Moonstone Books Launches ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker 50th Anniversary OGN’ On Kickstarter
by Brendan M. Allen
Moonstone Books has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Kolchak: The Night Stalker 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel, edited by James Aquilone. The all-new, 100+ page, full-color graphic novel will feature 10 stories chronicling the life of monster-hunting reporter Carl Kolchak.
The hundred-plus page anthology features ten stories written by David Avallone, Rodney Barnes, James Chambers, Nancy Collins, Peter David, Kim Newman, Jonathan Maberry, Richard Christian Matheson, Tim Waggoner, and Aquilone, and illustrated by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia, Marco Finnegan, Warwick Johnson-Cadwell, Paul McCaffrey, Clara Meath, Julius Ohta, Tom Rogers, J.K. Woodward, and Colton Worley.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel features covers by Colton Worley, Jerry Ordway, and J.K. Woodward as well as lettering by Thomas Napolitano, coloring by Zac Atkinson, and text design by Shawn T. King.
On Tuesday, January 11, 1972, Kolchak: The Night Stalker terrified and delighted audiences on ABC. The TV movie, written by horror legend Richard Matheson and based on an unpublished novel by Jeff Rice, was the highest-rated TV movie in U.S. history. It subsequently spawned both a second TV movie, The Night Strangler, and a cult TV series that ran for just one season, but inspired a generation of storytellers, notably including X-Files creator Chris Carter.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel will be available in limited-edition softcover and hardcover editions, both with variant covers. In addition Moonstone Books is creating a special 40-page standalone comic for the Kickstarter, featuring the story Satanic Panic ’88, written by James Aquilone and illustrated by Colton Worley, and featuring a cover by Dan Brereton.
“It’s been half a century since Carl Kolchak made his first appearance on TV and it seems the fandom for the character is stronger than ever,” said editor James Aquilone. “I wanted to create something very special for the anniversary: a look at the life of my favorite monster hunter, from his childhood to his last case…the ultimate Kolchak story, full of creatures, frights, and the reporter’s iconic wit.”
Backer rewards begin at the $10 ($8 Early Bird) level, for a PDF of the Kolchak One-Shot. Physical copies of the Kolchak One-Shot kick in at the $12 ($10 Early Bird) level. The Kolchack 50 Antho SC is available at the $30 tier, HC for $46. There are signed copies, various bundles, a hand-crafted crypt diorama, and original artwork available at higher tiers. The campaign can be found right here.
