Alien: The Illustrated Story

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Alien: The Illustrated Story
Walter Simonson
LetterersJohn Workman
ColouristsWalter Simonson
Louise Simonson
Deborah Pedlar
Polly Law
Bob LeRose
CreatorsDan O'Bannon
Ronald Shusett
EditorsCharley Lippincott
Original publication
LanguageEnglish
ISBN0930368428
978-0930368425

Alien: The Illustrated Story, or simply Alien,

New York Times Bestsellers
list.

Development

Walt Simonson became involved in the project through a call from Heavy Metal magazine art director John Workman. Initially, the plan was for Carmine Infantino to pencil the comic with Simonson inking. However, during discussions, Simonson ended up taking on both penciling and inking duties himself. He then suggested Archie Goodwin as a possible scripter for the comic, which Workman agreed was a good idea.[5][6][7]

While developing the comic, Goodwin worked from the original script.

production stills and even saw a rough cut of the film, which helped him capture the essence of the story. As a result, however, a few scenes that were cut from the final film ended up being included in the graphic novel.[5]

Most of the coloring of the comic was done by Louise Simonson, Polly Law, and Deborah Pedlar.[5]

Simonson's design for the comic's logo featured a

20th Century Fox was initially unhappy with the cover art because it was deemed better than the movie's actual poster.[5]

Plot

The plot of the graphic novel follows that of the theatrical film, with minor differences.[9]

One reviewer praised Archie Goodwin's script adaptation, which he felt improved on some flaws in the film: "Goodwin ... seems to get more into the class divisions on board the Nostromo between Ripley and Parker.... [T]he characters are a bit more fleshed out...."[10]

A few scenes that were cut from the final film made it into the comic, as described by artist Walt Simonson:

"There's a scene ... at the end, when Ripley is running around the spaceship, she bumps into a box and the box unfolds itself and it turns out to be the alien waiting there for her in the hallway.... [I]t was in the rough cut that I saw. I thought it was really cool.... They were still editing the film at that point, so when I got to the point in the graphic novel where I had to put that page in or not put it in, because it would affect the placement of the left and right pages of the story, I asked and they said, 'Right now, it's in.' I added it back in, pasted everything around it, and then, lo and behold, the movie comes out and the scene isn't there.... What that does, speaking as a storyteller, is it foreshadows what the alien does later when Ripley gets into a lifeboat and she isn't at all aware that the alien was there. I thought it was very cool that they would do something in the story where you begin to understand that the alien can fold up in ways that doesn't look like itself.... It moves the alien a few feet further away from just being a guy in a rubber suit."

"There's also a short scene, just three panels or so, where Ripley and Lambert are talking and one of them asks the other if she's slept with Ash, the Ian Holm character, and she says, 'No; I never got the impression he was interested,' and the first girl didn't either. I thought that was very nice. It foreshadowed what you discover about Ash later on down the road."[5]

Reception

Sales

The book was a major success and appeared on the New York Times Mass Market bestseller list[11][12] (the first comic to ever do so)[13][14][15][16][17] for eight weeks between July and September 1979, reaching as high as number seven on the list. The book was featured on the list decades before the graphic novel-specific list was created for the New York Times.[18] The book was a rare high-seller for the comic industry in the year 1979 since sales were very down at that point. Of the success of the book artist Walter Simonson expressed that he did not deserve much of the credit he had been given, stating "it was Alien. Anybody could have done it and [made it a best-seller]."[19]

Critical response

The New York Times' review of the book called it "an eye-filling and vibrant graphic portrayal of the gripping and fantastic tale that is Alien."[20] Frank Plowright of The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide expressed that the book remains Heavy Metal's best home-grown work.[21]

Comics writer Warren Ellis named Alien: The Illustrated Story as "the single best adaptation of film into comics ever," calling it "a stunning piece of work, hugely progressive and innovative."[22]

