Many years ago l was driving around in an isolated stretch of Northern Michigan. Basically l was lost. Eventually l drive up upon a small village - containing a small one room schoolhouse. It had been preserved and was open for people to visit. Oddly enough, l stopped and wandered in. What did l see in the corner of the one-room schoolhouse but a huge bundle of original printing of KAMANDI #1! Freshly bundled and just lying on the floor, just as if it had been delivered fresh from the printers! I couldn't believe it! No one was around to question or inquire - so l peeled off two copies from the bundle, and left a hefty donation in the cash box. I felt like Jack himself was talking to me from beyond our realm, and it was my duty to partake of his excellent work. I didn't mind being lost, for l found a priceless treasure that made my lost trip in the Michigan woods a surreal adventure worthy of Ben Boxer himself!
Not sure I agree with that assessment. Jack Kirby needed Stan Lee like John Lennon needed Paul McCartney to make great music and just not good music. Stan Lee was the driving force bringing Marvel to television, radio even newspaper strips. Jack was indeed the king, but even a king needs a Merlin on his side. Stan gets too much of a bad rap from the fans without appreciating there would be no Marvel, Image, DC, or movies without Stan Lee's vision and aggressiveness.
I mostly agree, but Stan was a heckuva salesman for comics, in general. While Jack (and Ditko) had all the ideas, Stan was good at making the dialogue flow. I LOVE Kirby's Fourth World, but the dialogue is a little clunky. Still Jack Kirby > Stan Lee.
@allenrobinson9890 You probably read that as a child. Read it now. When you read it it was over your head. Jack Kirby stuff is now legend. Stan Lee stuff was child like super heroes whining at each other like 10 years old at the play ground. Go revisit this stuff as a adult and you will have new perspective. Remember Jack and Steve Ditko took months to draw it and Stan came by and copy and paste the dialog.
Without Stan Lee we wouldn’t have The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Hulk…or perhaps even a comic book industry today. Trying to downplay Lee’s importance to comics is pure foolishness. Kirby and Ditko were great comic book creators but Stan Lee was a far better writer than either of them. Nuff said!
@@allenrobinson9890 Stan Lee took credit for all Jack Kirby,Steve Ditko, John Romita,Gene Colan and yes Don Heck's work. A lot of people were programed as a child that it was Stan Lee. This just this last year Marvel/Disney had to pay out millions to the estates including Don Heck and Steve Ditko for creator ownership. Sorry, guys but you were brainwashed that it was all Stan Lee. Hope you don't think it was Roy Thomas with Conan as he was lifting Robert Howard stories. As a child we didn't understand the Marvel way which was give a few lines to the artist. The artist would draw the whole comic than Stan would come by and put his dialogue in. In fact this got Wally Wood so mad he quit Marvel. Wally Wood who created the iconic Daredevil costume.
I was exactly the best age to get introduced to Kamandi, Planet of the Apes, Thundarr the Barbarian, Gamma World, and much more post-apocalyptic stories back in the '70's. Love re-reading these stories. Finally got the book of reprinted full size Kirby art for the Kamandi comic last month. Wonderful stuff! Thanks for reminding me of this fun trope.
When I was a kid, my mom bought me one of those Sears comic book collections. And it was made up mostly of old Marvel and DC Jack Kirby overstock from the 70's. Which I loved! And it happened to have several issues of Kamandi, including the first. I instantly fell in love with that book and anytime I was at a comic shop tried to track down a few issues. I sold most of my comics in the 90's. But I recently started getting Kamandi books again, since I found a reasonably priced copy of #1 again. Kamandi was cool because it was it's own thing and it was paced very well. Each issue had Kamandi meeting new people and mutants and moving along on his quest. And it felt like a real adventure! I have fond memories of Kamandi and the Demon in particular from Kirby's 70's run. Great stuff!
Back in the 1980s I would go to flea markets and buy random issues of Kamandi, I loved this series even the ones Kirby didn’t do. Definitely a high recommendation.
Loved all of Mr Kirbys 70's DC work and would get anything of his that turned up on the spinning rack, only got a few Kamandis and never knew the origin till now so thanks for that. And the writing never bothered me, I would chose a comic by its artwork over anything else. I do remember Kamandi riding a giant cricket called Klik Klak I think.🦗
Wow, this is unbelievable! I collected comics, mostly Marvel but a few DC here and there, and somehow the first two issues of Kamandi ended up in my collection. I think I held onto them because I knew it was a Jack Kirby production, and being a Captain America fan I knew who he was and I thought anything by Jack was worth collecting. I never sold those issues and they remain in the remnants of my collection to this day. In almost 50 years, nobody has ever talked about this comic...until now. Thank you for trying to make Kamandi relevant again.
