Member Reviews
Accessible to all ages, this comic biography is will mostly appeal to adults--just because most kids don't know who Rod Serling is, or would care overmuch about heavy smoking and/or other issues relevant to an adult audience. It's engaging but not amazing. I'm a big fan of The Twilight Zone and it's kinda cool to see how Serling got to where he did, but it's not really that compelling a narrative.
The art isn't my style so much--it looks a little generic, a little perfunctory. That could be a taste thing, though.
Via NetGalley.
I was obsessed with Twilight Zone as a kid and when I saw this, I almost felt an imaginary tail wag behind me. It was such a great book and I didn't want it to end.
A really interesting look at the man who created The Twilight Zone, one of the most iconic television series of all time. I learned a lot about the series and Rod himself. Definitely loved the non-fiction graphic novel element of this book - really kept my interest and there was lots of nice references to the Twilight Zone within the illustrations!
I'll be recommending this book to my horror loving friends, who will get a kick out of this!
Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for a preview copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you love The Twilight Zone, you will love this graphic novel! It was so interesting to read about Rod Serling's rise to fame and how he got involved with the Twilight Zone series. I learned a lot about how he challenged networks and viewers to open their minds to viewing things they may never had thought about before. An informative read!
I enjoyed this look into Rod Serling's life and the creation of the Twilight Zone. It also provide insight on how the early days of television treated stories, writers and creators.
I enjoyed this biography of Rod Serling. The biography is presented like an episode of the Twilight Zone with Rod telling his life story to a seat mate on a long flight. The story moves along quickly and is easy to read. The artwork is very good and enhances the story. Fans of the Twilight Zone and early television will enjoy the story.
This was a very interesting book. I grew up watching The Twilight Zone in syndication; watching a TZ marathon was a holiday tradition in my house, and Rod Serling was like a family friend. As familiar as his presence felt, I knew nothing about him. So this was an eye-opening read for me; learning about his time in the army, as a paratrooper during WWII, which left him with night terrors for the rest of his life- he got many of his story ideas after waking up from a nightmare. I vaguely knew he had a career writing for radio and television, I didn't know what he went through to get to the point of creating The Twilight Zone. I never knew about his teaching career- what an interesting teacher he must have been! I enjoyed the author's choice of using black and white for the illustrations, giving the text the feel of an episode of TZ, and I heard the narration in Serling's signature tone and style (it would be difficult not too). Plus, a twist ending! I think he would've approved.
#TheTwilightMan #NetGalley
So did you think you knew Rod Serling, the creator of The Twilight Zone and other television and movie shows. Well, sit down and read The Twilight Man and see how much you actually did know. Koren Shadmi did a nice job of introducing Rod Serling's life through a conversation on a plane. The reader never knows where the flight originated or to whom Rod Serling is talking with, but the subject is fascinating. It was interesting seeing some locations I was familiar with - Antioch College in Yellow Springs (OH) in particular. The art worked well in presenting the mood of the times and added to the feel of the story. After reading this title, I feel to need to check Netflix and see if The Twilight Zone is still available. Do read and enjoy!
'The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television' with words and art by Koren Shadmi is a biography about one of the creative folks in early television.
The framing story has Rod Serling on a flight sitting next to an attractive young woman. She is curious about his life, so he talks about his time in World War II. Then he talks about writing scripts for early television. He was successful as an early writer, but there were setbacks along the way as well. Eventually, that led him to creating The Twilight Zone.
I liked this non-fiction story. The art was really good and the way the story unfolded was also. There are some nice touches that are reminiscent of The Twilight Zone along the way.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Life Drawn, Humanoids, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
I've always been aware of The Twilight Zone, mostly through reference made by other shows and movies. Even with that limited experience I've wondered about the sort of mind that comes up with those ideas. And that's where this book comes in. We learn about Serling's lifelong ambition, the trauma he experienced in the war, the desire he had to tell stories that meant something. And the story he tells about wanting to write about racism and Emmett TIll, about having the message of his script completely neutered, explains the weirdness of the worlds he created, that thin veil of sci-fi allowing him to tell dangerous stories. Absolutely compelling reading.
I found it very hard to put this graphic novel down. It told an amazing story about a man who helped bring a timeless show to life. Hearing the events that led him there was fun and exciting. He had his troubles along the way, but once the show got going it was wonderful to see it become a hit. To learn learn all about him and the legacy he left behind was a true joy. If you are a fan of The Twilight Zone then this is a graphic novel you should read.
This graphic novelized biography of The Twilight Zone creator was a great story and tribute to the man that gave us so many great stories
Absolutely loved the way his life was told and his ideas presented. It captures the essence of the genius once known as the “angry young man” of Hollywood, Rod Serling
A must read for fans of the show
A surprisingly comprehensive chronicle of the fascinating life of one of television's most inventive writers. A brisk, entertaining read.
Before I say anything else, that ending, OOF! So good and a great hat-tip to The Twilight Zone.
It's amazing how so many things I read, even when not specifically about war, always show in some way, that war is hell, fighting and death are a waste and communication and connection could do so much to prevent the horrors of war.
I love the Twilight Zone. The episodes I've seen were all amazing, weird and some made me cry. (The one with the guy and the library and the clock and the glasses. You know which one I mean. YOU try not blubbering like an idiot every time you watch it!) But I didn't know much about it, or how hard it was to get on the air. I just took it for granted. I knew even less about the life of the person who created it.
