A project is not Wellesian unless it has obstacles to overcome. The trade paperback graphic novel Orson Welles: Warrior of the Worlds is truly Wellesian.
Wellesnet first reported on comic book writer Milton Lawson’s novel concept in late 2019. In brief, the infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast of 1938 was not a prank – and Welles led a double-life battling extraterrestrial threats until his dying day. (“He shoots movies by day, shoots aliens by night.”)
The Houston-based Lawson secured the blessing of the Welles estate, collaborated with artist Erik Whalen; and teamed with Scout Comics & Entertainment, which published the first installment in August 2023. Talk of a television adaptation soon followed.
But then, it got Wellesian.
Scout Comics came under fire in March 2024 from content creators over financial issues. There were complaints of “over-promising and under-delivering” and Scout Comics announced it would relaunch with a new business partner. The trade paperback of Warrior of the Worlds failed to materialize as planned last July.
Lawson, who has not delved into his own experiences with Scout Comics, recently secured the publishing rights to his story and Whalen’s artwork. He will independently sell the trade paperback through Kickstarter beginning on March 25. The project will move forward if Lawson meets his $4,600 goal by April 16.
“I’m delighted to be able to finally share this story with everyone. I can’t wait for readers to be able to see Erik Whalen’s spectacular artwork and travel with our alt-history Orson Welles through an epic sci-fi adventure,” Lawson said.
The paperback edition of the book will be 240 pages with color and black-and-white artwork and an introduction written by Wellesnet’s Ray Kelly. It will be priced at $35. There are other items available, such as a digital script book and some metal prints.
“I know a lot of people are rightly skeptical of crowdfunded projects. The comics sector in particular has an unreliable track record in finishing and fulfilling projects,” Lawson said. “The good news is that Orson Welles: Warrior of the Worlds is already fully completed from a creative standpoint. We’ve just sent the files to the printer to get that process started even before the campaign ends. We have high confidence we’ll deliver the books in a timely fashion.”
Ordering information can be found at orsonwellescomic.com.
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