The REAL Origin of Adam Warlock
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- Adam Warlock is about to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but how much do you know about his comic book origins? It’s a story that involved Ayn Rand, Jesus, the Vietnam War, and a whole bunch of people who just do not like Stan Lee.
Links to buy comics
Warlock by Jim Starlin amzn.to/3GyR0gg
Warlock by Roy Thomas amzn.to/3KOG0gr
Complete Warlock Omnibus amzn.to/3UquOe9
Lee & Kirby Fantastic Four amzn.to/43Q9eUB
(As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
Sources
Strange and Stranger The World of Steve Ditko
web.archive.or...
The Life and Death (and life and death) of Adam Warlock by Karen Walker
The Art of Jim Starlin: A Life in Words and Pictures
Comics: Between the Panels by Steve Duin & Mike Richardson
web.archive.or...
Big thanks to my friend Olivier for help on the color grade!
You're a gifted storyteller.
@@_Illumina_ Telling events in an entertaining fashion is a story
@@shew_bot3123 literally like what is this dude going on about?
@Illumina when you find out about news stories: 😮😮😮
You're a nice person
I agree!!!
It means a lot to see someone look closely at a comic as serious, sincere and strange as this one. It blew my mind back in '75 and still does in '23.
I think it’s so crazy how commercialized things can get and how often incredible gems are washed over and buried over time. I had the same interest in superhero’s and comic cartoons as any boy growing up is presented with. But never really cared to look at the comics until my 20’s where I found incredible stories and interpretations of life in the pages. The internet and videos like these are the reason I was able to find these lost stories, so I must ask what it was like to be there when it actually came out , were the majority of comic fans looking for “action movie” comics and not these deeper stories ? Or was it a much smaller dedicated fanbase. I personally realized how many incredible stories and story tellers are lost in the credits of these comics while reading all the swamp thing comics (What an incredible character) im not sure my point anymore here but it’s just insane how timeless some of these older comics are and how deep and nebulous they’d get
Yes! This material was excellent and unforgettable!
Starlins run on Warlock was amazing! Still among the best of 70’s Marvel! Having Warlock confront his future self who was a complete inversion of everything he was and believed was brilliant.
Is The Magus still around?
Wow, i discovered the magus during a fairly recent (last 25 years? Lol) GOTG arc I read on marvel unlimited. I also did not know Adam originated in the 70s
Starlin was fine in the Avengers movie he was in too.
@@matthewschwartz6607 The original was erased from time but Adam's work erasing timeliness that could lead to The Magus, was undone, so the possibility of Magus is always there. Even regular 616 Adam became The Magus during the whole Cancerverse event.
@@matthewschwartz6607 He was the main bad guy in the Infinity War miniseries in the 90s.
The Avengers movie was actually rather based on the first miniseries Infinity Guantlet. Infinity War was second. And the third and final series was Infinity Crusade.
0:05: 😂 that’s putting it lightly. Without spoiling the movie, if you are an Adam Warlock fan, you will HATE how Guardians 3 treats him.
Wow! I barely knew of this character but you made the story behind him so interesting and discussed the influences and themes well. I'm excited to see what you do next!
What's next is we watch as "the movie industry" fucks him up for us. 🤣
I got a stack of comics that my parents found at a yard sale, when I was a teenager (I'm 30 now). A lot of it was involving the Infinity Trilogy. So, I've been a fan of Adam for most of my life. I didn't know that this was his behind the scenes origin, though. That's awesome! Between this and "The Page that Changed Comics Forever", it's obvious that you love comic book history. So I'm super excited to see what you put out next.
I LOVE comic book history also,didn't know Starlin was a Vietnam vet,no wonder he did drugs,the story behind the scenes is just as interesting as the stories of Warlock.
Yeah, my parents just bought a ton of comics for me and told me I could choose one every time I got an A on an assignment. Every time I got an A I would gun for an adam warlock comic. It made me genuinely sad how much they butchered him in the movie. I mean the whole adam reaching for god reference was extremely clever, because it is Adam, who is a god but is named after a man, reaching towards starlord, who is a celestial god like being but as a human. Where on both sides they represent god and adam.
