The X-Files Comics
[Edit: This page refers to the X-Files comics published up to 2008. For the newer comics published by IDW since 2013, see Season 10 and onwards.]
The X-Files comics are something of a semi-canon merchandise, occasionally rising at a much higher quality than what would be expected by a common tie-in product in both artwork and storyline, and occasionally being nothing more than that.
X-Files comics started being published during the peak of the show’s popularity in 1995 by Topps comics. Nobody from the creative team of Ten Thirteen participated in their writing or production, although all comics were green-lit by Ten Thirteen. The monthly magazine (41 issues) was published from winter 1995 to summer 1998, i.e. from the middle of season 2 to right before the launch of season 6 of the show.
This is the “classic” X-Files comic, with Miran Kim’s masterful and iconic covers, a combination of single, double and triple-issue stories, the “Deep Postage” column of information of all things X-Files and fan mail, and an announcement of the next issue. The comics had to be approved by Ten Thirteen productions, who had the final word on all X-Files-related merchandise. The series was essentially handled by two teams of writers/artists, Petrucha/Adlard (#1-16, art sample left) and Rozum/Saviuk (#30-41, art sample below), or combinations (Adlard stayed till #29), along with contributions by Purcell (#17-29) and a few others. The beginning of the series is memorable for a series of issues with interconnected stories coming together at the last issue (#1-12, my personal favourites), with Petrucha creating his own conspiracy to feature in the comics, as the Syndicate storyline of the TV series was something to be developed exclusively on TV. Petrucha complained that the relation with Ten Thirteen was a strenuous one, their approval process being too long and painstakingly strict. After some great scripts with meticulous research and literacy, Petrucha left (#16) and was replaced by Rozum; Adlard, with his particular but fittingly dark style, followed him later (#29). As the series progressed, Saviuk & Magyar’s depiction of Mulder & Scully got better (and followed the changes in Scully’s hairstyle), as was Rozum’s (more Mulderisms and Scullyisms). In Rozum’s scripts, it was obvious that the 22 pages of a single issue were too few to make up a satisfying story, as the double and triple-issue stories were the most memorable; themes related to the environment and to man’s or scientists’ misuse of nature were most recurrent. There were hints at an attempt at building a continuing story, with #27-29 obviously setting up characters that could have made a comeback, #39 reusing characters and stroylines from #30-31, and references to events in past issues and past TV episodes in the dialogue. However, the series ended suddenly with #41, which did not feature an announcement of next issue’s contents.
Parallel to that, several special comics were produced by Topps (2 mini-comics and 6 issues), along with one graphic novel and an adaptation of the 1996 Kevin J. Anderson novel Ground Zero (4 issues). Some mini-comics were produced for the short-lived first run of the X-Files Magazine by Topps (2 issues) in 1996. The same team of writers and artists worked here, with some occasional guest artists weighing in.
Most, if not all, of these Topps comics were republished or translated in several languages during the show’s peak, either in the same or near-same format as the US magazine (story with fan mail, accompanying article on the series’ themes) or incorporated as part of a larger X-Files magazine: UK, France, Germany, Greece, …
During season 5 and the build-up to Fight the Future (1997-1998), several season 1 episodes were adapted in comic form (9 issues), with the Pilot being released as a test issue a year before. This series served as a kind of artists showcase, with a single writer doing the episode adaptations and 4 artists doing the artwork. The series stopped suddenly, with several issues that had been planned that were not published.
A graphic novel of Fight the Future, combining prose by Rozum and gloriously dark illustrations by John Van Fleet, was also published.
The longer-run X-Files Official Magazine by MVP (1996-2001, 18 issues) featured no comics.
To coincide with the airing of the Lone Gunmen series (2001), a comic was produced (along with a mini-comic strip).
Ten years after the last comics, in the wake of the release of I Want To Believe (2008), Wildstorm published a new series of comics (7 issues). Frank Spotnitz participated in the writing 3 issues; a two-issue story, the most interesting of this series, even included references to Roush Technologies, part of X-Files’ mythology (see 5X03: Redux II and 6X01: The Beginning). Spotnitz promis ed more comics would come, but nothing came out of it.
In 2010, DC Comics published a cross-over between “The X-Files” and “30 Days of Night” (6 issues), a horrible mix of gore and more gore.
No comics based on Millennium or Harsh Realm have been produced.
