Reviewed by Christy
Koren Shadmi’s graphic novel The
Twilight Man tells the story of the man behind one of tv’s greatest cult
hits – The Twilight Zone. Rod Serling
was a short, Jewish man who fought in World War II and came back with
PTSD (called “shell shock” back then.) One thing that helped him cope was
writing teleplays.
Serling’s Hollywood career began
with a connection to an unlikely supporter – Desi Arnaz. Serling sold his first
teleplay to CBS who wanted to produce it for an episode of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. The story, The Time Element, featured a man who could go back in time to warn
everyone about the attack on Pearl Harbor but no one would listen to him.
Advertisers were uneasy about a show featuring Pearl Harbor, considering it
still too sensitive a topic. A business meeting with Arnaz and his heavy
support brought them around. (Who would want to go against Desi Arnaz,
especially in the 1950s?) But advertiser reluctance and censorship would be a problem
that plagued Serling’s entire career.
Some consider the Desilu production
to be an unofficial pilot for The
Twilight Zone, and it’s easy to see why. The story was twisty and
fantastical in a way that would become Serling’s trademark. Always keen to
provide social commentary, Serling figured out early that if he added in
elements of science fiction, he could skate pass censors with what he really
wanted to say. The Time Element was a
critical and commercial success and eventually led to CBS airing The Twilight Zone. Though the show was a
modest success, Serling struggled with budget cuts and writing burn out. After
five years, The Twilight Zone was
cancelled. Convinced to “cut his losses” Serling sadly sold his share, not
anticipating the cult classic it would eventually become.
Shadmi’s biography is short and to
the point, but still helps readers get a good sense of who Rod Serling was as a
person. While it goes a little into his early years as a soldier and tester of
parachutes (and eventually his marriage and family), the main focus is the
creation of an iconic tv show that changed television and the man behind that
show. The artwork is lovely, and it was fun to see Shadmi’s version of famous
scenes (and actors) from The Twilight
Zone. The book itself is even structurally presented as an episode would’ve
been, which I liked quite a bit. If you’re a fan of The Twilight Zone or just interested in how television worked in
its infancy, I think this biography would be an enjoyable and quick read.
Note: I
received an ecopy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest
review.
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