- The X-Files (comics)
Supercbbox|
title=The X-Files
caption="The X-Files" #5 (May 1995), cover art by Miran Kim.
schedule=Monthly
format=Ongoing series
publisher=Topps Comics
date=January 1995 - September 1998
issues=41
main_char_team=
writers=Stefan Petrucha
artists=Charlie Adlard
pencillers=
inkers=
letterers=
colorists=
creative_team_month=
creative_team_year=
creators=
TPB = Volume 1
ISBN = 1883313104
TPB1 = Volume 2
ISBN1 = 1883313236"The X-Files" comics were a number of
spin-off s from the TV series of the same name, produced byTopps Comics and most recentlyWildstorm .The main creative teams for the Topps series were the writers
Stefan Petrucha (up to issue #16) andJohn Rozum (#17-41), with artistsCharlie Adlard (up to issue #29) andAlex Saviuk (#30-41)Publication history
Main series was published by
Topps Comics and ran for 41 issues from January 1995 to September 1998.There were also two
limited series : "Ground Zero" was a four-issue mini-series (December 1997 - March 1998) and "Season One" which ran for 9 issues (July 1997 - July 1998).The digest consisted of three issues published twice yearly from December 1995 - December 1996, with separate titles: "Big Foot, Warm Heart," "Dead to the World" and "Scape Goats." The first two also included stories from the "
Ray Bradbury Comics ".There were also a number of one-offs like the Hero Illustrated Special (March 1995), and
graphic novel s like Afterflight (August 1997).Wildstorm are releasing, "The X-Files Special", in August 2008. It will be a one-shot to coincide with the release of the written byFrank Spotnitz with art byBrian Denham . [ [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20211133,00.html 'X-Files': Sneak Peek at New Comic Book!] , "Entertainment Weekly "] The deal Spotnitz signed is for another two comics. [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16784 Spotnitz Wants to Believe in Wildstorm's "The X-Files Special"] ,Comic Book Resources , June 12, 2008]Plot
The three digests contained stories on
Bigfoot being hunted, theCount of St. Germain and thechupacabra , respectively."Afterflight" dealt with elements of the
mystery airship flap."Fight the Future" was the official film adaptation, "Fight the Future" being the films subtitle used to differentiate it from the television series.
"Season One" adapted some of the episodes from the first season: "Pilot", "Deep Throat", "Squeeze", "Conduit", "Ice", "Space", "Fire", "Beyond the Sea" and "Shadows". Two others, "The Jersey Devil" and "Ghost in the Machine", were solicited but never published.
Despite coinciding with the film, "The X-Files Special" won't be an adaptation but is set in what the writer calls "the classic period of the X-Files" - between Season 2 and Season 5. While this is a stand-alone story he will be writing two more which fit into the broader conspiracy theory that developed, saying "the next ones that I am going to write tie into the mythology of the show not in a way that changes the path but deepens it a little bit."
