This title relates the adventures of two Plains Indians of the Mandan tribe who, while searching for water in the Carlsbad Caverns, discover a hidden valley deep within its recesses. Turok and his young companion, Andar, discover The Lost Valley – a prehistoric sub-universe where dwell cavemen and dinosaurs. Thereafter, they spend their days hunting Jurassic monsters with bow and arrow. How cool is that?
I love this story, with its Biblical overtones of forbidden fruit. I hate myself for not being able to identify this cover artist. Penciling and inking is by Alberto Giolitti, Gold Key’s master of Chiaroscuro. This is also a fine example of Gold Key’s “borderless panels” employed to bring a fine art look to the page. Favorite Giolitti moment? The stoner cave men, laying about the cave floor like junkies on the nod (page 3 – last panel). This is from Turok, Son of Stone No. 31, February, 1963. All scans are from my own comic. Just click the image for the big picture.
I love this story, with its Biblical overtones of forbidden fruit. I hate myself for not being able to identify this cover artist. Penciling and inking is by Alberto Giolitti, Gold Key’s master of Chiaroscuro. This is also a fine example of Gold Key’s “borderless panels” employed to bring a fine art look to the page. Favorite Giolitti moment? The stoner cave men, laying about the cave floor like junkies on the nod (page 3 – last panel). This is from Turok, Son of Stone No. 31, February, 1963. All scans are from my own comic. Just click the image for the big picture.
Gold Key knew they were onto a good thing with the painted covers. They were so rightfully proud of them; they often turned their back covers into “pin-ups” sans all titles and logos. Here’s a prime pin up!
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12 comments:
Hooray, Turok! I can't stand the cheesy, Acclaim version. Giolitti's work really shines in this series.
i've never read a turok comic. they're pretty nifty!
Aaron: I feel the same way about Turok! Hooray! Giolitti is the man! Thanks for stoping by! -- Mykal
Hey, Keith: They are nifty, aren't they? I'll be posting some more before too long, because this title was one of my favorites. Stay tuned, same time, same channel! -- Mykal
I love it, Mykal!
Clearly an anti-drug message hidden(?) in a prehistoric comic! This story was a real 'trip' -- from the start you get pulled into the action, and it doesn't let up...we won't go into how multiple people saw the same exact 'vision' or hallucination. Stoner cavemen! Yeah, I like the guy reclining leaning on his elbow!
An observation - I was lucky enough to own one Turok comic as a kid - I notice that nearly every cover seemed to have a certain formula - giant dinosaurs, of course! The dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures inevitably are the focus on these comics covers, so much so that quite often (as in this cover - beautiful colors!) our main characters are shown with their backs to the reader (and so tiny)! Always fightin' the dino--er, I mean 'honkers'! ...even the interior art has quite a few 'back of the head' shots... beautiful art by Giolitti, I can appreciate it more as an adult, when as a kid it just wasn't...Marvel! Hey, I was a kid!
Nice stuff!
Apocolyte: I love how Andar is so obviously jonesing at the end, so much so that Turok has to slap the fruit out of his hand!
"It wasn't Marvel." Bingo, my friend! I think you have hit the nail on the head for why Gold Key always ran a step or two behind the big boys back in the day. Their artwork was always a tad realistic for your average marvel hungry kid (and weren't we all?); they really lacked the classic (and wonderful) superhero exaggeration of the both Marvel and DC. I have come to appreciate them more and more as the years advance.
Your observation about the covers is accurate, too. I think the idea was to put have the viewer see things from Turok's perspective; in other words, about to get eaten.
Thanks for coming by and thanks for the comments. -- Mykal
BTW - re-looking at that cover, after considering the interior story, that cover really does give you a sense that you are on drugs!! VERY trippy...it didn't dawn on me until after digesting the interior content and gazing lovingly at that cover! In that regard the artist's interpretation is excellent! See ya!
Apocolyte: That cover was so pretty, I thought it deserved posting the pin up! You are so right, that cover is very, very clever and deserves close study. I love how a lot of it is unclear or hazy. Man, are those dinosaur feet or tree roots! - Mykal
For me, it was always a thrill to pick up isues of this series. There really wasn't anything like it at the time and at least for me, Valiant/Acclaims's rebooted version blew chunks in comparison to the original.
Chuck: What little I have seen of the Valiant Acclaim stuff, they were shooting for a superhero with bulging muscles or barbarian sort of update, which missed the whole point. These were two native Americans hunting dinosaurs with bows and arrows and spears, running into dangerous cavemen into the bargain! That was what was fascinating about it. -- Mykal
Mykal, I was so excited about this post I wrote up a quick piece on the sheer awesomeness of Turok, Son of Stone. I was sure to include a link to your post.
If I can afford it,I always pick up a Turok whenever I stumble across one. Of course, since every cover is Turok and Andar fighting a dinosaur, it's easy to lose track of which ones you have !
Keep up the awesomeness.
Aaron
Aaron: Thanks, pal! -- Mykal
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