Turok

Turok
File:Turok comic first issue logo.png Logo of the Turok comic series
Publication information
Publisher	Western Publishing/Dell Comics
First appearance	Four Color Comics #596 (October/November 1954)

Turok is a fictional American comic book character that first appeared in books published by Western Publishing through licensee Dell Comics. He first appeared in Four Color Comics #596 (October/November 1954), then graduated to his own title, Turok, Son of Stone, published by Gold Key Comics from 1956 to 1982. Afterwards, he appeared in titles published by Valiant Comics and Dark Horse Comics. An upcoming title by Dynamite Comics is scheduled for publication in 2014.

Publishing history

Western Publishing

thumb|Turok: Son of Stone (1974 cover)

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 DuBois and Paul S. Newman as the feature's earliest writers.

The Western Publishing version of Turok was a pre-Columbian Native American (identified as Mandan in the first issue, on page 21 and 32 of Dell Four Color #596) who, along with his brother Andar, became trapped in an isolated valley populated by Dinosaurs, which they refer to in general as "hoppers", "monsters" and more often than not beginning in Dell issue number 9, page 35 as "honkers", as well as by their most obvious characteristics (Tyrannosaurs are called "Runners", Pterosaurs are called "Flyers", Velociraptors are "Screamers", Plesiosaurs are "Sea Demons", triceratops are "Rammers", etc.). 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) under Western's 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.

Although the artists had long since established Turok as an adult, Du Bois's last scripts for the series (Turok #8) still introduced stories 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 story 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."

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 began writing the Turok stories afterward.

Valiant Comics

[[wikipedia:Image:Turok-valiant-comic.jpg|thumb|Valiant's Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Art by Bart Sears.|]] A new volume of Turok started in 1993 by Valiant Comics. With this version, the concept and setting were altered. Turok and Andar were now 18th century Native Americans. The isolated valley became "The Lost Lands" - a land where Demons, Dinosaurs and aliens flourished and where "Time has no meaning". A cosmic anomaly caused time in The Lost Lands to move 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 storyline, 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 Dinosaurs with intelligence-boosting implants, turning them into "bionisaurs".

In the aftermath of the final battle between Mothergod and Valiant Universe heroes, the Lost Lands began to disappear. Turok and Andar were tossed into a Post-apocalyptic future Earth, and a group of bionisaurs made it to Earth along with them. Following this, they became ruthless hunters trying to contend with the demons and aliens that exist in the future world as well as various Lovecraftian abominations and high-tech future warriors. Mothergod had seized power in this future and, with the help of The Campaigner, The Longhunter, Thunder (a biomechanical Tyrannosaur) and Mantid (a 30-foot robot praying mantis), had begun to rebuild her empire and attempt to hunt down and kill Turok and Andar.

Valiant published a total of 53 issues before Acclaim purchased the company, 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. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 was the 6th best-selling comic of the month, surpassed only by the first five installments of "Reign of the Supermen!".

Acclaim Comics

A new Turok series was published by Acclaim Comics in 1998. In the revamped Acclaim Comics universe, Turok is not the character's name, but rather a title meaning 'Son of Stone'. The Turok must protect the barriers between this dimension and the others—the axis of all worlds being The Lost Lands, a place where creatures from across time and space had been dragged and where "Time has no meaning". Joshua Fireseed, the latest Turok, must travel between alternate universes stopping those who would try to conquer the Lost Lands, and thus all of the Multiverse with it. This series is notable for inspiring the Video Game series of the same name.

Dark Horse Comics

On October 13, 2010 a new Turok series was launched by Dark Horse Comics, under license by Classic Media (now DreamWorks Classics). Titled Turok: Son of Stone, the title was written by former Valiant Comics writer Jim Shooter and illustrated by Eduardo Francisco. This was one of a series of titles released by Dark Horse that year based on classic Gold Key Comics properties. The entire line, including Turok, was short-lived.

Dynamite Comics

On October 11, 2013 Dynamite Entertainment announced plans for a new Turok comic series, as well as books based on other Gold Key Comics properties, as part of a licensing deal with DreamWorks Classics. The first issue is due for release on February 5, 2014 and the creative team will be Greg Pak and Mirko Colak.

