Why The 12 On The Alabama Helmet

The Last Enemy

A philological discovery occurs when a researcher can find somewhere an unpublished document which was believed lost or in some way had been lost in the tracks in time.

A philological discovery is something important because it can modify pre-existing assumptions and open new research frontiers.

Recently, the site comic strip. with a group of people tried to arbitrarily attributed a philological discovery (nonexistent) that relates to a comic story - entitled "The last enemy " - Made in the USA by Jack Kirby in the mid-fifties.

Why "arbitrarily" and that "non-existent"? Because of this tale in six tables, published in 1957 in the journal "Alarming Tales of the publisher Harvey Comics, in fact, had never gone missing.

early as 1997 the scholar's work kirbiana John A. Modica talked about in the pages of the magazine "Jack Kirby Collector" (No. 17) - the bible to which any fan of "The King" reference - about the origins of "Kamandi" undisputed masterpiece of the New York artist.

history, plus - free from the constraints of copyright - it's over soon available on the Internet with the power of computerized archives. And yours truly had cited in its editorial written for the omnibus of "Kamandi" published in Italy by Planeta De Agostini (through the service of MagicPress).

must say that the curators of the comic strip. Com - Alessandro Bottero and Giorgio Messina - through their respective publishers (the Publisher Bottero and Cagliostro E-Press) are about to launch on the market two series get you back stories dating back to the Golden Age of comics made da grandi nomi del fumetto d'Oltreoceano - non solo Kirby, quindi - e svincolati ormai da problemi di diritti.

E questo li sta spingendo a calcare la mano sui meriti della loro operazione di "scoperta" e "recupero" filologici (stando alle loro parole).

Il problema è che non si possono millantare "scoperte" a proposito di materiale liberamente disponibile sul Web già da molti anni. E il fatto che le storie in oggetto risultassero ancora inedite in italiano non costituisce affatto una giustificazione alla presunzione di aver "riportato alla luce" del materiale nient'affatto dimenticato. Trascurato , forse (Often rightly), but not hidden.

But we specifically of "The Last Enemy," which, as I said before, it contains in embryo some suggestions which will then be transfused - fifteen years later - in the serial "Kamandi (DC Comics).

Giorgio Messina - hurling a bit 'against everyone - he gives the first discovery Bottero - Golden Age article entitled for dummies - and then, SGAM and proven wrong, he tries desperately scrambling in the piece entitled E's heart and Jack Kirby Kamandi .

All this before the Bottero - director of head - that the editorial entitled philological Discoveries: publishing short, dry and clear (sic) states bluntly: "Discovery philological NOT quote a story from Alarming Tales of an article. philological discovery is to translate the story, publish the story, to offer him, so that readers can finally read. So the real philological discovery and finding the story "The Last Enemy," it translated and published it in Italian . The rest is just talk. "

Again, the story is freely available on the Internet: anyone who wants to search Google for "The Last Enemy - perhaps typing the string" The Last Enemy Jack Kirby "- the find without fail, by clicking available on the first link (a web page dating back to 2007). Link to which you can also refer you to retrieve the tables of the size you want. Just as I did, carrying the six tables that make up the history on the desktop (I did not even have to download them) and reading without breaking any laws,

I even fun to translate in writing (three-quarters of an hour of work, no more).

Prior to propose to you, introduce you to the story of Kirby, heavily influenced by the prevailing climate of the Cold War in the mid-twentieth century.

model metaphor is that of "Animal Farm" by George Orwell (1945): A time traveler finds himself transported to a distant future where the human race is self-annihilation. The place of the men was taken from various species "humanized" and evolved, the dogs (which symbolize the United States) have created a melting pot in which coexist peacefully foxes, bears, wolves, etc.. and then there are cats ii (representing the Soviet Union ) and rats (through which "satirizzano" Orientals, and the Chinese in particular).

In the history of dogs simply aspire to a world of peace, proud and bellicose cats should be converted to this view (which, for the time traveler, you can), but mice are beings ignoble, which are destroyed. Needless to say, the underlying racism and ideology that underlie the Yankee plot.

