MonsterVision returns with a new Joe Bob Briggs comic book series

The drive-in will never die. Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl are coming to comic books, as Dynamite Entertainment has announced a new MonsterVision series featuring the legendary horror host and his longtime sidekick.

MonsterVision Featuring Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy #1 is scheduled to hit comic shops in December 2026. The series marks Joe Bob Briggs’ Dynamite debut and his first-ever comic book series, bringing the world of his classic movie-hosting days to the page. Written by David Avallone (Elvira) and drawn by Edu Menna (Vampirella), the comic will send Joe Bob and Darcy on an outrageous monster-hunting adventure in the spirit of the drive-in.

Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy Go Monster Hunting

Dynamite describes MonsterVision as a “deep-fried adventure” that finds Joe Bob and Darcy hunting monsters together. The comic is intended to capture the same horror, humor, and larger-than-life personality that have defined Joe Bob’s career as a horror host. The first issue is rated Teen+ and will run 32 pages.

The creative team includes Avallone on writing duties and Menna on art, with covers by Kewber Baal (Vampirella, Elvira), Dave Acosta (Elvira), and Robert Hack (Doctor Who).

Avallone is clearly having fun with the opportunity to bring Joe Bob to comics:

“Joe Bob Briggs looks like he’d be perfectly comfortable starring in a Western: he’s square-jawed, handsome and tall, but he channels that into something subversive. That’s something I can easily understand and get into.”

The first issue will also be available through a premium mystery blind bag containing three limited-edition copies randomly selected from a range of variant covers created exclusively for the title. The blind bags will be limited, with allocations possible.

What Is MonsterVision?

For longtime Joe Bob fans, the title MonsterVision should be immediately familiar. Joe Bob Briggs hosted TNT’s MonsterVision from 1996 to 2000, following his run on Joe Bob’s Drive-in Theater on The Movie Channel from 1986 to 1996.

The new comic is bringing that MonsterVision name back, although the character has continued to build a following through his later work on Shudder.

Joe Bob Briggs’ Last Drive-In Era Is Coming to an End

The comic book announcement comes at an interesting time for Joe Bob Briggs. Earlier this year, Shudder announced the cancellation of The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs as a regular series. However, the streamer commissioned several additional specials that will continue airing throughout the rest of the year.

The next one is Joe Bob’s Halloween House Party, which reunites Joe Bob and Darcy for a seasonal double feature.

Slap the finishing touches on your costume a week early, because you’re cordially invited to Joe Bob’s Halloween House Party! RSVP for a Samhain soiree to remember with Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl as they host a seasonal double-feature chock-full of tricks, treats, and violent dismemberment.

Joe Bob’s Halloween House Party airs live on Shudder Friday, October 23 at 9 p.m. ET and will be available on demand beginning Sunday, October 25.

While the regular Last Drive-in series may be coming to an end, Joe Bob and Darcy still have plenty of drive-in madness ahead.

Joe Bob Briggs Has Been a Horror Host for Decades

Joe Bob Briggs made his debut as a drive-in movie critic in the early 1980s and became one of the most recognizable personalities in horror hosting. His first major television hosting gig came with Joe Bob’s Drive-in Theater, which ran on The Movie Channel from 1986 to 1996. He then moved to TNT for MonsterVision, where he hosted from 1996 to 2000.

After an eighteen-year absence from television, Joe Bob made his return with The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder in 2018. The series began with a 13-film marathon on July 13, 2018. The event proved to be such a massive success that it crashed Shudder’s servers and helped convince the streamer to turn The Last Drive-in into an ongoing series featuring regular episodes and holiday specials.

On The Last Drive-in, Joe Bob introduced audiences to an eclectic selection of horror movies while discussing their history, significance, and place in genre cinema. He was joined throughout the series by Diana Prince, better known to fans as Darcy the Mail Girl.

The Drive-In Is Moving to Comics

Joe Bob Briggs isn’t going anywhere. Dynamite’s MonsterVision Featuring Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy will give fans a new way to spend time with the drive-in duo, while Joe Bob’s Halloween House Party will give Shudder viewers another opportunity to see them in action this Halloween season – and once his Shudder obligations are wrapped up at the end of the year, Joe Bob is planning to launch a new series somewhere else.

Joe Bob Briggs has spent decades proving that there is always another way to keep the drive-in alive. Now, he’s bringing the drive-in to comics. MonsterVision Featuring Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy #1 is scheduled for release on December 23, 2026. Will you be picking up a copy? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

About the Author