Un brillant sujet

Literal: A brilliant subject

by Jacques Rigaut

Now that we’re in the enlightened 21st century, every self-respecting reader is intimately familiar with all the early time travel classics. Anno 7603, Paris avant les hommes,[/em] “A Tale of the Ragged Mountains,” “The Clock That Went Backward,” El Anacronópete, The Time Machine, blah blah blah. But let’s be honest and call a Morlock a Morlock: All those old tales are tales of vacuous travelers through time, none of them giving a thought to contorted paradoxes, none wondering which lover they would get back (or get revenge on) if given the chance, none fretting about what might happen should they kill their younger self, and none having impure thoughts about sleeping with their mothers or the consequences of doing so. Yep, I’d always proudly boasted that it was my generation who discovered such sauciness.

And then I stumbled upon Jacques Rigaut’s century-old gem that managed all that and more in under 1,000 words more than a century ago.

— Michael Main

Divers incestes sont consommés. Palentête a quelques raisons de croire qu’il est son propre père.

Various incests are consummated. Skullhead has some reason to believe that he is his own father.

English

[ex=bare]“Un brillant sujet” | A brilliant subject[/ex] by Jacques Rigaut, Littérature #2, April 1922.

Unusual Tales #2

Ramakos II Doubled

by Joe Gill [?] and Charles Nicholas [?]

After actor John Montaro immerses himself in the role of Ramakos II, he receives a visit from the original Ramakos II, who takes Montaro back to ancient Egypt.

— Michael Main

Won’t things become rather confused if people see and hear there are two of us?

“Ramakos II Doubled” by Joe Gill [?] and Charles Nicholas [?], Unusual Tales #2 (Charlton Comics, January 1956).

Journey into Mystery #36

I, the Pharaoh

by Carl Wessler and Joe Sinnott

This story could be a fantasy about Egyptologist Ted Craven, who studies Pharaoh Ras Hati-Ka so deeply that he eventually becomes the ancient Egyptian; but there are clues that the whole story is only a delusion in Craven’s overworked mind. Or perhaps it’s all a dream of the pharaoh himself.

— Michael Main

No . . . it’s all an illusion! I’ve been working too hard!

“I, the Pharaoh” by Carl Wessler and Joe Sinnott, in Journey into Mystery #36 (Atlas Comics, July 1956).

Journey into Mystery #40

I Saw a Demon!

by an unknown writer and John Giunta

When Dr. Morgan succeeds in playing back sound from ancient Egyptian rocks, an ancient Egyptian demon unexpectedly appears.

— Michael Main

I forgot! Sounds could be etched on this rock by voices in its vicinity over the ages, since it was first formed!

“I Saw a Demon!” by an unknown writer and John Giunta, in Journey into Mystery #40 (Atlas Comics, November 1956).

Tales of Suspense #44

The Mad Pharoah!

by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein, and Don Heck

Iron Man’s suit changes from grey to gold, and the golden Avenger is kidnapped and taken back to ancient Egypt where he upsets the plans of the consistently misspelled Mad Pharoah by winning the throne back for Cleopatra.

— Michael Main

For though I do not know your real identity . . . I, Cleopatra, have lost my heart to you!

“The Mad Pharoah!” [sic] by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein, and Don Heck, in Tales of Suspense 44 (Marvel Comics, August 1963).

Topolino #911

Zio Paperone e la scorribanda nei secoli

English release: Money is the Root of Upheaval Literal: Uncle Scrooge and the scavenger gang through the centuries

by Jerry Siegel, Romano Scarpa, and Sandro Del Conte

After waking an Egyptian pharaoh from a millennia-long sleep, Uncle Scrooge summons Donald and Gearloose, eventually realizing that they can restore the pharoah to his rightful throne via a trip to ancient Egypt in Gearloose’s not-quite-finished time machine. That doesn’t go quite as planned, and on the way home, they manage to turn the future into a money-mint-land or somnethin’?.

— based on Duck Comics Revue

Il veicolo aveva bisogno di una messa a punto! Comunque, siamo sulla “strada” giusta! Tenetevi forte!

Keep your seat belts buckled at all times! In the unlikely event of a water landing, your seat cushion doubles as a flotation device.