Please don’t stop making these videos. You’re an amazing orator and compiling, curating and producing these tales of the drama and intrigue within the comic industry is endlessly compelling and effortlessly captivating. These detailed snapshots of the sometimes gritty inner workings of a thing I love so much are fascinating. Even the stories I was passingly familiar with you’ve made seem brand new, and being able to share these videos with friends so they can hear these stories told far better than I’m capable has been equally wonderful.
agreed
VERY accurate and articulate summary of the early career of Adam Warlock.
I purchased all this stuff as it was hitting newsstands back in the '70s. And I can tell you that Jim Starlin's revamp of the admittedly ALREADY weird Warlock character(Space Jesus, anyone?) was MIND-BLOWING.
As a Christian, I found Starlin's dark, megalomaniacal, cynic's take on organized religion to be ----- difficult. But I couldn't deny that it was BRILLIANT. (And since very soon afterwards, I've been able to appreciate what he was doing.)
After his grand space opera run in Captain Marvel, it was astounding to see him craft a story about a suicidal paranoid with delusions of godhood, featuring a SCATHING critique on the company he was working for AT THE TIME, and actually GET AWAY WITH IT. (The cojones on this guy....!)
NO ONE else in comics at the time was cranking out stories like this. It is no wonder; you could tell they were classics in the making, even then.
Thanks matttt, for posting this amazing retrospective on Warlock. I hope it will lead many new readers to discover the character for themselves.
You couldn't do those kinds of stories now,comic fans would cry-HAVOC !!!! Jim had very big-STONES. LOL. Then dissing the company he works for in a comic they published-OUCH.But,brilliant.
Thanks for sharing
🚶🏿
Two videos in and this is already one of my favorite channels on this website! Funny, informative, slick editing, and super interesting dives into comics history! Excited to see what's next!!
Grew up with Adam Warlock in the 70's and became my favourite comic character. This is a really cool look at the story of Adam. I didn't know all the back story of the writers but makes a lot of sense now.
Amazing video and narration. Adam Warlock has always been a fascinating character to me. His whole on-the-nose religious references are intriguing, and while it is a shame he didn't appear during MCU's Infinity War and Endgame (since he played a huge role there in the comics) I'm curious to see how they'll handle him in Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
What did you think?
@@chrisprad8325 im not the original commenter but i will say i enjoyed his portrayal in guardians i just wished he showed up more, but he worked as a b plot and while i didn't like will poulter's casting before the movie, i actually enjoyed his performance and i hope to see more of him
Starlin is one of my favourites. Dreadstar was my favourite comic for awhile, I'd love to see an adaptation of that universe.
Dreadstar was a very-GOOD-run,wish someone would do a video retro on that series.I bought every comic that came out back then.Starlin is a-BEAST-of a talent.
Jeez, I was going to make a Warlock video. Now I can’t, because this is the greatest Warlock video that will ever exist! Thanks a lot!
I love this underrated character. Warlock has huge potential that not many writers have capitalized on. Really, that's owed almost entirely to Starlin's take on the character.
Adam Warlock was such an interesting character and I LOVED the Starlin comics. They were crazy and bizarre but so creative and exciting.
Can't tell you how appreciative I am of content that values the artistic merit and history of classic comics while not being half an hour overly long breakdown of every piece of unnecessary lore and plot. Production quality is great too.
Fantastic analysis, quality editing, and not afraid to go deep into the stacks.
I'm not typically one to leave comments but I'm rooting for you man.
Okay so I saw your first video essay and it literally blew me away, art often takes a back seat in the commercialization of media, I like how you focus on the artists themselves and use the art to tell the story about the artists, I literally can’t wait for your next video!
I LOVE Adam Warlock, a love that has endured for many decades now, so it was nice to see someone like yourself paying him some tribute. Thank you.
Excellent content and quite fascinating even though I am not a comic book fan. The human story of artists trying to find meaningful expression in their work is what got to me. I am not a fan of religion either but I can appreciate that these two artists were just interested in putting something important to them into their work rather than giving up and giving into a purely economic, transactional relationship with their employer.
You are already operating at the top of the TH-cam comics game with your entertaining and insightful videos. It's a genuine joy. Thanks!
GOAT video essay coming out of nowhere and being there on the ground floor. One of my favorite things to have happen on this website. 🎉
Adam Warlock vs Magus was the story that made me love Adam so much. He is my favorite Super-Hero. And then Disney came and made a joke out of him.
