Comics
New R.L. Stine Graphic Novel ‘Welcome to Beast Island’ Coming Halloween 2020
The latest graphic novel from BOOM! Studios and R.L. Stine‘s Just Beyond series is titled Just Beyond: Welcome to Beast Island, we’ve learned today, set for release in October 2020.
Welcome to Beast Island comes from artists Kelly & Nichole Matthews (Pandora’s Legacy) and letterer Mike Fiorentino, with a cover by Julian Totino Tedesco (Life of Captain Marvel).
“Trips to exotic islands can be more exhausting than relaxing sometimes, and on the island of Mala Suerte, they’re a real beast! Karla and her little brother Benny accompany their Uncle Bill on a scientific expedition to study unidentified species on the remote island but after a little “bad luck” they soon discover something terrifying and deadly living in the river swamp… With nowhere to run, will Karla, Benny, and Uncle Bill survive the unimaginable and harrowing horrors of the place aptly nicknamed Beast Island?”
“Swamp monsters are horrifying to me. They rise up from the murky depths, bringing nothing but terror. With this story, I hope readers will feel like they are watching one of those timeless old-fashioned horror movies that make everyone shudder and scream,” said Stine.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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