KIRBY'S 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY COVER & SPLASH PAGE GALLERY...

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It started with JACK KIRBY's 1976 treasury-sized illustrated adaptation of STANLEY KUBRICK's movie, based on ARTHUR C. CLARKE's novel, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.  It then continued in a regular comicbook series which introduced MISTER MACHINE, who later went on to star in his own magazine entitled MACHINE MAN.  At least, that's the READERS' DIGEST version, but, strictly speaking it's not entirely accurate.  Clarke and Kubrick worked on the novel together (based on various short stories by Clarke) at the same time the movie was being made, but wasn't published until shortly after its release in 1968 - with Clarke named as sole author.

Kirby's adaptation incorporated elements from both the book and the movie, so he'd obviously read the novel, but what you may be wondering is - whose idea was the adaptation, Jack's or Marvel's?  After all, the movie was eight years old, not a recent blockbuster hit, and was therefore hardly likely to generate much interest in spin-off merchandise.  Was this yet another sign of just how out-of-touch Jack was with reader's tastes?  Ten issues - in which the last three completely changed direction - proves conclusively that the mag failed to generate much of a following amongst the assembled masses of Merry Marvel Madmen.

Or was it Marvel who had misjudged the potential?  Doubtful.  I'm led to believe that doing the adaptation was a condition that Jack negotiated with Marvel, who agreed in order to get him to sign on the dotted line.  Licence fees for movie adaptations aren't cheap, but Marvel must have figured it was worth it to get him to rejoin the fold.  It was the Bullpen equivalent of slaying the fatted calf upon the return of the prodigal son.  The 'King' was back - but not for long, alas!

However, all that is now history - and what we're interested in is what was then the future.  So let's all go on an odyssey of our own, as we look at the covers and splash pages of one of Jack's shortest-lived Marvel monthlies from the sizzlin' '70s.

Part Two coming soon!