This was great. And I loved your retelling of Starlin's writings and history with Warlock.
Adam Warlock is my all-time favorite character, and Jim Starlin (my all-time favorite writer) is the reason why. I'll never forget how psyched I was to see that Warlock-kills-self scene come full circle! I'd never before experienced storytelling at that level. Ten years ago (or so) I got to meet Jim Starlin at a comic convention. I *had* to ask him how he came up with his story ideas. "Drugs."
Brilliant storyteller.
@notgary1111 I am also a big fan of Starlin's brilliant art and writing talents, and I def understand the inspiration for the wild visuals more after reading your comment. Having had my own quite extensive experience with the source of his inspiration, I'm a little surprised that it never occurred to me before, because the voice that lives inside my head and sounds just like me, upon reading it, mumbled "oh... well... duh.", and moved on to something else it hasn't commented upon as of yet, but surely will fairly soon, I hope, because it's extended silence is starting to make me a bit nervous, lolol! Thanks for sharing the details of your interaction with one one of my all-time favorite Marvel creators. I am reminded of those amazing storylines and visuals quite often by the Infinity Gauntlet themed table in Zen Pinball, which imo, is the most faithful artistic interpretation of the original content of any of the Marvel tables they've released, which features AW and his old space-buddy The Silver Surfer joining forces to prevent Thanos from un-existing half of all life in the universe merely to impress his super-hot goth crush Lady Death! Have a great day!!! ✌️
@@munkyzunkle1781And thank YOU for the pointer to Zen Pinball. I was unaware of its existence, but now I can look into it! Thanks! Have a great day too!
Damn didn’t expect the channel to only have two videos, this was actually really interesting
I always thought that Jim Starlin's take on Warlock was inspired by Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone.
Amazing video - I feel like you just came outta nowhere and dropped some of the best comics content on the internet
You have only posted two videos and yet…. I keep thinking that you have this large repertoire so I go to your channel to watch more videos.
It’s both an amazing and depressing experience.
Stumbled across this channel this morning as the TMNT video was suggested to me. Watched that and then this…subbed! Amazing content and quality!!!
Found the first issue of Impact thanks to you. Spectacular work. New favourite channel.
Great video man, super interesting topic and the video was very well produced. Hope you keep making videos because I can’t stop watching them!
Dude, you found a way into my algorithm and your content has blown me away. Keep making vids!
As a long standing and now somewhat aged comic fan, I have really enjoyed your videos.
The presentation and the research are excellent. I thought I knew quite a bit about some of this already, but your knowledge and delivery of it in this way is superb.
Thank you, subscribed and looking forward to more!
Man, I haven’t had so much fun as your two videos since Steranko published his History of Comics. Great stuff, keep it coming!
Ah, Strange Tales 178. I bought this as a teenager, and mind blown. Over the next few years, I bought every back issue that was mentioned as containing Him/Adam Warlock,, back to the first FF appearances (in the 1970s, this was affordable even for a kid). I knew Neal Adams was important, and Jim Steranko, but Starlin was the first comic creator where I wanted everything he'd ever done.
You're two for two. Nice work.
One bit of info -- the practice of using the number/time 420 or 4:20 as indicating cannabis use was supposedly spawned by the H.P. Lovecraft short story "In the Walls of Eryx," which concerns an adventure on Venus.
In the first few pages of the story, the protagonist encounters the effects of the dreaded Venusian mirage plants.
Among other things, he says "Anderson had warned me of them, and described their appearance very closely -- the shaggy stalk, the spiky leaves, and the mottled blossoms whose gaseous, dream-breeding exhalations penetrate every existing make of mask."
Our hero becomes very disoriented but eventually gets away from the hellish plant and as his mind clears he notes that "I looked at my watch and was astonished to find that the time was only 4:20." That is, only a half-hour or so since he first felt the effects of the plant.
No mention of Scooby, though.
nice, it's always been puzzling to watch modernity completely miss lovecraft's ATMOM metaphor "6 ft. penguins" :p
The quality in these videos are CRAZY. Clearly a lot of research on your part which I respect so much. Glad you're touching on more in-depth topics, its so fun to watch!!
This is great. I’m looking forward to more of your content. You can really tell you put a lot of research into this.