Special appearances
- Skinner: Topps #1, 3, 36; TS15
- CSM: Topps #1, 3, 17
- The Lone Gunmen: Topps #3, 13; LG1, LG2
- X: Topps #13
- Senator Matheson: #27
Resources
- The X-Files Comics Checklist
- The X-Files Cover Checklist
- The X-Files on ComicVine
- Great reviews of Topps #1-12
Full list of published XF comics:
# | Title |
1st pub |
Pages | Paranormal theme |
*/5 |
Topps Comics (monthly magazine, 1995-1998) |
|||||
1 |
Not to be Opened Until X-mas | Jan-1995 | 24 |
3rd Fatima prophecy; military-developed UFOs; Vatican; conspiracy |
***** |
2 |
A Dismemberance of Things Past | Feb-1995 | 24 |
Roswell-like UFO crash and cover-up |
***** |
3 |
A Little Dream of Me | Mar-1995 | 24 |
Cover-up continued; conspiracy involving ex-members of the military, claim to have knowledge of Samantha |
***** |
4 |
Firebird: Khobka’s Lament |
Apr-1995 | 24 |
Tunguska crash; alien entity |
***** |
5 |
Firebird: Crescit Eundo |
May-1995 | 22 |
||
6 |
Firebird: A Brief Authority |
Jun-1995 | 22 |
||
7 |
Trepanning Opera |
Jul-1995 | 22 |
Third eye |
***** |
8 |
Silent Cities of the Mind |
Aug-1995 | 22 |
Aztec mythology; crystal skulls |
***** |
9 |
Silent Cities of the Mind | Sep-1995 | 22 |
||
10 |
Feelings of Unreality: Wheels Within Wheels |
Oct-1995 | 22 |
Colleen Dunne and Project Aquarius, linking all first 12 issues in a single conspiracy story Mind control; implanted memories |
***** |
11 |
Feelings of Unreality: The Ancient of Days |
Nov-1995 | 22 |
||
12 |
Feelings of Unreality: The Nightmare of History |
Jan-1996 | 22 |
||
13 |
One Player Only |
Feb-1996 |
22 | Artificial intelligence; man-software interface |
*** |
14 |
Falling |
Apr-1996 |
26 |
Radiation from crash: alien UFO or military aircraft? |
** |
15 |
Home of the Brave: The New World |
May-1996 |
22 |
Fallen angel UFO or experimental military aircraft; mind control induced hallucinations; swamp gas UFO sightings |
**** |
16 |
Home of the Brave: A Question of Ownership |
May-1996 | 22 |
||
17 |
Thin Air |
May-1996 | 24 |
Flight 19 disappearance; Bermuda triangle |
**** |
18 |
Night Lights |
Jun-1996 |
22 |
Ball lightning; Brown Mountain Lights |
*** |
19 |
Night Lights | Jun-1996 | 22 |
||
20 |
Family Portrait: Gallery |
Jul-1996 | 24 |
Photo camera drawing the life out of its subjects; incubus |
** |
21 |
Family Portrait: The Camera Eye | Jul-1996 | 24 |
||
22 |
The Kanashibari |
Sep-1996 |
22 |
Kanashibari (Japanese sleep paralysis) in Haitian mythology |
* |
23 |
Donor |
Nov-1996 |
22 |
Organ donor takes back his organs after death |
* |
24 |
Silver Lining |
Dec-1996 |
22 |
Dorian Gray-like youth-sucking coat; shape-memory alloys |
** |
25 |
Be Prepared |
Jan-1997 |
22 |
Windigo |
* |
26 |
Be Prepared | Jan-1997 |
22 |
||
27 |
Remote Control |
Mar-1997 |
22 |
CIA, remote viewing, SRI research on ESP, Stargate program, UFO technology |
***** |
28 |
Remote Control | Apr-1997 |
22 |
||
29 |
Remote Control |
Apr-1997 |
22 |
||
30 |
Surrounded |
Jun-1997 |
22 |
Flesh-eating mutated bacteria developed by anti-government militia |
**** |
31 |
Surrounded |
Jul-1997 |
22 |
||
32 |
Crop Duster |
Aug-1997 | 22 |
Little green frog-men: real or government-sponsored drug-induced hallucinations? |
** |
33 |
SOMA |
Sep-1997 | Indian sect Suttee; drink Soma from amanita muscaria mushroom; spontaneous human combustion |
*** |
|
34 |
Skybuster |
Oct-1997 |
22 |
Project HAARP; ionosphere manipulation as weapon; Gaia theory |
*** |
35 |
N.D.E. |
Nov-1997 |
22 |
Near-Death Experiences, angels/demons |
***** |
36 |
N.D.E. |
Dec-1997 |
22 |
||
37 |
The Face of Extinction |
Feb-1998 |
22 |
Goat-men/Satyrs/Baphomet |
