Showing posts with label Mike Royer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Royer. Show all posts

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Reading Room 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Vira the She-Demon" Conclusion

In the prehistoric past, a lone woman, Vira, is granted skills and knowledge by the mysterious Monolith which she uses to manipulate the hostile and less-intelligent men around her to keep herself alive, manipulating their supersitious fears by appearing to be a supernatural being.
Transitioning to the post-2001 world, we encounter astronaut Vera Gentry, assigned to a lonely outpost...
As in the movie and previous issue, the protaganist is "transitioned" to a higher life-form
But what happens when the subject doesn't become a "new seed"...you'll find out next Friday!
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Friday, September 15, 2017

Friday Fun 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Vira the She-Demon" Part 1

Once more, Clarke and Kubrick's mysterious Monolith becomes a metaphor...
...as Jack (King) Kirby asks the questions only he can answer...in his inimitable style!
It's not clearly indicated how long after the events of the movie this never-reprinted tale from Marvel's 2001: a Space Odyssey #2 (1977) by writer/penciler Jack Kirby and inker Mile Royer takes place.
In the flick, it took months for The Discovery to make it to Jupiter, but astronaut Gentry implies this is almost a second-rate assignment no one wants!
Plus, considering how many lives were lost on the ill-fated Discovery mission, why is she working alone?
But she's still wearing a movie-style spacesuit, so it's probably within 20 years of the movie...
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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Reading Room 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Beast-Killer!" Conclusion

...the mysterious Monolith providing guidance in constructing tools and weapons to primitive Man, in this case, one who becomes known as "Beast-Killer"...
The second part of this never-reprinted sequel tale from Marvel's 2001: a Space Odyssey #1 (1976) adheres closely to the structure of the last part of the movie...astronaut in peril encounters Monolith, travels through it and is transformed/reborn as an immensely-powerful being resembling a human fetus!
But Jack Kirby was never one to be predictible, as the second issue will reveal...Next Friday!
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Friday, September 8, 2017

Friday Fun 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Beast-Killer!" Part 1

We begin a new arc of never-reprinted tales...
...with the premiere story from Jack Kirby's sequel series to 2001: a Space Odyssey!
(Note: I'm pretty sure this was meant to be the left side of a two-page spread, but Marvel's cutting the page count from 18 to 17 for several months simply meant leaving out the right-hand page!)
Not exactly what Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C Clarke had in mind, I'll wager.
We see the mysterious Monolith and spacesuits designed for the movie along with a transition from past to future mirroring the one in the film, but that's about all that carries over from the cinematic experience...up to this point!
Written and penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Mike Royer, Marvel's 2001: a Space Odyssey #1 (1976) diverged wildly from the movie and novel, going into a more pulp magazine/comic book universe where aliens were known to exist and interplanetary travel was commonplace!
How it actually links to the movie will be apparent in the conclusion.
BTW, thanks to fellow blogger Rip Jagger for inspiring this new chapter in Friday Fun.
His amazing Tribute to Jack Kirby reminded me that I had already run half of The King's version of the world created by Clarke and Kubrick, and prompted me to re-present the series that hadn't seen the light of day since it's publication over 40 years ago,,,far too long for Kirbyphiles to be denied a look at it!
You can see the earlier installments by clicking on the titles...
and
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Monday, October 10, 2016

Reading Room CAPTAIN JOHNER AND THE ALIENS "Danger from Beyond"

We Have Already Seen...
...and things suddenly look and sound...different!
Creator/writer/artist Russ Manning is gone from both this strip and Magnus as of this issue, Gold Key's Magnus, Robot Fighter #23 (1968)!
The change in style and tone is jarring, though long-time penciler Paul Norris and (especially) inker Mike Royer try to maintain the detailed, slick look Manning brought to the strip!
The new writer is unknown, but whoever it is, he seemed to have trouble following the concepts Manning was presenting!
So, pending a massive outcry from a disappointed audience, this will be our final entry to the saga of Captain Johner and the Aliens...
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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Reading Room 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Hotline to Hades" Conclusion

...sentient robot X-51/Aaron Stack/Mister Machine has been disassembled by the Brotherhood of Hades and his brain is about to be probed by the group's leader...The Great Monitor!
Written and penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Mike Royer, this final issue of Marvel's 2001: a Space Odyssey kicks-off the saga of Machine Man, but is not included in the current trade paperback compilation of his solo appearances due to licensing restrictions tied to the legendary MGM movie, which this series was a sequel to!

Six months later, in early 1978, Jack continued  X-51/Aaron Stack's story in the first issue of Machine Man (because "Mister Machine" was trademarked by Ideal Toys) .
Kirby would stay on the book until his contract with Marvel ended in late 1978.
The book was cancelled with #9, then, after a multi-part guest appearance in Incredible Hulk 235-237 (which placed the character firmly in the Marvel Universe), the title was revived with writer Marv Wolfman and artist Steve Ditko reimagining the character, who's become a major part of Marvel ever since!
But you can read all that stuff in the trade paperback compilation now on sale at Amazon!
Tomorrow, we'll have a look at another robot (with a Marvel comic connection) who fought evil while disassembled!
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