TV on the Comics Page: Six Strangest Series Based on Television Shows
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| IDW, HBO/David Messina |
Of course, if you're as addicted to the True Blood universe as a were-panther strung out on meth, you probably are going to need a fix before 2011.
That's where IDW comes in with its True Blood series (the third issue hits stores this week). The first storyline focuses on an evil supernatural entity feeding off the emotions of a trapped group of patrons at Merlotte's.
Comic books have a long, illustrious history of adapting TV series, with varying results. Here's a look at six of the strangest comics based on TV shows.
6. Hogan's Heroes
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Any comic that bills itself as featuring the "nuttiest prisoner of war camp ever" is a must-have book in anyone's collection.
Add the unsavory details surrounding the life and death of star Bob Crane, and Hogan's Heroes gets creepier and creepier in hindsight.
Any comic that bills itself as featuring the "nuttiest prisoner of war camp ever" is a must-have book in anyone's collection.
Add the unsavory details surrounding the life and death of star Bob Crane, and Hogan's Heroes gets creepier and creepier in hindsight.
5. Superboy
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Wrap your head around this: This series was a comic book adaptation of a TV show that was adapting a comic book character.
Legend has it that Shaolin monks meditate on this concept to clear their minds.
4. Honey West
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| Moonstone/David Lloyd |
Raise your hand if you've heard of this 1960s TV show starring Anne Francis.
Put your hand down if you heard about it because it was referenced in a throwaway line in Reservoir Dogs.
Now raise your hand if you know why comic book publisher Moonstone is putting out a Honey West series in 2010.
Raise your hand if you've heard of this 1960s TV show starring Anne Francis.
Put your hand down if you heard about it because it was referenced in a throwaway line in Reservoir Dogs.
Now raise your hand if you know why comic book publisher Moonstone is putting out a Honey West series in 2010.
3. Man From Atlantis
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| Marvel Comics/John Buscema and Joe Sinnott |
Secret childhood confession: I would try to copy Patrick Duffy's weird dolphin swim in the bathtub when I was a kid.
It wasn't pretty.
Secret childhood confession: I would try to copy Patrick Duffy's weird dolphin swim in the bathtub when I was a kid.
It wasn't pretty.
2. Sledge Hammer!
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| Marvel Comics/Alex Saviuk and Joe Sinnott |
The pop culture gods have a perverse sense of justice sometimes.
First, they allow a quirky show like Sledge Hammer! to air for two seasons. But they don't stop there.
Then they have Marvel create a series based on the show. And to top it off, they have Spider-Man guest star in an issue. All that work almost makes up for that Hogan's Heroes bullshit. Almost.
The pop culture gods have a perverse sense of justice sometimes.
First, they allow a quirky show like Sledge Hammer! to air for two seasons. But they don't stop there.
Then they have Marvel create a series based on the show. And to top it off, they have Spider-Man guest star in an issue. All that work almost makes up for that Hogan's Heroes bullshit. Almost.
1. The Rifleman
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Honestly, there's nothing that unusual about comic book adaptations of popular TV Westerns.
And The Rifleman, one of the most popular in its day, wasn't very controversial. So why is it on the list? Because it gives me the chance to run one of comic-dom's most inappropriate covers of all time.
Enjoy!
Honestly, there's nothing that unusual about comic book adaptations of popular TV Westerns.
And The Rifleman, one of the most popular in its day, wasn't very controversial. So why is it on the list? Because it gives me the chance to run one of comic-dom's most inappropriate covers of all time.
Enjoy!
Other comics to check out this week
- Love and Rockets: New Stories vol. 3 Do you really need a reason to pick up new work by Jaime and Beto Hernandez? If you do, you have no soul.
- Prison Pit Book 2 Johnny Ryan might not have invented the term "ultraviolence," but he certainly has made it his own. His comics are rude, over-the-top, hilarious and thoroughly entertaining.
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