Of course its Historical inaccuracy, but the quoted history is so far out, it’s quite funny (at least in my opinion)
But of course I was far from the only one to spot the rather glaring error - if we take a look at the letter page (“Monolith Mail”) from issue 4 of 2001 we see Gary Sanger was all over this way back in 1976!
Take it away Gary...
“Gentlemen:
The Opening of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY in the New Orleans region of the Miocene period is geologically impossible. The Miocene period - from 25 million to 13 million years ago - occurred long before the emergence of the earliest ancestors of man (circa 4 million years ago). Therefore, “The one who hunts alone” belongs at least 11 million years later, in the Pleistocene period”
So okay Jack was a few million years out, right? That’s not too bad ? Maybe, but then it gets worse... as Gary continues...
“In addition, the New Orleans region was formed by the build up of the Mississippi delta. Thus, there was no mountainous areas in that region at that time.”
Well, maybe the “New” in New Orleans could have been a hint but you know what they say about those who live in glass houses...
Anyways - whomever replied to this letter had this to say
...”it looks like you have got us dead to rights on the Miocene faux pas! We’ll head back to the books and try and keep our pre-history geology straight in the futurei”
“a faux pas?”
oh pardon moi!
Why do I feel like quoting parts of the infamous “french taunter” scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail?!
Something to do with “your father smelling of elderberries” or some such?
Gee, next I will be asking Siri about the weight of a unladen swallow..
Ah, there’s the hysteria! I knew it was around here someplace...
Anyways slightly farcical history aside there are a number of points which I pick up from last week
Firstly, as you might have seen above the lead (and so far only) character is called “The one who hunts alone” - as alluded to last week there is no character actually called "Beast Killer” - the nomenclature chosen instead though suggests to me native American indian / tribal naming though - a rough analogue for the reality- one could possibly suggest that speech should not be that developed in this character even if he was in the Pleistocene period where he belongs.
But wait a minute who said this story was actually set in reality? This is a universe that features the Monolith which by implication not only clearly defines this as fantasy but also suggests that the presence of the Monolith could have resulted in a completely different pre history
I don't think there was ever a claim that 2001 the movie was an actually literal retelling of pre history as there is even inaccuracies in the “dawn of man” sequence (such as the use of animals that wouldn't have existed in the same time period)
Maybe Jack Kirby was trying to make it really clear the comic was not a historically accurate story at all but a parallel universe shaped by and molded by the Monolith
So where does that leave the reply to the letter or its printing in the first place, like the very large wooly mammoth in the drawing, its all just a oversized shaggy dog story (sorry couldn't resist that..)
One thing we can take from this page is the definition of the “the one who hunts alone” quest in pursuit of bigger, swifter beasts
Which is where we will pick up next week...
Comics changed my life
It is now just over one week until Saturday 17th December where I will be taking my first turn behind the table at a comics event since this blog started!
As last weeks blog entry was rather long and a bit confusing - here is a quick refresh
For all of you who will not be able to make it on the day I am offering all the following items for sale via eBay starting next Thursday 15th December - all items will be starting from just $1 and all proceeds will go 100% to Macmillan.
A very limited edition print run 2 copies of IDFW Collected Volume 1 this will contain issues 1 -12 of Images Degrading Weekly, the first half of the Frank Miller / Klaus Jason run these will be signed and numbered.
This is what Matt Seneca had to say about this blog:-
"The guy's an incredible blogger too: his process posts are in-depth and absorbing, and the odd little non sequiturs and ideas he throws into almost every sentence he writes stick in the brain like velcro made of thought."
2 x hand drawn “Sha-ka-ree” (from “Doubtland”) based on Steranko art , these will be signed, numbered and will be personalized with purchasers choice of dialogue in the speech balloon
2 x hand drawn “Daredevil” based on Janson / Miller art, these will be signed, numbered and will be personalized with purchasers choice of dialogue in the thought balloon
A very limited edition print run 2 copies of issue one of “Doubtland” my redrawn and “reimagined” variation of Steranko’s Outland these will be signed and numbered (yes this is real it does exist and is completed) - each copy of this will come with a free hand drawn “Sha-ka-ree” as above.
This is what Matt Seneca had to say about the drawings :-
"...the real thrill of Doubtland for me is the bald conceptual straightforwardness of it all, the uncertainty around who the artist of the project really is, the guts that go into planting a flag squarely in the middle of the flawed territory that is this work..."
"seeing him change Outland -- evolve it, even -- like it's melted plastic being poured out of its mold is exciting me more than anything else in comics right now."
A very limited edition print run 2 copies of “BOOM”, based on Steranko art, degraded by me and then painted by Matt Seneca - these will be signed and numbered
A very limited edition print run 2 copies of “Copyright”, based on David Lloyd art, degraded by me, complete with text story - these will be signed and numbered
And finally
A very limited edition print run 2 copies of “Matt? Is something wrong?”- these will be signed and numbered
Items on eBay will be on an open auction for one week and all will start from $1, I will let you all decide how much any of this is worth!
For those who can make it 2 copies of all the above will be on sale at UK prices plus there will be free print copies of issues 12 and 13 of Images Degrading Forever and due you can also unfortunately see me in person, oh well it cant all be sunshine and roses, eh?
There will be more on “comics changed my life” next week for sure!
Images Degrading Forever Weekly
This week we have issue 12 – “Is something wrong“ where Foggy gets some sympathy for Matt Murdock, while I have little sympathy for Marvels work-for-hire policies and the return of the Alex Hunt Interview
It's available via digital subscription, just send me a email to robin.barnard@ymail.com and this is yours absolutely FREE
That is it for this week, join me next week along with a Procamelus!
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