maberry, who was mentored by Bradbury himself as a teen, perfectly captures what makes this project special: adapting “Scythe” is both a personal honor and a continuation of the magazine’s legacy. Meanwhile, publisher John Harlacher notes the beautiful circularity of it all – classic horror comics were inspired by Weird Tales, and now they’re returning the favor.
The campaign is live on Kickstarter now, offering an 8.5 by 11-inch prestige hardcover with multiple collectible covers and tiers, plus exclusive goodies like challenge coins and T-shirts.
If you’ve ever loved the strange, the macabre, or the wonderfully bizarre – if you’ve ever felt that electric thrill of discovering something genuinely weird in the best possible sense – this is your kind of project.
Weird Tales Short: “Shambleau”
Weird Tales Short: “Man Who Walked On Air”
Note: The following pages should be considered as in development at time of publishing this article.
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