Via Bloody Disgusting, R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps is returning to comics, with an adaptation of the 1993 book The Haunted Mask from Scholastic’s Graphix imprint. Created by cartoonist Maddi Gonzalez (“Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy”), the 160-page graphic novel will retell the story of Carly Beth, and the hideous Halloween mask that soon becomes stuck to her face.
The book marks a homecoming for the Goosebumps comics, whose source material has been published by Scholastic since the franchise’s inception in 1992. IDW Publishing previously held the license, releasing four series from 2017 to 2020. Before that, Graphix published three anthology titles from 2006 to 2007, and a fourth, “Slappy’s Tales of Horror,” in 2015. The Haunted Mask, which was the 11th book in the series, has proven to be one of the more popular entries, and was loosely adapted into two episodes of the Disney+ series last year.
“Haunted Mask” also marks Gonzalez’s highest-profile gig to date. The two-time Ignatz Award nominee, who works as a toy designer on top of creating comics, was previously best known for working at BOOM! Studios on children’s titles like “Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy” and “Welcome to Wanderland” from 2015 to 2018. She has been very open on social media about her negative experiences with the publisher, citing their low pay rates and poor schedules. 2024 will also see the release of her first original graphic novel, “Tiffany’s Griffon,” created with Magnolia Porter Siddell, and due out from First Second on August 13.
“Goosebumps: The Graphic Novel – The Haunted Mask” will be released afterwards on September 3.