Problems
Tony Isabella reported difficulties with "The X-Files " creatorChris Carter over the Topps Comics' series:" [W] hoever was approving the comics over in Chris Carter Land were the poster kids for anal retentiveness. Although it's possible that they were so picky because they never wanted the comics out there in the first place. The main reason the comics fell behind schedule was because it took so long to satisfy the "X-Files" people. They went over "everything" with a fine-tooth comb, including the letters columns. ... I rarely ran negative letters in these columns because the [Topps] editors were afraid that the "X-Files" people would want even more changes in the material. Almost from the start, there were never enough usable letters for our needs. That's why I started including the "Deep Postage" news items — and making up letters completely. I also wrote the "Xena" letters columns, but those were a lot easier to produce." cite web |date=May 2000| url = http://www.collectortimes.com/2000_05/Clubhouse.html| title = An Interview with Tony Isabella| format = HTML | publisher = collectortimes.com| accessdate = 2007-07-23 | last=Coville, Jamie ]
Collected editions
The series has been collected into trade paperbacks. In the UK,
Titan Books did a near complete run but in the US Topps stopped at #12, but recentlyChecker Book Publishing started publishing the rest (although they restarted the numbering again).* "The X-Files Collection" (Topps Comics):
** "Volume 1" (collects "The X-Files" #1-6 and "The X-Files Heroes Illustrated Special", Berkley Publishing Group, February 1996, ISBN 1883313104) [comicbookdb|title=issue|id=122260|title="The X-Files Collection Volume 1"]
** "Volume 2" (collects "The X-Files" #7-12 and "Annual #1", 180 pages, February 1997, ISBN 1883313236) [comicbookdb|title=issue|id=122263|title="The X-Files Collection Volume 2"]* Checker Book Publishing:
** "Volume 1" (collects #13-17, Squeeze and #0 Pilot Episode, May 2005, ISBN 1-933160-02-0)
** "Volume 2" (collects #18-22, #1/2 and Digest #1, May 2005, ISBN 1-933160-03-9)
** "Volume 3" (collects #23-26, Fire, Ice and Hero Illustrated Special "Trick of the light", December 2005, ISBN 1-933160-39-X)*
Titan Books :
** "Firebird" (by Stefan Petrucha, with art by Charlie Adlard, collects "The X-Files" #1-6, and The X-Files/Hero Illustrated Special, 1995 Trick of the Light, 160 pages, November 1995, ISBN 1900097087)
** "Project Aquarius" (by Stefan Petrucha, with art by Charlie Adlard, collects "The X-Files" #7-9, 151 pages, August 1996, 1900097176)
** "The Haunting" (by Stefan Petrucha, with art by Charlie Adlard, collects "The X-Files" #10-16, 160 pages, March 1997, ISBN 1900097230)
** "Night Light" (by Kevin J. Anderson and John Rozum, with art by Charlie Adlard and Gordon Purcell, collects "The X-Files" #17- 19, 128 pages, March 1997, ISBN 1852868082)
** "Internal Affairs" (by John Rozum, with art by Charlie Adlard, collects "The X-Files" #20-23, 128 pages, August 1997, ISBN 1852868090)
** "Remote Control" (by John Rozum, with art by Charlie Adlard, collects "The X-Files" #24-29, 160 pages, November 1997, ISBN 1852868406)
** "Skin Deep" (by John Rozum, with art by Alex Saviuk, collects "The X-Files" #30-33, 128 pages, April 1998, ISBN 1852869518)Other volumes include:
*"Dead to the World" (by Stefan Petrucha with Charlie Adlard, collects Digests 1-3, 208 pages, April 1996, ISBN 1900097249)
*"Afterflight" (by Stefan Petrucha, with art by Jill Thompson, Alexander Saviuk and Rick Magyar, graphic novel, Topps, August 1997, Titan Books, October 1997, ISBN 1852868600)
Reception
A review of the first Checker Book volume is complimentary about the writing and art but scathing about the production values of the book itself, stating that "this collection from Checker reflects a lack of editorial control, poor workmanship, and generally shoddy values". [ [http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/120716358213000.htm Review of The X-Files Vol. 1 from Checker Book] ,
Comics Bulletin ]Notes
References
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=7643|title="The X-Files"
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=16790|title="The X-Files: Comics Digest"
*comicbookdb|type=issue|id=62661|title="The X-Files/Hero Illustrated Special"
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=9283|title="The X-Files: Season One"
*comicbookdb|type=issue|id=51687|title="The X-Files: AfterFlight"
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=9284|title="The X-Files: Ground Zero"
*comicbookdb|type=issue|id=51687|title="The X-Files: Fight the Future"
* [http://www.geocities.com/Area51/8337/xfcomix.html The X-Files Comics Checklist]
* [http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/series/xfiles/ Fantastic Fiction listing for the X-Files]External links
* [http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=2030 Digest 1] , [http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=1258 "The X-Files" #0] , [http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=1825 0.5] , [http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=1259 1] - [http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=3058 28] at Wowio
* [http://www.mikejozic.com/petruchainterview.html Interview with Stefan Petrucha]
* [http://ilayas.byethost22.com/ The X-Files Comic Book Archive]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.