The idea of doing a comic continuing themes from the 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY film is even stranger than doing an adaptation of the film, but Kirby did it, and it allowed him to draw some interesting science-fiction stories (as well as eventually launching MACHINE MAN).

The 7th issue looked at the giant floating baby that closed out the movie, with another astronaut being transformed by the Monolith. Kirby imagines this “New Seed” as a cosmic explorer, going from planet to planet, observing them in various stages of evolution, finally settling to observe a scene on a dying planet and a pair of lovers struggling against a savage mob.

2001 is a pretty minor Kirby work of the era, as he generally had some interesting ideas but didn’t really stick with them to develop them fully. Still, he did throw in some good images, and was well inked by Mike Royer in this issue (with Frank Giacoia inking the cover).

Published June 1977