Here, the six boards, each of them in an appendix to the translation. I just want to state that this does not have any profit, but only a simple and informative critical intent.

TITLE and vineyards. 1:

The time traveler encounters strange friends in the world of the future ... ... and the opportunity to defeat the ultimate enemy!

Vign. 2:

Ho impostato la discesa del ”Cubo del Tempo” laddove avrebbe dovuto essere Montford, nel Connecticut… nell’anno 2514 d.C….

Vign. 3:

Dida.: Quattro anni di lavoro segretissimo nel laboratorio governativo avevano dato i loro frutti. Il Cubo funzionava… ma la gente non l’avrebbe mai saputo… fino a quando non fossi tornato…

Ball.: Nasconderò il cubo in questa grotta. Poi effettuerò una piccola esplorazione.

Vign.1:

Dida.: I was in a forest. In five hundred years all traces of the city of Montford was gone! ... Suddenly I found myself in a clearing full of ... of DEATH TIGERS!

Ball.: Tigers! A dozen ... and they wear clothes!

Vigna. 2:

Dida.: Suddenly I heard a voice behind me ... A voice from the tone squittente ... I realized when I saw people coming from ...

Ball. 1: It 's been a great battle, sir. The big cats are hard to beat!

Vigna. 3:

Ball. 1: T-you can ... talk?

Ball. 2: Oh, yes ... Your species has left us many things .... language, culture ... ... ...

weapons

Vigna. 4:

Ball. 1: But ...

Ball. 2: You should not be alive, sir. Something called "nuclear war" has killed humans.

Vigna. 5:

Ball. 1: And so, the Earth has remained the animals ...

Ball. 2: Someone had to inherit! It 's still a nice place to live, you know?

Vigna. 6:

Dida: There were so many questions to do ... But the awareness the tragic end of humanity had fallen so deeply in me to leave me stunned. I turned to the creature when I heard her chuckle ...

Ball. 1: What's so funny?

Vigna. 7:

Dida.: The lights did not disappear entirely after the shot in the head. I felt pain and I had a glimpse of the land that I was against ...

Vigna. 1:

Dida.: I could only guess the rest ... to be dragged into a sort of tunnel in the ground ... Then I fainted ...

Vigna. 2:

Dida.: If ever there was really a man trapped, well I did. Hammond Drake. I could not tell how deep I had brought. When I awoke, I was facing an inquisition ...

Ball. 1: ... That light hurts the eyes!

Ball. 2: When we say what we want to know ... the switch off!

Vigna. 3:

Ball. 1: What should I tell you ...

Ball. 2: Look at me! You do not have to do with our ancestral forefathers! We think! We will build! We are fighting to dominate the planet ... and with your help we can win!

Vigna. 4:

Ball.1: our network of tunnels around the entire under-surface of the planet! Above, dogs and cats are competing for dominance, and at the moment we are waiting to destroy each other.

Vigna. 5:

Ball. 1: Now, we must not wait any longer ... Not when we can learn how to make atomic bombs!

Ball. 2: Atomic bombs!

Vigna. 6

Ball. 1: Yes! You show him! If you can not ... your journey back in time and find someone who can teach us!

Ball. 2: I do not understand what you mean ...

Vigna. 7:

Ball. 1: Non prenderti gioco di me! Non sei giunto qui con un missile Pogo! La tua specie ha costruito una macchina del tempo… E tu sei il pilota! Adesso, dimmi dove hai nascosto quella macchina!

Vign. 1

Dida: Il piccolo diavolo era in gamba e da quello che si poteva capire dall’aspetto della sua specie… molto cattivo. Ma io mantenni il silenzio.

Ball. 1.: Non vuoi parlare, eh? Ma tu sai che lo farai! Abbiamo studiato i metodi degli antichi nazisti… li ricordi?

