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KONG: King of Skull Island Audiobook
Created and Illustrated by Joe DeVito. Written by Brad Strickland with John Michlig
Read by Joey D'Auria. Liner Notes by Joe DeVito
In 1933, American showman Carl Denham returned from a mysterious, hidden island with a priceless treasure. A treasure not gold or jewels, but the island's barbaric god, a monstrous anthropoid called "Kong." The savage giant escaped and wreaked havoc among the man-made canyons of Manhattan, but within hours of the giant ape's death his body—and Carl Denham—disappeared. Twenty-five years later, the son of Carl Denham makes a shocking discovery that leads him back to the site of his father's greatest adventure and to the answers that will unlock the century's greatest mystery and history's greatest miracle. Authorized by the Cooper Estate and based on the original novel that inspired the all-time classic film. This new novel acts as both prequel and sequel to the classic fantasy tale, King Kong. Acclaimed fantasy artist Joe DeVito and top fantasy and science-fiction writer Brad Strickland join forces to make for an interactive visual-narrative storytelling experience unlike any other.
“Anyone who loved KING KONG with Carl Denham and Ann Darrow in 1933 and hated DeLaurentis’ 1976 remake cannot help but love this new Kong book. Bravo!”
Ray Bradbury
"The word "epic" gets tossed around pretty casually these days, but in the case of KONG: KING OF SKULL ISLAND it is more than appropriate. Joe DeVito has taken the classic story we're all familiar with and looked at it from a fresh and excitingly new direction, adding a depth and compassion unimagined when Kong was first conceived in the '30s. This beautifully illustrated book is a rip-roaring (in more ways than one!) adventure that is also, conversely, thoughtful and moving. KONG: KING OF SKULL ISLAND is the first--and for my money, only--addition to the Kong myth that does the original proud."
Arnie Fenner, Spectrum Fantastic Art
“I had the extreme honor of seeing some of Joe DeVito’s wonderful art work for his forth coming book KONG: KING OF SKULL ISLAND. Being a die hard KING KONG fan I have to say this is a book that I can’t wait to have. Joe’s illustrations so completely visualize his incredible story
that you won’t be able to put the book down. I give this book a BIG two gorilla thumbs up and highly recommend it to anyone, especially, who wants to know more about the 8th Wonder of the World.”
Bob Burns, Archivist of Fantastic Cinema
“AT LAST... Kong is safely cradled in the palms of the talented Joe DeVito! DeVito's love and sensitivity transport the mighty simian back to the heights that he so deserves to be at, in this, the ultimate tale of the greatest fantasy creature of all time!”
Michael J. Friedlander, Creator of GOLIATH
Nick DeGregorio composed the music for the KONG: King of Skull Island audiobook and iPad app.
KING KONG!
“What an honor to be asked to write about him for this long overdue book.
I was seven when the movie first came out in 1933. I still remember being terrified when Kong emerged from the jungle to claim his sacrifice, and when in New York he broke his chains and escaped to terrorize the city. These memories are ingrained in me.
During the early 1930s, Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Mummy were also released. What a golden time. These movies were of serious intent; not comic take-offs, and they have stood the test of time. Even with all the modern computer generated and digital movie techniques, the old King Kong movie was better. King Kong was the scariest of them all. He still is.
When I received Joe DeVito’s presentation it literally blew my mind. I didn’t think it would be nearly that spectacular, and I envied him because I would have loved to do King Kong.
In the 1960s, Bantam Books put out a paperback of the novel, King Kong. They asked me to do the cover after they had a screening at their headquarters. My wife posed for the Fay Wray character, the sacrifice for Kong. Also during that period, I did twenty-two monster kit covers for Aurora models. King Kong was among them. It was the most popular line of models they had ever released. So, this magnificent ape has been part of my career, too.
Having done King Kong twice, both as a book cover and as a monster kit, I honestly don’t think with all my skill and with all my access to reference, I could have done what Joe has done. The conceptuals are incredible, King Kong is ferocious and scary, and when I read the presentation I couldn’t put it down!
