Rod Serling Stories Reborn as Comic Books
New Twilight Zone Collection Retells Episodes as Graphic Novels
Jun 16, 2009
Having written more than half the scripts for the original Twilight Zone series, Rod Serling can easily be said to be not only the host but also the visionary behind this classic TV show. Even today, decades after The Twilight Zone debuted in 1959, fans who buy Twilight Zone DVDs count Serling’s stories – which run the gamut from classic science fiction to ironic morality plays to eerie paranormal tales – as their favorite episodes.
Now, Serling’s stories have been revived once again, this time as a graphic novel series that adapts several of his teleplays into comic book-style stories. While generally respectful of the source material, these graphic novels also take advantage of the ability of comic books to expand and enhance old stories – resulting in tales that are familiar yet surprising.
Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone: The After Hours
Ever since Marsha White entered a department store to buy a thimble for her mother, she’s been noticing strange things – from an elevator that goes to a non-existent eighteenth floor, to a store selling a single gold thimble, to a mannequin that looks like one of the shop girls. But when Marsha ends up trapped in the department store after hours, she discovers an eerie secret about the store – and her own existence.
Adapted from the Twilight Zone season 1 episode The After Hours, this graphic novel expands on the original story by including a subplot revealing the truth behind Marsha’s mother. While it’s strange to see a Twilight Zone episode in color and not black and white, artist Rebekah Isaacs still creates a moody atmosphere that fits Rod Serling’s eerie tone. Overall a good re-interpretation that’s more faithful to the original show than the awful remake shown in the 1980s Twilight Zone TV series.
Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone: Walking Distance
After spending years in the business world, thirty-nine year old Martin Sloan longs to escape from all the worries and tensions in his life. Then one afternoon, a short walk sends him back in time to the town where he grew up, allowing Martin to rediscover the lost pleasures of his youth. But as Martin tries reconnecting with his old neighbors and family, he learns the sad truth behind the saying, “You can never go home again.”
Another Twilight Zone season 1 episode, Walking Distance offers one of Rod Serling’s more bittersweet fables about an idealistic small town which, according to the graphic novel, is based on Serling’s memories of growing up in Binghamton, New York. Perhaps because of this nostalgia factor, there are virtually no attempts to update or “modernize” this episode – and the story is much stronger because of that.
Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone: The Odyssey of Flight 33
All the passengers in the jet airliner Flight 33 want to do is arrive in New York on schedule. But when the pilots encounter some strange turbulence at thirty-five thousand feet, they unexpectedly get trapped in a time warp that sends them hurtling back to the age of the dinosaurs – and then forward into the far future. As passengers begin to panic, the crew furiously tries to master the art of time travel and get their people home.
While many fans remember this Twilight Zone episode for its brief dinosaur scene (which cost $2500 and was the most expensive special effect in the entire series) artist Robert Grabe expands on the time travel sequences by including additional prehistoric scenes, as well as a depiction of a post apocalyptic future. Possibly based on scenes in Rod Serling’s original teleplay (that would have been impossible to produce in the 1960s) they’re fun examples of the possibilities offered by comic book storytelling.
Read Graphic Novels Reimagine Twilight Zone Episodes for more reviews of Twilight Zone graphic novels.
Kneece, Mark and Rebekah Isaacs. Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone: The After Hours. NY: Walker & Company, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-8027-9717-9
Kneece, Mark and Dove McHargue. Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone: Walking Distance. NY: Walker & Company, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-8027-9715-5
Kneece, Mark and Robert Grabe. Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone: The Odyssey of Flight 33. NY: Walker & Company, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-8027-9719-3
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