Xenomorph comics, Michael Holland of CBR
listed Alien: The Illustrated Story as #3, calling it a "must-read" and calling out the few scenes that showed events from the film from a different perspective. [25]

Scott Collura of IGN praised the work of Goodwin and Simonson, citing "Goodwin's lean adaptation of the screenplay" and his ability to "trim bits and pieces to keep the comic moving at a brisk, readable pace, but it never feels like anything has really been cut." Of Simonson, he wrote "the artwork itself is beautiful (in an alien ripping your head open kind of way). . . ," calling it "ornate and detailed" and going on to write, "But the art is also rough and tough at times, which is certainly in keeping with the 'truckers in space' story. It's not uncommon to turn the page and discover another stunning layout: a double-splash page of the Space Jockey's ship. . . ."[26]

Lee Pfeiffer of Cinema Retro praised the book, writing that it "does an admirable job of compacting all of the key story elements without resorting to the kinds of 'artistic license' that often compromise many other comic adaptations of films," and calling the artwork "ground-breaking."[27] Brett Chittenden of Geek Hard praised the book as well, noting "the pacing seems a little different but never in a bad way. It’s very much like Ridley Scott shot his film and then Goodwin and Simonson came in and re-shot the entire film with the same actors and sets and without seeing Scott’s version. And it works really well."[28]

Scott VanderPloeg of AE Index praised the "Original Art Edition" of the book, citing the extras: "a signature plate with Simonson’s in pencil, complete script, colouring examples, an in-depth interview and an afterword by Simonson," and calling it "a bargain at $75."[29]

Alien vs. Predator Central ranked the comic as #10 in the Top 10 Alien Comics list. [30]

Kevin Church of ComicsAlliance reviewed the book positively, calling it the fifth-best comic book adaptation of a film, and noting that:

Alien: The Illustrated Story is an example of a lower page count working to make a better adaptation. The creators work with the larger page size to ensure that each one matters. Simonson’s panel arrangements are nothing short of masterful throughout, with storytelling that’s simultaneously easy to follow and dynamic. This page is an example of how effectively the creators used what they were given: three minutes on film is compressed into 13 panels, but it never seems rushed or compressed.[31]

Art analysis

The work has been highly praised for its art.

splash pages of major scenes from the story.[33]

Fellow comic book artist

Frank Miller.[34] Similarly, cartoonist Kyle Baker said that Alien: The Illustrated Edition was the only comics-format film adaptation he ever liked.[35]

Awards

Legacy

Walt Simonson would later participate in the making of a parody of Alien: The Illustrated Story in the pages of Howard the Duck, in a story named SNAILIAN, which features a snail in the roles of the Alien creature as it menaces Howard.[37]

Editions

The original trade paperback collection of the material from the pages of Heavy Metal was released in 1979, and distributed by Simon & Schuster.[38]

In 2012,

Titan Books' reissued the graphic novel, "meticulously restored from original artwork in Walt Simonson’s studio."[39] The book was lauded for its high production values.[40] That same year, Titan also released an "oversized hardcover edition" that included "an in-depth interview with Simonson, the original script pages, color tryouts and sketches."[39]

