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Author	Topic: The Kamandi Archives
Lightning + Chemicals Member	posted February 24, 2003 12:25 AM I agree that Kamandi was the most entertaining of Kirby's DC creations. I read them all ... "ahem" ... 30 years ago(!) and I would love the opportunity to revisit my initial reactions by rereading them sometime. The Fourth World books were great in concept and scope, if not necessarily in execution -- and forever marred by being derailed before the whole story was told. This has led to several attempts to "recapture the grandeur" or "fulfill the promise" of the New Gods by impressive creators like Evanier, Starlin, Rude, Byrne and Simonson -- it has proven to be an impossible task, commercially if not artistically. The sheer visionary inventiveness of the psuedoscience in Mother Box, Boom Tubes, DNAlien, etc. make these stories worthy of the homage they receive. To my taste, the most entertaining of the Fourth World titles was Jimmy Olsen, again the least publicized of the four. Now of the post-Fourth World titles, Kamandi sticks out again for the inventiveness -- Kirby continued to drop great ideas and plot twists like nobody's business. I never thought OMAC, Sandman or The Demon were able to generate anywhere near the sense of wonder, adventure or fun that Kamandi generated... IP: Logged
Stemp Member	posted February 24, 2003 01:10 PM If they make it a TPB, I'm in. ------------------ Stemp Collect what I like, Like what I collect. "Mongo not know. Mongo only pawn in game of life." IP: Logged
friend Member	posted February 24, 2003 02:15 PM TPB? I'm in too! As a kid they made all the early Kamandi stories availlable in french (I'm in Québec)but since then, I've departed from them. I know that I really enjoyed these. At the same we used to have the planet of the apes movies once a week, three times a year (or so)... I could never escape the parallel between the two except that because Kamandi was a comic (with extraordinary art) it was more cartooned (in the sense of exageration of ideas...). I'd buy a tpb but I only wish they make a lot of 'em so I could see where eventually it goes to - even thought the name of the game is to go nowhere...more of fun trip than destination... Friend. ------------------ http://www.freewebs.com/salamie63/index.htm IP: Logged
GreatBear Member	posted February 25, 2003 11:25 PM I think a TPB series is a great idea! I would introduce the series to a new audience no doubt. I think Kamandi is one of Kirby's more accessible series and could do well if marketed proberly. ------------------ ________________________ Hawkman & Adam Strange Archaeologists Rule! Proud Supporter of Hawkman and his BFM IP: Logged
quincyjb Member	posted February 26, 2003 10:32 PM Were the Brave and the Bold meetings of Batman and Kamandi any good? It seems like a very strange pairing, but they did it twice, so it must have made for an interesting story. IP: Logged
REKLEN Member	posted February 27, 2003 02:15 AM You guys need to re-read Kamandi again. Kirby was way ahead of his time, very inventive. People keep mentioning the Super costume episode, but what about the hotel, when the different beasts have to "fight" over who rules what floor, or the Airquarium, where Kamandi and Company are held in a zoo underwater? Kamandi was political satire, and not as obvious as the "racial" satire used in later Planet of the Apes movies. I also liked how the series was linked to Omac, and no matter what Omac did, he was destined to fail. I think Omac and Kamandi were the most original things Kirby ever did, and nothing he ever did later came close. Excellent Science Fiction. Unfortunately everyone wants to reprint his "dead-end kids" stuff, Boy Commandos, Newsboy legion, instead of the Marvelous worlds he created for DC. People who don't understand the Fourth World don't understand mythology. Star Wars ripped those comics off blind (Give in to your Darkseid? Let the "Source" be with you.) Yet everyone complains about the similarities to Kammandi and Planet of the Apes. I think Kamandi and Jonah Hex, the Fourth World (New Gods and Mr. Miracle anyway) will eventually be archived, and can only hope the Demon and Omac follow suit. The Demon was good until he had to revisit horror movies every issue. Kamandi is underrated, but thats possibly because the Warlord appeared and adequately took its place, and lasted twice as long. Grell story and art is a nice change of pace from years of Kirby. Rambling Reklen IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted February 27, 2003 08:02 PM quote: Originally posted by REKLEN: You guys need to re-read Kamandi again. Kirby was way ahead of his