CORBEN AND LOVECRAFT AT MARVEL IN JUNE

**MattBrady** · 03-20-2008, 04:53 PM

by Lucas Siegel

Following up on 2006’s Haunt of Horror: Edgar Allen Poe, Marvel announced at the Mondo Marvel panel at WWLA last weekend that Richard Corben would be writing and drawing Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft, a three issue miniseries coming out under the MAX imprint beginning in June. Newsarama asked Corben what we can expect from this new miniseries.

Newsarama: Can you start off by telling us about this new project? Is this series’ structure similar to the Haunt of Horror: Edgar Allen Poe from a couple years back, with multiple Lovecraft tales being told in each book?

Richard Corben: Yes. There will be three adaptations in each issue followed by the original text version.

NRAMA: Which stories can we expect? Why those?

RC: The stories include “Dagon, The Music Of Eric Zann” and “Arthur Jermyn.” These were picked both for length and for variety of subject. The other adaptations are from Lovecraft's poetry, actually all from “Fungi From Yugoth.”

NRAMA: Sounds like a good variety. Will we see re-interpretations again or versions that are a little straighter and true to the originals?

RC: The stories were adapted pretty close to the originals with a couple of liberties. The poetry is not too specific so we took a freer stance with it.

NRAMA: Richard, is it difficult writing off of something classified as a “classic” or do you feel that makes the story easier to tell?

RC:Lovecraft's stories are inspiring and I wanted the comic to remain true to his intent. That is to the best of my abilities. In some cases I had to invent a scene that would illustrate in action and dialogue, material that Lovecraft covers in background exposition.

NRAMA: Will you be writing the scripts alone, or with a partner?

RC:Going into the project I thought I would merely be doing the comic art, but as it turned out, I did the adaptations too.

NRAMA: There have been other Lovecraft based comic books before, even in recent memory, from other companies. What would you say makes his work so adaptable to comics?

RC: I would say it is because of Lovecraft's amazing imagination, the vivid scenes that he suggests (but doesn't always describe in detail), and although Lovecraft denied that his characters were structured with complete personalities, his own persona coming through his characters.

NRAMA: How does this story appeal to fans of Lovecraft? And to those who haven’t ever read or maybe even never heard of him?

RC: I think fans of Lovecraft will welcome many adaptations of their favorite stories, good or bad, faithful or loose. I hope ours will be rated highly. For newcomers, the inclusion of the original text versions will doubtlessly inspire them to check out his great body of work.

NRAMA: Finally, Richard, I’m sure you’re focused heavily on Lovecraft right now, but are there any other masters of horror you’d like to cover in the future?

RC: There are works of a great many authors, both classic and modern I would love to adapt into comic format. In fact, I think there are more stories from Poe and Lovecraft that I would like to see revisited in Haunt Of Horror.

Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft #1 is due in stores on June 4th.

Xhumation · 03-20-2008, 05:34 PM

I love Lovecraft I'll see if my budget can handle this. if it cant I'll buy the trade

Also this is my first first post in any kind of board and I must say...it's not that special

eltopo · 03-20-2008, 05:36 PM

yes yes yes yes yes yes

I cannot wait for this !!!!!!!!

CoreyB · 03-20-2008, 05:38 PM

This was probably the best news to come out of Wizard World LA for me. I really enjoyed the Edgar Allen Poe adataptions and am looking forward to this as well.

Gordon McAlpin · 03-20-2008, 05:50 PM

Hell yeah! Richard Corben is amazing. His House on the Borderland adaptation was stunning.

And they're including the original stories, too? Classy.

Dirk Manning · 03-20-2008, 05:53 PM

Ummm... YEAH.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOO getting this.

Squashua · 03-20-2008, 06:00 PM

Dream Quest of the Unknown Kadath is coming out this month.

SouthtownKid · 03-20-2008, 06:09 PM

Every new Corben project is like a gift from the universe.

I really need closure on Den, though. At least one more book! You can't leave it like that!

sweetmisery · 03-20-2008, 06:18 PM

I am so getting this, being a Lovecraft fan and all!

Laz Green · 03-20-2008, 06:33 PM

F*ckin GREAT news!

Lovecraft is the GODFATHER of epic existential horror. The main source of this terror is understanding the fact that humanity is a worthless, expendable speck of poo in the universe, and the Old Ones shall do with us as they please...

It's sad to say that the only good Lovecraft adaptations in other media besides prose is in comics...I mean the movies, pretty much every one, was garbage. Cthulhu starring Tori Spelling? UGH!!