JIM STARLIN is my comic idol. One of the main reasons I became an artist was because of his work. I used to trace Warlock and Captain Marvel comics when I was a kid. Decades later, I finally got to do my own cover for Marvel. (CAPTAIN AMERICA: Sentinel Of Liberty #1 Variant cover…) and I owe STARLIN a tip of the cap for that. Great vid and commentary! Thank you!
I _just_ watched your video on Bernard Krigstein and wasn’t expecting a new video so soon-or that you only had two videos so far! Always exciting to find another comic book TH-camr and it’s neat that you’re covering lesser known topics. I’m excited to watch this one and also to see what other videos you’ll create-no pressure! I’d like to stress that last part as someone who enjoys creating (drawing, writing, etc) ahaha.
I don't know how or why my algorithm lead me here, but your first video was STELLAR and made me even more deeply appreciate my love for the Maus comics!
Then I was recommended your third video and it reminded me so much of my childhood and its appreciation.
So, of COURSE, I have to finish the set so far and this tale of the FASCINATING history of a comic book character I don't even know... Made me subscribe!
Thank you so much for your videos and insights and understanding of the comic book world, I've only ever been peripherally interested, but now I'm going to eagerly await your next release!
I got to meet Starlin at a comics convention - we had a convo about Warlock's link to Elric (Stormbringer = soulstone). Super nice guy, very smart and friendly.
Only 2 videos in and I think you're one of the best comic book TH-camrs. The touch of humor is appreciated too.
Amazing video, man! Personally, I love Starlin's approach on Adam Warlock and Thanos above any other artist this has worked with them. Keep up your good work!
Dude your videos are beyond amazing ! Keep making more and more forever
When I watched your last video. I was shocked to see it was your first. It is some high quality content, and I am glad to see it was not a fluke, as this is also fantastic. I am not much of a marvel guy and have never read any Adam Warlock, or much Jim Starlin outside of Batman:The Cult. This video has shown me that I need to pick up more of his stuff.
Jim Starlin's run on Warlock broke my brain. After watching your video, the broken pieces have been collected into a dustpan. I hope you come across his Dreadstar run, which I feel is an extension or amalgamation of his Captain Marvel/Warlock run. Thanks so much for doing this!
Great video! That ending makes me think we might be getting a Vision video in future? 🤔
I'm new to this whole Adam Warlock story, thanks for the great introduction!
I read Warlock when I was a nipper back in the late 70s and it blew my tiny mind. I'm now rereading it and it is so wonderfully chaotically brilliance.
I still remember when I read the warlock saga. I was around 12 years old. It was launched in Brazil in the 80s. It was unusual and disruptive. Congratulations and success, man!
I don't like commenting but these are really interesting and entertaining, I hope you keep making them.
Awesome. Just..... awesome. Thank you SO much for these episodes!
Thank you for researching? Warlock's origins. My introduction to him was through Starlin's Magus run. If I'm not mistaken Gamora and Pip were part of Guardians of the Galaxy. The reason I'm reticent is because I'm trying to remember the old "What if" about Korvac.
Weren't the Guardians searching for Korvac when he went to the Avengers? I remember a powerful member of the Guardians but it wasn't Adam Warlock, it was a super cool character called Starhawk. It would have been interesting to see how Adam Warlock would have dealt with Korvac.
In any case because of my Starlin introduction to Adam it never made sense when Thanos became this super powerful baddie. With Magus as his alter-ego Thanos is a good guy? With Warlock as himself Thanos is a big bad? It seems confusing. Who's good who's bad..."what's it all about Alfie?"
I prefer a good Adam Warlock and a bad Thanos, but what I don't want is a bad Thanos who's way out of the league of Warlock. I want a Warlock who's as least as mysterious and resourceful as the bad Thanos; after all Magus was a worst baddie than Thanos, don't you think?
Good job. I never thought about videos about comics. Your first video was my first intro to this type of analysis. I like how you give back story and personality to these writers and artists. Especially that bit about the writers staying up all night in NYC and doing drugs. It was the 70s and totally normal.
I appreciate your script writing and jokes. Keep going.
These videos are great. I never thought I'd be interested in the biographies of comic book creators, but now i want to see a video that spotlights the whole career of one of my very favorite writers, Roy Thomas.