time, very inventive... Kamandi is underrated, but thats possibly because the Warlord appeared and adequately took its place, and lasted twice as long. Grell story and art is a nice change of pace from years of Kirby. Rambling Reklen Good points, Reklen. Warlord was also a good series and should reappear. I understand there was a TPB collecting the beginings of the Warlord saga but its OOP. The Batman team ups were okay - typcial B&B fare. Batman is transported to the future where a squad of bear-men Rangers mistake him for gasp a Bat-man. Wackiness ensures. Kamandi's not everyone' "cup of tea" but Kirby and his successors did some really interesting things and showed us some great images of a strange but familiar world. For example, I always wanted to know more about the NATO forces from Europe - The British Bulldogs, German Apes and Garibaldec (Italian) Wolves! IP: Logged
Owen Cardiff Darcy Member	posted February 27, 2003 11:13 PM quote: Originally posted by REKLEN: Grell story and art is a nice change of pace from years of Kirby. No it isn't. IP: Logged
drrichards New Member	posted February 28, 2003 02:14 AM test IP: Logged
Coleo Member	posted February 28, 2003 09:15 AM quote: Originally posted by quincyjb: Were the Brave and the Bold meetings of Batman and Kamandi any good? I can only speak to the first meeting in B&B #120, from what I consider to be the book's salad years under Haney and Aparo, who in particular was at the top of his game. How you feel about this issue would depend a lot about your opinion of Bob Haney. He never met a DC concept he couldn't totally screw up--he didn't just disregard continuity, but basic logic and characterization much of the time. Of course, I love the guy--his comics were as fun as they were nonsensical. In B&B #120 Haney is a bit tame, but he does manage to violate one of the cardinal rules of the Kamandi universe by introducing an entire tribe of thinking humans. While this is certainly possible, it does seem to violate the spirit of what Kirby was doing in the main Kamandi book. Team-up books are incredibly contrived by their nature, and the plot device by which Batman is transported to the Great Disaster (an ancient Indian spell that uses a copy of B&B #118--no lie--to summon a tangible psychic double of Batman from 1975) really strains credibility as well. Of course, Kamandi himself once found a copy of The Demon in a wrecked shopping mall... My favorite thing about this issue is the way my 4-year-old reacted to it when I read it to him. At the end of the book, Batman asks Kamandi if he'd like to return to 1975 to escape the horror of his world. Kamandi declines and says he'd rather stay and fight for his world's future. Batman returns and hopes to himself that the people of 1975 can build a peaceful world so as to avoid a Great Disaster from arising. Anyway, my son's reaction was "This comic is really sad, Dad. Batman loves Kamandi and wants him to come live with him, but Kamandi can't." Cole IP: Logged
Coleo Member	posted February 28, 2003 09:20 AM quote: Originally posted by REKLEN: You guys need to re-read Kamandi again. Kirby was way ahead of his time, very inventive. I also loved the Watergate issue and the mobster robots of Chicago 2-parter, among other highlights. Cole IP: Logged
Silver Age Adam Member	posted February 28, 2003 02:36 PM I've resisted the gravity of Kamandi. It never seemed like my cup of tea. But since my overwhelming obsession with all things Kirby continues to eat me alive... I would certainly buy Kamandi in a TPB sight unseen. And now that I know Omac is precurser to Kamandi... now I'm hot to dig into THIS little Kirby corner!! WHY AM I NOT INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY?!! ------------------ I INVITE YOU TO SUPPORT OPERATION EMERALD STORM!! Send your extra comic books to our troops fighting in the Persian Gulf!! Emerald Storm c/o The American Red Cross 2700 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90057 Attn: Gwendolyn Parrish IP: Logged
