(October 15, 2024) Throughout the course of the fan-favorite 1970s TV show, legendary reporter Carl Kolchak went toe-to-toe with all manner of otherworldly fiends. Now, he will take on his most fearsome foes yet — Dracula, Frankenstein and the Werewolf! Monstrous Books presents a three-issue series of stand-alone comics as well as a deluxe hardcover collection from an all-star lineup of creators coming to Kickstarter this October.
Actor and Writer David Dastmalchian (Count Crowley) will team-up with Count Crowley artist Lukas Ketner, and colorist Zac Atkinson, for a Kolchak – Count Crowley 22-page comic book crossover in “Kolchak Meets the Werewolf and Count Crowley,” featuring a cover by Ketner and a variant from superstar artist Matt Wagner (Grendel). Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia) will be writing a 22-page comic book thriller titled “Kolchak Meets Dracula,” with art by Eisner-award nominated artist Alex Lins (Plastic Man No More) with a cover by Colton Worley (Jennifer Blood). And Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) will be collaborating with artist George Quadros (Avatar: The High Ground), and colorist Zac Atkinson on a 22-page comic book called “Kolchak Meets Frankenstein” with a cover from Russ Braun (The Boys). Monstrous Book will publish a deluxe, hardcover edition of KOLCHAK MEETS THE CLASSIC MONSTERS, featuring all three stories and an all-new cover by Dave Acosta (Elvira, Terrorwar).
David Dastmalchian says, “One of the biggest inspirations for my character, Jerri Bartman aka Count Crowley is Kolchak. I love nontraditional heroes who are thrust into harrowing and thrilling circumstances because of fate. I always hoped there would be a world in which these two monster-hunting journalists could cross paths and I’m over the full moon that it’s happening here on the pages of a comic drawn by none other than Lukas Ketner. Prepare, monster kids! The werewolf is loose in Chicago and Kolchak’s going to need some help if his hat isn’t going to be shredded to pieces.”
Steve Niles says, “I am thrilled to be working with Monstrous Books on the new Kolchak: The Night Stalker comic line. With writers as great as David Dastmachian and Rodney Barnes also involved, this will be a very special release. I grew up on Kolchak and I have Frankenstein on the brain. Getting the chance to write both has been an amazing experience.”
Rodney Barnes says, “It’s an honor to once again enter the terrifying world of Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Never feels like work!”
The Kickstarter campaign for Kolchak: The Night Stalker Meets the Classic Monsters features comics, graphic novels, and for the first-ever officially licensed Kolchak trading cards and a limited-edition challenge coin.
Here’s what people are saying about Kolchak:
“Kolchak is as much a part of my horror-writer DNA as Frankenstein’s monster, Stephen King, or The Twilight Zone. Monstrous Books is doing us a great service by presenting this fully restored original manuscript the way Kolchak creator Jeff Rice intended. If you’ve never heard of Kolchak, or if you’ve seen the TV series but never read the original story behind it, you need this one!” – Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and The House of Last Resort
“Carl Kolchak isn’t brave. He does brave things despite being scared out of his wits. He’s also a monster hunter who’s more interesting than his prey. Carl Kolchak is my spirit animal.” – Dana Gould, creator of Stan Against Evil.
Based on the novel by Jeff Rice, with a screenplay from horror legend and novelist Richard Matheson (I Am Legend), 1972’s KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER transfixed audiences. The movie became the highest-rated TV movie in U.S. history and spawned the cult TV series starring Darren McGavin. The intrepid reporter’s supernatural adventures have entertained and influenced generations of horror creators. Monstrous Books’ last Kolchak campaign, a deluxe reprint of the original Kolchak novel by Jeff Rice, earlier this year was a smash, raising more than $100,000 from 2100 backers. And the 50th anniversary Kolchak graphic novel, which was Kickstarted in 2022, won a Bram Stoker Award and Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award.
The KOLCHAK MEETS THE CLASSIC MONSTERS Kickstarter is now live. For updates, follow Monstrous Books on Facebook, Instagram and X.
ABOUT MONSTROUS BOOKS
Monstrous is an independent publisher focused on dark fiction and action-packed stories. Owned and operated by Bram Stoker Award-winning editor and writer James Aquilone, Monstrous Books is dedicated to creating high-quality print and digital comics, graphic novels, and prose books that aim to entertain with its stories and delight with its aesthetics. Monstrous is the new home of Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Its other titles include Monstrous magazine, Dead Detectives Society, Shakespeare Unleashed, and The Omega Eleven.
For updates, follow Monstrous Books on X/Twitter, Facebook and MonstrousBooks.com.
