Kirby gone these 20 years and a day

[Mmanick]

I can "defend" myself with this one (although as I said in other occasions, I am pretty sure it was Roz which signed it, because very likely Jack already had problems when I visited him, but this makes it even more valuable to me… )

 

…but I would love to have a GA Cap (or even a GA Newsboy Legion or Boy Commandos) signed by Jack, and possibly Joe Simon.

 

 

Very cool claudio.

[timfinz]

Gone, but not forgotten! Long live the King!

[Supernovaa30]

I miss Jack. Like many of you I've only really begun to appreciate the quality of his work as I've got older. His FF and Thor work in particular are probably the most magnificent visuals I've laid eyes on in comic books.

 

My son is 2 and a half and we always read a comic at bedtime. His favourite is the FF and I always make a point of explaining to him that Jack Kirby was responsible for all of those wonderful images that excite him so much. Just so happens that my boy was born on Aug 28th meaning he shares a birthday with the King.

 

I'm very fortunate to have have his signature on a Thor book which I treasure

 

 

[KirbyJack]

Cool!

[lb jefferies]

He was amazing.

 

[Bronx]

Comic art genius!

[Darkowl]

A pioneer he was.

[Jeffro.]

My lone Kirby page. It's not sexy like a FF page but I like it

 

[Unca Ben]

Nice page!

[bronze johnny]

What other artist/creator played a major role and helped begin the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Ages? With the Golden Age we saw Jack take part in creating Captain America and the romance comic book while the Challengers of the Unknown and Fantastic Four were his contributions to the dawn of the DC and Marvel Silver Ages. The Fourth World set Kirby apart from the rest during the earliest years of Bronze. Simply amazing!

 

Gone but never forgotten.

[comick1]

I had the chance to meet Kirby twice. He was at virtually every San Diego Comic-Con over the years, but I didn't have an awareness of his genius or celebrity until the late 80s. Back in the Comic Book Marketplace days of the early 90s, I was invited to attend a birthday for John Townshend, the fellow who wrote a series of funny articles about comics codependence. So my girlfriend (now wife) Pam and I drove up to LA for this bash. I don't remember too much else, but I do remember Jack and Roz showing up unexpectedly. . .for this guy's birthday for crying out loud!

 

I went up to talk with him and he shakes my hand and starts talking with me and Pam like we were old friends. I swear the conversation went on for like 10 minutes. I asked Gary Carter and a few other people if maybe Jack had mistaken me for somebody else. I wasn't used to somebody of his stature being such a regular guy. . .so approachable and willing to engage with complete strangers. They reassured me that THAT was the essence of Kirby the person. Truly a king among people of all kinds.

 

I wanted to see if I could get a sketch at the next convention I attended, but he politely declined to do sketches any longer at shows. Shortly after I spoke with him, he passed away. About 2 years later, I was looking through a stack of nice sketches that a friend of mine--Tom French--had collected over the years from a number of Comic-Con guests (he served the Comic-Con as a guest coordinator of some sort). Tom sold these sketches to me and included in the bunch was this little sweetie by the King himself. I was sorry to hear that a couple years later, Tom passed on as well. That's Tom and his wife Virginia who Jack personalized it to because of their involvement with Comic-Con.

 

 

I like that "Whatif Kirby" site. There are some incredible inkers of Kirby on one of the links, but conspicuously absent is John Severin. There've been a lot of threads and discussions over the years about who's Kirby's best inker. In my book, it's Severin. . .a strange choice since their styles are so disparate, but if you don't think it's possible, check out a copy or a reprint of Yellow Claw #4 one of the great Kirby mindblower's of ALL time. Staggeringly beautiful beyond words. Go see for yourself.

[Unca Ben]

There are some incredible inkers of Kirby on one of the links, but conspicuously absent is John Severin. There've been a lot of threads and discussions over the years about who's Kirby's best inker. In my book, it's Severin. . .a strange choice since their styles are so disparate, but if you don't think it's possible, check out a copy or a reprint of Yellow Claw #4 one of the great Kirby mindblower's of ALL time. Staggeringly beautiful beyond words. Go see for yourself.

 

Great story!

Kirby and Severin also worked on a couple of early SHIELD stories in Strange Tales. I always liked those.

[Jeffro.]

Yeah, great story Mick. I wish I could have met him

[telerites]

I had never read the Gary Groth Comics Journal interview with Jack (and Roz) from 2011 until recently.

 

This is the one that blasts Stan Lee and credits Stan with nothing other than being immature and a pest.

 

“Stan Lee and I never collaborated on anything! I’ve never seen Stan Lee write anything. I used to write the stories just like I always did.”

 

I also learned who the Wood Brothers were - I always thought it was Wally Wood who worked on the Skymasters comic strip.

 

It is an interesting read if you haven't read it - http://www.tcj.com/jack-kirby-interview/

 

I would have loved to have met Kirby and talked with him. His art and creativeness grew on me as I collected.

 

I recently picked these portfolios up

 

 

 

 

 

[comick1]

There are some incredible inkers of Kirby on one of the links, but conspicuously absent is John Severin. There've been a lot of threads and discussions over the years about who's Kirby's best inker. In my book, it's Severin. . .a strange choice since their styles are so disparate, but if you don't think it's possible, check out a copy or a reprint of Yellow Claw #4 one of the great Kirby mindblower's of ALL time. Staggeringly beautiful beyond words. Go see for yourself.

 

Great story!

Kirby and Severin also worked on a couple of early SHIELD stories in Strange Tales. I always liked those.

 

Thanks! I'm definitely gonna check those out. Off the top of your head, do you know which ones?

 

[Unca Ben]

There are some incredible inkers of Kirby on one of the links, but conspicuously absent is John Severin. There've been a lot of threads and discussions over the years about who's Kirby's best inker. In my book, it's Severin. . .a strange choice since their styles are so disparate, but if you don't think it's possible, check out a copy or a reprint of Yellow Claw #4 one of the great Kirby mindblower's of ALL time. Staggeringly beautiful beyond words. Go see for yourself.

 

Great story!

Kirby and Severin also worked on a couple of early SHIELD stories in Strange Tales. I always liked those.

 

Thanks! I'm definitely gonna check those out. Off the top of your head, do you know which ones?

Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD started in Strange Tales #135.

Kirby and Severin worked on the art in Strange Tales #136 and #137. If I remember, Kirby did the layouts and John did the inking, and (possibly?) finished pencils. I don't remember exactly.

Strange Tales #138 was Severin, no Kirby, except the cover.