Three Of Hollywood's Oldest Horror Icons Are Finally Meeting For The First Time In Glorious New Series

After 70 years, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are returning, and this time they're meeting a bevy of horror icons, including Carl Kolchak!

Published Oct 7, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Shaun Corley has been with ScreenRant for over 5 years, and is currently the Coordinator for PR and Outreach for the Comics Team.

Three of Hollywood’s oldest horror icons will soon meet in a glorious new series, and ScreenRant is bringing fans an exclusive first look. While Bud Abbott and Lou Costello may not be considered horror icons on the level of Vincent Price or John Carpenter, the comedy duo nevertheless encountered their fair share of monsters, including Dracula and the Wolfman. Now the pair are meeting a cult horror icon of the 1970s.

Between the years of 1940 and 1956, Abbott and Costello made over 30 movies, and were one of the biggest box office draws of their day. While all of Abbott and Costello’s movies were comedies, it did not stop horror and science fiction villains from showing up. In 1948, Universal released the classic Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The film was a hit, and was followed in later years by encounters with the Invisible Man, Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde as well as Boris Karloff.

Abbott and Costello went their separate ways in the late 1950s. By then, their popularity had waned, and the two were suffering from health problems as well. However, their legacy lives. Their infamous “Who’s On First?” sketch is iconic in the annals of comedy, and is still cited and performed today. Now, Monstrous Media, with the blessings of the duo’s estates, are releasing Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters. This three-issue series pairs Abbott and Costello with even more favorites from the horror genre.

Abbott and Costello Are Meeting A New Generation Of Monsters

Monstrous Media is launching a Kickstarter campaign for Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters. Each of its three issues will pair Abbott and Costello with a different creature, and each will be written by Bram Stoker-award winning author James Aquilone. For the book’s first issue, drawn by Dave Acosta, Abbott and Costello meet Carl Kolchak, the Night Stalker. Kolchak, who debuted in the 1970s and played by Darren McGavin, was a reporter investigating supernatural stories, such as vampires and other monsters.

ScreenRant can now reveal Zac Atkinson’s exclusive cover to the first issue, showing the hapless duo confronting Janos Skorzeny, Kolchak’s nemesis. While Kolchak looks on in disbelief and horror, Abbott and Costello are not entirely convinced they are actually fighting a vampire. Future covers for Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters will be by Russ Braun, JK Woodward and Robert Hack, among others.

The creative team behind Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters were excited to bring the duo to a new generation. Writer Aquilone, crediting the pair for creating the “horror comedy” genre, had this to say:

They’ve been a huge influence on my work and it’s unreal to be bringing my heroes back to comics in a genre that is near and dear to me — horror-comedy, which might not exist without Abbott and Costello.

The estate of Bud Abbott was thrilled with the series, releasing a statement that read:

Bud loved reaching audiences in every format possible—from radio and film to early television. We are so excited to see Monstrous Media carry that torch forward with this new comic book project. It’s the perfect way to keep their brilliant comedic timing alive for today's readers.

Finally, his partner Lou Costello’s estate was on board as well, saying:

Great comedy is timeless. Great monsters are legendary. Abbott and Costello made generations laugh as they met Frankenstein, the Mummy, and some of the most iconic monsters in movie history. Their legacy now comes roaring back to life in this brand-new comic book series, and as a family, we’re thrilled that they'll be introduced to yet a new generation of comic book fans.

The Kickstarter campaign will also have cool rewards for those who pledge, including T-shirts and trading cards.

Abbott and Costello Are Going To Meet Other Monsters Too

Just Imagine Abbott and Costello Meeting Cthulhu

Kolchak and vampires are not the only monsters Abbott and Costello will meet in their first comic book series in over 50 years. In issue two they run afoul of the Morlocks, from HG Wells’ The Time Machine, using creature designs from the 1960 live-action adaptation. The series’ finale, drawn by Juan Samu, puts Abbott and Costello in the path of HP Lovecraft’s most popular creation, Cthulhu.

James Aquilone was correct: Abbott and Costello were instrumental in giving birth to the horror-comedy tradition that is still going strong in 2026.

James Aquilone was correct: Abbott and Costello were instrumental in giving birth to the horror-comedy tradition that is still going strong in 2026. The pair showed the lighter side of horror stalwarts such as Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. Now, more than 70 years later, Abbott and Costello are returning to skewer new monsters and make a generation die laughing in the process.