“Yesterday’s” Comic> King Kong #1

I knew somebody was buying those “good girl” statuettes.

King Kong #1

Monster Comics (February, 1991)

Obviously this is an adaptation of the classic movie, which has been redone more than once, including recently by Peter “this movie is never long enough” Jackson. However, it isn’t a straight-up adaptation but an original telling, although the opening credits claim it’s based on a book by Cooper and Delos W. Lovelace that I’ve never heard of and thus can’t confirm. I always assumed the movie came first, and Wikipedia claims Lovelace worked on an adaptation of the movie.

At any rate you probably know the story by now anyway. Carl Denham wants to make a movie but can’t find an actress thanks to his reputation. What I mean is he doesn’t like using sets and this is the first film to have a female lead since he’s being told by investors to throw in a love story. He’s hired a boat and plans to sail to an island he heard about from a Norwegian sailor called Skull Island. He’s heard of islanders worshiping something called Kong and while he isn’t superstitious he knows superstitions have some basis in fact. With luck he happens to help a young woman named Ann Darrow tries to steal some food from a cart, and she happens to be beautiful. So, pressed for time, Carl convinces her to star in his movie. On the boat she makes friends with a young monkey mascot and starts growing close to the first make, Jack Driscoll.

When they get to the island they find the natives and accidentally interrupt their sacrifice, but they believe Ann would make a better once, since blonds are, unsurprisingly, rare. The group refuses but after a fight with Jack over his protectiveness of her, she’s kidnapped by the natives. Carl, Jack, the captain, and some other men head to the island just in time to see Ann in the hands of a giant gorilla.

What they got right: Simpson isn’t trying to adapt the movie, he’s adapting the novelization. (So he’s adapting an adaptation?) And he doesn’t try to recreate the actors from any of the movies but creates original designs. And I think that was for the best. I don’t know if printing the comic in black and white was a financial choice or for the aesthetics but it certainly pays off. Simpson also takes time to develop Carl, Ann, Jack, and Lumpy as good characters that we can relate to Carl isn’t even a ego-driven jerk here, just someone determined to make his movie his way. I think this is my favorite version of the characters.

What they got wrong: Nothing. I like character design, including the natives. I like the writing, the pacing…I really can’t complain about anything.

Recommendation: We’ll look at the second issue this afternoon but thus far I really like what I’m seeing. Give this a look for a good take on the story.