Stephen King: Biographical comic book

[mae]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...gqZR_blog.html

First came the sizzle, now comes the steak. And given the author, make that steak blood-red.

Earlier this week, Bluewater Comics announced that -- timed to the current trendy heat around Charlie Sheen -- the publisher would release a bio-comic about the longtime "Two and a Half Men" actor. Today, however, comes the comics subject and talent with true substance: Bluewater says it will work with Stephen King on a bio-comic about the best-selling horror writer's "incomparable" career.

"Orbit: Stephen King," scheduled for release in May, will trace the writer's career from rejections and anonymity to global fame. "It includes insight on his legacy as a writer, his love of the Boston Red Sox, forays into film, drug and alcohol issues, and the accident [in 1999] that nearly cost him his life," Bluewater says in a release.

The man behind such works as "Misery," "Carrie, "Cujo" and "Shawshank Redemption" is sharing stories about key childhood moments and painful adulthood crucibles.

"One story we confirmed concerned a young King witnessing a friend's accident involving a train [long thought to be a source of his macabre inspirations]," says co-author Michael Lent in the release. "Until now, the story was largely apocryphal and wasn't mentioned in King's autobiography."

"What really enlightened us were the similarities we found between Stephen King and Keith Richards ... ," says co-author Brian McCarthy. "Both came from dirt-poor families. Both had talents that were shepherded by strong, supportive mothers. Both had absent fathers. Each practiced doggedly every day -- their talents weren't hobbies, but their salvation. It brought them fame and fortune, it sustained them during their darkest hours of drug addiction and it, literally, gave them both a road to recovery when their lives were nearly cut short in tragic accidents."

(Richards's memoir "Life" was released last year to critical bouquets and sales chart-topping success.)

King, 63, has won a raft of honors for his work -- including Bram Stoker and World Fantasy awards, and the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation. His work in comics has included DC's "American Vampire" title with creator Scott Snyder. The Maine resident has also just announced a new novel in his Dark Tower series.

Bluewater is launching its "Orbit" line of bio-comics in an attempt to draw more male readers.

[mae]

http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?op...ews&Itemid=167

Stephen King, otherwise known as the best-selling master of horror, is returning to the bookshelves—but this time in comic-book form. See exclusive panels below (sans lettering) and the scoop.

Authors Michael Lent and Brian McCarthy recount the scribe’s career in Bluewater Productions’ one-issue biography comic ORBIT: STEPHEN KING, due May 2011. ORBIT follows King’s career from struggling young writer to world-famous author, and also includes insights on his legacy as a writer, forays into film, past drug and alcohol issues and his near-death experience.

The comic will additionally explore many of the real-life incidents that informed King’s fiction. “One story we confirmed concerned a young King witnessing a friend’s accident involving a train [long thought to be a source of his macabre inspirations, and the basis of his novella THE BODY and film STAND BY ME],” Lent says. “Until now, the story was largely apocryphal and wasn’t mentioned in King’s autobiography. It’s a great feeling when you can resolve something once and for all.”

Adds McCarthy, “What really enlightened us were the similarities we found between Stephen King and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. Both came from dirt-poor families. Both had talents that were shepherded by strong, supportive mothers. Both had absent fathers. Each practiced doggedly every day—their talents weren’t hobbies, but their salvation. It brought them fame and fortune, it sustained them during their darkest hours of drug addiction and it, literally, gave them both a road to recovery when their lives were nearly cut short in tragic accidents.”

In regards to King’s involvement with ORBIT, Bluewater president Darren Davis says the Maine man was aware of the comic, and Bluewater’s team consulted with King’s people for accuracy issues. “His camp went to him with our questions,” Davis tells Fango. “We did not talk one-on-one with him, but went through his assistant, Marsha DeFilippo.”

King’s enduring success comes from his ability to give voice and depth to the Everyman and put them in nightmarish situations, Davis adds. “He found a way to strike a chord that makes the everyday seem eerie and the scary downright evil.”

The ORBIT series also includes comic-book biographies of figures such as Howard Stern, LeBron James and J.R.R. Tolkien, and is being picked up by schools and libraries to educate reluctant readers. The King issue, penciled by Kent Hurlburt with a cover by Michal Szyksznian, will retail for $3.99 and be available at on-line bookstores as well as local comic shops.

There's some sample artwork also, which admittedly looks like crap.

[pathoftheturtle]

In regards to King's involvement with ORBIT, Bluewater president Darren Davis says the Maine man was aware of the comic, and Bluewater's team consulted with King's people for accuracy issues.

The main man. lol

[jhanic]

I doubt VERY much that I'll be buying this.

John

[Brainslinger]

I doubt VERY much that I'll be buying this.

Yeah. Not really my cup of tea either, much as I like Stephen King's work. I'm not really into biographies, although I did enjoy those sections of King's On Writing book.*

*That's the one Stephen King book I never got round to finishing! I didn't dislike the book, I just got to the practical short story exercise... and decided to do it and return to the book when I'd finished. As is often the case when setting myself a creative writing assignment, I keep putting it off....

Daftly I actually rather enjoy creative writing once I get into it, but motivating myself in the first place is the issue.

