From Previews World comes news that the creative team of James Asmus and Carlos Magno are bringing King Kong to a new comic book series from BOOM! Studios. Kong of Skull Island #1 hits the stands on July 13, 2016.
This isn’t the first time Kong has appeared in comics. Continue reading for a history of the agitated ape’s appearances in the four-color medium.
King Kong (1968)
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It was 35 years after the original movie, but King Kong was first adapted into comic book form by Gold Key in 1968. The issue was reprinted in Germany in 1970.
King Kong (1991)
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In the ’90s, Monster Comics/Fantagraphics Books expanded their adaptation into a six-issue series written and drawn by Donald E. “Dandy Don” Simpson.
King Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World (2005)
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Coinciding with Peter Jackson’s remake, Dark Horse released a one-shot written by Christian Gusset and Dustin Weaver. This was also available in a “Special Edition” and, a year later, was available in a $12.95 trade paperback.
Kong: King of Skull Island (2004) Hardcover
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Authorized by the Merian C. Cooper estate, one of very few “official” Kong projects, this was a sequel from Dark Horse Press written by Joe DeVito, John Michelin and Brad Strickland and lavishly illustrated by DeVito. A paperback version was released a year later and is still available on Amazon.
Kong: King of Skull Island (2007)
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The aforementioned novel was adapted into a six-issue comic adaptation by Charles Satterlee and Dan O’Connor for Markosia. Like the source material, the story ignored the movie sequel, Son of Kong, and included a prequel revealing the early history of Kong.
What version of Kong is going to appear in the new comic? Writer James Asmus says, “The spark for our story and the lineage of our Kong both stem from the vision of King Kong’s creator and original filmmaker, Merian C. Cooper. I was almost immediately intrigued by the revelation (from Kong: King of Skull Island) that the natives actually landed on the dinosaur-infested Skull Island after their home was destroyed! This transition had never been told, but was obviously rich with high-stakes, emotional moments. A chance to tell a first-contact origin story that weaves together natural disasters, social upheaval, desperate survival, giant fighting apes, and man’s first encounters with dinosaurs. Too great to pass up!”
