I was on my break from work, sitting outside smoking and reading a comic book, when I was struck by a thought that I immediately decided to share with the readers of this blog. That's what blogs are for, after all; to allow people to share any idle notion that pops into their empty heads with the entire world. Al Gore must be so proud.
Anyway, the comic I was reading was Grimjack #16. I was re-reading this issue because I finally managed to lay my hands on a copy of #17, which contains the second part of the story begun in this issue. On page two, a face drawn by Tim Truman struck me as particularly Kirby-esque. In fact, the character bore a very strong resemblance to Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth.
This observation, in turn, led me to think that a Tim Truman drawn Kamandi comic would be really cool. In fact, considering his work with various alien races in Grimjack and Hawkworld, including species of evolved hawks and lizards, I can't think of any artist better suited to render Kamandi's post-apocalyptic world of intelligent, talking apes, bears, tigers, and other animals (other than Jack Kirby himself, of course.)
Who would write this dream comic? Well, Truman himself would do fine, but I would really like to see his frequent collaborator, and one of my favorite writers, John Ostrander take a crack at the Last Boy On Earth.
Once again, is Johnny O aware of what you've been writing about him? I'd love to see Truman draw Kamandi, and I'm sure Ostrander would agree. There's one other anthropomorphic comic Truman made early in his career that you neglected to mention: right after cutting his teeth on Grimjack but before beginning Scout, Truman wrote and drew the Time Beavers graphic novel. More fuel to your argument, I think.
ReplyDeleteIf Mr. Ostrander is aware of this blog, it is not through any effort on my part. Nor, as far as I know are Martin Pasko, Keith Giffen or Grant Morrison aware of the somewhat unsettling love I harbor for them and their work.
ReplyDeleteI'd go for a Kamandi series by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett. It's be retro for sure, but I think it'd work. Even better would be an OMAC series by those two.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Kesel and Grummett (not to be confused with Wallace and Gromit) due a Kamandi pastiche in Superboy? I seem to remember seeing a cover that indicated such a thing.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right that a Kesel/Grummett OMAC series would be pretty cool, especially considering what they did the characters and concepts Kirby introduced in Jimmy Olsen