Turok
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Turok is the name of a fictional comic book character created by Western Publishing and published first through Dell Comics and then through Gold Key Comics. Turok first appeared in Four Color Comics #596 (1954), then graduated to his own title Turok, Son of Stone. Many years later, Valiant Comics acquired the rights to the character. Valiant was itself acquired by Acclaim Entertainment.
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[edit] Publishing history
[edit] Western Publishing
The original comic was illustrated by Rex Maxon, best known for his work on the Tarzan newspaper strip.
The characters of Turok and Andar were created by Gaylord Du Bois, who wrote all of their stories up through Turok #8, beginning with the first Four Color one-shot.
The Western Publishing version of Turok was a pre-Columbian Native American who, along with his brother, Andar, wound up trapped in an isolated valley populated by dinosaurs, which they called "honkers". The Du Bois stories involve Turok and Andar looking for a way out of the valley. Du Bois was influenced by his visits to Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico and developed the 'Lost Valley' from his visits to the area.
After two appearances in Four Color #596 and #656, the title ran for 27 issues (#3-29) from Dell Comics (1956-62), then under the Gold Key Comics imprint from issues #30-125 (1962-80), then brought back under the Whitman Comics imprint for issues #126-130 (1981-82).
The first Turok one-shot (Four Color #596) was originally written by Du Bois as a "Young Hawk" one-shot. "Young Hawk" was an earlier American Indian comic book series Du Bois created, which appeared in Dell's The Lone Ranger comic book series, beginning in The Lone Ranger #11, and running in the back of every single issue through The Lone Ranger #145, when the series ended. The Young Hawk series featured stories involving an American Indian youth, Young Hawk, and his companion, Little Buck. "Before the coming of the White man, Young Hawk and his people roamed the great western plains ..."
In "Gaylord Du Bois's Account Books Sorted by Title, transcribed by Randall Scott," on page 51 (which is in the Lone Ranger section), one entry reads, "Young Hawk Finds World Below. 16p. For Young Hawk one-shot, 1954. Sent November 22, 1953." The very first Turok story, in Four Color #596, is "Turok and the World Below," 16 pages. Young Hawk has transformed into Turok. In the "Account Books", the entry after the next (from the one previously cited), also page 51, reads, "Young Hawk Conquers the Terrible Ones. 18p. For Young Hawk one-shot, 1954. Sent December 14, 1953." The second Turok story, in Four Color #596, is "Turok and the Terrible Ones," 18 pages. Young Hawk has transformed into Turok.
As late as issue #8 of Turok, Du Bois's last scripts for the series, when the artists had long since established Turok as an adult, Du Bois continued to introduce the two Turok stories in that issue (as he had in previous issues) by describing Turok and Andar as "youths," more befitting Young Hawk than Turok (though Andar was depicted as a youth). The first story in that issue begins, "Turok and Andar, American Indian youths, have found their way into a strange network of deep canyons in the Carlsbad area, where ancient forms of life still exist...They have found no way to get out." The second Turok story in that issue begins, "Trapped in a deep canyon in the Carlsbad area of New Mexico, Turok and Andar, two Indian youths, have met ancient forms of life which have disappeared from all other parts of the world."
As to whether Du Bois knew Turok was being presented as an adult: Du Bois wrote the stories well in advance of their being published, and he communicated with his Script Editor, not the artist. Du Bois said: "... first I describe the picture the artist is to draw, in detail, which includes color, action, expression, background, angle of view, etc. Then I write out the dialogue for balloons, and finally I write the caption or narrative line. I have nothing to do with choosing the artist, as he is chosen by the Art Editor. The artist is free to use or not to use my instructions for each panel. Sometimes he changes the picture I described, to suit his own idea or that of the Art Editor." For all we know, Du Bois was writing the stories for Turok #8 about Turok and Andar as Young Hawk and Little Buck by other names, unaware of the artistic change of age that had taken place in the title character. Young Hawk was a teenage boy. Turok was (in the illustrations depicting him) a full-grown adult.
In issue #7, a third character, Ski-Yu, a pet wolf pup belonging to Turok, was introduced. He appeared in both the Turok stories in that issue, and both the Turok stories in the next issue.
