Turok was a brave Kiowa warrior living some time in the 1800's before the arrival of white men. He and a young companion, Andar, wander into a savage prehistoric land they call Lost Valley and find themselves cut off from their homeland and people. They wander around Lost Valley, encountering cavemen and hungry dinosaurs (which they call "honkers"), searching for a way out.
The Turok franchise is most notable today for the Turok video games. The first Turok video game appeared early in the life of the Nintendo 64 console, and the next two sequels were also Nintendo exclusives, though were later ported to PC. The fourth installment of the series, Turok: Evolution, released in 2002 across all console formats, was a critical and financial disappointment.
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 mainly the first game in text and then the second, third and so on were their own stories.
In 2005, Buena Vista Games announced it had acquired the rights to the Turok franchise and would be publishing new games for consoles and handhelds. Propaganda Games will develop the new titles, and will be using Unreal Engine 3 to power the console versions. It will be released on Xbox 360 and PS3.
Animated DVD
On January 2, 2007, the Animation Guild weblog reported that Turok, Son of Stone was being produced as a 70-minute animated DVD for Classic Media by ex-Disney (Aladdin & Hercules) producer Tad Stones. He has also produced the two Hellboy animated movies and the Buzz Lightyear TV series.
Issues 1-20
Issues 21-40
Issues 41-60
Issues 61-80
Issues 81-100
Issues 101-120
Issues 121-130
Special issues
7 comments:
Writerfella here --
Ah, many's the hour spent by writerfella at a tender set of ages when the monthly and then bi-monthly TUROK, SON OF STONE comic avidly was sought and found and bought and carefully handled while being read. Maybe a lot of people become immersed and absorbed when reading novels or comics, but writerfella was right there in Lost Valley alongside Turok and Andar, and he could smell the musky swamps and hear the creatures bellow and feel the blood-warm winds blowing. Of course, the entire set writerfella had collected went the way of all the others when they were given away by his mom. Doesn't sound too palatable if someone modernized the concept and turned it into something like that Richard Boone movie, THE LAST DINOSAUR...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
And Turok was a Kiowa, too. Did you realize that at the time?
Recent versions of the series have had Turok fighting intelligent dinosaurs in another dimension. That's one way to update the concept so Turok doesn't come across as a caveman-style savage.
I suspect Adam Beach will update the concept if and when he does a Turok movie. For instance, you could send Turok back in time to the Cretaceous period. You could make him a South American Indian who discovers a "lost world" in the Amazon jungle. Or you could do a "Jurassic Park" thing in which scientists clone dinosaurs and they run amok.
Writerfella here --
No, writerfella does not recall ever knowing that Turok and Andar puportedly were Kiowan, as they were not represented as wearing their hair braided ONLY on the left side. BUT -- if this is what Turok's creators intended, then all well and good, for Kiowans much had been neglected in fictional representations theretofore. Makes writerfella itch that he hasn't one single issue of Turok any longer...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Unfortunately, I only remember hearing of "Turok: Son of Stone" when I was a kid, and I've never read one.
This "franchise" has great potential, especially if it gets a big break during one of those frequent "Dinosaurs are Cool" periods. Not only that, it nicely skirts around the "cowboys and Indians" stereotypes, and features a non-overdone tribe (the Kiowa) to boot.
Writerfella here --
Hoka Smoke! There must be precognitives or clairvoyants among writerfella's friends. Comes a letter today that tells writerfella that John Scales (old USAF buddy/roommate) found a book shop in Waycross, GA, with issues 5 - 26 of TUROK, SON OF STONE and complete runs of MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER and DR. SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM for a total of $35.00! The money order went out via overnight express! John (who was given the Kiowa name, Pai-Tahlee, or Sun Boy by writerfella's mom) remembered being told what happened to writerfella's comcis collection and it stuck somewhere in the back of his mind. Once he buys the collections, he will come here from Mobile and stay a couple of weeks so he and writerfella can mend fences and destroy many cases of beer. Who'da thunk?
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Turok doesn't skate around the "Indian as savage" stereotype. That's all the original character was. I haven't read the updated version, but Turok was badly in need of an update.
P.S. The Legion of Super-Heroes has a member named Sun Boy. But he isn't a Kiowa Indian.
Writerfella here --
And neither is John Scales a superhero. But he is one of writerfella's many 'allies' from his past life, a lot of whom come to the BatesMotel for the same reasons they ever were writerfella's 'allies' in the first place. We all have snow on the roof but that doesn't mean the inside fires have gone out.
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
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