King Kong is a universal theme, and movies about him have been made and remade. But this book is different and delves into Kong’s lore with a thoroughness that no movie could. I had never wondered before where King Kong came from, and how such a creature could exist, until I saw what Joe had sent. It was all a revelation to me.
It is fantastic creations like this that have enabled me to remain a little boy.”
— Jim Bama
Artist
Joe DeVito is the painter and sculptor of many of Pop Culture’s most recognizable icons. These include King Kong, Tarzan, Doc Savage, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, and MAD magazine’s Alfred E. Newman among many others. Joe has also co-authored (with Brad Strickland) and illustrated two novels: KONG: King of Skull Island and Merian C. Cooper’s King Kong. He is presently planning, with Brad Strickland, a line of YA novels based on KONG: King of Skull Island, while also working on the screenplay for his ‘faction’ world of truly epic proportions tentatively titled The Primordials. He and his wife Mary Ellen live in Chalfont, PA.
Brad Stickland is the author or co-author of more than seventy books, including most recently Wishing on a Star: The Life of Eddie Carroll, with Carolyn Caroll. As Ken McKea, he is the author of a continuing series of hard-boiled mysteries, beginning with Atlanta Bones. He and Joe DeVito have collaborated not only on KONG: King of Skull Island, but also on King Kong, a re-telling of the classic story. When he’s not writing, Brad is a Professor of English at the University of North Georgia, Gainesville Campus. He and his wife Barbara live in Oakwood, Georgia.
Nick DeGregorio is a composer and conductor with over 100 theatrical musical direction credits including a Helen Hayes Awards, Best Musical Direction nomination for his work on DeafWest’s Big River at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. Nick’s conducted and/or played for Randy Newman, Bernadette Peters, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorna Luft, Juliet Prowse, Morey Amsterdam, John Denver, Carol Channing and Glen Campbell and was MD for Hal Linden, Dorothy Lamour (5 years) and the LA Friar's Club roast of Carl Reiner. He’s provided musical direction at many regional theatres around the country and was associate conductor for the Broadway tours of 42nd Street and Big River and the PCLO/Nederlander tour of Doctor Dolittle.
Nick’s conducted the Phoenix Symphony, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and Les Brown’s Band of Renown and has played piano with the St. Louis, San Jose, Utah, Ottawa, Rochester, Baltimore, Winnipeg, Florida and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras. On Broadway, Nick played piano for 42nd Street. Off-Broadway, Nick wrote the orchestrations for Fanny Hill and orchestrated for Lorna Luft’s show and Barry Manilow produced recording, Songs My Mother Taught Me. He’s done orchestrations for the Key West Pops and also for Mitzi Gaynor's new show, Razzle Dazzle. As a composer, Nick has worked on projects for BBC-TV, Random House Entertainment, Mike Young Productions, Scholastic Entertainment, Coyne Communications and Paramount Pictures. He has also written seven musical comedies, the latest, High School Reunion, was recently listed in the Samuel French catalog.
Joey D'Auria is a popular Hollywood voice over actor whose work includes characters for animated cartoons, video games and looping. However, he is best known to Chicago audiences as WGN-TV's Bozo the Clown from 1984 to 2001. During these years, Mr. D'Auria also worked in stage productions and in TV and radio commercials. Returning to Hollywood in 2002 he was the voice for Commissioner Spinklestarber for the anime series Daigunder. In Great Britain, in 2003 he was the principal writer and show coordinator on Star Trek The Experence for See Entertainment in Hyde Park, London.
After that project, Joey worked as head writer and occasional voice talent for Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures on PBS. He also supplied assorted voices for Universal/Imagine's Curious George The Movie, and as the voice of General Alister Azimuth for Insomniac Games,Ratchet & Clank Future - A Crack in Time. You will be able to hear him in the new animated film, War of the Worlds: Goliath for Tripod Entertainment.
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