Television watchers will soon have to look elsewhere for their weekly dose of fantasy and fiction due to the Writers Guild of America strike. According to an article on TVguide.com, most shows have 3-5 new episodes to air before they hit re-runs, and some shows, like NBC's The Office, are done airing new shows after this week. Shows that were supposed to start in January, like 24 and Lost, may not air any new episodes during this TV season.
Have no fear, though. An entertainment medium that has been around longer than television is here to save the day - comic books. While the general public may still consider comic books to be for kids, (there are still plenty of kids comics being published), the vast majority of comics today are written for adults. Most of the mainstream comic books published in the United States have content similar to a primetime television show. Readers will find action, drama, politics, romance, fantasy and more in the pages of today's comics.
Many TV viewers may be surprised to find out that writers from some of their favorite shows are comic book writers. Jeph Loeb is a Co-Executive Producer on Heroes and was formerly a producer/writer on Smallville and Lost. Loeb has been writing comic books for over 15 years, and has written nearly every major superhero character in comics, many in collaboration with artist Tim Sale, who provides the comic artwork seen in Heroes.
Brian K. Vaughn is a writer for Lost, and has created two very popular comic book series that are still going strong: Runaways for Marvel Comics and Y: The Last Man for Vertigo Comics.
Allan Heinberg is a writer/producer on Grey's Anatomy, and has worked on Party of Five, Sex in the City, Gilmore Girls, and the OC. He has written Young Avengers for Marvel Comics and Wonder Woman for DC Comics.
Marc Guggenheim is a veteran TV writer for shows like The Practice, Law and Order, and Brothers and Sisters. He is currently writing the popular X-Man, Wolverine, for Marvel Comics.
The list of TV writers who have also written, or are writing, comic books goes on and on.
Not only are there some top notch writers from all mediums writing comic books, but there are also TV shows with continuing stories in comics. Joss Whedon, the writer/creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly is continuing all three of those TV series in comic book form. In fact, "Buffy: Season Eight," is one of the best-selling comic books out today.
The Heroes graphic novel has just been released by DC Comics and contains all of the web-comics that ran during season one on NBC.com. This is all new material that most fans have never seen nor read.
Battlestar Galactica, arguably the best science fiction show on television, continues in comic book format every month. Star Trek, The Lone Ranger, The Terminator and Star Wars are just a few of the many TV/Movie properties that live on in comic books with new and original content.
So when TV reruns start, head down to your local comic book store and check out some of the best serialized fiction written by many of the people behind your favorite television shows. You may be surprised by what you will find.
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