Summary

• The comic book adaptation of Ray Nelson's 1963 short story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" likely helped bring the story to John Carpenter's attention, leading to the creation of his cult film They Live.
• "Eight O'Clock in the Morning," the comic book story "Nada," and They Live, all feature a central character who discovers the true nature of the world and sacrifices their life to save humanity.
• The enduring appeal of They Live lies not only in its portrayal of aliens, but also in the compelling human hero at the center of the story.

While many fans of They Live are aware that it was based on a 1960s short story, Ray Nelson's "Eight O'Clock in the Morning," few may realize that the movie also took inspiration from a short comic book adaptation of the original source material, released just a few years before Carpenter's adaptation hit theaters.

Originally published in the comic book anthology magazine Alien Encounters in 1986, the comic book version of the story, entitled "Nada" – after its protagonist, who would be embodied on screen by pro-wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper – was once more written by original creator Ray Nelson, with art by Bill Wray.

The comic is a condensed, if largely faithful adaptation of "Eight O'Clock in the Morning," and contains several beats that would likewise appear directly in They Live. As with every incarnation of the narrative across different mediums, it is bleak tale, in which tragedy undercuts the hero's final triumph.

Without "Nada", "They Live" May Never Have Happened

"Nada" appeared in Alien Encounters in 1986, and soon after, John Carpenter bought the rights to both Ray Nelson's original short story, and his comic book update of the idea. It seems likely that the comic version helped bring the story to Carpenter's attention. Without the comic, it's entirely possible "Eight O'Clock in the Morning," originally published in 1963, would have remained obscure, like so many other science fiction short stories from the 1950s and '60s. Instead, both the story and the comic served as the basis for the enduring cult hit They Live.

Like the short story that preceded it, "Nada" features its central character George Nada, who is given the terrible responsibility of being able to view the world for how it truly is. People all around him are revealed to be grotesque, inhuman creatures, who control society through media, and consumer products. "We are your friends!" the aliens preach subliminally to humanity through television broadcasts. Nada quickly recognizes this for what it is, a control mechanism, and sets out to save the world.

Nada's Sacrifice Remains The Heart Of The Story In Every Medium

Just as in They Live, "Nada" climaxes with its protagonist revealing the aliens' true forms to the world, though at the cost of his life. The final page of the comic plays out similarly to the iconic closing montage of They Live, with artist Billy Wray's visuals making the story's closing beats too exquisitely arranged for Carpenter not to have drawn inspiration from them. Overall, the "Nada" comic proves that Ray Nelson's plot, and subsequently, John Carpenter's They Live has captivated audiences for decades, not just because of its aliens, but because of the human hero at the story's heart.