Speaking of Pulp Movies (Made from Cartoons)

Courtesy of our friends at Geek Orthodox, a reprinting of an article that appeared in Fangoria oh-so-long ago on the origins of one of my favorite pulp cartoons: THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN!

The show was a big pulp pastiche of Conan, Planet of the Apes, Kamandi and other post-apocalyptic influences filtered through the utterly insane minds of Steve Gerber and Jack Kirby (with valuable contributions by Alex Toth and others).

Let me put this out there right now: I want to see a big CGI -laden, shot-on-green screen ala  SIN CITY and SKY CAPTAIN feature film. I say this because I think that's the only way to capture the outre' dialogue and visions of Maestros Gerber &  Kirby.  Kirby's  work was unreal and the landscapes and vehicles could only be achieved by CGI.

Gerber's words had such declarative tone. Every line of dialogue was a combative line in the sand, daring the other characters to step up and fight.

Don't believe me? Don't think Thundarr would make a great movie? 

In the first five minutes of the movie, civilization as we know it is destroyed by a rogue asteroid. So devastating  it gives Michael Bay a hard on due to its destructive, in-your-face, ear-bleedingly loud nature.  Earth is torn asunder and we are buried in darkness and chaos.

Then, it's thousands of years later...



Toldja!