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Turok

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File:Turok01.jpg
Turok #1 by Valiant Comics

Turok is a fictional American comic book character initially in comics from Western Publishing published through licensee Dell Comics. He first appeared in Four Color Comics #596 (1954), then graduated to his own title, Turok, Son of Stone. Gold Key Comics and Valiant Comics later published the character.

Publishing history

Western Publishing

The original comic was illustrated by Rex Maxon. The writer-creator credit for the characters of Turok and Andar is disputed, with historians citing Matthew H. Murphy, Gaylord Du Bois and Paul S. Newman as the feature's earliest writers.

The Western Publishing version of Turok was a pre-Columbian Native American who, along with his brother Andar, became trapped in an isolated valley populated by dinosaurs, which they called "honkers". The Du Bois stories involve Turok and Andar seeking a way out. Du Bois was influenced by his visits to Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico and developed the "Lost Valley" from his visits to the area.

After two appearances in Four Color #596 and #656, the title ran 27 issues (#3-29) from publisher Dell Comics (1956-62); then issues #30-125 (1962-80) from Gold Key Comics; and finally issues #126-130 (1981-82) back under the Whitman Comics imprint.

The first Turok one-shot (Four Color #596) was originally written by Du Bois as a "Young Hawk" story. "Young Hawk" was an earlier Native American comic book feature Du Bois created, which appeared in Dell's The Lone Ranger comic-book series.

In "Gaylord Du Bois's Account Books Sorted by Title, transcribed by Randall Scott," on page 51 (which is in the Lone Ranger section), one entry reads, "Young Hawk Finds World Below. 16p. For Young Hawk one-shot, 1954. Sent November 22, 1953." The very first Turok story, in Four Color #596, is "Turok and the World Below," 16 pages. In the "Account Books", the entry after the next (from the one previously cited), also page 51, reads, "Young Hawk Conquers the Terrible Ones. 18p. For Young Hawk one-shot, 1954. Sent December 14, 1953." The second Turok story, in Four Color #596, is "Turok and the Terrible Ones," 18 pages. Young Hawk has transformed into Turok.

As late as issue #8 of Turok, Du Bois's last scripts for the series, when the artists had long since established Turok as an adult, Du Bois continued to introduce the two Turok stories in that issue (as he had in previous issues) by describing Turok and Andar as "youths," more befitting Young Hawk than Turok (though Andar was depicted as a youth). The first story in that issue begins, "Turok and Andar, Indian youths, have found their way into a strange network of deep canyons in the Carlsbad area, where ancient forms of life still exist...They have found no way to get out." The second Turok story in that issue begins, "Trapped in a deep canyon in the Carlsbad area of New Mexico, Turok and Andar, two Indian youths, have met ancient forms of life which have disappeared from all other parts of the world."

As to whether Du Bois knew Turok was being presented as an adult: Du Bois wrote the stories well in advance of their being published, and he communicated with his Script Editor, not the artist. Du Bois said:

... first I describe the picture the artist is to draw, in detail, which includes color, action, expression, background, angle of view, etc. Then I write out the dialogue for balloons, and finally I write the caption or narrative line. I have nothing to do with choosing the artist, as he is chosen by the Art Editor. The artist is free to use or not to use my instructions for each panel. Sometimes he changes the picture I described, to suit his own idea or that of the Art Editor.

In issue #7, a third character, Ski-Yu, a pet wolf pup belonging to Turok, was introduced. He appeared in both the Turok stories in that issue, and both the Turok stories in the next issue.

In Du Bois' last Turok story (issue #8, "Turok Seeks the Trail to Freedom", in which Turok encounters a herd of horses, which he calls "slim-legged creatures," having no word for them, as the horse had not yet been introduced to the Americas by the Spanish), Turok scales the cliffs, and escapes the Lost Valley. He is out, but he returns for Andar, who was wounded. Then an avalanche permanently seals the way out, and the series begins anew. Paul S. Newman wrote the Turok stories afterward.

Valiant Comics

When the character appeared in Valiant Comics, the concept and setting were altered slightly. Turok and Andar were now 18th century Native Americans. The isolated valley became the Lost Land - a cosmic anomaly where time moved in a self-contained loop (which meant that while millions of years passed outside of it, inside it, time barely moved at all). Unity, a line-wide Valiant Comics crossover, altered the concept even further. The crossover's main villain, a psychotic, super-powered being known as Mothergod used the Lost Land as the base of operations. She outfitted the dinosaurs with intelligence-boosting implants, turning them into "bionisaurs". In the aftermath of the final battle between Mothergod and Valiant Universe heroes, the Lost Land began to disappear. Turok wound up tossed into the jungles of then present-day Colombia. Andar landed in parts unknown. Unfortunately for Turok, a group of bionisaurs made it to Earth along with him. Since then, he became a ruthless bionisaur hunter. Valiant published a total of 53 issues before Acclaim purchased them, including Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #0-47, Original Turok, Son of Stone #1 & 2, Turok Dinosaur Hunter Yearbook in 1994, and the two-issue mini-series Turok the Hunted in 1996.

Acclaim Comics

When Acclaim purchased Valiant and relaunched the Turok title, Turok changed yet again. This time, he was re-imagined by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Rafael Kayanan as a young Native American boy from a long line of bionisaur hunters.

It is explained that Turok, translates to "Son of Stone" and the previous Turok (from the Valiant comics) was named Tal'set. Though in this series he is not the last Turok, before the series main character, Joshua Fireseed.

Fictional character biography

Turoks have included, in chronological order from earliest to most recent:

In other media

Video games

Main article: Turok video games

The first Turok video game, titled Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, was released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 console. The game was followed by numerous sequels, released for Nintendo 64, Game Boy, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. The most recent game, titled simply Turok, was released in 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Mobile games

The initial mobile game was developed by Disney's Living Mobile Studios and released by Touchstone in 2008. In it, Joseph Turok is a member of the Whiskey Company's elite squad. He Turok survives an airplane crash, and must fend off dinosaurs.

Books

After the success of the Turok video games, a series of Turok novels came out, dealing with the same storyline as the games. The first book was titled Way of the Warrior. The second, Seeds of Evil, was written by Michael Tetelbaum and concerned Turok's fight against the forces of Primagen, who plans to use the Energy Totems to destroy several realities. The third novel, by the same author, is Arena of Doom. Turok's sister, Allison, and their friend Barry are threatened by the Campaigner, and Turok must fight in an arena. A fourth novel, Path Of Destruction, was published in January 1999.

Animated DVD

Turok, Son of Stone is being produced as a 70-minute animated DVD for Classic Media. The screen story is by Evan Baily and Tony Bedard, with a screenplay by Bedard. Adam Beach provides the voice of Turok, with Irene Bedard as the voice of Catori (the wife of Turok's brother), Robert Knepper as the villain Chichak, and Cree Summer as the voice of Sapinta. The movie is directed by Curt Geda, Dan Riba, and Frank Squillace, each of whom directed a third of the movie. Ex-Disney (Aladdin & Hercules) producer Tad Stones was the supervising director. A trailer has been released.

Footnotes

  1. "Press release announcing release date for Turok, Son of Stone direct-to-DVD animated movie".
  2. "Turok: Son of Stone - Movie Trailer". Retrieved 2008-01-10.

References

External links

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