‘The Amusement Park’ Brings Terror to Page and Screen

Nearly five decades after its creation and long presumed lost, George A. Romero’s haunting 1975 film The Amusement Park is set to receive a rare theatrical screening and a new artistic adaptation. On 10 June, Los Angeles’ Vidiots cinema will host a special showing of the restored 45-minute film, followed by a live discussion with Storm King Comics founder Sandy King and illustrator Ryan Carr. That same day will also mark the official release of John Carpenter Presents George A. Romero’s The Amusement Park, a new graphic novel adaptation from Storm King Comics.

Originally commissioned as a public service announcement about ageism, The Amusement Park diverges sharply from typical educational fare. Instead, Romero applied his distinctive style to construct a surreal horror allegory examining society’s neglect and mistreatment of the elderly. The film’s dreamlike structure and pointed social critique remained unseen for years until it was restored by the George A. Romero Foundation, which has made the preservation and promotion of Romero’s legacy a core mission.

The new graphic novel seeks not only to preserve that vision but to reimagine it for a modern audience. Adapted by writer Jeff Whitehead and artist-in-residence Ryan Carr, the book expands upon Romero’s original film while remaining faithful to its themes. The project emerged as a collaboration between the Romero Foundation and Storm King Comics, with horror luminary John Carpenter lending his name and support.

Sandy King, who oversees the Storm King publishing line alongside Carpenter, described the project as a natural extension of Romero’s creative spirit. “John and George often talked about ways they might collaborate, and this project felt like a fantastic opportunity,” she said. The result is not merely an adaptation but a tribute, both to Romero’s singular vision and to his impact on genre storytelling.

The graphic novel follows a younger man named William Lincoln as he listens to an elderly stranger recount his traumatic visit to a peculiar amusement park. What begins as a wistful attempt to revisit youth rapidly descends into a nightmarish exploration of ageing, social invisibility and systemic neglect. The man’s journey becomes an endless cycle of humiliation and horror, a striking metaphor for the alienation faced by older generations.

Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, founder of the George A. Romero Foundation, emphasised the thematic relevance of the project. “The Amusement Park holds a special place in George’s body of work because it tackles such a deeply human issue—ageism—through the lens of horror,” she said. “Adapting it into a graphic novel allows us to bring his unique vision to a whole new audience.”

Both the film and the graphic novel arrive at a time when Romero’s influence continues to grow, not only through preservation efforts but also through reinterpretations of his lesser-known works. The collaboration with Storm King Comics represents a rare convergence of two horror institutions, marking a new chapter for a long-overlooked piece of cinema history.

The Amusement Park will screen at 7:30 p.m. on 10 June at the Eagle Theatre, Vidiots, Los Angeles. More information and tickets, visit: vidiotsfoundation.org/movies/the-amusement-park/

The graphic novel will be available the same day at comic shops, booksellers, and online retailers.