"King"

[Ray Dillon]

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/King/kinglogo-.jpg

From Newsarama:

”STEPHEN KING IS writing a graphic novel for Marvel Comics. Illustrated by Jae Lee, well-known American illustrator of comic books, it will form the eighth volume in King’s Dark Tower series, published by Simon & Schuster in the States and Hodder in the UK. Marvel is distributed worldwide by Diamond Book Distributors and publication is scheduled for next autumn.”

* EDIT - This still hasn't been confirmed by marvel, so it's just a rumor right now. They are supposed to "define King" next week. Hope I didn't confuse anyone. Didn't realize it read like it was definite. Here's the article from Newsarama.com (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=47647)*

I was surprised not to find a thread about this. Maybe I'm missing it?

I'm just dying to hear a confirmation on the King thing. This would be absolutely monumental for comics. Record breaking and just plain awesome. I'm a big fan of the Dark Tower books and seeing them continue in comics, the marriage of my favorite writer with my favorite medium, would be almost overwhelming.

[mattbib]

I'd rather see King tackle a Marvel property than simply present a Dark Tower story in comic format.

[Ray Dillon]

Yeah, I'm kinda torn on that. Seeing more of the Dark Tower series, especially in comic form, would be amazing. But, seeing something brand new or his run on a well-known character would also be fantastic. Maybe (if it's even true) he'll do both?

Wishful thinking. :D

[Thrice]

Can we say jumping the gun. I was there in san deigo con when quesada showed the slide. He didnot confirm it was stephen king and more importantly he didnot comfirm what he would be working on.

[Ray Dillon]

Yeah, I talked to Quesada in SD and he wouldn't bug on it. Grr! :D

But there is definitely something going on. You'd think if that wasn't true, they'd just deny that rumor.

And a guy can dream, can't he! :o

[Ray Dillon]

Oh, and the crown is the only thing that throws me off, because I can't recall seeing a crown in relation to Stephen King before. But, that IS reminiscent of the way his name looks on books.

[mattbib]

How cool would that be if Stephen King wrote Hannibal King?!?

[thik_3rd]

it's the 8th volume of this series huh? and i never read the first 7. i won't be buying this. shame to miss out on jae lee's art, and the hoopla of it all. i (like many others) assumed it would be stephen king writing a book, and was looking forward to this, but was hoping it would be a marvel character. it's something i'd want to read, but n ot want to have to buy the previous 7 volumes of the series.

[borateen]

I thought King ended the story pretty well with the 7th book. Unless he's going to have Roland finally break the cycle of searching for the Tower, finding it, only to find that he has to go back to the beginning, what's left to tell?

And how do you market something like this to anyone besides King fans? Why would somebody pick it up without having read the thousands of pages of backstory first? Granted, I'm sure all die-hard King fans, especially those who gobbled up his Dark Tower stories (myself included) will probably pick the book up, and might still make this a top-selling book, but really, wouldn't it be nice to keep some of those fans? Wouldn't it be smarter in the long run to have King work on an established character, bring in some of his fans (some, not all, or even most), and have them become interested in the MU and its characters rather than have an influx of buyers for one book, who then have no incentive to stay and give more money to Marvel?

It'll be VERY interesting to see what this project is actually going to be, and if it will even be something by Stephen King.

[The Wayner]

If it's SK, I'll buy it (since I buy anything related to him, anyway).

And if it isn't him, well... we'll just have to wait and see.

[Cayman]

I'd rather see King tackle a Marvel property than simply present a Dark Tower story in comic format.

Me too, I didn't really get into Dark Tower.

Cay

[The Fury]

Is this actually confirmed now?

Becuase that was kind of anti-climatic....I mean why did they hold out for that long about who "King" really was, when it was the most obvious person.

[Ray Dillon]

Sorry about that, guys. I didn't realize that read like it was definitely confirmed. I guess it's still a rumor at this point and they will "define King" next week.

Whoops. :o

[The Fury]

Sorry about that, guys. I didn't realize that read like it was definitely confirmed. I guess it's still a rumor at this point and they will "define King" next week.

Whoops. :o
It still could be, I'm actually asking.

[Ray Dillon]

Yeah, it still could be true, and I hope it is. That would be the greatest news ever for me.

I can definitely understand the anti-climactic concern, but do you realize what a let down it would be if it wasn't? There are SK fans clamoring over this all over the world.

[borateen]

There are SK fans clamoring over this all over the world.

Really? King fans are clamoring for him to write comics? Or is it that comic fans who are also King fans are clamoring for this? Personally, I haven't enjoyed King in any medium except for prose/novels, so who knows if I'd end up liking this.

[angry monkey]

I serioulsy hope this is true. I love the dark tower series so far. Im on number 6 now. :cool:

[anthony!]

I'm thinking that Marvel wants to publish a Stephen King Dark Tower OGN because it will give them (hopefully) something similar to Gaiman's Endless Nights for Vertigo.

You've got a proven writer, King (like Gaiman) writing a popular franchise, Dark Tower (like Sandman). Seems pretty straight forward. I've only read the first book (a long time ago). It was okay. Hopefully this OGN will be done in such a way that knowlege of the previous 7 is not required. I'm thinking this baby is directly pointed at bookstores.

Also, I'd be really happy if this deal is bundled together with Marvel publishing the OGN of King's Dark Tower (under ICON???) in exchange for a Stephen King run/mini-series on a Marvel Universe property. That'd be nice.

