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Topic: Q for JB: Kamandi Post Reply | Post New Topic
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Michael Arndt
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 26 April 2004
Posts: 8553
Posted: 16 January 2022 at 1:38pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Hi JB, 
Any desire to work on a Kamandi series back in the day?

Edited by Michael Arndt on 16 January 2022 at 1:39pm
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 16 January 2022 at 2:12pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Yes. It was even discussed at one time, but as it turned out the closest I got was in GENERATIONS III.
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Daniel Gillotte
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 11 October 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2576
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 12:10pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

I know that Kamandi borrowed a lot thematically from Planet of the Apes but it surprises me that DC hasn't successfully pulled off an ongoing Kamandi series or even a limited series that works. (There was a decent one in the weekly Wednesday comics project). Kamandi has also seemed ripe for a film or tv version.


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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 1:25pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

It was funny when KAMANDI cam out. “Jack has never seen PLANET OF THE APES!” was the chorus.

Maybe not, but he’d sure seen BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES!

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Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4545
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 1:59pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

The success of Planet of the Apes was an obvious inspiration for Kamandi, but Kirby (who was always happy to recycle an idea) also largely drew upon the main concepts of a story he'd done in 1957 (Alarming Tales #1, published by Harvey).  Civilization destroyed by atomic war?  Animals becoming civilized and taking over?  Check:


The entire story is readable here.

It seems unlikely Boulle would have read this story, so it just goes to show how sometimes an idea is "in the air" during a particular era, and more than one person comes up with it independently.



Edited by Jason Czeskleba on 17 January 2022 at 2:01pm
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Michael Roberts
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 20 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 14812
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 2:31pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

“The Island of Dr. Moreau” seems like it would be an influence for all of the above. 
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 2:53pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Important to remember that Boulle’s MONKEY PLANET is indeed an alien world, with no connection to Earth.

Trying to lock down a starting point for anthropomorphic talking animals is a fool’s errand.

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Brennan Voboril
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 15 January 2011
Posts: 1731
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 3:53pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Yes, it is interesting that DC never really has mined Kamandi, aside from a few projects.  I wonder why?  
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 4:26pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

I don’t think there are enough people willing to simply embrace the concept, instead of worrying about making “sense” of it.
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Joseph Gauthier
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 11 March 2009
Posts: 1413
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 5:32pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Oh man, a Kamandi series by John Byrne, I would like to have had a chance to see that. I imagine it would have been a really nice addition to OMAC, Blood of the Demon, and Jack Kirby's Fourth World.

A question for JB: Do you have any special affinity for working on Kirby characters? Maybe it's a dumb question because there are so many characters we could call Kirby characters...and then when we consider the size of your body of work it becomes almost inevitable that there would be significant crossover. But even still, I sometimes wonder.   
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 7:25pm | IP Logged | 11 post reply

I feel very at home working on Kirby characters. More so than anyone else’s.
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Mike Devlin
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 May 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 242
Posted: 17 January 2022 at 8:36pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

Lucky for us, JB! 
As the results have been hugely
entertaining. I still rate OMAC as one my favourite of
your works, for instance. The gorgeous black and white
art, the engaging characters and of course the brilliant
time travel plot! Love it.
Thanks so much for creating it, JB!
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