Marvel Comics makes movie magic


© Lon Mills
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This is part two of an ongoing series that focuses on the comic books that have extended the adventures of Indiana Jones into print. Since the early 1980s up until the mid-1990s, the comics medium have given us another outlet for movie adaptations and new tales of the archaeologist.

Movie adaptations in the world of comic books are always an interesting read. They offer different perspectives on scenes from the respective films, thoughts of the characters, different dialogue, and scenes deleted from the film or scenes from the screenplay that were never shot.

This was the case with Marvel Comics adaptation of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which was published in September 1981, three months after the release of the film.

The adaptation is a three-issue "Marvel Movie Special," written by Walt Simonson with art by John Buscema and Klaus Janson. The comic doesn't open with the famous mountain peak Paramount logo, but with Indiana Jones, Barranca and Sapito trekking through the South American rainforest.

Almost immediately, supporting characters are fleshed out more than in the film. Barranca is the character who ends up with all the blow darts in his back after Indy runs out of the cave and faces the Hovitos. Bet you didn't know that character's name was Barranca did you? The character name is in the credits for the film and Vic Tablian played him (he was also the Monkey Man) but the character's name is never given through dialogue in "Raiders." So unless you sit and watch the end credits (and most movie-goers don't), you would just refer to that character as "the guy who got shot with all the blow darts". Not only are the comics an adaptation of the film, but they are also companion pieces.

Then there are the "deleted" scenes from the film. Either they were physically cut out of the film before it was released or never shot due to budget reasons or it was decided it just wouldn't work.

Two great examples of scenes not in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" the movie but are in the comic adaptation are Indy's ride on the submarine and Indy and Marion's first kiss in her bar in Nepal.

When Indiana Jones swims to the submarine and is seen on top of it before it is shown traveling to a hidden German base it is assumed the submarine never submerged otherwise, how would Indy have survived that trip? Well, in the original draft of the movie, the submarine did submerge but Indy clung to the periscope and rode the sub to the hidden German base. This is presented in the comic adapation.

Indy hitches a ride
Indy and Marion share their
     

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