“I can’t quite put my finger on it.” 😂. I don’t remember ver hearing about it, but it sounds awesome! I’m definitely going to get this… sounds right up my alley. Thanks!
So many DC 70s apocalypse futures. Kamandi, the Atomic Knights, even Warlord (which I know is hollow earth, not a future). But there was a lot to keep track of.
P.S. l really dug Klik Klak! I admit that l even got emotional when that giant grasshopper died, which spoke of the power and majesty of Jack's wonderfully crazy writing! Thanks for the look back at a great, timeless comic!
I always liked Kamandi.I had a few hand me down Kamandi comic books from my older brothers. It also reminded me of a cartoon that I loved when I was a kid called Thundaar The Barbarian 👍😎
I have both volumes and have been reading vol. 1. I'm about 2/3 through it, and, I agree completely, it is a blast. I've come to a personal happy place with Kirby's writing - I know what I'm going to get, so I wait until I'm in the mood to read it, and whatta ya know, I almost always enjoy it.
Not only is the future bleak but he's the boy with the most unruly hair, obviously channelling the spirit of Ditko's the Creeper into the dystopian future. Great art, weird adventures.
I was aware of Kamandi back in its day, but never read it. All I knew about it was it was one of Kirby’s whacky solo DC efforts. Aside from the artwork, it held little interest for me, and I felt his art was weakening in those days. But … you sold me! I’m ordering volume 1. What a world!
Who did what is mostly lost in the mists of time and fading memory; I'm content with Kirby, Lee, Ditko, Larry Leiber, Marie Severin and other greats present at the dawn of the Marvel Age all throwing innovative ideas around and building on each other's creativity. Kamandi lasted much longer than all Kirby's other early Bronze Age books at DC and its legacy can still be seen in concepts like OMAC, which was an important element of Identity Crisis. And I echo your assessment of Kamandi, it is still great fun.
Wow, another great deep cut! And I know what you mean about Kirbys writing I remember enjoying Kamandi a lot, but I recently read his Jimmy Olsen run--and I didn't understand one thing that happened in it!
I have this collection but haven't read it. I greatly admire Kirby's art work and imagination, but some of his stories needed logic. I read New Gods and while I kept reading the collection to the end I ended up giving to the used book store. It was bonkers. Both bonkers good and bonkers bad. He is weirdly like Grant Morrison in that way. (Even if those two come across as really different people.)
Yay! I love Kamandi. I bought the first issue when it hit the spinner rack and followed it faithfully for quite a while. One of JKs best. As a PotA fan I saw the parallels. Great stuff.
Kamandi was more fun than good, for my 15¢. Kirby could create, and plot, and draw... but he had trouble writing his way out of a paper bag, and he could be heavy-handed with the borrowing from popular culture. I liked The Demon and Mister Miracle best of all his DC work -- they seemed more original.
Vaughan talking about Kirby? Moved immediately to the front of the queue!
Many years ago l was driving around in an isolated stretch of Northern Michigan. Basically l was lost. Eventually l drive up upon a small village - containing a small one room schoolhouse. It had been preserved and was open for people to visit. Oddly enough, l stopped and wandered in.
What did l see in the corner of the one-room schoolhouse but a huge bundle of original printing of KAMANDI #1! Freshly bundled and just lying on the floor, just as if it had been delivered fresh from the printers! I couldn't believe it! No one was around to question or inquire - so l peeled off two copies from the bundle, and left a hefty donation in the cash box. I felt like Jack himself was talking to me from beyond our realm, and it was my duty to partake of his excellent work. I didn't mind being lost, for l found a priceless treasure that made my lost trip in the Michigan woods a surreal adventure worthy of Ben Boxer himself!
great story
Wow!
Jack Kirby showed he didn't need Stan Lee. After Kirby left Stan Lee didn't create much. All Kirby,Ditko and the other artists.
