Monday, October 29, 2018

Marvel-ous Monday: "It" by Sturgeon, Thomas, Severin, and Giacoia

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Halloween is almost here, so let's kick off this week with classic Marvel adapting classic pulp--Theodore Sturgeon's "IT" from Supernatural Thrillers #1 (September 1972)! As Rascally Roy explains in the editorial (there it is, right under Ol' Groove's words), Marvel intended to do more classic and literary type "mystery" tales--not "horror" tales--with Supernatural Thrillers, and they did--at least for the first four issues. They also did H.G. Welles' "Invisible Man", Robert E. Howard's "Valley of the Worm", and Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde" before the mag was taken over by the Living Mummy (with a single side-trip to give us a modern sequel to "The Headless Horseman"). This is one of the best--obviously a labor of love on writer/editor Thomas' part. First, here's Roy's editorial (as promised above)…

and now...get ready to get your creepy on!
Cover art by Jim Steranko






















If you wanna read Sturgeon's original tale, you're in luck! Click here--and if you can't get enough Sturgeon, check out "Killdozer" right here!
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4 comments:

  1. keythd23October 29, 2018 at 5:07 AM

    This adaptation was a good start to the short-lived Supernatural Thrillers title. How could one go wrong debuting behind a Steranko cover? I had the pleasure of reading the original a while back in a beautifully produced horror anthology (Suede covers with embossed lettering) carried by Costco. It's a classic for a reason.

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  2. AnonymousOctober 29, 2018 at 4:32 PM

    The backgrounds are the star of this story! Some very nice landscape panels here.

    Neil

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  3. Jasper BarkOctober 30, 2018 at 9:57 PM

    I think this is quite honestly my very favourite comic adaptation of any prose story I've read. A first rate job by messrs Thomas, Severin and Giacoia! I'm not sure I can praise it enough. I think what makes it so good is that it actually enhances the brilliance of the original story and illustrates everything that made it such an influential work of genius. To bring the very best qualities of the source material into stark relief, so effectively, as this strip does, is nothing less than excellence. I knew of this adaptation, but this is the first time I've read it in its entirety, thanks so much for sharing Groove.

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  4. AnonymousNovember 8, 2018 at 5:56 PM

    There was a November, 1971 episode of Night Gallery called "Brenda" with its own Heap creature:
    http://eldritchwizardry.blogspot.com/2014/04/night-gallery-brenda-by-margaret-st.html?m=1

    Seems to have been inspired by Sturgeon's tale, and may have prompted Roy Thomas to do the comics,version.

    Gene Poole

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