Demon with a Glass Hand by Ellison & Rogers

The Outer Limits was an important stepping stone in popularising speculative fiction. Premiering in 1963 it lasted one-and-a-half seasons and connected the more general The Twilight Zone with 1966’s straight science fiction Star Trek. Many that worked on The Outer Limits later moved on to Trek.

Harlan Ellison wrote two of the best episodes, “Soldier” and – the subject of this post – “Demon with a Glass Hand.” Starring Robert Culp as Trent, the story follows him as he discovers the truth about the mechanised glass hand he has and the strange foes pursuing him.

In the mid 1980s, DC experimented with a line of science fiction graphic novels adapting works by master authors. Julius Schwartz was the editor and his connections to the world of SF went back into the 1930s when he was an author’s agent, making him a solid choice to head up the line. Unfortunately, the series of graphic novels was short-lived with only a half-dozen volumes being produced before they were discontinued.

Marshall Rogers had made his name at DC Comics as penciller on a memorable run of Detective Comics written by Steve Englehart. Beyond solid drawing and storytelling skills, Rogers had a background in architectural illustration and Gotham became a more real character than it had been before. He brought this skill to his adaptation of Demon and its setting of the memorable Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles. The book was the fifth volume in DC’s Science Fiction Graphic Novel series.

New colour and book design by me.

Illustration by Marshall Rogers. New cover layout by me.

Title page. Illustration by Marshall Rogers. New layout by me.

Publication info.

Introduction by someone relevant.

Bios for Ellison and Rogers.

Illustration by Marshall Rogers. New layout for the back cover.