Reading Room 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Inter-Galactica" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Hero...

...astronaut/fanboy/nerd Harvey Norton and an alien he calls "Princess" are fleeing from hostiles in her spacecraft...

We never learn who the aliens are or what becomes of the transformed Norton.
(The next story details a different astronaut "upgraded" to a cosmic fetus.)
Was this never-reprinted tale from Marvel's 2001: A Space Odyssey #6 (1977) by writer/artist Jack Kirby and inker Mike Royer a "love letter" to comics fans or a snide rip at them?
Considering readers (and many staffers at Marvel) were vocal in their unhappiness at Kirby's work after his return to the "House of Ideas" in 1975, it would be understandable if "The King" chose to vent a bit via his storytelling...

Reading Room 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Inter-Galactica" Part 1

We Have Already Seen...

...fanboy/nerd Harvey Norton, influenced by the Monolith, joins the space program and ends up on a research flight to Neptune, where he and his crewmates find an alien space capsule with a passenger inside.
Then a group of unfriendly aliens show up to claim it and the passenger...

Have they run out of space and time?
Tune in tomorrow to find out!

This never-reprinted tale from #6 of Marvel's 2001: A Space Odyssey sequel series took some strange turns I'm sure Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C Clarke never envisioned.

But ya gotta admit writer/penciler Jack Kirby and inker Mike Royer made it interesting...

Reading Room 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Norton of New York 2040 A.D." Conclusion

When Last We Left Comics Fanboy Norton in the New York City of 2040...

After a disappointing interactive experience at the Comicsville amusement facility, Norton heads home...

Can a comics fanboy save the Earth?

Be here Next Week to find out!

At the time (1975), writer/penciler Jack Kirby was heavily-criticized for much of his output after returing to Marvel.

The audience wanted more Marvel continuity-oriented material, considering his Captain America and Black Panther series to be too drastic a change in their creative direction and new projects like Eternals, Devil Dinosaur, and 2001 (which didn't tie-in to the Marvel Universe) to be eccentric failures.

Kirby ended up integrating some series into the MU, introducing S.H.I.E.L.D. into The Eternals and creating X-51 (originally called "Mister Machine", but altered to "Machine Man" when Ideal Toys claimed trademark infrigement.) in the final three issues of 2001.

Marvel brought Devil Dinosaur into conflict with Godzilla, then made him a member of Fallen Angels.

Ironically, Kirby's work from this period is now lauded as exciting, innovative, and even astoundingly-creative and is almost all back in print (except for 2001, due to licensing problems!)

Reading Room 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY "Norton of New York 2040 A.D." Part 1

Jack "King" Kirby presented the idea of an interactive comics-themed amusement park 39 years ago...

...in this never-reprinted tale from Marvel's 2001: A Space Odyssey #5 (1977).

And kids today wonder why we still call him "The King".

BTW, at the time, letters columns and fanzines (we didn't have blogs and message boards back then) complained Kirby was mocking comics fans!

The story continues tomorrow as fanboy Norton makes a fateful choice!

Written and penciled by Kirby, inked by Mike Royer, this highly-imaginative series based on the concepts presented in the landmark Stanley Kubrick/Arthur C Clarke cinematic collaboration and goes off in directions that only Kirby could conceive.

DC Comics Comments about the Fans...

From Bleeding Cool...

Click on the art to enlarge

Part of DC's presentation to retailers at this year's San Diego ComicCon.
Well, at least they used classic Silver Age art! (But why did they screw up The Atom's costume colors?)

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Comic Book Collectibles Shop!

And these fandom-related goodies from Amazon...

The Day the Universe "Came"!

Some days, there are no words that can do justice....
(And, yes, it's a real cover from 1969!)