BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)

Subject: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 16 Nov 02 - 02:30 PM

Does anyone else remember this comic from the 50's & 60's?

The basic premise of the story: Two Sioux Indians from the period probably just prior to or just around the time of contact between the white man and the Sioux get transported somehow (I forget how) into a "lost world" complete with cavemen and LOTS and LOTS of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts. Yowsa! Lotsa possibilities for action.

The older, more authoritative Indian is called "Turok". His younger (I think) pal is named Andar. Turok has braids. Andar has a sort of Prince Valiant cut, as I recall. They both are good marksmen with a bow and arrows. This turns out to be a damned good thing, since they are menaced constantly by the aforesaid cavemen, dinosaurs, and other beasts. There are an unusual number of predators roaming around...so many, in fact, that there must be a very short supply of prey for them...which explains why they are so set on eating Turok and Andar.

Well, it makes for just one exciting story after another.

Now, everyone knows that it is not easy to kill a tyrannosaur or an allosaur with a couple of arrows, right? Okay, so Turok and Andar happen on a way of putting a deadly, fast-acting, plant-based poison of some kind on their arrows. It kills tyrannosaurs dead in under 4 seconds!

This stuff must be more concentrated than 100-proof strychnine, that's all I can say...gotta handle them arrowheads carefully, brother.

Now, I have to say that Andar always tended to get the short end of the stick. That's cos he was the "sidekick", like Tonto to Turok's kimosave. This was rank stereotyping, and I think it's time to set things right!

Let's see that Andar gets the respect he deserves after all these years!

The cavemen were a pretty sorry lot, low-browed nuckle-draggers with big clubs, usually in a paranoid and ugly state of mind. Women were seldom seen in this comic, which may account for why the cavemen were overly aggressive and at loose ends most of the time.

As for the dinosaurs, they were all called "honkers" by Turok and Andar. Bizarre. It may have have something to do with the fact that these same dinosaurs were apparently capable of uttering only two sounds... HONK!!! and GAHHH-HONK!!! (the latter when they were REALLY upset!). I doubt that this was an accurate representation of dinosaur vocabulary, but who can say?

I think the dinosaurs may have had a third cry they uttered, when dying from a poisoned arrow hit...something like "Oh, SHIT!", but I can't remember what it was exactly...

But I have a question. An important one. Why was Turok called "Son of Stone"?

Was his father named "Stone"? Kind of a boring name, I would think. Or was the appellation "Son of Stone" supposed to convey Turok's iron will, his determination, his grace under pressure, his rocksolid jaw, etc.??? And what does "Turok" mean, anyway?

I have to know!

Anyway, the comic should have been called "Turok & Andar". It was totally unfair to leave Andar out of the title. Rank prejudice. Something should be done about it.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: JJ
Date: 16 Nov 02 - 11:57 PM

I remember this one too, but had forgotten many of the details, like the poison, the cavemen and that the dinos were called Honkers. Thanks for this return to those thrilling days of yesteryear!

And yeah, I never figured out that "Son of Stone" bit either...

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 12:15 AM

The word was, "Runk!"

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 12:33 AM

And here is the Turok website!!

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: DonMeixner
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 01:04 AM

There is a serious Turok fan base. I know a fellow local who has collected every Turok comic printed including the Dell four colors from the fifties. He has the original comic page art as well as the painted covers for several books.

There was a recent updating of the Turok story done by a Syracuse artist named Bart Sears for Valiant comics.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: RangerSteve
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 06:06 PM

I remember Turok, but I don't have a clue about the "Son of Stone" thing either, but "Turok, Son of Stone" just sounds really cool, so maybe the idea was to sound good, and the heck with making any sense. After all, we were kids, no one expected us to look for logic in our comic books.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 11:22 PM

Geez. Nice going, guys... I had a bet going with this friend of mind that if I launched a thread on an obscure comic title about 2 Indians fighting dinosaurs that it would sink right off the board in 2 days without a single response.

And now look! 6 friggin' posts. AAAARRGGGH! GAHHH-HONK! RUNK!!!

Because of you turkeys I am NOT the lucky winner of a gilded life-size statue of Strom Thurmond clad only in a figleaf. Aw hell...






Just kidding. Great work on tracking down the 3rd dinosaur cry, GUEST! RUNK!@@ it is... What a marvelously expressive word. "Runk". I love it.

I note that the new Turok website doesn't even mention Andar. It's an outrage! I forsee legal action being taken soon to rectify this gross discrimination against a warrior who deserves better than to vanish into anonymity while his pal becomes a media star. Typical!

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 11:38 PM

Hmmm. Apparently it's now a Nintendo game in which an over-muscled revision of Turok blasts dinosaurs with high-tech space age weaponry, for God's sake... Just the kind of crap you see everywhere these days, in other words. And Andar has disappeared entirely.

If the intelligence and exquisite taste of today's mass marketing systems could be summed up in a single word, I think that word would be...

RUNK!

Now where did I put those poisoned arrows? Got a Nintendo game that is gonna die when I find 'em! Right after I bludgeon that demonic, blathering TV set into oblivion.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: khandu
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 08:33 PM

Turok, Son of Stone, hmmmm. I have a few theories about the name. Mind you, I have researched this thoroughly, so there is some basis for my theories.

