I don’t think it’s a secret that I like werewolves. If you’ve seen the ads around here or listened to any of the interviews I’ve done with Wyatt about my books, you’d know the two main characters I write are father-and-son werewolves. Heck, it’s not even the first or second werewolf story I’ve written. I don’t know what it is about those shape-shifting suckers, but I love me some lycanthropes.(Photo Courtesy: Goodreads)I’m not sure if it started with Stephen King’s Cycle of the Werewolf, or came before, but the novella certainly helped it come to fruition. I was already familiar with Stephen King, having read Carrie before this one, but Cycle of the Werewolf quickly became my favorite book. Was it because of the short length? It was years before I attempted King’s longer works like The Stand or It. Was it the stunning artwork? It was also right around the time I really discovered comics. Whatever the case, Cycle of the Werewolf was one of my favorite things to read as a teen.Cycle of the Werewolf was originally written as a calendar in 1983, with each month getting its own vignette and an illustration by horror and comics artist Bernie Wrightson (credited as Berni Wrightson), co-creator of Swamp Thing. It was then published as a paperback in 1985 after a limited edition hardcover was released two years earlier. Wrightson contributed to many of King’s works, including the poster and comic book adaptation of Creepshow. (Photo Courtesy: Goodreads)(Photo Courtesy: Goodreads)(Photo Courtesy: Goodreads)Those pictures are burned into my mind; they were so incredible and expressive, and remain the definitive werewolf look for me. I loved the image of the werewolf chasing the child while holding a kite. Wrightson captured the terror perfectly with his art while keeping it from being too gory, like the small splash of blood on the truck cab. The picture of the cop getting his face ripped off – if my parents knew that was in the book, I’m sure they would have never let me read it. Actually, I take that back. Having become a King fan since then, I quickly burned through his other offerings, including Pet Sematary. At the time, I wasn’t allowed to watch the movie, but they had no problem with me reading the book. Or Firestarter, which I ironically started reading on main character Charlie’s birthday. Cycle of the Werewolf is centered on Marty, a wheelchair-bound ten-year-old. Throughout the course of a year, a werewolf attacks and kills victims every full moon (which also falls on a holiday each month), and is only discovered by Marty a few months into the story. When the werewolf attacks Marty, the boy is able to send it running by shooting it in the eye with a firework given to him by his Uncle Al, the most supportive member of his family. Afterward, Marty discovers the werewolf to be the town’s reverend and tortures him with anonymous letters that say he knows his secret, leading to a final confrontation.(Video Courtesy: www.YouTube.com)The book was later adapted to the big screen as Silver Bullet, also released in 1985. Corey Haim plays Marty (no Feldman in sight), and it also features Gary Busey and Everett McGill. I remember watching the movie vaguely. Unfortunately, the werewolf costume and effects weren’t nearly as impressive as Marty’s hot rod wheelchair. I wasn’t a huge fan of the name change, even though it’s the eponymous werewolf-killing implement and the name of Marty’s sweet ride.  Cycle of the Werewolf was an interesting experiment early in Stephen King’s career, a story in installments which he repeated much later with The Green Mile, though not based on a calendar. I have been a lifelong fan of his work ever since reading Carrie, but I wonder if I would have been as interested if I hadn’t read this incredible werewolf story early on. In the catalogue of King villains that encompasses psychopathic murderers, world-hopping wizards, and immortal clown monstrosities, it’s funny to me that a plain old werewolf is still my favorite.