Coleo Member	posted February 28, 2003 03:44 PM quote: Originally posted by Silver Age Adam: And now that I know Omac is precurser to Kamandi... now I'm hot to dig into THIS little Kirby corner!! Did Kirby ever make an explicit OMAC connection in- or outside of the books? My Kamandi collection ends with #40, the last issue drawn by the King--I've heard speculation that Kamandi's grandfather is in fact Buddy Blank himself, but I don't know if it's just that--speculation. I'd tend to count work by subsequent writers as speculation also, just as I've disregarded all non-Kirby New Gods material (as entertaining as some of it can be) as apocryphal. Cole IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted February 28, 2003 10:54 PM quote: Originally posted by Coleo: Did Kirby ever make an explicit OMAC connection in- or outside of the books? I think was after Kirby's tenure, but yes, an explicit conection was established. Grandfather was Buddy Blank. I (Kamandi)was even briefly evolved into OMAC by Brother Eye. IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted March 03, 2003 05:22 PM Kurt Busiek said a couple years ago, he'd be interested in a Kamandi revival. If it ever happened, he'd be a great writer for it. Seems to me there is a market for a Kamandi archive or TPB collect after all. Despite the fact some would prefer other Kirby properties first, many posters here would buy a Kamandi collection. IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted March 03, 2003 05:23 PM Kurt Busiek said a couple years ago, he'd be interested in a Kamandi revival. If it ever happened, he'd be a great writer for it. Seems to me there is a market for a Kamandi archive or TPB collect after all. Despite the fact some would prefer other Kirby properties first, many posters here would buy a Kamandi collection. IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted March 10, 2003 05:01 PM I found an old news item recently saying the producers of Batman Animated series were going to pitch a Kamandi animated series IN THE STYLE OF JACK KIRBY. Since they have gone on to do Justice League I guess the network types didn't buy into Kamandi. But how cool could that have been?! IP: Logged
Coleo Member	posted March 10, 2003 07:29 PM IIRC, Dini and Timm wanted to adapt the comic verbatim, issue by issue, (talk about cool) and the suits were bothered that there wasn't a regular female character among other things. I guess they felt it wasn't widely marketable. Seems silly; I've always thought that Kamandi would be a natural for not only animation, but especially for the toy market. And think of the potential for video games! I still think Kamandi is a potential gold mine for DC in hibernation. Cole IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted March 11, 2003 02:37 PM quote: Originally posted by Coleo: IIRC, Dini and Timm wanted to adapt the comic verbatim, issue by issue, (talk about cool) and the suits were bothered that there wasn't a regular female character among other things. BOGGLE What about Spirit and Pyra and .... Besides, tv producers are not above tinkering to add characters to the mix. The Superboy writers gave Prince Tuftan a female lion love interested. And, yes, she had the line, "Face it, Tiger, you just hit the jackpot!" An well, we can dream. It does seem to be a favorite with a number of creative professionals. Maybe someday it wil be revived. IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted March 19, 2003 02:34 AM I hear there are Kamandi references in the latest installment of John Byrne's Generations - I'll have to check that out. IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted March 23, 2003 12:09 AM Here's a link to Bruce Timm's comments on producing a Kamandi cartoon series: http://jl.toonzone.net/kamandi/kamandi.htm IP: Logged
GreatBear Member	posted March 30, 2003 02:46 AM Okay, it's tough coming up with something new to say, other than I want a Kamandi Archive! On a side note, I really miss having REAL news from Bob G. to talk about. On the whole I think his answers were very positive and built good "buzz" for upcoming releases. IP: Logged
NecessaryImpurity Member	posted March 30, 2003 02:59 AM DC doesn't want buzz. The neighbors call the Orkin man. For an industry that is evaporating one fan at a time, you'd think the dictum "any publicity is good publicity" would rule. But what do I know? IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted March 31, 2003 01:35 AM quote: Originally posted by GreatBear: Okay, it's tough coming up with something new to say, other than I want a Kamandi Archive! Before his absence, Bob G. did hint at two things: 1) There were multiple Kirby reprint projects in the works. 2) Now that the war stories archives were underway (Sgt. Rock, Blackhawk, Enemy Ace) SF archives were being considered. Adam Strange, Kamandi and Atomic Knight seem to be the favorites here in DCUA. Bob, we miss you! Thanks for the time you did spend here, and you're alway welcome when you have the time. IP: Logged
Kamandi Last Boy on Earth Member	posted April 04, 2003 08:14 PM Apparently there are Kamandi/Omac/Great Disaster doin's a transpirin' in John Byrne's Generations III comic series. Since I didn't read I & II, I'm reluctant to jump into III, but I may have a look at it on the rack.... IP: Logged

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