I've loved Corben since Banner, and this is gonna be sweeet.

Anyone see that god awful movie Beyond the Gates of Sleep? Horrid. Don't do it.

Nobody · 03-20-2008, 06:36 PM

I was just talking about this a week ago, when I found the Poe series he did, and wondered when the Lovecraft one was going to be released. Now I know. And am excited.

Andyjoe · 03-20-2008, 06:54 PM

no boobs?

hmm..something is wrong about this article about Corben.

Ironhorse · 03-20-2008, 07:03 PM

Lovecraft was a genius, love his work and Corben is great, so this is a no brainer. Really dig this comic. Peace.

Duke Jupiter · 03-20-2008, 09:08 PM

More diversity in Marvel's product line is always a good thing. Yeah, superheroes are the bread and butter, but bring on the horror, western and war genres...and any other genre worth making into a comic.

- DJ

Chuck Fiala · 03-20-2008, 11:25 PM

This seems like a very good move on Marvel's part. Classic horror has been neglected for too long. This certainly looks like a serious step in the right direction. Richard Corben is perfect for this project. I suspect this will do well.

Marvin Lee · 03-21-2008, 12:45 AM

Richard Corben has consistently been producing some of the finest art in comics for almost 40 years and this matchup is ideal.

ALIEN_freak_jimbo · 03-21-2008, 01:05 AM

I buy anything Corben!

Blackbeard · 03-21-2008, 03:22 AM

Lovecraft... and Corben?!

Oh, man--how could anyone pass this up? I'm SO there!

thingone · 03-21-2008, 04:44 AM

It's a good time to be both a Lovecraft fan and a comics fan. Plenty of Lovecraftian comics springs forth from Boom! But we're a few years removed from one of the Big Two tackling Lovecraft — Enrique Breccia's artwork in the Vertigo GN was transcedent. No doubt Corben's artwork in the Max mini will be the same.

Dagwood · 03-21-2008, 04:44 AM

I sincerely can not think of a better or more original artist to be working on sequential Lovecraftian stories. The creepy, xenophobic vibe of Corben's work will set the tone wonderfully. Lord, do I hope he gets around to Shadow Over Innsmouth at some point.

Cessty101 · 03-21-2008, 07:41 AM

Corben ? Oh hell yes !

Even ol' HP himself would approve of this

HazMatMan · 03-21-2008, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xhumation

I love Lovecraft I'll see if my budget can handle this. if it cant I'll buy the trade

Also this is my first first post in any kind of board and I must say...it's not that special

Oo, a Posting virgin! Welcome to a world of self-consumed fanboy wankers.

Stick w/it though. Newsarama is better than most pop culture trade sites. My only advice: "Keep it intelligent." 97.5% of Posters are monosyllabic sycophants.

On the matter of the topic... I have a friend who'll be apesh*t for this project.

Post on brothers and sisters.

Wellness · 03-22-2008, 02:12 AM

I love Haunt of Horror and have been waiting on this one since it was announced. It feels like two or three years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laz Green

It's sad to say that the only good Lovecraft adaptations in other media besides prose is in comics...I mean the movies, pretty much every one, was garbage. Cthulhu starring Tori Spelling? UGH!!

I've loved Corben since Banner, and this is gonna be sweeet.

Anyone see that god awful movie Beyond the Gates of Sleep? Horrid. Don't do it.

While not actually Lovecraft, the Gamecube game Eternal Darkness is pretty good in handling similar elements that Lovecraft deals with.

AraqnidM · 03-23-2008, 08:15 PM

this one is as good as purchased in my book.

wasn't there another lovecraft adaptation not too long ago? I want to say Mark Waid or Peter David or one of those more typically superhero writers (no offense meant) wrote for like Dark Horse or something? Somebody find out for me, I'm lazy.

Drink · 03-25-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AraqnidM

this one is as good as purchased in my book.

wasn't there another lovecraft adaptation not too long ago? I want to say Mark Waid or Peter David or one of those more typically superhero writers (no offense meant) wrote for like Dark Horse or something? Somebody find out for me, I'm lazy.

Boom! Studios is doing a few Lovecraft projects. They did a few Cthulhu Tales oneshots (which is becoming an ongoing), which were written by a whole slew of people, and there's an ongoing series, Fall of Cthulhu, which is pretty good I think. That's written by Michael Allen Nelson, who's really good at this subject. I might post one of the Tales at another time.

Anyway, count me as interested. Of the works mentioned I've only read Music of Erich Zann, but that's only because the collections I've read never had the other stuff yet. And I know they're online of course.