Not sure I agree with that assessment. Jack Kirby needed Stan Lee like John Lennon needed Paul McCartney to make great music and just not good music. Stan Lee was the driving force bringing Marvel to television, radio even newspaper strips. Jack was indeed the king, but even a king needs a Merlin on his side. Stan gets too much of a bad rap from the fans without appreciating there would be no Marvel, Image, DC, or movies without Stan Lee's vision and aggressiveness.
I mostly agree, but Stan was a heckuva salesman for comics, in general. While Jack (and Ditko) had all the ideas, Stan was good at making the dialogue flow. I LOVE Kirby's Fourth World, but the dialogue is a little clunky. Still Jack Kirby > Stan Lee.
@allenrobinson9890
You probably read that as a child. Read it now. When you read it it was over your head. Jack Kirby stuff is now legend. Stan Lee stuff was child like super heroes whining at each other like 10 years old at the play ground. Go revisit this stuff as a adult and you will have new perspective. Remember Jack and Steve Ditko took months to draw it and Stan came by and copy and paste the dialog.
Without Stan Lee we wouldn’t have The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Hulk…or perhaps even a comic book industry today. Trying to downplay Lee’s importance to comics is pure foolishness. Kirby and Ditko were great comic book creators but Stan Lee was a far better writer than either of them. Nuff said!
@@allenrobinson9890
Stan Lee took credit for all Jack Kirby,Steve Ditko, John Romita,Gene Colan and yes Don Heck's work. A lot of people were programed as a child that it was Stan Lee. This just this last year Marvel/Disney had to pay out millions to the estates including Don Heck and Steve Ditko for creator ownership. Sorry, guys but you were brainwashed that it was all Stan Lee. Hope you don't think it was Roy Thomas with Conan as he was lifting Robert Howard stories. As a child we didn't understand the Marvel way which was give a few lines to the artist. The artist would draw the whole comic than Stan would come by and put his dialogue in. In fact this got Wally Wood so mad he quit Marvel. Wally Wood who created the iconic Daredevil costume.
Kamandi is probably the greatest boys adventure comic ever and easy to love as an adult.
I was exactly the best age to get introduced to Kamandi, Planet of the Apes, Thundarr the Barbarian, Gamma World, and much more post-apocalyptic stories back in the '70's. Love re-reading these stories. Finally got the book of reprinted full size Kirby art for the Kamandi comic last month. Wonderful stuff! Thanks for reminding me of this fun trope.
I’m with you. I love Kamandi. It’s one of Kirby’s best, most fun series he ever did.
When I was a kid, my mom bought me one of those Sears comic book collections. And it was made up mostly of old Marvel and DC Jack Kirby overstock from the 70's. Which I loved! And it happened to have several issues of Kamandi, including the first. I instantly fell in love with that book and anytime I was at a comic shop tried to track down a few issues. I sold most of my comics in the 90's. But I recently started getting Kamandi books again, since I found a reasonably priced copy of #1 again.
Kamandi was cool because it was it's own thing and it was paced very well. Each issue had Kamandi meeting new people and mutants and moving along on his quest. And it felt like a real adventure! I have fond memories of Kamandi and the Demon in particular from Kirby's 70's run. Great stuff!
I would personally never have a conversation with a rat. Wait a minute. Maybe I already do.
Back in the 1980s I would go to flea markets and buy random issues of Kamandi, I loved this series even the ones Kirby didn’t do. Definitely a high recommendation.
Loved all of Mr Kirbys 70's DC work and would get anything of his that turned up on the spinning rack, only got a few Kamandis and never knew the origin till now so thanks for that. And the writing never bothered me, I would chose a comic by its artwork over anything else. I do remember Kamandi riding a giant cricket called Klik Klak I think.🦗
Hello Michael Hello. Again, you have chosen a Comic Book which I fell in love with in those days. Thanks again for your Excellent Choice
Wow, this is unbelievable! I collected comics, mostly Marvel but a few DC here and there, and somehow the first two issues of Kamandi ended up in my collection. I think I held onto them because I knew it was a Jack Kirby production, and being a Captain America fan I knew who he was and I thought anything by Jack was worth collecting. I never sold those issues and they remain in the remnants of my collection to this day. In almost 50 years, nobody has ever talked about this comic...until now. Thank you for trying to make Kamandi relevant again.
Kirby art, fantastic, dialogue and plotting? No comment.
“I can’t quite put my finger on it.” 😂. I don’t remember ver hearing about it, but it sounds awesome! I’m definitely going to get this… sounds right up my alley. Thanks!