**** |
38 |
Cam Ranh Bay |
Mar-1998 |
22 |
Dolphins used as teleguided weapons developed by military |
*** |
39 |
Scum of the Earth |
Apr-1998 |
22 |
Flesh-eating bacteria (continuation of #30-31) |
** |
40 |
Devil’s Advocate |
Jun-1998 |
22 |
Cover-up of military nuclear weapons leak |
** |
41 |
Severed |
Sep-1998 |
24 |
Werewolf |
* |
Topps Comics Special Editions | |||||
TS1 |
Trick of the Light [#-1] |
Mar-1995 |
10 |
Obsession with alien abduction (+ self-references to Topps) |
** |
TS2 |
Circle Game [TV Guide #2207] | Jul-1995 |
5 |
Crop circles; ghosts |
** |
TS3 |
Hallow Eve [Annual #1] | Aug-1995 |
44 |
Mitochondrial Eve; ghosts |
***** |
TS4 |
Big Foot, Warm Heart [Comics Digest #1] | Dec-1995 |
65 |
Small format (3-tier) Big-foot |
** |
TS5 |
The Pit [XF Magazine #1] | Winter 1996 |
8 |
Haunted mining pit |
* |
TS6 |
Tiptoe Through the Tulpa [Wizard Presents/#1/2] |
1996 |
16 |
Tibetan tulpa |
* |
TS7 |
Dead to the World [Comics Digest #2] | Apr-1996 | 65 |
Small format (3-tier) Count of Saint-Germain; rosicrucianism; alchemy; immortality |
***** |
TS8 |
The Silent Blade [XF Magazine #2] | Summer 1996 | 8 |
Haunted sword |
** |
TS9 |
Scape Goats [Comics Digest #3] | Sep-1996 | 67 |
Small format (3-tier) Chupacabra; UFOs; cattle mutilation |
*** |
TS10 |
E.L.F.s [Annual #2] | 1996 |
44 |
Extra Low Fequency Electromagnetic Energy; paranoia |
*** |
TS11 |
Afterflight |
Aug-1997 |
64 |
Graphic Novel 19th century airship; military/aeronautical R&D; UFOs & UFO technology |
**** |
TS12 |
Ground Zero |
Nov-1997 |
22 |
Adaptation of the novel published in 1996 Personal weapons derived from nuclear physics research |
*** |
TS13 |
Ground Zero | Jan-1998 |
22 |
||
TS14 |
Ground Zero | Feb-1998 |
22 |
||
TS15 |
Ground Zero | Mar-1998 |
22 |
||
TS16 |
Fight the Future |
Jun-1998 |
56 |
Adaptation of the movie; prose with illustrations |
|
Season One (1997-1998) |
|||||
SO1 |
Pilot |
Jul-1997 |
44 |
||
SO2 |
Deep Throat |
Aug-1997 |
44 |
||
SO3 |
Squeeze | Oct-1997 |
44 |
||
SO4 |
Conduit | Dec-1997 |
44 |
||
SO5 |
Shadows | Feb-1998 | 44 |
||
SO6 |
Ice | Mar-1998 | 44 |
||
SO7 |
Space | Apr-1998 | 44 |
||
SO8 |
Fire | Jun-1998 | 44 |
||
SO9 |
Beyond the Sea | Jul-1998 |
44 |
||
The Lone Gunmen (2001) |
|||||
LG1 |
Generations | Apr-2001 |
1 |
Geek fandoms (strip) |
|
LG2 |
Patriots |
Jul-2001 |
24 |
||
Wildstorm (2008-2009) |
|||||
W1 |
(#0) |
Sep-2008 |
27 |
Evil as infectious disease |
**** |
W2 |
(#1) | Nov-2008 |
22 |
Weaponized protein; Roush/Rauch Industries |
**** |
W3 |
(#2) | Dec-2008 |
22 |
||
W4 |
(#3) |
Jan-2009 |
22 |
Tong (Chinese secret society in the USA) |
** |
W5 |
(#4) |
Feb-2009 |
22 |
||
W6 |
(#5) Dante’s Muse: Nasty Ones |
Mar-2009 |
22 |
Hollow Earth |
* |
W7 |
(#6) Dante’s Muse: Netherworld | Apr-2009 |
22 |
||
The X-Files/30 Days of Night [DC Comics] (2010) |
|||||
#1 |
Jul-2010 | 32 |
Vampire zombies in Alaska |
* |
|
#2 |
Aug-2010 | 32 |
|||
#3 |
Sep-2010 | 32 |
|||
#4 |
Oct-2010 | 32 |
|||
#5 |
Nov-2010 | 32 |
|||
#6 |
Dec-2010 |
32 |
Total issues: 80 (+1 strip)
Total stories: 56 (+1 strip; 46 original)
Total pages: 2447
The Team: Topps Comics (Monthly series, Specials, Season One)
Dwight Jon Zimmerman, executive editor
|
Jim Salicrup, editor in chief
|
Renee Witterstaetter, editor
|
Miran Kim, cover artist
|
Stefan Petrucha, writer
|
John Rozum, writer
|
Kevin J. Anderson, writer
|
Roy Thomas, writer
|
Charles Adlard, artist [penciler & inker]
|
Alex Saviuk, artist [penciler]
|
Gordon Purcell, artist [penciler]
|
Josef Rubinstein, artist [inker]
|
George Freeman, colorist
|
John Workman, letterer
|
?
