The Comic: Dark Town

Kaja Blackley wrote the original graphic novel, which was illustrated by Vanessa Chong and published by Mad Monkey Press in 1995.

It follows comic book artist Stu, who finds himself trapped in the titular locale after a car accident, and discovers that his creations - including crazed critter Monkeybone - have come to life. Naturally, they cause him real trouble.

Perhaps as a sign of things to come, it was only ever published as one volume.
 
As for the pic, it all started so well - director Henry Selick was a self-avowed fan of the original, begging Blackley for the rights in a letter that included his admission: "I’ve never felt any project was closer to my sensibilities than this one."

Sadly, Monkeybone - as it became - fell victim to uncertainty and studio wrangling and the final product emerged as a mere shadow of the original.

With its blend of live action and stop-motion, it cost $75 million to make and only earned $7million worldwide.
 
Franchise Potential? Um, no. Despite a loyal following, it's unlikely any studio would want to touch such a toxic property, and there's not much else on which to base any likely follow-ups.