Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic is a limited run comic book from Dark Horse Comics, consisting of six issues.[1] It features Jonah Heston and The Bots riffing on old, public domain comics. It is written by series creator Joel Hodgson and others, with art by Todd Nauck and Mike Manley. Each issue features covers by Nauck and DVD cover artist Steve Vance. [2]
In September, 2019, a trade paperback was released collecting all six issues.
Premise[]
Kinga Forrester introduces a new piece of Kingachrome technology, the Bubbulat-R. Apparently developed by Synthia, the Bubbulat-R allows people to become "part of" a comic book. The first test subject is Max, and it is his comic book collection that serves as the backbone of the technology.
Issues[]
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic - Ashcan Edition - contains an excerpt from Issue 1
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 1
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 2
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 3
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 4
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 5
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 6
Release[]
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic is available as physical comic books distributed through Dark Horse, as well as digital books sold on Dark Horse's site and other digital comic distributors.
Comic riffing[]
The original art is added to by replacing some original characters with members of the Satellite of Love crew, "casting" them as the character in the story. Other SoL crew are seen to duck into frame and riff on the comic. Word balloons done in a comic character's "voice" (as when a riffer would say something in-character as someone in a movie) point to the riffed character as though that character said it, but with a bubble added to the word balloon border to mark it as a riff.
Comics riffed upon[]
The comics riffed are all taken from the public domain.
- Issue 1: The Bubbulat-R is tested out by sending Max into a single page from an issue of the Charlton Comics book Funny Animals. The main riff sends Servo, Gypsy, Growler, and M. Waverly into issue 2 of Dell Comics' Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter.
- Issue 2: Crow is sent into an issue of the Comic Media book Horrific while Jonah is sent into an issue of Harvey Comics' Black Cat.
- Issue 3: The previous stories from Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter and Black Cat are continued, while Crow narrates a new tale from Horrific.
- Issue 4: New stories for Black Cat and Horrific are added, while Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter goes off-script.
- Issue 5: New stories for Black Cat and Horrific are added, while Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter still goes off-script.
- Issue 6: The previous stories from Black Cat and Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter are concluded, while Crow narrates a new tale from Horrific.