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This cover story of this issue of TUROK, SON OF STONE, probably written by the incredibly prolific Paul S. Newman, (and looks like it was drawn by at least two different artists) is titled “The Cunning Foe”. In this story – a pretty clever Cold War era analogy to the issue of Third World countries’ possession of atomic weapons -- a sneaky caveman named Gan yearns to learn Turok and Andar’s secret to creating fire so “then people say Gan mighty medicine man!” When the duo stumble into a quicksand bog, Gan saves them. But when the grateful Native Americans offer their thanks, he asks that they share their fire-making technique with him. They reluctantly agree, even though Andar cautions “that secret makes the cave people respect and fear us! We are only TWO against their great numbers! Fire protects us!” Turok and Andar accompany Gan back to his cavern community, but the caveman, now intent on acting like a big shot, insists on being the only one to make fire! But when goofy Gan’s “strong medicine” draws the attention of a fierce Tyrannosaurus rex, it’s up to Turok and Andar to use their poison arrows to dispatch the critter. Jealous, Gan tries to regain his people’s respect by building a big fire to cook the fresh honker meat. (Guess that poison is only fatal to honkers, eh?) But when his fire burns down to cold ashes, two-faced Gan blames this on “bad medicine” and turns on his benefactors, claiming that the gods “killed” the fire because they want the cavemen to kill Turok and Andar! Soon, our heroes are tied to stakes and surrounded by kindling wood. Fortunately, Turok notices that the sun and moon’s positions are the same as when he was back in his village and witnessed an eclipse! As Gan touches his torch to the dry kindling, Turok makes a dire threat to the cavemen, “LISTEN! Because Gan has lit the fire, we will make the sky DARK!” Sure enough, the sky darkens, but the cave people have run away in fear! Fortunately for them, Gan is the biggest coward of them all, and returns to untie them so they will restore the light -- unfortunately, he’s also stolen their bows and poison arrows! They soon find themselves trapped between arrow-shooting Gan and another honker, this time a ceratosaurus! Turok runs into the open, offering himself as a target. As he’s fired upon, Andar sees where Gan is shooting from and quickly overpowers the bowman. Then he deftly places a poison arrow right between the ceratosaurus’s eyes! Dying, the honker collapses – directly on top of Gan, crushing him!

GAN:
AIEEEEE!

ANDAR:
Turok, is there any hope –

TUROK:
No, Andar! The secret we gave Gan let to his own death! And now, the secret of fire-making is STILL OURS!

This issue also includes the story “The Monster Of The Depths”, drawn by former Milton Caniff assistant Ray Bailey (who also drew many stories for Tower’s mid-60s series, U.N.D.E.R.S.E.A. AGENT), as well as “The Past Is Present” (drawn by TARZAN artist Rex Maxon), a educational “Young Earth” installment featuring woolly mammoths and rhinos, coelacanths and other “living fossils”.

And take a look at this classic ad for Daisy “air rifles” on the back cover of this issue of TUROK, SON OF STONE! You just don’t see material like this in comics anymore! (Hey, if BB guns had proved to be as dangerous as our moms warned us they were, wouldn’t more of us now be wearing eye patches?) Note the ad’s “EXTRA THRILL” blurb that reads:

“LIFT this page! Read about the ‘ROCKET CLUB’ MOVIE! Then hand page to Dad or your science or ‘math’ teacher asking them to send coupon for a FREE movie showing!”

Okay, so we “lift” the page to find a second ad for the “NEW! ‘ROCKET CLUB’ MOVIE!” I especially love the underlying Cold War era mentality behind this statement in the facsimile “letter” from the Department Of The Air Force to the president of the Daisy Manufacturing Company:

“As has been your primary interest over the years in the development of safe air rifles for the youngsters of America, so are we vitally concerned over the safety of our youth in their varied experimentations in the rocket and missile age.”

What a scam! Something tells me that the presentation of the “Rocket Club” Movie also included a lengthy commercial message for Daisy air rifles! (Who knows? Since the bottom fell out of the air rifle market, maybe the Daisy folks are now staging those never-ending presentations for time-share condos in Honolulu!)

ODDBALL Factoid – TUROK, SON OF STONE’s late, great writer Paul S. Newman is listed in THE GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS as “The Most Prolific Comic Book Writer Of All Time”!

For more from Scott Shaw!, visit his Web site at http://www.shawcartoons.com/.

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