I don’t know how I ended up with so many coloring books.
I do remember my favorite one was an old ‘60s Batman coloring book, with the cover showing Batman running off the edge of a boat. I grew up near Owasco Lake, so the Batboat always seemed glamorous to me. And as a child I imagined we needed someone to patrol Owasco Lake to prevent all the rampant crime that was undoubtedly happening there.
Later in life, as a young parent, coloring books were a big part of my kids’ early day. They had zillions of coloring books. Usually, they celebrated whatever was the most popular IP for my daughters. Beauty and the Beast? Sure. 101 Dalmatians? You got it. Fox’s Anastasia? Yes, even that one. As the-dad-who-likes art, we’d have fun coloring together. Especially the characters I liked. You know, the super-heroey types of coloring books. Over the years they also ended up with quite a few Batman and superhero coloring books.
More recently, I even had a hand in making a few coloring books over the years too. As a part of our Captain Action revival, we created and published two cool coloring books, each with a Retro-feel. And we hired all our favorite artists (folks like Mark Wheately, Paul Gulacy, Reno Maniquis, etc.) to supply the artwork.
All this brings me to two new coloring books just published by Titan Books. They look like fun, and I marvel at how far we’ve come.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Coloring Book
By Titan Books
This one’s pretty outrageous, but now after 50 years, I guess it’s all a little less outrageous, isn’t it? The artwork is uncredited, but it is wacky and a bit unhinged—just as it should be.
Here’s a bit of the official write-up:
Revel in over 50 years of outrageous fun as you color your way through the first official Rocky Horror Show coloring book featuring over 40 never-before-seen illustrations.
Unleash your inner Creature of the Night, and step into a world of wild imagination, sensual pleasure, and unapologetic fun with the Rocky Horror Show: The Official Coloring Book! Relive the timeless magic of the cult classic musical with over 50 pages of intricate illustrations featuring your favorite characters, scenes, and iconic moments.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Coloring Book
By Titan Books
Publisher: Titan Books
Softcover: 64 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1835411353
Juni Ito Collection: A Twisted Horror Coloring Book
By Junji Ito
A scary one! This coloring book features the artwork of a Japanese artist and his creepy illustrations. Seems like a good idea to me. And it must seem like a good idea to a lot of other people to – this one is a sequel.
Again -here’s the official write-up from Titan:
Explore the macabre mind of Japan’s master of horror, Junji Ito, in this chilling adult coloring book.
Following the success of the first Junji Ito coloring book, Junji Ito Collection: A Twisted Horror Coloring Book provides another tantalizing glimpse into the mind of manga’s master of the macabre. This officially licensed coloring book features dozens more terrifying scenes from Junji Ito Collection to color, delving deeper into Ito’s distinctive brand of horror. Dare you and your pencils venture inside?
Of note -this is a thick one – with 80 pages on a lush and substantial paper stock. I imagine this is perfect for coloring with markers. I imagine this particular series would do really well with college students who like Horror or Manga/Anime.
Junji Ito Collection: A Twisted Horror Coloring Book
By Junji Ito
Publisher: Titan Books
Softcover: 80 pages
ISBN-13: 978- 1835413876
Get your 2026 started off on the right foot and remember to always color outside the lines!
