2001: A Space Odyssey (comics)
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- For other uses, see 2001: A Space Odyssey (disambiguation).
2001: A Space Odyssey was the name of an oversized comic book adaptation of the 1968 film of the same name and a 10-issue monthly series "expanding" on the ideas presented in the film and the eponymous Arthur C. Clarke novel. Jack Kirby wrote and pencilled both the adaptation and the series, which were published by Marvel Comics beginning in 1976.
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[edit] The Treasury Edition
Marvel published the adaptation in its then-common treasury edition format featuring tabloid-sized pages of roughly twice the size of a normal comic book. The story is close adaptation of the events of the film, but differs in the fact that Kirby incorporated additional dialog from two other sources: the Clarke/Kubrick novel, and a copy of an earlier draft script of the film that included the more colloquial-sounding version of HAL 9000, as originally voiced by actor Douglas Rain. In addition, the comic narrative captions describe the characters' thoughts and feelings, a significantly different approach from that taken by the film.
The treasury edition also contained a 10-page article entitled 2001: A Space Legacy written by David A. Kraft.
[edit] The monthly series
Shortly after the publication of the treasury edition, Kirby continued to explore the concepts of 2001 in a monthly comic book series of the same name, the first issue of which was dated December 1976. In this issue, Kirby followed the pattern established in the film. Once again the reader encounters a prehistoric man (Beast-Killer) who gains new insight upon encountering a monolith as did Moon-Watcher in the film. The scene then shifts, where a descendant of Beast-Killer is part of a space mission to explore yet another monolith. When he finds it, this monolith begins to transform the astronaut into a star child, called in the comic a New Seed.
Issues 1-6 of the series replay the same idea with different characters in different situations, both prehistoric and futuristic. In #7, the comic opens with the birth of a New Seed who then travels the galaxy witnessing the suffering that men cause each other. While the New Seed is unable or unwilling to prevent this devastation, he takes the essence of two doomed lovers and uses it to seed another planet with the potential for human life.
In issue #8 of the comic, Kirby introduces Mister Machine, who will later become known as Machine Man. Mister Machine is an advanced robot designated X-51. All the other robots in the X series rampage as they achieve sentience and are destroyed. X-51, supported by both the love of his creator Dr. Abel Stack and an encounter with a monolith, transcends the malfunction that destroyed his siblings. After the death of Dr. Stack, X-51 takes the name Aaron Stack and begins to blend into humanity. Issues 9 and 10, the final issues of the series, continue the story of X-51 as he flees destruction at the hands of the Army. These issues contain no further appearances of the monolith and are better considered as the first installments of X-51's own Kirby-created series, Machine Man, which began the next year.
[edit] Clarke and Kubrick's thoughts on the series
It's well documented that Kubrick never approved any spinoffs or sequels to the original film, but licensing was not under his control. While no specific comments on the series by Kubrick have been recorded, it is speculated that he would have disapproved of it for the same reasons he gave for not wanting any spinoffs or sequels in the first place: he wanted 2001: A Space Odyssey to remain unique.
In 1999, Clarke was contacted by Simon Atkinson, illustrator for 2001: Filming the Future and a regular on sci.space.history regarding his thoughts on the comic series. Clarke, however, remembered the series was printed, but had no recollection of ever having read it.
[edit] Trivia
In Fantastic Four #176, when Impossible Man demands have to have his own comic, Jack Kirby offers to put him in either Eternals or 2001: A Space Odyssey.
[edit] External links
- 2001: A Space Odyssey comic cover gallery
- Sci.Fi Dimensions
- TwoMorrows
- Sir Arthur C. Clarke at MysteryVisits.com
| The Space Odyssey series | |
|---|---|
| Films | 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) | 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) |
| Novels | 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) | 2010: Odyssey Two (1982) | 2061: Odyssey Three (1987) | 3001: The Final Odyssey (1997) |
| Comics | 2001: A Space Odyssey (1976) |
| Short stories | "The Sentinel" (written 1948, first published 1951 as "Sentinel of Eternity") |
| Characters | HAL 9000 | David Bowman | Dr. Chandra | Walter Curnow | Heywood Floyd | Frank Poole |
| Vehicles | Discovery One | EVA Pod | Leonov | Orion III | Aries Ib | Space Station V |
| Locations | Earth | Moon | Clavius Base | Tycho | Jupiter | Europa | Io | Ganymede | Saturn | Iapetus |
| Cast | Keir Dullea | John Lithgow | Gary Lockwood | Helen Mirren | Douglas Rain | Roy Scheider | William Sylvester | Leonard Rossiter | Margaret Tyzack |
| Crew/creators | Arthur C. Clarke | Peter Hyams | Jack Kirby | Stanley Kubrick |
| Interpretations | Interpretations of 2001: A Space Odyssey |
| Music | Alex North's 2001: A Space Odyssey |
