The Twilight Zone: Walking Distance (Twilight Zone (Walker Paperback)) [Paperback]

Mark Kneece (Author), Rod Serling (Author), Dove McHargue (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 16, 2008 | Series: Twilight Zone (Walker Paperback)

One of most ground-breaking shows in the history of television, The Twilight Zone has become a permanent fixture in pop culture. This new graphic novel series re-imagines the show’s most enduring episodes, in all their original uncut glory, originally written by Rod Serling himself, and now adapted for a new generation—a generation that has ridden Disney’s Twilight Zone Tower of TerrorTM ride, studied old episodes in school, watched the annual marathons, and paid homage to the show through the many random take-offs that show up in movies and TV shows everywhere.

 

Destination: Homewood. Step off the beaten path as Martin Sloan takes the journey of a lifetime. Somewhere up the road he’s looking for redemption— but he’ll find something entirely different.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

ROD SERLING (creator) has won the most Emmy awards for dramatic writing in the history of television. He wrote over seventyfive episodes of the Twilight Zone series. for which he won three of his Emmys. He was also the show’s creator, host, and narrator.

MARK KNEECE (adapter) has written stories for numerous comics, including Batman: Legends of the Dark. In 1993, he came to Savannah College of Art and Design and helped found the Ssequential Art and Animation Department, where he teaches comics writing.

 

DOVE McHARGUE (illustrator, Walking Distance) works as a freelance artist/writer in the comics industry and is a faculty member at the Savannah College of Art and Design, in the Sequential Art and Animation Department. He lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife and their identical triplets.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens; First Edition edition (September 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802797156
• ISBN-13: 978-0802797155
• Product Dimensions: 0.3 x 6.7 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,193,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MARK KNEECE (adaptor) has written stories for numerous comics, including Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. He helped found the sequential art department at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and teaches comics writing as a professor of sequential art. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.RICH ELLIS (illustrator) received a B.F.A. in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He also illustrated The Monsters are Due on Maple Street. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars You Can Go Home Again in THE TWILIGHT ZONE April 1, 2009

By tvtv3 TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Rod Serling's THE TWILIGHT ZONE was one of the most ground-breaking programs to air on television. Through its wonderful storytelling, it was able to explore and discuss prominent issues that are just as relevant today as they were in the 1950s and 1960s. Many shows and serieses have been inspired by THE TWILIGHT ZONE with varying degrees of success. The show is just as powerful and thought-provoking as it was when it first aired. Yet, there are many teenagers and youth who have never seen the show because "it's so old it's in black and white". Many of the episodes could have a huge impact upon younger people if they would only give it a chance.

Therefore, I was very excited when I learned about the series of graphic novels from Walker & Company written by Mark Kneece and illustrated by Dove McHargue. Selected episodes from the original tv series that were written by Serling himself have been selected to be adapted into a series of graphic novels. Graphic novels and trade paperbacks of comics are a huge market nowadays and, unfortunately, are some of the only material that many people read. Therefore, the graphic novels of THE TWILIGHT ZONE might be able to reach a key audience and introduce them to the series.

WALKING DISTANCE is one of the first titles in the series. In this story, Martin Sloan is an executive of an ad agency living life in the fast lane. He's become highly successful and seems destined for more, but he's very unhappy. He's nostalgic for his past and wants to go home again. After blowing up a tire on the highway, Sloan realizes he's only a short "walking distance" from his hometown. While his car is being worked on, he takes a jaunt into town to clear his head. As he begins his journey he crosses over into the Twilight Zone eventually learning an important lesson from someone in his past.

The illustrations are well done and the overall structure and tone of the graphic novel stay true to the spirit of the original episode. The text is written in a font a bit larger than most graphic novels and comics. "Walking Distance" wasn't one of my favorite episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, but it is a good story to use as an introduction to the series. The book includes introductory and concluding essays as well as a page that gives many details about the original episode, including cast, crew, and trivia. For instance, I learned that "Walking Distance" is considered to be Serling's most personal because the memories that Sloan has of Homewood are based upon Serling's life growing up in Binghamton, NY.

Overall, this is a wonderful graphic novel that I really enjoyed and I look forward to reading more titles in the series. Recommened for fans of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, for people who enjoy graphic novels with good stories. Also recommended as a tool to introduce younger people to this classic television series.

4.0 out of 5 stars A well-worn plot device generally well played December 31, 2012

By Charles Ashbacher HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The desire to somehow go back and relive your youth is a powerful one that almost all adults experience at some time. Some of this is due to the relatively carefree lifestyle of the child, but some of it is also due to a case of selective recapitulation, where the emotional struggles of growing up are forgotten. This book is a graphic novel rendition of the "Twilight Zone" episode of the same name and the plot is an adult going back to the town of his youth.
The going back is not just in the physical sense; Martin Sloan somehow goes back in the temporal sense as well. He remains an adult, yet the town and even he is now identical to when Martin was approximately 10. While Martin's memory is sharp, he is of course a fish out of water as he disturbs all of the people he encounters, including his younger self, his parents and all of the people he talks to in such an odd way.
Given that the plot device has been so widely used, an excellent episode is nearly out of reach. While this one does not reach that level, the fact that it tugs so strongly at our fundamental desires makes it a good, solid story.

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent read but a bit hollow August 2, 2009

By Sibelius

Format:Hardcover

The seminal "Twilight Zone" TV series gets an interesting face lift of sorts with a new Graphic Novel series that retells some of the series most well regarded episodes in comic-book form. These adaptations certainly earn kudos for going the full mile in presentation with its hard-bound binding and glossy, thick stock paper but falls just a tad short with decent (but not spectacular) artwork.

Also at issue is the fact that the original source material (The TV episode - "Walking Distance") clocked in at approximately 21 minutes so there is a sense within this book that the story is being stretched to its limits to finish at 72 pages. Not to say that the story is weak, far from it - seeing this episode in comic form makes for an entertaining and engaging read, flaws and all. Value is of question though. Perhaps this series would have been better served as a 240 pages compilation featuring 8 episodes or so.