The Twilight Zone: The Big Tall Wish

Washed up boxer Bolie Jackson is about to be knocked down and counted out when Henry, a young neighbor with magical powers, makes the biggest, tallest wish he could think of—for Bolie to win the match. But believing in magic doesn’t come easily to some people. Rejecting Henry’s wish could end Bolie’s career and ruin a young boy’s faith in magic. They each have to the count of ten to make their choice . . . in the Twilight Zone.

One of most ground-breaking shows in the history of television, The Twilight Zone has become a permanent fixture in pop culture. This new graphic novel series re-imagines the show’s most enduring episodes, in all their original uncut glory, originally written by Rod Serling himself, and now adapted for a new generation—a generation that has ridden Disney’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride, studied old episodes in school, watched the annual marathons, and paid homage to the show through the many random take-offs that show up in movies and TV shows everywhere.

Children's Literature

An addition to the graphic novel genre that is sure to be appreciated by older readers is this new series, adapted from scripts of The Twilight Zone television show. It sure brings back memories for me. The author includes two pages of information about the original television show, followed by the graphic story. This is an adventure as well as a mystery, and fans of both genres will love this book! Bolie Jackson, a washed-up boxer, is about to be knocked out when a little friend who idolizes him says he is going to make magic happen. We see before the fight, when Jackson is angered by an unsavory man and, in trying to hit him, puts his fist through a wall and breaks four of his knuckles. Obviously, this will keep him from winning the fight...or will it? His young friend, watching the fight on television, sees Jackson in trouble and makes his wish. Later, as he is arriving home, Jackson is told by everyone in his building what a great fight it was; strangely, Jackson remembers lying on the mat with the referee counting to ten. What is going on? This is a good story that comes across just like the original show. It just might get readers thinking about the possibility of another dimension. Perfect for both reluctant and avid readers. Reviewer: Kathie M. Josephs

ROD SERLING (creator) has won the most Emmy awards for dramatic writing in the history of television. He wrote over seventy-five episodes of the Twilight Zone series, for which he won three of his Emmys. He was also the show’s host and narrator.

MARK KNEECE (adaptor) has written stories for numerous comics, including Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. He helped found the sequential art department at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and teaches comics writing as a professor of sequential art. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.

CHRIS LIE (illustrator, The Big Tall Wish) has worked with several comic publishers on properties such as GI Joe, Transformers, Return to Labyrinth, and Dungeons and Dragons. He also illustrated Deaths-Head Revisited. He lives in Jakarta, Indonesia.