Edgar Wallace
Description
Edgar Wallace was a British novelist, screenwriter, and journalist whose work became foundational to the King Kong franchise, serving as an original creator for several anime and manga adaptations. While he died in 1932, his creative contributions continued to shape animated and comic works produced decades later through the character and story concepts he helped establish.
Wallace’s connection to King Kong began in the early 1930s when he was brought in by Merian C. Cooper to develop the story for what would become the landmark 1933 film. Wallace and Cooper are credited as the original creators of the King Kong concept, with Wallace contributing to the early story development and a screenplay draft completed in June 1932. The novelization of the film, written by Delos W. Lovelace, was also based upon the story conceived by Wallace and Cooper. This foundational work became the source material for numerous adaptations across various media in the decades that followed.
In the realm of anime, Wallace’s creative legacy is directly tied to the 1960s animated television series The King Kong Show, known in Japan as King Kong - 00 1/7 Tom Thumb. This series was a Japanese-American co-production, with animation provided by Toei Animation, one of Japan’s major animation studios, and production by the American company Videocraft International (later known as Rankin/Bass Productions). The show premiered in Japan on the NET network (now TV Asahi) on April 5, 1967, and ran for 26 episodes. The series is recognized as an early example of a Japanese-produced animated series made for the American market. In the credits for this anime, Edgar Wallace is formally listed as an original creator alongside Merian C. Cooper, acknowledging the source material from which the animated adventures of King Kong and the Bond family were derived.
Wallace’s status as an original creator also extends to manga and comic book adaptations of King Kong. A notable example is a six-issue comic book series titled King Kong, published by Monster Comics in Seattle, Washington, from February 1991 to March 1992. This limited series was explicitly described as a graphic adaptation based solely upon the 1932 book by Edgar Wallace, Merian C. Cooper, and Delos W. Lovelace. The publication made a clear distinction that its source was the original literary material created by Wallace and Cooper, rather than any of the subsequent motion picture versions. This indicates that Wallace’s original creative work was considered a distinct and authoritative source for the King Kong story within the comic book medium as well.
Across these anime and manga works, Wallace’s role is consistently that of a source creator whose original story concepts, developed in the early 1930s, were adapted by later writers, animators, and artists. In the case of the 1960s anime series, his creation was transformed into a children’s adventure format, while the 1990s manga series presented a more direct literary adaptation. His artistic identity in these contexts is not defined by a personal visual or narrative style present in the later works, but rather by his status as a co-architect of the core King Kong mythos, including the giant ape, Skull Island, and the central narrative of the beast taken from his wild home to civilization.
The industry significance of Wallace’s involvement in these anime and manga productions lies in the longevity and adaptability of his original creation. His work on King Kong, developed during the early years of sound film, provided the foundation for one of the first Japanese-American co-produced animated series, helping to pave the way for future international collaborations in animation. The continued acknowledgment of Wallace as a credited creator on these mid-century and late-century Japanese and American productions highlights the enduring influence of his contribution to popular culture and its translation into the visual languages of anime and manga.
Wallace’s connection to King Kong began in the early 1930s when he was brought in by Merian C. Cooper to develop the story for what would become the landmark 1933 film. Wallace and Cooper are credited as the original creators of the King Kong concept, with Wallace contributing to the early story development and a screenplay draft completed in June 1932. The novelization of the film, written by Delos W. Lovelace, was also based upon the story conceived by Wallace and Cooper. This foundational work became the source material for numerous adaptations across various media in the decades that followed.
In the realm of anime, Wallace’s creative legacy is directly tied to the 1960s animated television series The King Kong Show, known in Japan as King Kong - 00 1/7 Tom Thumb. This series was a Japanese-American co-production, with animation provided by Toei Animation, one of Japan’s major animation studios, and production by the American company Videocraft International (later known as Rankin/Bass Productions). The show premiered in Japan on the NET network (now TV Asahi) on April 5, 1967, and ran for 26 episodes. The series is recognized as an early example of a Japanese-produced animated series made for the American market. In the credits for this anime, Edgar Wallace is formally listed as an original creator alongside Merian C. Cooper, acknowledging the source material from which the animated adventures of King Kong and the Bond family were derived.
Wallace’s status as an original creator also extends to manga and comic book adaptations of King Kong. A notable example is a six-issue comic book series titled King Kong, published by Monster Comics in Seattle, Washington, from February 1991 to March 1992. This limited series was explicitly described as a graphic adaptation based solely upon the 1932 book by Edgar Wallace, Merian C. Cooper, and Delos W. Lovelace. The publication made a clear distinction that its source was the original literary material created by Wallace and Cooper, rather than any of the subsequent motion picture versions. This indicates that Wallace’s original creative work was considered a distinct and authoritative source for the King Kong story within the comic book medium as well.
Across these anime and manga works, Wallace’s role is consistently that of a source creator whose original story concepts, developed in the early 1930s, were adapted by later writers, animators, and artists. In the case of the 1960s anime series, his creation was transformed into a children’s adventure format, while the 1990s manga series presented a more direct literary adaptation. His artistic identity in these contexts is not defined by a personal visual or narrative style present in the later works, but rather by his status as a co-architect of the core King Kong mythos, including the giant ape, Skull Island, and the central narrative of the beast taken from his wild home to civilization.
The industry significance of Wallace’s involvement in these anime and manga productions lies in the longevity and adaptability of his original creation. His work on King Kong, developed during the early years of sound film, provided the foundation for one of the first Japanese-American co-produced animated series, helping to pave the way for future international collaborations in animation. The continued acknowledgment of Wallace as a credited creator on these mid-century and late-century Japanese and American productions highlights the enduring influence of his contribution to popular culture and its translation into the visual languages of anime and manga.
Works
- Topics: Manga overview
- Topics: Anime overview