This book filled in the gaps and made me acutely aware that we really shouldn't take anything for granted, not even good tv!
I don't want to go into spoiler territory, so I won't say much other than the story was amazing, the subject matter handled with tact and honesty and the artwork was quality.
There is war violence, lots of gruesome death as war tends to yield and some adultering, but just hinted at and no sex shown. Just be aware. Life isn't pretty and it doesn't always end the way one would like. But this ending was something else. I would recommend this book if only for that whole tie-together.
5, don't you want to enter The Twilight Zone, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Humanoids/Life Drawn for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
A graphic novel biography of Rod Serling, from his young adult years in WWII through his rise to fame as a television writer and producer, to his waning years of fame after the Twilight Zone series was cancelled.
This was a very interesting read for the look into the opening years and then golden era of television and the tug of war between writers and sponsors over content of TV shows. Serling’s experiences in WWII didn’t pull any punches, and his life-long battle with PTSD is understandable after reading that section of his life story. It also gives a glimpse into why the Twilight Zone was the way it was. In addition, I didn’t know his connections to Antioch College and Yellow Springs, Ohio before. It seems very fitting for the Twilight Zone to come from an Antioch grad (I went to another university very close by…Antioch is a…unique and weird place). The Twilight Zone was also the way it was because his personal nightmares needed an outlet and he was looking for a way to explore the deep subjects but sponsors and networks didn’t want them in historical or realistic stories. In some ways his life story is a cautionary tale as when he finally realized he should take more time to rest and spend with his family was around the time he died and it was too late. Due to content, only recommended for mature teenagers and adults (see below). Definitely recommended for anyone who wants to pursue screenwriting for Hollywood or television, fans of the Twilight Zone, and teen or adult graphic novel biography fans.
Notes on content [based on the ARC]: A handful of minor swearing, several racial slurs (Rod was Jewish, and was a soldier fighting the Japanese) a bigger handful of moderate swearing and strong profanity, and one instance of a strong swear word. No sex scenes. There is a scene with a woman leaving Rod’s house and his wife frowning from a window, and another instance where he’s in the Playboy mansion (it isn’t named) and is led to a room by one of the bunnies and then the scene cuts. So no sexual content on page, but it is suggested by illustrations that Rod wasn’t faithful to his wife. There’s some grisly depictions of death in the WWII section including a throat slitting, a decapitation, and several shootings. The colors are fairly grayscale so it isn’t as bad as it could be, but it is still pretty gory. There’s also severe injuries from boxing and being a test person for aviation companies. True to the time period, several characters smoke (including Rod) and drink.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
The Twilight Man tells the life story of the creator of the Twilight Zone, Rod Stirling. From his early days as a paratrooper in the second world war to his break into the entertainment industry through his eccentric, somber, haunted scripts.
Drawn in shades of grey, this graphic novel covers his life but glosses over it as more of a checklist - giving the reader the x, y, and z of what happened, but was never really entertaining enough to hold my interests. There were many times where we would get to a part of his life where I wanted to know more, like perhaps going into more depth into some of his best Twilight Zone scripts, or maybe adding funny anecdotes (there were bound to be some, right? I mean, he got to work with many celebrities over his career). Yet, as stated before, things were glossed over to get to the next great milestone.
Honestly, this would have been only one star if not for the ending. I'd give it a look if you're interested in knowing a bit more about the man, but as far as being an unforgettable read, I think my memories of it will fade away to nothing over time.
Well drawn, but ultimately disappointing.
This was an AMAZING book. I got this copy early to review from NetGalley.
I loved the Twilight Zone and I will admit I did not know anything about Rod Serling. The book was about his rise and fall in fame in picture form. The illustrations were amazing and I loved every second of the book. Highly Recommend!
Thank you to Humanoids, Inc for my ARC! The story was very informative and the art was FANTASTIC.
This was a very interesting read. I teach "Monsters Are Due On Maple Street" so I was curious to know more about Serling. Turns out, there was a lot I didn't know. It was very interesting reading about Serling's ups-and-downs in Hollywood. At times you rooted for him, and at times he was supremely unlikable. I didn't realize he had such a battle throughout his career with censorship. Also, because The Twilight Zone is such a cult classic now, I imagined it was always successful. I didn't realize it's entire initial run was plagued with disappointment and set back. If you are interested in The Twilight Zone, or want to know how and why Serling created it, this graphic novel would be very interesting for you.
I also LOVED the way this book ended. Clever and imaginative, and something Serling would be proud of.
I would use this in my classroom as a companion to our Monsters Are Due On Maple Street unit BUT the imagery is a little graphic and there is some language - so I can't use it in my middle school classroom.
There are few creators in the last sixty years or so I admire more than Rod Serling. I always joke that I wish I had his brain. Also, he's the only person I still think looks cool smoking a cigarette. This book is awesome. I love the art. I love the story, and I can't wait for its release so that the world can also read it.
Anyone who is a fan of the Twilight Zone and or biographies will love this adaptation of one of the coolest minds in recent history. Also, he was just a stand up guy. Hard to find these days.
It's out next month, so definitely pick it up!
First and foremost, I remember growing up with the "Twilight Zone" in my household. Instead of football during Thanksgiving, my dad and I would watch the marathon all day. To say that I love the show is an understatement. I sincerely cherish those moments I spent watching it.
This graphic novel memoir gives an interesting look into Ron Serling's life that I had previously had no idea about. The illustrations fit the storytelling and I enjoyed that it read like an episode of the show, twist ending and all!