References

  1. ^ Callahan, Timothy (September 1, 2012). "Revisiting Goodwin & Simonson's "Alien"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  2. ^ Muir, John Kenneth (22 April 2016). "Remembering Heavy Metal's Alien: The Illustrated Story". flashbak. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  3. ^ Head, Arrow (October 2, 2012). "Book Review: Alien: The Illustrated Story". JoBlo.com. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  4. ^ Speech, Infinite (September 25, 2012). "Titan Reviews: Alien: The Illustrated Story TPB". Comic Attack. Retrieved 2017-06-19.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b c d e Keily, Karl (October 30, 2012). "Walt Simonson Reflects on "Alien: The Illustrated Story"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  6. – via Google Books.
  7. .
  8. ^ Hatcher, Greg (August 31, 2012). "Cross-Hatchings for Labor Day Weekend 2012 – Updated!". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  9. ^ Lamar, Cyriaque (July 30, 2011). "Holy hell, the 1970s Alien comic book was awesome". io9.Gizmodo. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  10. ^ Burgas, Greg (September 30, 2012). "Trade paperbacks, older editions, and miscellaneous for September 2012". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  11. – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "New York Times Saturday Review of Books and Art, Volume 2, volume 84". The New York Times Book Review. University of Michigan: Arno Press. 1980. Retrieved 2017-06-23 – via Google Books. p. xlviii
  13. . Retrieved 2017-06-23.
  14. ^ "?". The Comics Journal, volume 64–66. University of Michigan: Comics Journal, Incorporated. 1981. p. 14. Retrieved 2017-06-23 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ Greenberger, Robert (2012). "For Your Consideration: Titan's Alien: The Illustrated Story". WestfieldComics.com. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  16. ^ "Two benefit comics promoting literacy are in the planning stages". The Comics Journal, volume 108–110. University of Michigan: Comics Journal, Incorporated. 1986. p. 14. Retrieved 2017-06-23 – via Google Books.
  17. ^ Whitaker, J. (1979). "?". The Bookseller, volume 3841. University of California: The Bookseller (Publishers' Association, Booksellers Association of Great Britain and Ireland). p. 229. Retrieved 2017-06-23 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ Levitz, Paul. Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel (Abrams ComicArts, 2015).
  19. – via Google Books.
  20. ^ New York Times Saturday Review of Books and Art. Arno Press. 1980. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  21. . Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  22. ^ Ellis, Warren (February 4, 2000). "CBR Exclusives Issue #10". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  23. ^ Callahan, Timothy (September 1, 2012). "Revisiting Goodwin & Simonson's "Alien"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  24. ^ Burgas, Greg (May 12, 2014). "Year of the Artist, Day 132: Walter Simonson, Part 4 – Alien: The Illustrated Story". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.[permanent dead link]
  25. ^ Holland, Michael (January 2, 2017). "Aliens: The 15 Best Xenomorph Comics". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ Collura, Scott (October 2, 2012). "Alien: The Illustrated Story Review; In 30-year-old movie adaptations, no one can hear you scream". IGN. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  27. ^ Pfeiffer, Lee (September 19, 2012). "Book Review: "Alien: The Illustrated Story" Remastered Edition from Titan Books". Cinema Retro. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  28. ^ Chittenden, Brent (December 24, 2012). "Fear and Loathing in Geekdom #52: Alien The Illustrated Story". Geek Hard Show. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  29. ^ VanderPloeg, Scott (December 16, 2013). "Alien: The Illustrated Story, The Original Art Edition". Comic Book Daily. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  30. ^ V, Janno (September 27, 2018). "Top 10 Alien Comics". Retrieved 2018-09-27.
  31. ^ Church, Kevin (October 24, 2013). "Five Great Comic Book Adaptations Of Movies (And One That's Just Really Cool But Kind of Terrible)". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  32. – via Google Books.
  33. – via Google Books.
  34. . Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  35. ^ Nolen-Weathington, Eric. Modern Masters Volume 20: Kyle Baker (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2009), p. 24
  36. ^ Parkin, John (September 7, 2013). "BCC: 'Saga,' 'Adventure Time' among Harvey winners". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  37. . Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  38. ^ Muir, John Kenneth (22 April 2016). "Remembering Heavy Metal's Alien: The Illustrated Story". flashbak. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  39. ^ a b Oliver, Glen (September 5, 2012). "Check Out These Pages From Titan's Very Awesome Alien: The Illustrated Story Reissuance!! Goodwin and Simonson Greatness!!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  40. ^ Floyd Kelly, James (August 28, 2012). "The Horror Returns — Alien: The Illustrated Story". Wired. Retrieved 2017-06-19.

External links