What Do Abbott and Costello, the Night Stalker and Staten Island Have in Common? – Collectors Confessions

What Do Abbott and Costello, the Night Stalker and Staten Island Have in Common?

By Chad Farley | Collectors Confessions

Did you know that Abbott and Costello and Kolchak: The Night Stalker now have something in common with Staten Island?

The connection is James Aquilone, a Staten Islander, Bram Stoker Award-winning writer and the man behind independent publisher Monstrous.

And Aquilone has been building quite the collection of classic properties.

Monstrous is already the new home of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, the legendary supernatural reporter who has been chasing vampires, monsters and things that go bump in the night for more than 50 years.

Now Aquilone and Monstrous have added another pair of pop-culture legends to their world:

Abbott and Costello.

And they’re bringing the monsters with them.

WHO’S ON FIRST? NOW THERE ARE MONSTERS, TOO

For the first time in more than half a century, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are returning to comics in the new series Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters.

For generations of fans, Abbott and Costello were more than just one of America’s greatest comedy teams. They were also an unlikely gateway into the world of classic monsters.

Their 1948 film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein famously put the comedy legends alongside Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster and the Wolf Man. The combination of horror and comedy helped create something audiences continue to enjoy decades later.

Now Aquilone gets to continue that tradition but instead of simply revisiting the monsters Bud and Lou encountered on the big screen, he’s introducing them to some they never had a chance to meet.

The new Kickstarter series will feature three full-length comics, all written by Aquilone.

And the first creates a crossover that immediately caught our attention.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET…THE NIGHT STALKER?!

The first story is titled Abbott and Costello Meet the Night Stalker.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Bud and Lou are about to enter the supernatural world of Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

It’s an especially interesting crossover because Monstrous is now home to Kolchak as well, allowing Aquilone to bring two very different pieces of classic entertainment together.

On one side, you have Abbott and Costello’s legendary comedy.

On the other, you have the supernatural mysteries of Kolchak.

Throw some monsters into the middle and you’ve got the potential for something that feels both nostalgic and completely new.

The issue will feature interior artwork by Dave Acosta, with covers from J.K. Woodward, Lukas Ketner and Zac Atkinson.

But apparently one monster-filled adventure isn’t nearly enough for Bud and Lou.

FROM THE MORLOCKS TO CTHULHU

The second comic, Abbott and Costello Meet the Morlocks, sends the pair into the world of the subterranean creatures made famous by H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine.

That issue features interior artwork from George Quadros and covers by Russ Braun and Colton Worley.And then things get really weird.The third installment, Abbott and Costello Meet Cthulhu, throws the comedy legends straight into cosmic horror as they encounter one of the most recognizable creatures in weird fiction.

That story features interior artwork by Juan Samu, with covers from Robert Hack and E.V. Cantada.Each comic will also include Abbott and Costello comic strips, adding another connection to the duo’s history in comics.

A STATEN ISLANDER BRINGING HIS HEROES BACKFor Aquilone, this isn’t simply another licensed comic project.

It’s personal.

“Abbott and Costello were my introduction to horror as well as comedy,” Aquilone said in the announcement. “They’ve been a huge influence on my work and it’s unreal to be bringing my heroes back to comics in a genre that is near and dear to me — horror-comedy, which might not exist without Abbott and Costello.”

That’s what makes this project particularly interesting.

Aquilone isn’t simply taking two famous names and putting them on a comic cover. He’s working with characters who helped shape his own love of horror and comedy.

And the families behind Abbott and Costello are supporting the project as well.

The Bud Abbott Estate noted that Abbott embraced different forms of entertainment throughout his career, from radio and film to early television, and described the new comics as a way to bring the duo’s comedic timing to today’s readers.

The Lou Costello Estate similarly emphasized the timeless combination of comedy and monsters and the opportunity for the comics to introduce Abbott and Costello to another generation.

MONSTROUS CONTINUES TO GROW

For comic fans on Staten Island, there’s another story developing here.

Aquilone’s Monstrous continues to grow.

The independent publisher specializes in dark fiction and action-oriented stories across comics, graphic novels and prose. In addition to becoming the new home of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, its titles include Monstrous Magazine, Dead Detectives Society, Shakespeare Unleashed and The Omega Eleven.

Now it has Abbott and Costello.

That’s a pretty impressive pair of licenses for an independent publisher—and an interesting achievement for a company run by one of our fellow Staten Islanders.

The Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters Kickstarter will also go beyond the comics themselves, with plans for exclusive merchandise including T-shirts, trading cards, original artwork and more.

But for us, the real attraction is seeing these characters together.

Abbott and Costello versus monsters worked more than 75 years ago because the combination shouldn’t work—and somehow works perfectly.

Now imagine Bud and Lou encountering Kolchak.

Or the Morlocks.Or, somehow, trying to make sense of Cthulhu.That’s the kind of comic-book insanity we’re always willing to give a chance.And this time, there’s a little bit of Staten Island behind it.So what do Abbott and Costello, Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Staten Island have in common?

Now you know.

James Aquilone.Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters will be available through Kickstarter. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/monstrousverse/abbott-and-costello-meet-the-monsters?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=abbott%20and%20costello&total_hits=8

Banner Image:Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters. Image Credit – Monstrous Publishing