King Kong (comic)

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King Kong has been adapted into comic book format a number of times.

Contents

[edit] Gold Key

Gold Key Comics, a subsidiary of Western Publishing, put out an adaptation in 1968, drawn by Alberto Giolitti with a cover painting by George Wilson (other credits are unknown). It was reprinted a few times, ultimately upon the release of the 1976 remake, as well as in Dutch, Swedish and Norwegian editions on both occasions[1].There is also a German edition, which was published in 1970 by the BSV - Verlag (BSV = Bildschriftenverlag; later Klaus Recht - Verlag or Williams)[citation needed].

[edit] Monster Comics

Monster Comics, an imprint of Fantagraphics Books, produced a six-issue black and white comic book in 1991, adapted and illustrated by Don Simpson.

It is not, in fact, based on the 1933 film, but instead on the 1932 novelization by Delos W. Lovelace, and thus differs from the movie in numerous places. Notably, the ship is called the Vastator instead of the Venture and the characters of Charlie the Chinese cook and Second Mate Briggs are absent, replaced by a character from Lovelace's novel named Lumpy. The comic also contains several scenes not found in the film including the infamous "spider pit" scenes and extra encounters with dinosaurs by the search party. Other notable changes include the addition of a character totally original to this comic, Denham's assistant Wally, and an extended sequence of several dinosaurs joining Kong in attacking the native village.

[edit] Issues

  • Part 1: Denham's Quest with cover by Dave Stevens
    • Moviemaker Carl Denham hires a down-on-her-luck woman named Ann Darrow to be the star of his latest picture. During the voyage to their destination aboard the Vastator, Ann falls in love with first mate Jack Driscoll, and is given as a sacrifice to the god of Skull Island, a giant gorilla known as Kong. The cover by Stevens depicts Ann cupped in Kong's palm.
  • Part 2: Kong's Island! with cover by Mark Schultz and Tom Luth
    • Driscoll, Denham, and some of the Vastator's crew mount a rescue operation to save Ann. Instead, they find themselves fighting for their lives against Skull Island's population of fierce dinosaurs. The party fights heroically onward. Meanwhile, Kong battles a herd of dinosaurs, and then the search party catches up to him while crossing a log bridge over a chasm. The cover by Schultz and Luth shows Kong shaking the men off the log (even though this does not actually occur until the next issue).
  • Part 3: Death in Devil's Chasm! with cover by William Stout
    • Kong shakes most of the sailors off the log bridge and into the chasm, where they are eaten by a swarm of giant spiders. Kong's efforts to catch Driscoll are interrupted when Ann is attacked by a large meat-eating dinosaur, an Allosaurus. Kong fights and kills the dinosaur, then picks up Ann and moves on with Driscoll in pursuit. Denham, meanwhile, is sent back for reinforcements. Stout's cover shows Kong battling a Tyrannosaurus (when it is clearly an Allosaurus in the actual story).
  • Part 4: Beauty and the Beast! with cover by William Stout
    • Kong fights and kills a giant python en route to his lair atop Skull Mountain, then settles down to begin toying with his new "bride." He peels off all of her clothes until she is wearing only her bra and panties, but is interrupted when a pteranodon attacks. While Kong is busy with the dinosaur, Driscoll arrives and he and Ann escape together. The cover by Stout shows Kong's battle with the pteranodon.
  • Part 5: The Wrath of Kong with cover by Al Williamson, Mark Schultz, and Tom Luth
    • Driscoll and Ann return to the native village, and Denham and Captain Englehorn. Denham begins plotting to capture Kong alive, betting that he'll come for Ann. He is proven right, as the giant gorilla, along with a swarm of dinosaurs, attacks the village. Kong and the other prehistoric beasts are brought down with a load of gas bombs, and Denham reveals his intention to take Kong back to New York. Possibly the oddest of all the covers, Williamson, Schultz, and Luth's cover shows Kong fighting with a plesiosaurus. While this happened in the movie, it not only does not occur in this issue, but is absent from the comic entirely.
  • Part 6: The Eighth Wonder of the World with cover by Ken Steacy
    • Kong is revealed to the public in chains, but soon escapes, recaptures Ann, and runs amok throughout New York. He ultimately climbs to the top of the Empire State Building where he does battle with a squadron of military biplanes. He loses the battle, and falls to his death from the skyscraper, and Driscoll and Ann are reunited once more. Steacy's cover shows Kong fighting with the biplanes and includes the notation "For Obie!"

[edit] Characters and creatures

Characters

Hadrosaurus carnotaurus

Creatures

[edit] Dark Horse

Dark Horse Comics and DH Press had the license to produce tie-in comic books in connection with King Kong. This include an illustrated novel, Kong: King of Skull Island, by Joe DeVito which was an authorised sequel to the 1933 film, as well King Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World a direct comic book adaptation of the 2005 remake.

[edit] Publications

These include:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ King Kong at Grand Comics Database

[edit] External links

[edit] Dark Horse