English

[ex=bare]“Zio Paperone e la scorribanda nei secoli” | Uncle Scrooge and the scavenger gang through the centuries[/ex] by Jerry Siegel, Romano Scarpa, and Sandro Del Conte, Topolino [Mickey Mouse] #911 (Mondadori, 13 May 1973).

The Magic Tree House 3

Mummies in the Morning

by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie go to the pyramids in Egypt where they help the thousand-year-old ghost of Queen Hupeti find her way to the next life. If this info from the queen is correct, that places them sometime in the period of 1500 BC to AD 700. They also ran into a tomb robber, the likes of which were a problem even in Ancient Egypt.

— Michael Main

“For a thousand years,” said the ghost-queen. “I have waited for help.”

Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne (Random House, August 1993).

Ulysses Moore 1

La porta del tempo

English release: The Door to Time Literal: The door of time

by Pierdomenico Baccalario

In this of the first Ulysses Moore books, three kids explore a house—once occupied by Ulysses Moore and his wife—and the surrounding cliffs and town of Kilmore Cove. Despite the title, La porta del tiempo, the door doesn’t manage to take the characters through time until the final chapter, ’Inizia l’avventura..” That particular door can take intrepid travelers whenever they wish, but the other books in the series have doors that lead to only one particular time and place.

— Michael Main

Non siamo più a Kilmore Cove.

“We’re not in Kilmore Cove anymore,” he said aloud.

English

[ex=bare]La porta del tempo | The door of time[/ex] by Pierdomenico Baccalario (Piemme, 2004).

Infinity Ring 1

A Mutiny in Time

by James Dashner

This first book of the multi-author series tells of how teens Dak (a history buff and odd duck), Sera (a science nerd), and Riq (a member of the secret Hystorians society) end up as the only ones who can save the world by fixing breaks in time that changed what was meant to be. Their first mission—saving Columbus from a mutiny that was meant to fail—is a disquieting choice that I would not choose as an introduction of history to children. For starters, they are choosing to save the man who brought genocide to the Americas. And to boot, in the broken world where the mutiny succeeded, his three ships still completed their voyage with no noticable change to subsequent centuries (apart from Columbus resting at the bottom of the Atlantic).

— Michael Main

Time had gone wrong—this is what the Hystorians believed. And if things were beyond fixing now, there was only one hope left . . . to go back in time and fix the past instead.

“A Mutiny in Time” by James Dashner (Scholastic, August 2012).

Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Time-Travel Trouble!

by Billy Wrecks

A short picture book of the 2014 Mr. Peabody and Sherman movie. The images are all from the movie’s CGI (or at least generated by the same process).

— Michael Main

Sheman was supposed to keep the time machine secret, but he broke the rules. He took his friend Penny back in time to ancient Egypt.

Time-Travel Trouble! by Billy Wrecks (Random House Children’s Books, July 2014).

The Treehouse #5

The 65-Storey Treehouse

by Andy Griffiths (story) and Terry Denton (art)

Each installment of Andy and Terry’s Treehouse series sees the house grow upward, but what if the house never had a proper building permit? No problem, if you’ve got a time machine in a wheelie trash bin! Caution: Important detours along the way may be necessary to save antkind and The Time Machine.

— Michael Main

“Don’t you see?” says Terry. “We’ll just travel back in time and get a permit for the treehouse.”

The 65-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths (story) and Terry Denton (art) (Macmillan Australia, August 2015).

Arthur Travels Back in Time

by Gene Lipen and Judith San Nicolas

Arthur the fearless dog travels to different times in a large blue cannister. The story is written in verse that ignores meter and uses rhymes that don’t quite work.

— Ruthie Mariner

With sights on events his eyes have never seen, Arthur is ready for his new time machine.

Arthur Travels Back in Time by Gene Lipen and Judith San Nicolas (Gene Lipen, November 2020).

The Magic Tree House: Graphic Novel 3

Mummies in the Morning: The Graphic Novel

adapted by Jenny Laird, Kelly Matthews, and Nicole Matthews

For the first time in graphic novel—live the adventure again with new full-color vibrant art that brings the magic to life!

— from publicity material

Mummies in the Morning: The Graphic Novel adapted by Jenny Laird, Kelly Matthews, and Nicole Matthews (Random House Children’s Books, June 2022) [print · e-book].