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Daredevil: the origins of the Savage Land
Patrick Ford
12 October 2016
MARK EVANIER (1/18/98) : "I don't recall Brodsky ever working over Kirby layouts. And I think it should be pointed out that the layouts were not just done so that someone could "learn" the Marvel style. That was one of the
benefits of the process but the main reason Kirby laid out a story was
because they wanted his plotting input on a story, especially on a
strip that he was familiar with.
Dick Ayers was supposed to take over penciling DAREDEVIL after Wood
left but Stan wasn't happy with the first pages he turned in, so he
junked them and persuaded John Romita to give it a try, largely because no one else was available.
Romita penciled two or three pages but Stan didn't like them either
so he had Kirby lay out the rest of the issue. Again, I think Stan
may have been as interested in Jack's input into the plotting as to
his storytelling technique."
Patrick Ford: J David Spurlock, I suspect the Ayers page as well as the Kirby layouts, were based on a leftover plot idea submitted by Wally Wood. The Savage Land setting reminds me that Wood left notes suggesting a story set in ERB's Pellucidar, and a Medieval castle also figures in the story which again suggests a very common Wood preference.
J David Spurlock: Superheroes always invoked in Wood, nostalgia for the Golden Age. So, in addition to creating new villains like Mr Fear, Stilt-Man, The Organizer, Ani-Men etc, Golden Age characters like the Sub-Mariner and Ka-Zar were right up his alley.
Patrick Ford: I'm wondering if Wood's notes talking about a Pellucidar story ended up as a Kazar story via either Lee or Kirby. Kazar was not a major Golden Age character so perhaps Wood was not even aware of it.
J David Spurlock: Wood would have discussed his "Lost World" story idea with Stan, who, in turn, would have mentioned it to Jack. Impossible to know who inserted Ka-Zar
Patrick Ford: The Golden Age Ka-Zar was a variation on Tarzan and almost nothing (No inner Earth, no prehistoric setting) like the Silver Age character. I have always made the assumption that either Goodman or Lee took an idea suggested by Kirby and applied the name Ka-Zar to it. Keeping in mind here that X-Men #10 came well before Wood came along.
Wood likely was not aware of the Silver Age Ka-Zar since Wood used the word Pellucidar to describe his plot idea.
Patrick Ford: Not to claim Kirby had an original idea. The inner Earth with a prehistoric setting is Pellucidar.
J David Spurlock: Wood used the term "Lost World" which invokes both Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost World" as well as ERB's similar "Pellucidar." Wood, like Frazetta and others, were influenced by both, since childhood.
Patrick Ford: J David Spurlock, Take a look.
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