So many DC 70s apocalypse futures. Kamandi, the Atomic Knights, even Warlord (which I know is hollow earth, not a future). But there was a lot to keep track of.
P.S. l really dug Klik Klak! I admit that l even got emotional when that giant grasshopper died, which spoke of the power and majesty of Jack's wonderfully crazy writing! Thanks for the look back at a great, timeless comic!
I always liked Kamandi.I had a few hand me down Kamandi comic books from my older brothers. It also reminded me of a cartoon that I loved when I was a kid called Thundaar The Barbarian 👍😎
I have both volumes and have been reading vol. 1. I'm about 2/3 through it, and, I agree completely, it is a blast. I've come to a personal happy place with Kirby's writing - I know what I'm going to get, so I wait until I'm in the mood to read it, and whatta ya know, I almost always enjoy it.
Just completed my run of the original comic and whilst the Jack Kirby issues are the best - it was still strong after he left - a much missed series.
Not only is the future bleak but he's the boy with the most unruly hair, obviously channelling the spirit of Ditko's the Creeper into the dystopian future. Great art, weird adventures.
Looks like Kamandi had the same tailor as the Hulk.
Kamandi is like a combination of planet of the apes and a Tarzan type
I was aware of Kamandi back in its day, but never read it. All I knew about it was it was one of Kirby’s whacky solo DC efforts. Aside from the artwork, it held little interest for me, and I felt his art was weakening in those days. But … you sold me! I’m ordering volume 1. What a world!
Who did what is mostly lost in the mists of time and fading memory; I'm content with Kirby, Lee, Ditko, Larry Leiber, Marie Severin and other greats present at the dawn of the Marvel Age all throwing innovative ideas around and building on each other's creativity.
Kamandi lasted much longer than all Kirby's other early Bronze Age books at DC and its legacy can still be seen in concepts like OMAC, which was an important element of Identity Crisis.
And I echo your assessment of Kamandi, it is still great fun.
Wow, another great deep cut! And I know what you mean about Kirbys writing I remember enjoying Kamandi a lot, but I recently read his Jimmy Olsen run--and I didn't understand one thing that happened in it!
I loved me some Kirby Kamandi back in the day! I should really have the collected trades on my shelf.
Great coverage. I always learn something from your channel. BO!
I have this collection but haven't read it.
I greatly admire Kirby's art work and imagination, but some of his stories needed logic. I read New Gods and while I kept reading the collection to the end I ended up giving to the used book store. It was bonkers. Both bonkers good and bonkers bad. He is weirdly like Grant Morrison in that way. (Even if those two come across as really different people.)
Love Kamandi! I need to get back to reading some more of his adventures.
Sounds like the predecessor of Adventure Time.
Definitely one of their influences.
I loved this so much as it came out, and still do. I think it’s one of his writing + drawing efforts that’s aged best.
I started reading Kamandi with issue 42, Chic Stone was doing the pencils post Kirby’s exit.
Reminds me of Star Man’s Son.
I doubt I ever loved anything Kirby wrote, but love his art. Thanks for showing it to us, Michael!
Yay! I love Kamandi. I bought the first issue when it hit the spinner rack and followed it faithfully for quite a while. One of JKs best. As a PotA fan I saw the parallels. Great stuff.
I think Jack Kirby got into Bob Haney's stash before writing for D.C.
Great stuff Michael! I loved Kamandi back in the day. And would you believe I never made the connection to Planet of the Apes?!?! Great video!
I really liked Mighty Samson. I grew up with all those end of the world nuclear war tropes across media.
Thnx , now i just need to find these books.
Kamandi rules.
Why do I think there is a man in Boston holding a dog crying just saying "Why" over and over again.
Kamandi was more fun than good, for my 15¢. Kirby could create, and plot, and draw... but he had trouble writing his way out of a paper bag, and he could be heavy-handed with the borrowing from popular culture. I liked The Demon and Mister Miracle best of all his DC work -- they seemed more original.
could still happen
Hmmmm, these can be purchased relatively cheaply in Australia (like She-Hulk), so it must be rather......average 🤭🤭
🐗
Hello. I'm currently collecting all the back issues for Kamandi
Kamandi back issues a cheap $$
Have you done a devil dinosaur review yet?
Not yet. It might kill Steve.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 he's not a fan?
@@madmanelsd123 No. definitely not.