At a recent "TwilightLive" event, MTV's resident "Twilight" authority Larry Carroll was asked by a fan if there would be graphic novels based on the vampire love story anytime soon.
Given the fact that we've seen comics and graphic novels based on everything from Barack Obama to "The Ghost Whisperer," it's not only a valid question, but one that seems like the next obvious step in "Twilight" mania. After all, a marriage of Stephenie Meyer's wildly popular series and comic books — arguably one of the hottest storytelling mediums going today — seems like a match made in vampire heaven, right? (Read some of our own ideas for a "Twilight" comic series in the Splash Page blog.)
Naturally, one would assume that comic book publishers would be lining up for the chance to give "Twilight" the four-color treatment, but surprisingly, when asked directly if they'd made any attempt to obtain the rights for a series of "Twilight" comics or graphic novels, nearly all the comic book publishers MTV News contacted gave the same response: "No comment." Exactly why they chose to remain silent varied for each publisher, but if you're looking for a similar situation in terms of popular books that never made it to the comic shops, look no further than "Harry Potter."
"What I have heard — like ['Harry Potter' author] J.K. Rowling supposedly did — Stephenie Meyer had it in her deal that there wouldn't be any comics, that that licensing wouldn't be available," speculated Dark Horse Comics senior managing editor Scott Allie, who works with writers such as My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon.
"I've heard of similar things, where basically an author or creator didn't want to have comics because that extends the story in a way that's out of their control," Allie continued. "The film is going to adapt the 'Twilight' novels very faithfully. If you do comics, does that spin the story out in some new direction?"
We probably shouldn't hold our collective breath for a series of "Twilight" comics, but there might still be some hope. One company rep who spoke on the condition of anonymity mentioned that there might be comic adaptations in the future and that publishers are preparing sales pitches for a possible bidding war for the rights to produce it. Another anonymous rep said that a comic book deal was potentially already in the works with a major book publisher.
One thing's for sure: Should a comic publisher convince Meyer to allow them to adapt "Twilight" and get a comic or graphic novel into comic shops, it would greatly benefit the comic book industry — both financially and by exposing new readers to other stories they might like.
"I'd love for there to be 'Twilight' comics," Allie said, "just because one of the things I've enjoyed so much about working on 'Buffy' and 'Umbrella Academy' is that we get all these new readers into comic book stores — people that wouldn't normally read comics — and 'Twilight' has excited so many young people about reading, just like 'Harry Potter' did. It's a shame that they aren't there, just because it would be good for the art form."
But at the end of the day, regardless of what the comic book industry says (or doesn't say), it comes down to the fans. Given that Twilighters have the novels, music and a fan-approved feature film (with more to look forward to in the future), are comics necessary? Or would there be just as much of a frenzy around comics and graphic novels based on "Twilight" that would make it all worth it?
Do you want to see a "Twilight" comic or graphic novel? Head over to Splash Page and share your thoughts!
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(E! Online)