[Ric]

I got this today from CD (albeit a little worse for wear) and I read it.

I thought it was complete crap. Poorly done, in bad taste (the Peta ad on the back cover sealed that fate) and just not worth a nickel.

And to top it all off they misspelled Naomi on the last page.

Anyone else feel that way? Anyone want my (slightly shredded) copy for free?

[Ari_Racing]

The good thing about the comic is that there are some details (for example, the glasses with blood) which came from King himself. Take a second look.

[Ric]

No thanks, the first look was enough. It's crap.

[mae]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...review&id=3600

Have you read Stephen King’s memoir “On Writing?” It’s one of the greatest books about writing ever fashioned – and by a guy many pan as not being a very good writer. King infuses all his writing, even this craft guide, with personal history and depth to make every moment a sheer delight to read, be it informative or entertaining. I wish I was reviewing that book because I’d have five stars all lined up for it; you really should check it out. However, I’m not reviewing that ode to prose glory, instead I’m looking over a comic that picks pieces from it like a scavenger bird over a month-old dead racoon.

You can’t really say this book is poorly written because most of it is just slabs of direct prose from King’s work. However, it is poorly assembled. Sections aren’t so much taken out of context as they are ineffectively used. Punchlines are fumbled like a drunk at the end of an unsuccessful date and moments are dropped in as if a pure glut of highlights will make a cohesive narrative. Admittedly, it would be hard to pack in 50 years of a man’s life into 22 pages. Perhaps editing could have focused the book and made us care, instead of throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the book.

The framing device is the brutal moment where a minivan smashes into a walking King. It was the accident that nearly killed him and so the comic obviously chooses to show it in glorious detail not once but twice. There isn’t room for decades worth of the man’s life but we get to see him turned upside-down by a moving vehicle from two different angles. It’s the sort of sensationalistic storytelling that makes you question whether the comic wants to shock you or inform you. It really doesn’t feel like it has the strength to do both.

It’s not all bad because some of it is so overplayed you can’t help but enjoy it. King’s childhood is rendered in almost mythic tones with his walkout father given a devil’s tongue and piercing red eyes. His face always obscured by shadow, he leaves the family behind without any cash and you know it’s bad because King’s older brother watches it happen while clutching his stomach full of hunger pains. It’d be hilarious if it weren’t so sad. The moment where a young King witnesses a friend get hit by a train includes one strange panel that actually adds something to the overall mood of the moment.

Watching a man type for decades would obviously be boring, and even though King’s life has been extremely interesting, this book decides to make everyone better-looking versions of themselves. I would have preferred to see King as the man-mountain he truly is rather than just some average guy. In the end, it’s the little things that don’t add up: King chucks out a failed manuscript with one page in the bin, he rides his motorbike into sobriety to play with an unexplained band, a strange lady in the crowd thinks about how cute King is in a creepy sort of way. These moments detract rather than add anything.

The art relies on snapshots like this is a montage rather than an actual story. If the book actually knew which way to fall, you could say this was a successful device used. Instead, this is like a simply sketched album of King’s life. The panels are layered on the page like photographs assembled, and many panels are crowded so no backgrounds are needed.

If you are a diehard fan of Stephen King you might enjoy this, but most likely you’ll just pick it apart for not being very good. If you aren’t a fan of King then I doubt this disjointed shuffle knows how to turn you into one. King has been written about many times over the years, and quite well most of the time, so this book has the esteemed honor of being both sub-par and superfluous. Unless you plan on making a drinking game out of it, avoid this book. Save your dollars for “On Writing.”

[Randall Flagg]

I say that is a very accurate review of the Comic.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

I don't know, I kind of liked the comic. The artwork was not really good, but overall the story left me with an impression of how many obstacles King had to go through in his life, and gave me a better appreciation of his work. I knew most of these things already, but this was a sort of refresher course on them. The one thing that irked me (just a little) was the uncredited heart of a small boy quote, which I believe was originated by Robert Bloch, another author I greatly admire, and who I'm sure King does too (I would hope!).
So all in all, a mixed review from me.

[iowabob]

OK, does that mean none of you will be picking up the Charlie Sheen issue when it hits the stands?

[DanishCollector]

They should do an issue about me
Nah, this Orbit comic is not something I'm going to add to my collection.

[jhanic]

I agree. I have absolutely no desire to put this thing in my collection.

John

[Randall Flagg]

I agree. I have absolutely no desire to put this thing in my collection.

John

I received one as part of a Cemetery Dance promotion. I just might shred it, except it is good for referencing how bad something truly can be.

[Ric]

I totally agree with the review except I thought it was even worse. One of the most unredeeming pieces of trash I've ever had the misfortune to read. I've already thrown mine away.

[Cook]

I thought it was sort of weird but...
Does anybody think the front cover drawing looks more like Tim Robbins from Shawshank than Stephen King.

[Ari_Racing]

An expanded version will be published in November:

http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...987#post627987

[DanishCollector]

still not interested in it

[Randall Flagg]

An expanded version will be published in November:

http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...987#post627987

Expanded means additional rubbish.