Monstrous Books to Publish A Deluxe Edition of the Book that Spawned the Cult TV Series
Featuring a New Foreword by David Dastmalchian, an All-New Afterword by Rodney Barnes, An Essay on Jeff Rice by Kolchak Expert Mark Dawidziak and a New Cover and Spot Illustrations by Russ Braun (The Boys)
In 1972 KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER transfixed audiences. The movie became the highest-rated TV movie in U.S. history and spawned the cult TV series starring Darren McGavin. The TV movie’s iconic screenplay was written by horror legend and novelist Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) and was based on an unpublished novel by Jeff Rice, which was released the following year. Now Bram Stoker Award-winning editor and writer James Aquilone and Monstrous Books have acquired the print rights to Kolchak and will be releasing a limited edition of Jeff Rice’s original, cult novel. The new, deluxe hardcover edition will feature a new foreword by writer and actor David Dastmalchian (Count Crowley; Late Night with the Devil), an all-new afterword by writer and producer Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia), an all-new essay on Jeff Rice by Kolchak expert Mark Dawidziak, (The Night Stalker Companion) and a cover and spot illustrations by Russ Braun (The Boys). The Monstrous Books deluxe hardcover edition of KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER will be funded via a Kickstarter campaign, with a limited print run of 1973 copies.
“Kolchak and the world created by Jeff Rice has been such a huge inspiration to the person and storyteller that I have become,” said David Dastmalchian. “From my comic, COUNT CROWLEY, to the characters, films and series I love creating, there is always a glow of the ghost of our loveable pain-in-the-neck reporter. Grateful that James and the Monstrous Books team are doing such amazing work in their effort to bring this fantastic narrative to people around the world.”
“Kolchak: The Night Stalker was one of the early inspirations in my writing career,” said Rodney Barnes. “The opportunity to be a part of Kolchak’s 50th anniversary was truly an honor. And the beautiful collection of stories James Aquilone assembled is the perfect statement of appreciation for this iconic character.”
In the KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER novel, the corpses of young women – many of whom are working night jobs – are discovered, drained of blood, with unusual puncture marks on their necks.
“Reporter Carl Kolchak was television’s first paranormal investigator and his determined search for the truth directly influenced a generation of seminal TV shows including Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” said Aquilone, who edited the award-winning Kolchak: The NIght Stalker 50th Anniversary graphic novel. “Jeff Rice was a Las Vegas-based journalist by day and a novelist by night and his original novel is set on the streets of the country’s gambling mecca. It’s a thrilling, pulpy read and our plan is that this new edition of the original novel will usher in a new era for Kolchak books.”
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER boasts a cover and interior illustrations by Russ Braun (The Boys). The limited-edition hardcover will feature painted edges and a sewn-in bookmark. Fans who back the campaign in the first 48 hours will receive a free 2.25″ Round Kolchak button, which will also be available as an add-on. Each person who supports the limited-edition hardcover tier will receive a Kolchak fan club membership card, which will also have a Kolchak Press Badge on the other side. The Kickstarter campaign will run from Tuesday, June 18 to Thursday, July 11. To support the project, visit Kickstarter.
