Just in time for the Halloween season, Humanoids celebrates The Twilight Zone’s 60th Anniversary with the dazzling biography,The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television. The award-winning illustrator and cartoonist, Koren Shami, will take an in-depth look at the renowned master of science fiction.
Rod Serling was a just a writer who had to fight to make his voice heard. Both on and off the screen, Serling was active in politics. He vehemently challenged the networks and viewership alike to expand their minds and standards―rejecting notions of censorship, racism and war. But it wasn’t until he began to write about real world enemies in the guise of aliens and monsters that people started paying attention. Serling pushed the television industry to the edge of glory, and himself to the edge of sanity. He operated in a dimension beyond that of contemporary society, making him both a revolutionary and an outsider.
Here are 5 reasons we’re excited for The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television:
5) Koren Shadmi!
Sketchbook page.
— Koren Shadmi (@KorenShadmi) August 23, 2019
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.#illustration #color #watercolor #ink #digital #editorial pic.twitter.com/91HBkJ1qH4
If there’s one person who can deliver the goods, it’s Koren Shadmi! Shadmi has done everything from biography (The Creation of D&D ) to science fiction (Highwaymen) to urban horror (The Abbadon).
4) A Powerful Graphic Novel!
Shadmi describes his inspiration, “Years later I became curious about Serling, the enigmatic, chain-smoking creator/writer/presenter of the show. As I began to read about him I saw an incredible life story unfolding right in front of me; he was such an interesting character and lived at such a tremulous point in history. I quickly realized that it would make for a powerful graphic novel biography.”
3) The Visuals!
Shadmi explains what the show means to him, “In my late twenties, when I was first exposed to the original Twilight Zone I felt a strong connection to the themes and visuals,”
2) Serling’s Lifestyle!
Shadmi’s cartooning will highlight Serling’s life off camera, especially his family life. Did you know Serling had a military career as a paratrooper? At the book’s center, the narrative will focus on Serling’s commitment to the show, creating something unlike any other.
1) 60 Years!
The comic comes out just in time for the 60th Anniversary when The Twilight Zone originally premiered on CBS. Can you name all your favorite episodes!?!
The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television will be available in bookstores on October 8 and in comic stores on October 9, 2019.