Comic Books and Stephen King

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Stephen King shares a deep admiration for E.C. Comics, which brought to life series like Tales From the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear. In Danse Macabre, he fondly described those fifties horror comics as the pinnacle of the genre. However, King’s connection to comics reaches far beyond E.C.’s spine-tingling tales. His fascination spans Batman, Archie Andrews (particularly Betty and Veronica, with a soft spot for Betty), his early work on Creepshow, and his remarkable collaboration on American Vampire alongside Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque.

As both King and comic books have aged gracefully, earning widespread acclaim, their occasional intersections seem almost inevitable. From adaptations to essays and original stories, King has left an indelible mark on the comic book world. Here’s an exploration of how his creative endeavors have intertwined with this vibrant medium.

The Lawnmower Man (1981)

Marvel Comics
Bizarre Adventures #29
Adapted by Walt Simonson

Creepshow (1982) Written by Stephen King, Illustrated by Berni Wrightson

  • “Father’s Day”
  • “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”
  • “The Crate”
  • “Something to Tide You Over”
  • “They’re Creeping Up On You”

Heroes For Hope: Starring the X-Men (1985)

Portion Written by Stephen King, Illustrated by Berni Wrightson

  • Marvel Comics “ashcan” charity issue featuring celebrity artists and writers.

“Why I Chose Batman” (1986)

Written by Stephen King

  • Essay introducing the Batman #400 Anniversary Issue
  • DC Comics

“On the Far Side” (1986)

Written by Stephen King

  • Essay introducing The Far Side Gallery 2
  • Comics written and illustrated by Gary Larson

“The Importance of Being Archie” (1991)

Written by Stephen King

  • Essay introducing Archie Americana Series: The Best of the 1940s
  • Archie Comics

Popsy

Adapted by Mark Valadez (w) and Matt Thompson (i)

  • J.N. Williamson’s Masques: An Anthology of Elegant Evil (paperback) (1992)
  • J.N. Williamson’s Illustrated Masques (deluxe hardcover) (2011)

“An Introduction to Evil” (1994)

Interview with Stephen King

  • Hero Illustrated Magazine #4, “Villains Special”
  • Warrior Publications

The Secretary of Dreams

Written by Stephen King, Illustrated by Glenn Chadbourne
Cemetery Dance Publications
Volume One (hardcover) (2006)
“Home Delivery”
“Jerusalem’s Lot”
“The Reach”
“Rainy Season”
“The Road Virus Heads North”
“Uncle Otto’s Truck”

The Secretary of Dreams

Written by Stephen King, Illustrated by Glenn Chadbourne
Cemetery Dance Publications
Volume Two (hardcover) (2010)
“The Monkey”
“Strawberry Spring”
“In the Deathroom”
“Gray Matter”
“One For the Road”
“Nona”

The Dark Tower

  • Adapted by Robin Furth (plotting), Peter David (w), and Jae Lee and Richard Isanove (i)
  • Marvel Comics
    • The Dark Tower
      • The Gunslinger Born (2007)
      • The Long Road Home (2008)
      • Treachery (2008/2009)
      • The Sorcerer (2009)
      • The Fall of Gilead (2009)
      • The Battle of Jericho Hill (2009/2010)
        • The Dark Tower Omnibus
    • The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
      • The Journey Begins (2010)
      • Sheemie’s Tale (unpublished)
      • The Little Sisters of Eluria (2010/2011)
      • The Battle of Tull (2011)
      • The Way Station (2011)

The Stand

  • Adapted by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (w), and Mike Perkins (i)
  • Marvel Comics
    • Captain Trips (2009)
    • American Nightmares (2009)
    • Soul Survivors (2009/2010)
    • Hardcases (2010)
    • No Man’s Land (2011)
    • The Night Has Come (2011)

The Talisman

  • Adapted by Robin Furth (w), and Tony Shastee (i)
  • Marvel Comics
    • The Road of Trials (2009/2010)
    • A Collision of Worlds (unpublished)

N.

  • Adapted by Marc Guggenheim (w) and Alex Maleev (i)
    • Motion comic, Scribner/Simon & Schuster Digital/Marvel Comics/CBS Mobile (2008)
    • Print series/graphic novel, Marvel Comics (2010)

American Vampire

  • First arc co-written by Stephen King and Scott Snyder, illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque (2010)
  • Vertigo Comics
    • “Suck On This,” Written by Stephen King
      • Essay introducing hardcover collection American Vampire Vol. 1 (2010)

Road Rage: Throttle

  • Two-part series co-written by Stephen King, Joe Hill, and Chris Ryall, illustrated by Nelson Daniel and Phil Noto
  • IDW Comics

The Little Green God of Agony

  • Ecomic exclusive to StephenKing.com, adapted by Dennis Calero
  • StephenKing.com