Vign. 2:

Dida.: In quel momento, una campana d’allarme entrò in funzione da qualche parte e un’ombra di terrore percorse inquisitor's face ...

Ball. 1: A raid! It 's a raid!

Vigna. 3

Dida.: I did not know what that meant. But I was hoping that was the miracle I had prayed for ...

Ball. 1: In the main cave ... Hurry!

Vigna. 4:

Dida.: But the main cave was already in the hands of the invaders. They were big and fast as lightning and emerging organized with precision by a vehicle headed to drill that had found its way through the underground tunnels. It was a vision that left speechless!

Vigna. 5:

Dida.: The raiders wore a sort of flamethrower. But what was gas leaked from nozzles that held in his hand. Those who held me prisoner were missing and all I could do was cry and cough while the gas enveloped me ...

Vigna. 6:

Dida.: My last memory before plunging to the ground is the shadow figure of one of the invaders that hung over me from the fumes swirling ...

Vigna. 1:

Dida.: I woke up, unexpectedly, in a soft, comfortable bed. I would feel fine if I had not seen the dog, the fox and the bear at my bedside ...

Ball. 1: Amazing! A man ... a real man!

Ball. 2: Fantastic!

Vigna. 2:

Dida.: Suddenly my door was wide open by a big bulldog in military uniform. My guests jumped to attention when he entered. Obviously they all can superceded.

Ball. 1: Beware!

Ball. 2: Rest!

Vigna. 3:

Dida.: They called general ... and walked away when asked respectfully to leave us alone ...

Ball. 1: ... I think that is all about comfort, sir ... You feel better?

Ball. 2: I have been given the best treatment.

Vigna. 4:

Ball. 1; And why not? It 's like to celebrate the return of an old friend, right?

Ball. 2: Tell me about the general ... all these fights ...

Vigna. 5:

Ball. 1: Alas ... Fighting! ... Should find it sad. Anyway, the dog does not fight to subdue ... Fighting to end the natural instinct of the enemy!

Vigna. 6:

Ball. 1: In the beginning we fought against all ... Foxes, bears, wolves! Now, we are allies. You see, you can replace cooperation instead of fear and hate!

Ball. 2: Perhaps you could work with the cats. But with rodents, I ... I ...

Vigna. 7:

Dida.: This species was different and he knew it. Not only cruel and perverse but also too smart! They were the great rivals. In the end, the rodent would have been against the entire animal kingdom!

Ball. 1: Yes they will ... or us! Then there will be peace for ever.

Ball. 2: I think I should promote the victory of your party, General!

Vigna. 1:

Dida.: I meant just that. The Earth was in good hands with a victory for his side! I asked the general to call the head of its scientists ...

Ball. 1: Right! I want the head of department of physics! Tell him that the General would like to see him here soon!

Vig. 2:

Dida.: In the presence of general and its main physics expert, as I wrote on a piece of paper.

Ball. 1: Here are the basic formula and the description of the process ... Now it's up to you!

Vigna. 3:

Ball. 1: I do not know if I do well to do it! I leave a dangerous legacy man and the last witness of his faith in you!

Vigna. 4:

Ball. 1: And now, I will give a last look this world turned into a battlefield and I hope you non-humans do a better job of man.

Vig. 5:

Dida.: I gave my farewell to the general and his colleagues. And he took care that I was led back to where I appeared for the first time. Then, in compliance with our agreement, I was left alone. I took out the time machine ...

Ball. 1: Well, back to the past, Drake. Your place is among men ... even if they are to die!

Vigna. 6:

Dida.: Entrai e presi posto ancora una volta davanti ai controlli…

Ball. 1: Mi chiedo se un altro uomo avrebbe dato loro la bomba atomica…

Vign. 7:

Ball. 1: Penso di sì! E’ meglio che il mondo vada ai cani che a una nidiata di astuti ratti!

Dida.: Lasciai che mi si disegnasse sul volto un sottile sorriso mentre il flusso temporale mi sospingeva nella mia corsa a capofitto alla conquista del mio destino… FINE.