Outstanding video. Warlock was a favorite of mine as a youngster…was nice to revisit through this video.
That’s wild that this is just your second video. The first somehow cracked 1 mil in 3 weeks. Keep it up man!
Definitely welcoming a new comic channel. I’ve watched too much Comics Explained and appreciate the fresh angle.
I didnt realise that your last video was the first ever one...AWESOME content, so glad to have you on here. ❤
Thanks for the links to buy the each comic run. Super helpful!
A well made video! Barely knew anything about the character. But the fact that he was made to demonstrate certain viewpoints of his writers made this an interesting watch. Well done!
My first exposure to acquainting with Adam Warlock was through both the Annihilation comics and the Marvel Avengers Alliance (game on social media, before it was shut down). So I am very keen to give your video a listening to the classic origins of his inception instead of the modern reiteration, so it's really cool to see how comics evolved from the 60s and the way they were both illustrated and written. I really enjoyed your very first video on how comics were changed forever, so I will come back for more comic history.
Starling’s Warlock saga was fantastic and holds up better than most old stories.
Thanks, Jim, for all that you did.
I just finished watching all 4 of your videos, I hope you never change style. Your small personal comments on things are so good and engaging. youre not only spitting facts, but making it enjoyable to learn. youre amazing.
im going to leave this exact comment on all 4 of your videos that are out right now, and come back to this in 10 years and see how you've been doing. I cant wait to join you on this journey
An excellent video, thanks for posting it. Two observations by someone who “was there” as a kid getting these comics in the sixties and seventies (even Adam Warlock which was not a well selling title, either time): eventhen I found it interesting that Starlin took over two books that had been drawn by GIL KANE (in what had both been new attempts involving Kane in remaking Capt Marvel and Warlock, both pretty much not succeeding , but laying the groundwork for Starlin’s shots). That mile-high pile of trash that you referenced indicates what so many fans realized even by the mid-1970’s, that the company had already gone sour and the overwhelming majority of their product was junk, sprinkled with some good stuff. I fear the super-majority of Marvel fans believe that the firm always published good stuff, even through the 1980’s 90’s, which certainly wasn’tt the case. Many older fans had given up on Marvel by the 80’s, or at least didn’t respect what they were buying out of habit by then, and though they had a few-year last gasp in the early to mid eighties, by the second half of that decade Marvel became simply dreadful, which even got worse in the following decade. From The House of Ideas to the poster child for bad comics. But the downward spiral really happened in that now idealized Bronze age
The fact that you are a new channel is just mind blowing.
I'm loving your videos super interesting and informative
Thank you 🙏
I vaguely remember this arc, featuring Adam Warlock and Captain Mar-vell. I was a huge Avengers fan, and this was the acme of my comic book collection; they all came together. It was a great time in my childhood. I don’t remember many specific details now, other than the amazing art and far-out plots.
So thank you for the “refresher course”!
I really enjoy your videos and I’m looking forward to more.
I only knew of him from the Infinity Gauntlet series and afterward, but even then I could sense there was something behind the character. Thanks for the backstory.
If I remember right, it was established that "past Warlock killing present Warlock" was actually locking his essence into the stone, and for Infinity Gauntlet he's released.
@@JCCyC Yep, mattt didn't went over it (I guess because of spoilers) but he gets trapped in the stone and at the end gets out and turns Thanos to stone before returning to the soul world and leaving with all his friends (and enemies). It's fortunate that nobody decided to bring Warlock back to life or make Thanos return to flesh again before Jim came back in the early 90's.
I like how you weave history of the creators into their creations stories.. well done.!!
This is xureently the best comic history channel on TH-cam. The storytelling is next level.
Fella that was very entertaining and your presentation on how you introduce us adam worlock was unique, and I've seen alot of adam warlock videos online and hardly none cover the angle you blasted through with accuray, i have to say well done 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
I was drawn in by your first video and then just watched them all. Looking forward to watching more of your work
I had just brought the Adam Warlock omnibus, thanks for this video setting out the context of what was happening behind the scenes. I think it will enrich the read through.
These are such incredible videos! I really hope you keep making them. Someone recommended the Ninja Turtles video to me, which is how I found the channel - I've read and watched so much content about the stories behind the Ninja Turtles, but yours was the first that had me tearing up.
