Kubrick And Kirby Part 2

The ongoing 2001 comic book series was already in the works when Kirby's film adaptation was released. The short lived 10 issue title, which ran from December 1976 to September 1977, was certainly far from the norm in mid-seventies comicdom as was it's two-fisted pugilist style from Kubrick's sedate story telling grandeur. As an official spin-off from Kubrick's master work it could be considered a failure but as an extension of Kirby's early seventies far-out world view, as seen previously in the Forever People, it was an admirable achievement. The tenuous links with the film had petered out by issue 8 with the introduction of the character Mister Machine, an obvious Marvel ploy to boast flagging sales. This character eventual became Machine Man with his own title in 1978, thus ensuring that 2001 & everything Kubrick created for his film became part of the on-going Marvel universe cannon. 'Nuff said!