Look-in Film Special: Clash of the Titans

[Jul 1981]. Cover price £1.25.
66 pages. Colour & B&W.
Independent Television Books Ltd.

Magic, Myth and Spectacle!

The official illustrated adaptation of the epic film of the year!

Cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

ISBN-10: 090072787X

Contents:

 2 Gods photographs of Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Claire Bloom, Jack Gwillin, Ursula Andress, and Susan Fleetwood. / Mortals photographs of Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Siân Phillips, and Burgess Meredith.

 3 Clash of the Titans title page.

 4 Indicia

 5 Clash of the Titans w: Mary Carey; a: Dan Spiegle.

r: Clash of the Titans (Golden Press) #11290 (1981).

When the monstrous Kraken confronts Perseus, son of the god Zeus, a mortal combat of awe-inspiring dimensions results - the cataclysmic...

CLASH OF THE TITANS!

Once more, frustratingly, cover lines are difficult to read against a busy background thanks to a poor colour choice - if people can't quickly discern the nature of (seemingly important, if it is worth putting on the cover) information, then any instant appeal this title possesses diminishes. While a painted cover is preferable to photographs (as the US edition ran with), having such a poor representation of the Kraken kills the immediacy of the image - it appears to have been based on the action figure, or a model, rather than being depicted as a living, breathing creature.

It is incredibly difficult to buy into the fantasy when the artist isn't entirely convinced of what they are illustrating. The inside covers (in black and white) provide a (not-entirely-helpful) at-a-glance guide to the characters. Such a feature would have been much more appreciated had the characters depicted in the adaptation borne some resemblance to their actors, but as a solitary link to the film it is entirely lacking.

This could have been a perfect opportunity to delve into the myths and legends upon which the film is based, but - with the reprinted material taking up the entirety of the title - we are left with two unsatisfactory pages of photos of the cast. I'm willing to admit that the layout, in honeycomb fashion, is rather attractive, but there's an emptiness to its inclusion. Is this meant to reassure us that the film isn't as ropey as the strip? Are we to bemoan the lack of interviews, pin-ups, and special effects features?

The strip itself is something of a disappointment.

Near the rugged coast of the ancient kingdom of Argos, a gull rises from the wind-whipped waves. With a scream that could be one of fear -- or perhaps rage -- it flies toward a far-distant mountain whose summit is veiled in clouds...

The top of the mountain is crowned with marvelous palaces, and the gull alights on one of these...

As the mists swirl about him, the bird is suddenly transformed into a quite different being...

An inauspicious start to this adaptation, introducing Poseidon with the least drama possible. Less of a god, more of a rather confused (and useless) vampire. Had it been an albatross, or something suitable, this wouldn't rankle so much, but a seagull? Honestly, I wonder if more than a long afternoon was spent writing this adaptation.

So much of the art is wasteful, such as two pages given to the Kraken (or some of the Kraken, at least) creating a giant wave. Neither dramatic or visually rich, the lack of detail and interest makes reading this a chore rather than evoking appropriate excitement at the release of its film. With far too bright a colour palette this also looks cheap. Panels without background art are spread throughout, leaving little to ground the characters - for the gods it has a degree of suitability, but elsewhere... Not so much.

A dramatic image of the Temple of Medusa is ruined by having it presented with a solid bright yellow colouring, and tension is further stultified by the appearance of Medusa - a cartoonish style ruining what could have been a truly horrific moment. Her decapitation reveals, oddly, her neck to be made of solid flesh - no vertebrae or internal workings whatsoever. No wonder she is grumpy.

An utterly wasted opportunity. Using cheap and thick paper gives the impression that this contains more than it actually does, which actually helps - Clash of the Titans feels substantial. If only the content had been worth the trouble of reprinting.