In the 2000s, Tokyopop published manga series based on Jim Henson’s fantasy works, which had been largely forgotten.
Jim Henson’s two fantasy works, 1982’s The Dark Crystal and 1986’s Labyrinth, are beloved cult classics that continue to receive new media and merchandise based on them until nowadays. Less well-known is that in the 2000s, Tokyopop published the original English manga based on both films.
Legends of the Dark Crystal, written by Barbara Randall Kesel and illustrated by Hedi Arnhold, is a prequel to The Dark Crystal, which takes place centuries in the film’s past. Like the film, it follows a male and female of the Gelfling race fighting against the evil Skeksis. However, it takes place much earlier in the Skeksis rule, before the Gelflings were nearly extinct. The first volume was published in 2007, and although it was originally intended as a trilogy, the second volume was not released until 2010, so the third volume was cancelled.
Return to Labyrinth, written by Jake T. Forbes and illustrated by Chris Lie, lasts a little longer, with four volumes published between 2006 and 2010. Instead of a prequel, it is a sequel that takes place ten. years after the film and follows Toby, the younger brother of the original Labyrinth protagonist Sarah. Jareth the Goblin King, who kidnapped Toby when he was a child, has decided to return him to the Labyrinth as the heir to the Goblin Kingdom – a decision not everyone in the kingdom is pleased with.
Despite the continued popularity of the original films, the Jim Henson manga is largely forgotten today. One possible reason for this is the warm reception Return to Labyrinth received from both critics and fans. Readers were not interested in the underdeveloped new characters introduced in the manga, and many felt misled by the cover illustrations, which were far more lavish and detailed than the decorative art. the interior is more simple, in western style. Legends of the Dark Crystal was better received, with both its writing and artwork being commended, but the three-year gap between its two volumes meant it remained largely unnoticed, allowing the reader has time to forget it or lose. profit by the time the second episode finally came out.
Additionally, Tokyopop ceased its publishing operations in early 2011, less than a year after publishing the final volume of both series. The original manga, including both Jim Henson series, are out of print, making them much harder to find and read in the first place.
With Tokyopop continuing to publish manga in 2016, it is possible that these manga will be republished one day. Return to Labyrinth writer Forbes has expressed a desire to restore some of the “deleted scenes” if the manga is republished, which could address some criticisms of its pacing and characterization. However, several factors make it difficult for Tokyopop’s Henson manga to return.
For one thing, many alternative prequels to The Dark Crystal have been released as comic books published by Archaia, novels, and a series of Netflix films. Labyrinth also received a prequel comic from Archaia, and a sequel to the film, which doesn’t have much in common with Return, is currently in production. This means that Return and Legends have premiered completely irregularly, and subleasing them can confuse readers about what material should be considered “official”.
Jim Henson’s manga have been largely forgotten and unlikely to return, but they do provide an interesting look at Henson’s film commercial situation in the 2000s. Original English-language manga are at their peak. popular at the time, and the world of movies was only just beginning to expand into other media. Return and Legends are their contemporaries in many ways, but they are important first steps toward the future of their franchise.