Last Issue Special # 8: Turok, Son of Stone

SERIES: Turok, Son of Stone

DATE: 1982

THOSE RESPONSIBLE: Paul S. Newman (writer)

CATEGORY: SILENCE

I only have two issues of Turok, Son of Stone, and no independent memory as to how they got into my collection. One of them happens to be issue # 130, the last of the series. From what I can tell, Turok and his younger (brother? friend? lover?) companion Andar are Native Americans who have become trapped in "Lost Valley", which is filled mostly with dinosaurs--the series is about their attempt to find a way out of Lost Valley and back to their homes. I was struck by the sheer number of creatures they manage to kill off in just this one issue: 9 massive dinosaurs, 2 giant prehistoric crocodiles, and some sort of humongous sea reptile (now we know conclusively why dinosaurs went extinct: it was Turok & Andar!). For those of you hoping for a happy ending, no luck--the issue ends with Turok & Andar no closer to finding a way out than before, nor with any mention whatsoever that this was the final issue.

The main thing I find surprising about Turok is that the concept has somehow managed to spawn various subsequent series, an archival collection from Dark Horse, a video game, an animated movie, and (coming up next year) a live-action feature.