The name "Turok" may have actually been "Two Rocks". Stone's wife was hoping for a female child, however, she got a boy. The doctor who delivered the baby did not know the language of Stone and wife, in his simple way of explaining the child's gender, he reverted to visual aids. Rather than picking up a taco, which would indicate a female, he picked up two rocks, which definitely could be understood to be a male.

Stone, who wasn't into sign language and visual aids, (and who, incidentally, got his name for being "dumb as a stone"), thought that the doctor had taken it upon himself to name the child, and believed that "Two Rocks" was meant to be the child's name. Of course, Stone did not know how to correctly spell "Two Rocks" spelled it phonetically, "Turoks". It is a mystery as to why the "s" was dropped from the name.

Another well-reasoned train of thought gives some understanding to Stone's name, and why Turok would always add "Son of Stone" to his name.

"Stone" could actually be a misrepresentation of "St. One". Now, as even most first graders know "St. One" is a nickname for The Big Cheese, The Man Upstairs, Him, The Most High. Therefore, by using this addendum to his given name, Turok gave the impression that one should never ever cross him in any way, because he was "Turok, Son of The Big Cheese"!

There are many other things I can elucidate you with about this, but I grow weary.

khandu

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 10:52 PM

There are many other things I c

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 10:57 PM

Uh-oh! I think that last poster got chomped by a Honker in mid-sentence. GAH-HONK! Aieeeee! (victims of dinosaurs normally yelled "Aieeee!" in the comic, if memory serves...)

Gotta find them arrows!

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 10:45 AM

Well, danged. Little Hawk. Real sorry about you loosin' that Strom Thurmond statue which I'm purdy sure, if tested, would have a few IQ's more than the real Strom, but that ain't really too much about is Turok story so, at least you won't have to dust the danged thing anymore. And I'm not too danged sure how I'd feel dustin' around Strom's figleaf either. Yeah, somethings just work out fir a reason and if you gotta drag poor ol' Turok, Two Rocks or Sargeant Rock in to get that blasted thing out of the teepee, then I'd say, "Here, let me hold the flap open and watch that first step. It's a douzey!"

And specakin' of "sons of stone", how about "Sargeant Rock"? What's the big fascination with stones and rocks. Well, we've got rock 'n roll, Sly Stone, the Rolling Stones, Kid Rock, Stone Phillips, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Lord is my rock, Rock of Ages, Rocking in the tree tops, everybody must get stoned, Rock me. Baby, stone slow, etc., etc....

Nevermind, LH, what's ya gonna put where Strom used to be? Looks kinda empty over there without him.....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: MMario
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 10:56 AM

I refuse to admit that I remember this.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 11:09 AM

Denial is a terrible thing, Mario...

Bobert - Well, I am thinking of getting a life-size Elvis statue. You can get them around here, usually depicting "the King" in his early Las Vegas period, while he was still reasonably trim. Sideburns down to his belt, man! These statues are normally painted in garish colors that'll knock your socks off at 30 feet or so. DON'T look at 'em first thing in the morning after a serious bender! I think it may be possible to get a gilded one also. Decisions, decisions...

I'll let ya know how it goes. A William Shatner statue would be even better, but they are hard to find.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 11:17 AM

LH -

What about having the original stuffed?

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 03:00 PM

The original is stuffed.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: MMario
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 03:17 PM

I thought the original was wooden. His acting was.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 05:51 PM

Boy, talk about thread drift...

What about drumming up some support for poor Andar?

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 06:18 PM

An dar who dat, Hawker? Ahhh, jus messin' wid ya....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 06:22 PM

Ahhh, heck, LH, I know *who* he is so don't answer dat one...

An dar what's da big deal. Ain't like he waz a presdent, was he...
Okay, bad example wid the nit wit we got...

Nevermind.

Bobertz

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 10:55 PM

I think Turok & Andar would be excellent candidates for Prez and VP, Bobert.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 11:05 PM

Well, there ya' go again, Hawkman. Turok ain't no George "Dumbya" and his sidekick, Andar ain't no Dicky Cheney. Nope, I mean, heck no. In the words of Larry Holmes I overheard Turok sayin," I wouldn't let that lieing blowhard carry my jockstrap!" I swear, that's just what he said...

But, LH, you're doing a little (hawk) backslidin' here yer ownself in having Andar in the V.P. job? Hmmmmmmm? How's 'bout Andar/Turok? Hey, it alphbetical, got a nice ring to it and gets the proverbial lacky into the batter's box...

Jus funnin', as per usual...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 11:15 PM

Good point, Bobert.

Man, I can just see it now...that big old dumb rampagin' Republican elephant is tearing up the neigborhood again, ripping up trees, trumpeting up a storm, trampling down everyone in his path with an earsplitting HOOOONNNNK!

When suddenly...

Zip! Zip! Two arrows nail that sucker right between his piggly little eyes!

RUNK! he cries...sways...and topples like a felled oak...a look of witless astonishment frozen on his stiffening features.

Andar & Turok triumph again. Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. Right after that they could stew up the Democratic donkey for dinner, thus cleansing the nation of its two greatest monsters, and we could all look forward to a kinder, gentler, and far more honest America.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: 'Turok, Son of Stone' (& Andar!)
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 11:15 AM

Hey, works fir me. It sure do...

Bobert