That’s what’s emblazoned on a T-shirt the young hero ofMonster Squadwears in that 1987 kid-classic.
You could practically fill another book with what a powerhouse year King has had.
But several titles from his back catalog also rose up the charts thanks to some unsettling new adaptations.
Credit: Ilze Kitshoff/Columbia/Sony; Cemetery Dance Publications; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images; Simon and Schuster; Brooke Palmer/Warner Bros.
Add to that a pair of acclaimed TV series based onMr.
EW caught up with Uncle Steve to talk about how it all went down and what’s coming next.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Are you sick of talking to me?
Off the Shelf/YouTube
I feel like we’ve chatted so much this year.
STEPHEN KING:No.
We have chatted a lot, but that’s okay.
Cemetery Dance
[Laughs] I like talking to you.
You’re always prolific, but this seemed like an especially intense run.
Yeah, this one’s a lot different.
Bill Skarsgård in ‘It’.Warner Bros. Pictures
There’s never been anything like this and I think some of it had to do with the adaptations.
And that’s been a great thing.
It just turned out that way.
Ilze Kitshoff/Columbia/Sony Pictures
Why do you think there is this sudden spike in attention?
Luckily, you know, most of the stuff turned out.
The whole series kind of picked up in terms of sales because people got interested.
The other stuff was all pretty terrific.
It seems like you’re at a stage where you’re enjoying collaboration more.
I’m writing books.
I’m not a collaborator by nature.
I can do it.
I can be a team player.
How did the novellaGwendy’s Button Boxcome about with Rich Chizmar?
Gwendywas a real surprise to me.
I’ll send it to you and if you could do anything with it, go ahead."
The book gets published.
And it kind of renewed my interest in Castle Rock.
Sometimes you seed the ground, and you get a little fertilizer, and things turn out.
I’m as much in the dark as anybody else.
I don’t know anything about it so I just hope it turns out really well.
It must be going okay.
It’s typical J.J.
There’s been nothing that I’ve seen in the press, or anything, about it.
Clearly, the new Pennywise andItshocked everyone.
It was bigger than even director Andy Muschietti hoped.
I had no idea of that, but it sold a lot of books, man.
You know what they say: A rising tide lifts all boats.
After that opening weekend, producers vaulted into production on some other long-gestating remakes, likePet Sematary.
Did you notice a sudden uptick in interest?
Well, [film rights] on everything are basically taken.
I think just about everything I’ve written was in some kind of development, or under option.
I’m not bragging, I’m just…you know.
It ain’t bragging if it’s true!
What about the new ones, likeSleeping Beauties?
There was a big competition for who was going to get that, but I think that was beforeItdropped.
I don’t know how to explain it, but it has fed itself.
How do you account for theItphenomenon, though?
The book has never really gone away.
But why do you think it came back so strong?
I think one of the things that really happened was that 1990 miniseries.
Then there was this weird viral bulge in stories about creepy clowns.
That was in the press all over the place.
So it was a number of different things.
It was the right movie at the right time.
Did that prime the audience?
But I think that played a part.
It’s weird to say that a killer clown movie is hopeful, but I think it really is.
Yeah, I do too.
It makes you feel like you stand for something.
Yeah, a lot of people relate to them.
The monster part of it is adventurous and scary.
It has all the things you go to the movies for.
It’s a really good movie.
And it clearly didn’t connect with people.
But there was so much anticipation for it.
Why did this thing that people love in book form fail to grab hold as a movie?
I liked everybody involved with that movie and I liked some of the casting choices for it.
I liked Modi Wiczyk, the producer, the director, everybody.
So you know I’m always careful what I say about it.
But I will say this, okay?
It’s going to be a tentpole movie.
Let’s say 12 to 35.
That’s what we want.
It doesn’t really hurt, but you don’t get anywhere.
It just sort of bounces back.
So there was some of that problem, too.
I hope someone takes another shot atThe Dark Tower.
They’re right there, just pick them up …
That might happen.
So after all this, any downside to this year?
Were you heartbroken to be blocked by Donald Trump?
I hope you’ve gotten over that.
[Laughs] No, I wasn’t heartbroken to be dumped by Donald Trump at all.
I’ve enjoyed Twitter quite a bit.
What else is on the horizon for you?
I know you haveThe Outsidercoming up next year.
I’m looking at the page proofs now.
I love that book.
A while back you told me you and Peter Straub were considering another return toThe Talismanterritories.
Is that still a possibility?
Yeah, we’ve kicked it around a little bit.
I’ve just got to get clear on some of these other things.
Really, I don’t want to collaborate at all for a little while.
I want to, you know, run my own railroads.