In Du Bois's last Turok story (issue #8, "Turok Seeks the Trail to Freedom", in which Turok encounters a herd of horses, which he calls "slim-legged creatures," having no word for them, as the horse had not yet been introduced to the Americas by the Spanish), Turok scales the cliffs, and escapes the Lost Valley. He is out, but he returns for Andar, who was wounded. Then an avalanche permanently seals the way out, and the series begins anew. Paul S. Newman wrote the Turok stories thenceforth.
As to how Du Bois came up with the idea of dinosaurs (quite a departure from the traditional American Indian adventures of Young Hawk), one can only speculate. Did his editor call him up and tell him, "Write me a Young Hawk one-shot with dinosaurs"? Perhaps we'll never know. But, for sure, we know the very first Turok stories were written by Gaylord Du Bois, as Young Hawk stories for a Young Hawk one-shot that never happened, because their names were changed from Young Hawk and Little Buck to Turok and Andar.
[edit] Valiant Comics
When the character appeared in Valiant Comics, the concept and setting were altered slightly. Turok and Andar were now 18th century American Indians. The isolated valley became the Lost Land - a cosmic anomaly where time moved in a self-contained loop (which meant that while millions of years passed outside of it, inside it, time barely moved at all). Unity, a line-wide Valiant Comics crossover, altered the concept even further. The crossover's main villain, a psychotic, super-powered being known as Mothergod used the Lost Land as the base of operations. She outfitted the dinosaurs with intelligence-boosting implants, turning them into "bionisaurs". In the aftermath of the final battle between Mothergod and Valiant Universe heroes, the Lost Land began to disappear. Turok wound up tossed into the jungles of then present-day Colombia. Andar landed in parts unknown. Unfortunately for Turok, a group of bionisaurs made it to Earth along with him. Since then, he became a ruthless bionisaur hunter. Valiant published a total of 27 issues before Acclaim purchased them, including Original Turok, Son of Stone #1 & 2 and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1-24.
[edit] Acclaim Comics
When Acclaim purchased Valiant and relaunched the Turok title, Turok changed yet again. This time, he was re-imagined by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Rafael Kayanan as a young American Indian boy from a long line of bionisaur hunters.
It is explained that Turok , translates to “Son of Stone” and the previous Turok (from the valiant comics) was named Tal’set. Though in this series he is not the last Turok, before the series main character, Joshua Fireseed
[edit] Turok in other media
The Turok franchise is most notable today for the Turok video games. The first Turok video game appeared early in the life of the Nintendo 64 console, and the next two sequels were also Nintendo exclusives, though were later ported to PC. The fourth installment of the series, Turok: Evolution, released in 2002 across all console formats, was a critical and financial disappointment.
After the success of the Turok video games, a series of Turok novels came out, dealing with the same storyline as the games. The first book was mainly the first game in text and then the second, third and so on were their own stories.
In 2005, Buena Vista Games announced it had acquired the rights to the Turok franchise and would be publishing new games for consoles and handhelds. Propaganda Games will develop the new titles, and will be using Unreal Engine 3 to power the console versions. It will be released on Xbox 360 and PS3.
In Frank Herbert's Dune, Turok was a fremen courier who was killed by Harkonnen troops.
[edit] Animated DVD
On January 2, 2007, the Animation Guild weblog reported that Turok, Son of Stone was being produced as a 70-minute animated DVD for Classic Media by ex-Disney (Aladdin & Hercules) producer Tad Stones. He has also produced the two Hellboy animated movies and the Buzz Lightyear TV series.
[edit] Character history
Turoks have included, in chronological order from earliest to most recent:
- Turok, Son of Stone, hero of the original comics
- Tal'Set, hero of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok: Evolution
- Carl Fireseed, uncle of Joshua Fireseed, Turok from 1982 to 1997
- Joshua Fireseed, nephew of Carl Fireseed, Turok since 1997, hero of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
- Danielle Fireseed and Joseph Fireseed, younger sister and brother, respectively, of Joshua Fireseed, heroes of Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion
- Joseph Turok, hero of Turok
