The writer behind the latest installment of the cult classic comic series The Mask has taken to Twitter claiming Dark Horse adapted his work without telling him. The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask first debuted in 2019 and was met with mixed reviews with some fans believing it lacked the whimsical chaos of the original series while others embraced the added realism and character payoff. No matter the initial response, Dark Horse clearly saw potential in the series and continued to capitalize on it by backing the release of an audio series based on the four-issue storyline. The only problem is the comic publisher left the man behind the Mask completely out of the loop.
In The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask #1-4 by Christopher Cantwell with art by Patric Reynolds and Lee Loughridge, the Mask is back with a vengeance and has decided to cut out the random murderous shenanigans in lieu of making real change on a national level. Unfortunately, the changes the demonic entity wants to implement are not for the better. The Mask eventually possesses a lesser-known presidential candidate and brutally murders the other candidates, propelling Big Head to the top of the polls. Running on a “he says what everyone's thinking” style campaign, along with the lack of competition, Big Head wins the election before he is taken down by characters first introduced in the original series and previous wearers of the Mask.
No matter one’s feelings on the series, The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask was clearly considered a success for Dark Horse and has propelled one of its most recognizable cult classic properties to the forefront of the minds of fans. Dark Horse in partnership with GraphicAudio is releasing an audio comic adaptation of the series. GraphicAudio announced the project on Twitter, a post Retweeted by writer Christopher Cantwell with the added comment, “Wow. So… I had no idea this was being made, was never informed, consulted, or… anything. But this is my comic book scriptwriting, revised without me and performed. Definitely a new experience for me as a writer. I don’t know how to feel.”
Clearly, Cantwell has mixed feelings about the Mask project he poured his creative talent into producing. The writer brought back the Mask after years of the property being absent from the comic shelves with a shocking storyline that offers social commentary, artwork, and character reimagining, while also paying tribute to the original. While the Mask is owned by Dark Horse and can technically be used by them any way they see fit regardless of who has written a specific storyline using the character, the fact that the publisher is adapting this specific story without even informing its original writer can easily be perceived as underhanded.
The GraphicAudio project will be the first off-comic Mask adaptation since the The Mask. The Tweet announcing the new show credited both Cantwell and artist Patric Reynolds, though based on Cantwell’s reaction to the adaptation, the tag was an empty shout-out. Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask looks to be a fresh and provocative take on the classic ‘90s cult series and will assuredly be just as entertaining in all its chaotic glory in the form of an audio series. The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask audio series will be available on GraphicAudio on September 13th.
