2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) TV Guide Ad

It took nearly a decade for Stanley Kubrick's mind-blowing 2001: A Space Odyssey to air on U.S. network television, finally making its broadcast premiere on February 13th, 1977, on NBC's "Big Event." I remember it clearly, because I begged my folks to let me stay up and watch it (spaceships), but they only agreed to let me watch until my regular bedtime, as I had school the next day. On the east coast, it started at 8 PM, and my bedtime was nine (hey, I was only twelve!).

So... I only got to see the whole "dawn of man" sequence and maybe the PanAm shuttle docking with the space station before being hustled off to bed.

Now, at the tender age of twelve, I probably would have struggled mightily with the deliberate pace of the film and lack of action, but I was already a spaceship special effects junkie (thanks to Star Trek and Space: 1999), and was deeply disappointed that I didn't get to see more of the actual "space odyssey."

I didn't actually see the entire movie until I was at art school in '83 or '84, watching it in pan & scan on my tiny portable B&W television set. I didn't see it widescreen until it came out on DVD.

Rainier Beer "Fresh Gordon" TV Spot (1978)

This 1978 commercial for Rainier Beer manages to "homage" 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars (dig that oh-so-close background music in the cantina) and Flash Gordon... and stars the original Flash, Buster Crabbe, as "Fresh Gordon."

Only in the 1970s.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Marvel Comics Cover Gallery

I don't know if anyone has ever satisfyingly explained why Marvel Comics chose to license Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science fiction headtrip, 2001: A Space Odyssey, for an ongoing monthly comic book, nor why they waited eight years after the film's release to do so. It is also baffling why (except for the fact that they were contractually obligated to keep the artist busy with work) they chose the awesome Jack Kirby to write and illustrate it.

Kirby was an astounding artist and creative genius, but his explosive, dynamic art - and decidedly thunderous prose - were hardly sympatico with Kubrick's stark visual style and leisurely storytelling. Also, the film really didn't seem to lead naturally into any sort of traditional continuation, so the Marvel Comic had to blaze its own, bizarre path in building on the film's narrative.

In any case, after an oversized "Treasury Edition" adaptation of the film in 1976, the subsequent ongoing 2001 comic ran for ten issues, all produced by the legendary Kirby, who explored the movies themes and concepts in his own unique manner. The stories were wild, colorful and bugnuts crazy, but they did make one lasting contribution to the sprawling Marvel universe in the form of Kirby's robotic creation, Mister Machine/Machine Man, who was introduced and featured in the final issues of the book.

Here are Kirby's covers for the ten-issue run:

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) International Posters

Today I present a selection of theatrical one-sheets for Stanley Kubrick's 1968 mindtrip, 2001: A Space Odyssey... the film (that, along with Planet Of The Apes) kicked off the Space: 1970 era of genre flicks. Most of these used Bob McCall's art in various configurations, but there are a few cool regional variations in here, too. Enjoy.

Behind-The-Scenes Pix #31: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY

On the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey with director Stanley Kubrick. And to all the helpful folks who feel obligated to e-mail me, comment and tweet whenever I post something that didn't come out strictly in the calendar decade of the 1970s: yes, 2001 came out in 1968, but as I've stated numerous times, I consider the 70s era of sci-fi to basically begin in '68 (with 2001 and Planet Of The Apes) and end in '83 (with Return Of The Jedi). It's my blog. Deal with it.

Sorry... I'm grumpy tonight.

2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY Art by Bob McCall

Here are just a few of the marvelous promotional and concept paintings from renowned space artist Robert McCall done for Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey.

McCall also did design and conceptual illustrations for Star Trek - The Motion Picture, The Black Hole, and the aborted, pre-Glen Larson version of Universal's 70s Buck Rogers television series. McCall's work was not only dynamic and dramatic, but rooted in genuine space science and technology. His illustrations can be found on U.S. postage stamps, NASA mission patches, and his murals grace the walls of the National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, The Pentagon, EPCOT Center, and Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

Captain's bLog 0118.11

•  Still haven't had time to finish up those "End of the World" posts. This winter so far has just been far busier than expected on the "real work" front. So much for a theme "week." >Sigh.< I'll get them completed and posted just as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience.

•   Time-Life is currently offering the pilot films & first season of The Six Million Dollar Man as a standalone DVD release. I don't know how long it will be available, or if they'll be making the other seasons available individually, but if, like me, you can't afford the complete series set with its fancy packaging, you can click over to their site and check it out.

Thanks to donations from some generous Space: 1970 readers around New Year's, I was able to order this first season release - and I can't wait to pop the discs into my player. I never saw the original pilot films, and I'm looking forward to finally getting to watch them. Hopefully, it will arrive this week, although each day when I check the tracking number, the estimated delivery date is moved an additional 24 hours later. Right now, it's supposed to get here on Friday. (And yet, it's supposedly at a FedEx depot less than three hours' drive from here.)

•  Sunday night, I picked up the Blu-Ray edition of Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey at my local WalMart for $10.

While it's not my favorite science fiction film of the era, I'm thrilled to have it in HD. The special effects and production design were groundbreaking and hugely influential on the SF of the subsequent decade (especially in the case of Space: 1999), and seeing them in high def is eye-opening. The enhanced audio is nice, too.

I haven't had time to sit down and watch it through, nor delve into the fairly extensive supplemental features, but I'm eager to do so.

•  "Gilligan" over at Retrospace just posted a really cool round-up - complete with audio files embedded - of his top 17 sci-fi TV themes and intros. My list would have been slightly different, but he's got all the classics there, and it's a fun collection. Check it out HERE.