[borateen]

I'm thinking that Marvel wants to publish a Stephen King Dark Tower OGN because it will give them (hopefully) something similar to Gaiman's Endless Nights for Vertigo.

You've got a proven writer, King (like Gaiman) writing a popular franchise, Dark Tower (like Sandman). Seems pretty straight forward.

But Sandman was already a successful comic book, and had a large following. At the time Endless Nights was put out, Neil also had at least one pretty successful novel on the stands.

While King has proven success with his books, he's done, what, 2 pages for Heroes for Hope, some pages for Batman #400, and a Creepshow comic? He's virtually untested in this medium.

Personally, while I'd buy a DT book, and I'd buy a "regular" Marvel book, I think he'd be perfect (especially with Jae Lee on art duties) in the darker corners of the Marvel Universe. Horror hasn't been this big in comics since...the 70s? Put these two guys on Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, etc., or have him do some straight-up horror, something ECish.

[Ray Dillon]

Oh, my gorsch, guys! It's becoming closer to a reality:

From Kevin Melrose of Scryptic Studios (http://www.Scrypticstudios.com):

I just received this, from the Publishers Weekly daily e-newsletter:
In a move that can only continue to elevate the literary and commercial cachet of the graphic novel format, sources say that bestselling novelist Stephen King has agreed to write a new installment of his Dark Tower series as a graphic novel to be published in 2006.

A spokesperson for Marvel Comics, which will announce the deal on Friday, confirmed that they will publish a King work, although they didn't disclose details. Marvel was dropping hints about a possible King book at this year's Comic-con in July. Sources say that the new Dark Tower installment will be published first as a comic book periodical beginning in April and later released as a Marvel hardcover in the fall of 2006. The artist on the book will be veteran comics illustrator Jae Lee and the colorist is Richard Isanove, who won a recent Quill Award for his work on Marvel's 1602.
--Calvin Reid

http://www.digitalwebbing.com/forums/images/smilies/w00t.gif GAAAHHH!!! http://www.digitalwebbing.com/forums/images/smilies/w00t.gif

That is AMAZING!! I can't wait until they fully announce it, so I know for sure that it's going to happen.

[Cash Lone]

It should be an original comic/ graphic novel. Something like a sequel to Salems Lot or an existing Marvel character.

[borateen]

The wary confirmation is also here on CBR: http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=6104.

I still don't know what I think about yet another DT book (especially with the way King ended the series), or the fact that it'll be a comic book, but it'll be on my must-get list regardless. Now, if it WERE a DT book and focused on another aspect/person of that world rather than Roland and his gang, THAT would be a lot more interesting.

[StoneGold]

Given that Roland and the gunslingers have run into Doombots already in the book...

[borateen]

Given that Roland and the gunslingers have run into Doombots already in the book...

...Holy crap...you're right.

Eddie called the robots/Wolves Doombots, didn't he? I think that one thing right there opens up so many doors (no pun intended), and like I said, if he doesn't focus on Roland and the gang (whose stories are all told). I think it could be extremely interesting.

Wow...good catch.

[Rutsah]

needed a new ending anyway.

[Lex]

If this is true, my reaction is "meh." I've never read the Dark Tower series so I have a hard time finding any excitement about this.

I would much rather see King do something new, either a new story with an existing Marvel property or something completely new in OGN form.

[StoneGold]

If this is true, my reaction is "meh." I've never read the Dark Tower series so I have a hard time finding any excitement about this.

I would much rather see King do something new, either a new story with an existing Marvel property or something completely new in OGN form.
Yeah, but I think the idea is that, since you already read comic books, there's a chance you'll read it anyways. Whereas the Dark Tower has the potential to bring in new readers into the fold.

[monkeyjunkie]

I think this is perfect, this is what comics NEEDS. King writting an already established character would sell big to comics fans sure, but king continuing the dark tower series is going to pull in everyone or almost everyone who has read the first seven, and face it theres a ton of them, a lot more than read New Avengers or All star batman and robin. And thats what comics needs, we need to show the 45 year old house wife and the 35 year old buisness man who have never touched comics, or not since they were kids the power and versitillity of the medium, cause in the end we'll end up with more comic readers, and a bigger comics fan base, of any kind indy or otherwise is good for all of us.

[NormanB]

I think this is perfect, this is what comics NEEDS. King writting an already established character would sell big to comics fans sure, but king continuing the dark tower series is going to pull in everyone or almost everyone who has read the first seven, and face it theres a ton of them, a lot more than read New Avengers or All star batman and robin. And thats what comics needs, we need to show the 45 year old house wife and the 35 year old buisness man who have never touched comics, or not since they were kids the power and versitillity of the medium, cause in the end we'll end up with more comic readers, and a bigger comics fan base, of any kind indy or otherwise is good for all of us.

Very few of whom are going to be apt to read the other comics Marvel puts out.

Unless they're getting him for a budget price, this seems to be a WASTE of money.

[borateen]

Very few of whom are going to be apt to read the other comics Marvel puts out.

Unless they're getting him for a budget price, this seems to be a WASTE of money.

Exactly my point from an earlier post.

[monkeyjunkie]

Very few of whom are going to be apt to read the other comics Marvel puts out.

Unless they're getting him for a budget price, this seems to be a WASTE of money.

Your right, they probably won't buy other Marvel comics, But its very likely that some will start picking up more indy stuff, like Y the last man, Walking Dead and others. and thats good, cause that means more indy projects and a less superhero dominated medium which might allow comics to be taken seriously