That is a wild ride!
Enjoying your videos so far, and looking forward to where you take the channel!
Dude…freaking LOVING your content!!!
Please do more!!
Jim Starlin told me that Archie Goodwin was the guy at Marvel that gave him the ability to finish the Warlock saga through 2 annuals.
Adam Warlock has been my favorite hero for decades. Happy he's finally getting put in the MCU. Roy Thomas stuff was good but Jim Starlin's run is what made him my favorite.
I aspire to create my own comics, and you are the only comics focused creator on TH-cam I have found who I really like. That might be a forboding sign, but either way I really appreciate your work. Keep it up!
Yo man as an aspiring comic artist that went the "artist with a capital A" route, i am in love with the way you break down the history of this art form. Thank you for treating comics like the fine art it's always been!
Wow. Incredible backstory. I love Starlin's cosmic work and will be forever grateful for the iterations of characters like Silver Surfer, Thanos, and Adam Warlock that he wrote. Of course shout out to Kirby for getting the ball rolling with Warlock, and Ditko's arc was actually entertaining to me. It's awesome how this character's progression makes sense even with these varying writers and their philosophies.
Great content, keep it coming!
"Here's a tombstone, he was ten."
I don't know why, but I love that line. 😂
Classic Adam Warlock, especially after Jim Starlin’s revival, is my favorite Marvel character beyond the shadow of a doubt. I love how it’s so wacky and ham-fisted, yet so cerebral at the same time. And of course the art is just gorgeous.
Another amazing video, I enjoyed hearing about Jim Starlin and Roy Thomas’. I’d love a whole video about them
I love Warlock. My first exposure to him was way back in 1980 when I got a back-issue of the John Byrne-drawn Marvel Team-Up 55 that takes place between Warlock 15 and the Avengers/Marvel Two-In-One finish to his story, which shows him arriving back from deep space to our solar system and our Moon. I soon went back and got every Starlin issue I could get my hands on. Now as an adult, I'm happy to say that I tracked down and bought every appearance he was in from his arrival in Fantastic Four through Thor, Hulk, Marvel Premiere, and his own title, but the Starlin issues are by far my favorite.
I watched this video and was SHOCKED to see this wasn't a channel with hundreds of thousands of subs. This was an amazing video
Man… this was excellent. Looking forward to the next one
This was amazing and interesting. i had broken off of comics and appreciate all the loose ends you put together again. Great video!!
Awesome video man, gutted there's only 2 to watch lol. Looking forward to future output. Keep up the amazing work
3 videos?! Great quality videos, just, there’s only 3😢 please make more.
You are now my favourite comic tube creator. Thank you for everything you do.
I really appreciate how well you present these essays
actually this is spot on. i was going to argue that starlin is basically warlock's true designer but you hit that on the head. I always loved starlin's art
When someone delves deep into comics as a medium for actual expression and exploration, they inevitably come across that strange Marvel "Bronze Age": The Tomb of Dracula, Man-Thing, Englehart's Avengers and Captain America runs, Steve Gerber's Defenders, and this, Adam Warlock. Great video and great analysis!
As a huge comic fan, I've been totally thrilled by both your videos so far! Excellent work! Looking forward to more! 🤗
EXCELLENT video! I read that account of Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin and a few others who were partying around town at night who I can't recall at the moment. (Maybe Steve Gerber and Frank Brunner?) I believe I read somewhere that Thanos, The Magus, Shang-Chi, and some of the villains who popped up during Englehart's Dr. Strange run were all, in some ways, products of drug-induced creativity and acid trip! Also superb analysis of the early appearances of Adam warlock. Your excellent research skills are clearly visible in these video tidbits. As weird as much of this material may have seemed, it encapsulated a great run of phenomenal and dimensional ideas the likes of which is completely absent from modern day comics. I am subscribing to your channel. Your analyses are on-point and stimulating.
I had no idea the last one was your FIRST video. These are fascinating stories and you're doing a great job telling them! Thanks for your work. Hope you keep going and that lots of people find you.
You have a great narrator voice, and put a lot of info into a short amount of time without feeling rushed. This video was to the point yet entertaining, your pace is perfect, and the whole production is so professional. Very nicely done!