Since its debut in the late 1960s as an attraction at Disneyland in California, the Haunted Mansion has gone on to various incarnations at several Disney theme parks worldwide as well as a feature film adaptation and now a comics series. Originally published as an anthology comic series by indie comics house SLG Publishing, the first six issues are now collected in an attractive hardcover edition entitled Haunted Mansion, Vol. 1: Welcome, Foolish Mortals. Disney Press released a truncated softcover version earlier this year, but SLG’s new edition, released in late November, collects the entire first six issues in a limited-edition deluxe hardcover.
"We wanted to do something that was different from the Disney Press edition and with a little more added value to appeal to the Disney collectible crowd," said publisher Dan Vado, who also wrote some of the stories. "For us, this is both a graphic novel project and a collectibles project. With a print run of 2,000 copies, it should be of long-term interest to Disney collectors.” The book will have a gold-stamped clothbound cover with a four-color slipcase.
The book features stories about the 999 "happy haunts" characters living in the spooky mansion who have merely been glimpsed in the shadows of the attraction itself. Featuring work by such cartoonists as Roman Dirge, Eric Jones, Ben Towle, Drew Rausch and others, it also includes a feature-length story relating the origin of the mansion and its owner, Master Gracey.
The origin of the Haunted Mansion comic can be traced directly to Vado's personal interests, first as a kid and much later as a publisher. "I went to Disneyland the year the Haunted Mansion opened," recounted the California-based publisher. "I was 10, and it was like the coolest thing I had ever seen. I rode it over and over again and still do, well into my adult years. The stories that I wrote had their origins in my 10-year-old imagination."
"Later I discovered that I wasn't alone and that a lot of the cartoonists I publish felt the same way I did about the ride,” said Vado. “Roman Dirge in particular is a huge fan of the ride, and since he was one of our better-known creators, it made sense for us to do a comic book based on the ride."
SLG Publishing has produced several Disney-related titles since the license was originally announced at Book Expo America in 2005. The ensuing years have not been without problems for SLG, which has been upfront about the "high learning curve" needed for dealing with high-profile licensed properties. When asked if the company plans to renew the license after it expires in 2008, Vado was noncommittal: "A lot depends on how the book editions do." [http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6292870.html]
Nevertheless, the new Haunted Mansion hardcover serves as both a tie-in to the Disney attraction itself and a stand-alone set of spooky stories fit for any audience. As a limited-edition, it is a tempting offer for the growing segment of Disney collectors and comic collectors. And taking note of the book’s packaging and high-end production, Vado said, "It'd look perfect on a shelf at the Haunted Mansion itself."
