R.L. Stine, the man who gave us all Goosebumps, will fulfill his lifelong dream of being a comic book creator in 2017 when he writes five issues of Marvel’s Man-Thing. The comic will follow a previously mute Man-Thing as he moves to Burbank, California to investigate why he doesn’t have his own movie.
“Stine and artist German Peralta are spinning a tale full of action, horror, humor and heart,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, “one that’s sure to please R.L. Stine fans, Man-Thing fans, and new fans. The comics will honor pulpy sci-fi horror stories, and will include R.L. Stine’s proclivity for both horror and comedy.
“I’m going to do a lot of action and a lot of great violence and make it creepy, but Im going to make it funny at the same time,” Stine says. “It’s what I try to do in my books.”
Man-Thing, aka Dr. Ted Sallis, first appeared in a 1971 Savage Tales comic. The character’s most famous storyline was written by Steve Garber, and Neil Gaiman has publicly credited that comic run as inspirational to his own work. In 2005, Man-Thing made his cinematic debut, in what is now considered one of the worst films ever produced by Marvel Entertainment.
A still from 2005's 'Man-Thing'.
Here’s hoping Marvel can revive an old, spooktastic monster story with one of the greatest comedic horror voices in media.
Man-Thing does not currently have a release date.
