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Kamandi (Template:IPAc-en) is a fictional comic book character created by artist Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. The bulk of Kamandi's appearances occurred in the comic series Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth, which ran from 1972 to 1978. He is a young hero living in a post-apocalyptic future. Following the Great Disaster, humans have backslid to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.
Publication history
Creation
DC editor Carmine Infantino had tried to acquire the license to publish Planet of the Apes comic books. After rival Marvel Comics acquired the rights, Infantino asked Jack Kirby for a series with a similar concept. Kirby had not seen the films, but knew the rough outline and had created a similar story, "The Last Enemy!", where a present-day man finds himself in a future where anthropomorphic animals have founded their own civilization. Kirby also had an unused comic strip he created in 1956, titled Kamandi of the Caves. Kirby brought these elements together to create Kamandi.[1] Although his initial plan was not to work on the comic books personally, the cancellation of Forever People freed him up to do so.[2]
The series
The Kamandi series was launched in October–November 1972, and was written and drawn by Jack Kirby.[3] The book went to a monthly publishing schedule quickly, a sign of its early popularity.[4]
Kirby provided art and story through the comic's 37th issue, in January 1976. Kirby also drew issues #38 through #40, although they were scripted by Gerry Conway. Kirby subsequently left DC. The series continued, initially with scripts by Conway and art by Chic Stone. Later issues were written by Paul Levitz, Dennis O'Neil, David Anthony Kraft, Elliot S. Maggin, and Jack C. Harris (alternating), with art by Pablo Marcos, Keith Giffen, and Dick Ayers. It was canceled during the "DC Implosion" of 1978, despite respectable sales figures. The final published issue was #59, cover-dated September–October 1978. Two additional issues, completed but not released, were included in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2.[5]
Entering the DC Universe
During Kirby's run on the book, Steve Sherman indicated in the letters column that the series was connected to Kirby's then-current OMAC series, which was set in the future, but prior to the Great Disaster. The only explicit connection to the DC Universe occurs in issue #29, in which Kamandi discovers a group of apes who worship Superman.[6][7]
Other stories, not by Kirby, explicitly take place in the DC universe. Kamandi meets Batman in The Brave and the Bold #120 (July 1975)[8] and #157 (December 1979).[9] Superman #295 (January 1976) establishes that the costume seen in issue #29 is Superman's and that Earth A.D. is an alternate timeline.[10] Issues #49–50 of the series establish Kamandi's grandfather to be Buddy Blank, the former OMAC, and features a brief return of his satellite ally Brother Eye.[11][12] Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2 guest stars Sandman and establishes that Kamandi is Jed Walker.
The 1975–1977 Hercules Unbound series and the OMAC backup stories in Kamandi and The Warlord tie OMAC to the storyline of Hercules Unbound and the Atomic Knights,[13] indicating the Great Disaster to be the atomic war of 1986 that precipitated the events of the latter. Superman #295 (Jan. 1976) implies the Great Disaster to be a natural occurrence.
DC Comics Presents #57 (May 1983) shows that the events of the Atomic Knights stories were a fantasy in the mind of Gardner Grayle,[14] but DC Comics Presents #64[15] and Crisis on Infinite Earths #2[16] establish that Kamandi still exists in an alternate future of Earth-One.
Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, Earth-AD is erased from existence.[13][17]
Revival
A young Kamandi and his grandfather Buddy Blank appear in Countdown to Final Crisis, which sees the beginning stages of the Great Disaster as a virus causes humans and animals to develop aspects of each other.[18]
Kamandi also appears in Final Crisis, where he meets Anthro via a time distortion.
DC Rebirth
In January 2017, the miniseries The Kamandi Challenge was released to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Jack Kirby's birth.[19] Each issues features a new writer and artist.[20]
Writers on the series included Dan Abnett, Peter Tomasi, Jimmy Palmiotti, James Tynion IV, Bill Willingham, Steve Orlando, Marguerite Bennett, Keith Giffen, Tom King, Greg Pak, Rob Williams and Gail Simone while artists were Dale Eaglesham, Neal Adams, Amanda Conner, Carlos D'Anda, Ivan Reis, Philip Tan, Dan Jurgens, Steve Rude, Kevin Eastman, Joe Prado, Walter Simonson and Ryan Sook.[21]
In Infinite Frontier, Kamandi travels back in time and establishes Checkmate under the alias Kingsley Jacobs.[22]
Fictional character biography
Kamandi is a teenage boy on a post-apocalyptic Earth dubbed Earth A.D. (After Disaster). The Earth has been ravaged by the mysterious Great Disaster, which devastated human civilization. Isolated pockets survive in underground bunkers, while most humans revert to savagery. By Kamandi's time, an unspecified period after the Great Disaster, the effects of radiation and the intelligence-enhancing drug Cortexin cause various animals to become anthropomorphic.
Kamandi is the last survivor of the human outpost in the "Command D" bunker, from which his name is derived. After a wolf kills his grandfather, Kamandi leaves the bunker in search of other human outposts.
He soon discovers that the only other intelligent humans left on Earth are Ben Boxer and his friends Steve and Renzi, a trio of genetically engineered mutants. He also makes a number of animal friends including the dog scientist Dr. Canus, the tiger king Caesar, and his son Tuftan. Later additions to the cast include the alien Pyra, the primitive girl Flower, her twin sister Spirit, detective Mylock Bloodstalker, and his associate Doile.
Other versions
- An alternate universe variant of Kamandi appears in Kamandi: At World's End and Superman: At Earth's End.
- Kamandi appears in Superman/Batman.[23]
- Kamandi appears in Wednesday Comics.[24][25]
- Kamandi appears in The Multiversity.
In other media
Television
- A Kamandi animated series was optioned during the late 1970s, but was cancelled before entering the production phase.[26]
- Kamandi appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Mikey Kelley.[27]
Film
- Kamandi appears in DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!, voiced by Cameron Monaghan.[28][27]
- Kamandi appears in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, voiced by Will Friedle.[29][27]
Video games
Kamandi appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[30]
Merchandise
Kamandi received a figure in the DC Universe Classics line in 2010.
Miscellaneous
Kamandi appears in Justice League Adventures #30.[31]
Collected editions
- Kamandi Archive:
- Countdown Special: Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth 80-Page Giant #1 collects Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth #1, #10 and #29.[34]
- Kamandi by Jack Kirby Omnibus
- Wednesday Comics collects Wednesday Comics #1-12, 200 pages, June 2010, [37]
- Kamandi by Jack Kirby Omnibus collects Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth #1-40, 896 pages, March 2018, [38]
- The Kamandi Challenge collects The Kamandi Challenge #1-12, 460 pages, April 2018,
See also
References
External links
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- Kamandi at the DC Database Project
- Kamandi at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
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- ↑ Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2 (Fall 1978) at the Grand Comics Database
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- ↑ Checkmate Vol. 3 #4
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