Fictional character biography

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

• Turok: Native American warrior trapped in Lost Valley. Hero of the original comics and the animated film.
• Tal'Set: Saquin warrior who became Turok in the 1800s. Hero of the Valiant Comics, Turok: Evolution and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter.
• Carl Fireseed, uncle of Joshua Fireseed, Turok from 1982 to 1997.
• Joshua Fireseed, nephew of Carl Fireseed, Turok since 1997, hero of the Acclaim Comics and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil.
• Danielle Fireseed and Joseph Fireseed, younger sister and brother of Joshua Fireseed, heroes of Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion.
• Joseph Turok, Half-Kiowa Space Marine and hero of Turok.

Collected editions

In 2009, Dark Horse Comics started an archive series to reprint the original comics:

• Turok, Son of Stone Archives:
  • Volume 1 (collects Four Color Comics #596 and #656 & Turok #3-6, 224 pages, March 2009, ISBN 1-59582-275-5)
  • Volume 2 (collects Turok #7-12, 224 pages, July 2009, ISBN 1-59582-275-5)
  • Volume 3 (collects Turok #13-18, 224 pages, August 2009, ISBN 1-59582-281-X)
  • Volume 4 (collects Turok #19-24, 224 pages, November 2009, ISBN 1-59582-343-3)
  • Volume 5 (collects Turok #25-30, 224 pages, March 2010, ISBN 1-59582-442-1)
  • Volume 6 (collects Turok #31-35,37, 224 pages, July 2010, ISBN 1-59582-484-7)
  • Volume 7 (collects Turok #38-43, 216 pages, November 2010, ISBN 1-59582-565-7)
  • Volume 8 (collects Turok #44–50, 232 pages, April 2011, ISBN 1-59582-641-6)
  • Volume 9 (collects Turok #51-53,55-56,58-59, 232 pages, November 2010, ISBN 1-59582-789-7)
  • Volume 10 (collects Turok #60-67, March 2012, ISBN 1-59582-861-3)
• Turok: Son of Stone (by Tony Bedard, 88 pages, September 2008, ISBN 1-59582-201-1)
• Turok, Son of Stone: Aztlan Volume 1 TPB (by Jim Shooter, 96 pages, January 4, 2012, ISBN 1-59582-690-4)

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 and also the Game Boy Advance. The most recent game, titled simply Turok, was released in 2008 for PlayStation 3, PC 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. Turok survives an airplane crash, and must fend off dinosaurs.

Books

After the success of the Turok video games, a series of non-canon 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 Joshua Fireseed's fight against the Primagen and the Campaigner, and Joshua must fight in an arena. A third novel, Path Of Destruction, was published in January 1999.

Animated DVD

In early 2008, a 70-minute animated DVD titled Turok: Son of Stone was released by Classic Media. The screen story was written by Evan Baily and Tony Bedard, with a screenplay by Bedard. In this version, Andar is Turok's nephew not his brother. Adam Beach provides the voice of Turok, with Irene Bedard as the voice of Catori (the wife of Turok's brother, Nashoba), Robert Knepper as the villain Chichak, and Cree Summer as the voice of Sepinta. Curt Geda, Dan Riba, and Frank Squillace each directed a third of the movie. Ex-Disney (Aladdin & Hercules) producer Tad Stones was the supervising director.

Film

On 10 June 2008, MTV's movie blog announced that actor Adam Beach would star as Turok in the live action film. Beach voiced the dinosaur hunter in the animated movie Turok: Son of Stone. Beach added that work was underway on the script.

References

• Turok at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
• Turok at the International Catalogue of Superheroes
• Turok at the Grand Comics Database
• Turok at the Comic Book DB

External links

• Turok at Internet Movie Database
• Template:Toonopedia
• Template:Tvtropes
• Turok comic book sales figures at The Comics Chronicles

Template:Turok series Category:Comics characters introduced in 1954 Category:Dell Comics titles Category:Dinosaurs in comic books Category:Fantasy comics Category:Fictional archers Category:Fictional Kiowa people Category:Fantasy characters Category:Gold Key Comics titles Category:Turok Category:Valiant Comics titles Category:Video game franchises