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Charles Fort to star in new comic book!

19:47 / 03.04.02

Wasn't sure which forum to post this to, but I figured it'd raise more interest here... found at Comic Book Resources...

In June 2002, Dark Horse Comics will release the first issue of FORT: PROPHET OF THE UNEXPLAINED, written by screenwriter Peter Lenkov with art by Frazer Irving, "based on the real-life exploits of a late 19th century paranormal investigator."

"The comic is a fun ride...with history happening in the background, " says Lenkov. "Governor Teddy Roosevelt plays a big role, as well as a young street urchin who helps Fort, a kid who inspired by his Fortean adventures turns out to be a fiction writer later in life. His name-- H.P. Lovecraft."

That last line gives a bit of a groan, and old Charles looks like a cross between G.K. Chesterton and Indiana Jones as interpolated through a WEIRD TALES lens...

What do you think? A long-overdue tribute to the Father of Weird Science, finally bringing him the recognition he deserves, or a trivialization of same? What are the implications for Fortean studies in general?

20:03 / 03.04.02

Image fixed, I hope...

20:03 / 03.04.02

SHIT!

20:30 / 03.04.02

Not to worry Jack, the conspiracy against your image has been thwarted.

All we needed was the body of a frog that rained down in St. George, Utah; the communication stone from a cloud city; one dead ray modified to be a hoax of a basilisk in a carny; and a ball of twine from the esophagus of Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Luckily I had all three in my desk drawer here at work.

21:40 / 03.04.02

That's what we Love about you Lothar!!!

So how about that neolithic brass skull?

22:16 / 03.04.02

I forgot to lock it up again after showing it to a friend and a damn chupacabra made off with it in the night.

The geek in me thinks this comic is a great idea. What's Lenkov done before? Anybody have an idea how well the idea will be executed?

Maybe it'll get more people to wade through 'The Complete Books of Charles Fort.'

22:23 / 03.04.02

All depends on how it's done, Jack. I know what I'd like.

The comic obviously has to appeal to people who have no idea who Fort was, hence the action-adventure angle they're taking. That's absolutely fine. I just hope it's not all whizz-pop-bang-zoom. I'd like some fact in there. The man was all about the investigation, the unbiased weighing up of the evidence. Charles Fort - Paranormal Investigator. That's what I'd like. The Sherlock Holmes of the Unexplained. That leaves plenty of room for intelligent storytelling, informative explanation of the subjects and a damn good adventure(a la League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).

When I close my eyes and think of the perfect Charles Fort comic, it's written by Sax Rohmer. It looks like this:

I don't really mind if it's a bit dumbed down, as long as they can stick to the spirit of the thing. It needs to be fun, but it also needs to be exciting, scary.

This is going to be so much better in my own head...

11:22 / 04.04.02

(I'm thinking maybe Laboratory would be a better place for this thread; cryptozoology, left-field archeaology, new takes on old ideas - all fortean subjects, all Laboratory topics)

The Mr E suprise

12:36 / 04.04.02

Well, Charle was also in 2000AD's Necronauts...

13:52 / 04.04.02

Rave on, Dupre. Move topic as you see fit. Frankly, it was a toss-up between Magick, the Lab, or (duh!) the Comics forum: the "paranormal" element (plus the image of Charles facing down shoggoth-type beasties from beyond) seemed apt, is all.

16:11 / 15.09.03

Bought the collected edition. Dull, dull, dull. I wanted: rollicking, Conan Doyle, "What ho!" adventure. I got: My First Comic Book, by Peter M. Lenkov (aged 4 and a half). It reads like it's had all of three minutes spent on it (including the time it took to come up with the basic idea, formulate the plot and script it). At least it only cost me £8, I suppose...

06:27 / 16.09.03

Fort was also the emcee/narrator in Paradox Press's Big Book of the Unexplained. Sure, he was just a narrative device rather than a full-fledged character, but it's still good stuff.

"I can only add that a mind once expanded never contracts."

18:58 / 17.09.03

I love THE BIG BOOK OF THE UNEXPLAINED (as well as THE BIG BOOK OF CONSPIRACIES and THE BIG BOOK OF THE 70s). Great series, very well done, some amazing artists in there, always well-written!