Rick Magyar, artist [inker]
|
?
Ted Boonthanakit, artist
|
Angelo Torres, artist
|
Claude St. Aubin, artist |
Armando Gil, artist
|
Jill Thompson, artist
|
?
Larry Mahlstedt, artist
|
John Van Fleet, artist
|
Val Mayerik, artist
|
?
Sean Scoffield, artist
|
The Team: The Lone Gunmen
Jane Espenson, writer
|
?
Paul Lee, artist
|
The Team: Wildstorm
Frank Spotnitz, writer
|
Marv Wolfman, writer
|
Doug Moench, writer
|
Brian Denham, artist
|
The Team: DC Comics (XF/30 Days of Night)
Steve Niles, writer
|
Adam Jones, writer
|
Tom Mandrake, artist
|
Writers
Topps |
Artists
|
Topps specials – Stefan Petrucha: TS1-7, TS11 – John Rozum: TS8-10, TS16 – Kevin J. Anderson: TS12-15 |
Topps specials – Charles Adlard: S1-5, S7, S9 (S7: with Miran Kim) – Ted Boonthanakit, Angelo Torres: S6 – Claude St. Aubin, Armando Gil: S8 – Gordon Purcell, Joe Rubinstein: S10 – Jill Thompson, Alexander Saviuk, Rick Magyar: S11 – Gordon Purcell, Larry Mahlstedt: S12-15 – John Van Fleet: S16 |
Season One – Roy Thomas |
Season One – John Van Fleet: SO1, SO5 – Claude St. Aubin, Rick Magyar: SO2 – Val Mayerik: SO3, SO6-7 (SO3: with Rick Magyar) – Sean Scoffield: SO4, SO8-9 |
The Lone Gunmen – Paul Lee: LG1 – Jane Espenson: LG2 |
The Lone Gunmen – Paul Lee: LG1-2 |
Wildstorm – Frank Spotnitz: W1-3 – Marv Wolfman: W4-5 – Doug Moench: W6-7 |
Wildstorm – Brian Denham: W1-7 |
XF/30 Days of Night – Steve Niles, Adam Jones: #1-6 |
XF/30 Days of Night – Tom Mandrake: #1-6Special mention goes to Miran Kim, who did the cover artwork for all the Topps comics (except #33) |
Title |
Date |
Contents |
Reprints | ||
The X-Files Ashcan #1 | Jan-1995 | Topps #1 |
The X-Files/Hero Illustrated Special |
Mar-1995 |
Trick of the Light [Topps #-1] |
The X-Files Special Edition #1 |
Jun-1995 |
Topps #1-3 |
The X-Files Collection #1 |
Jul-1995 |
Topps #1-6, Trick of the Light With “An Interview with Chris Carter” and “Artists’ Profiles” |
The X-Files Special Edition #2 |
Dec-1995 |
Topps #4-6 |
The X-Files Special Edition #3 |
Mar-1996 |
Topps #7-9 |
The X-Files #0 |
1996 |
Pilot With “The Making of the X-Files Comic Book Series” |
The X-Files Special Edition #4 |
Nov-1996 |
Topps #10-12 |
The X-Files #-2 |
Sep-1996 |
The Pit, Silent Sword |
Wizard ACE Edition #19: The X-Files #1 |
1997 |
Topps #1 |
The X-Files Collection #2 |
1997 |
Topps #7-12, Annual #1 |
The X-Files Special Edition #5 |
Sep-1997 |
Topps #13, Annual #1 |
Titan Books: Firebird |
Nov-1995 |
Topps #1-6; Trick of the Light |
Titan Books: Project Aquarius |
Aug-1996 |
Topps #7-12; The Pit |
Titan Books: The Haunting |
Mar-1997 |
Topps #13-16 |
Titan Books: Night Light |
Mar-1997 |
Topps #17-21 |
Titan Books: Internal Affairs |
Aug-1997 |
Topps #22-23 |
Titan Books: Remote Control |
Nov-1997 |
Topps #24-29 |
Titan Books: Skin Deep |
Apr-1998 |
Topps #30-33 |
The X-Files Volume #1 |
2005 |
Topps #13-17, Pilot, Squeeze |
The X-Files Volume #2 |
2005 |
Topps #18-22, Tiptoe through the Tulpa, Big Foot, Warm Heart |
The X-Files Volume #3 |
2005 |
Topps #23-26, Fire, Ice, Trick of the Light |
The X-Files |
Nov-2009 |
Wildstorm #0-6 |
The X-Files/30 Days of Night |
Jul-2011 |
The X-Files/30 Days of Night #1-6 |