If you are a fan of classic horror and science fiction, you are very familiar with the seminal pulp fiction anthology Weird Tales.
However, after over 100 years, the name Weird Tales will finally and officially grace the cover of the first graphic novel in the brand new Monstrous Press Kickstarter campaign.
The Weird Tales graphic novel adapts classic stories by Ray Bradbury, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and C.L. Moore (as well as some original tales inspired by the pulp magazine) featuring comic creators such as Rodney Barnes, Nancy A. Collins, Marco Finnegan, Robert Hack, Steve Niles, Blake Northcott, and many more.
We spoke to editor and writer James Aquilone all about the new project in this exclusive interview.
How did you get the Weird Tales graphic novel off the ground?
James Aquilone: I’ve been the managing editor of Weird Tales for a few years and had been pestering the powers that be to allow me to do a graphic novel version of the magazine. Finally, they relented and here we are.
You pair a number of artists and writers with classic Weird Tales stories by genre legends like Ray Bradbury and H.P. Lovecraft. How did you select the stories to adapt?
Aquilone: I wanted to have a good sampling of the major Weird Tales writers from the classic eras — HP Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, CL Moore, Ray Bradbury, and Seabury Quinn. So we started there and then picked the stories we liked the best and that were available to adapt.
Did the comic teams select the stories from a list or did you assign them?
Aquilone: Some we assigned and for others we gave writers a few choices.
Which prose story resonated with you the most and what did you think of the comic adaptation of it?
Aquilone: I remember reading Ray Bradbury’s “The Scythe” as a teenager, and like most of Bradbury’s short stories, it blew me away. Jonathan Maberry was mentored by Ray when he was young, so it was very cool and meaningful to have that connection. Jonathan’s adaptation is incredible and JK Woodward’s art is perfectly suited for it.
You have produced a number of successful Kickstarter projects. What do you have planned this time in terms of premium items?
Aquilone: The main reward is a Kickstarter-exclusive 8.5-by-11-inch hardcover. We’ll also have an exclusive Weird Tales / Lovecraft coin and T-shirt as well as copies of the magazine, original art, and some surprises.
If you could produce a graphic novel based on only one author’s stories, who would you choose and why?
Aquilone: It’s been done before, but I’d love to do a graphic novel based on Richard Matheson’s stories. He was an incredible writer and he has some many great stories that would translate very well to the visual medium.
Check out the Eric Powell and Colton Worley covers below. The Weird Tales project is available to back on Kickstarter until March 18.
