Creator Jack Kirby is Having a Moment.

[Unca Ben]

It seems to me Jack's art was slowly evolving, becoming more polished and less cartoonish throughout his Marvel run in the 60's. When Joe Sinnott began doing the inks for Fantastic Four at about issue #44, the finished product took a significant step forward. The quality and visual appeal of Jack's art with Joe's inks really started this title popping, bringing an artistic maturity and energy to comics that had not been seen up to that point.

+1

Arguably the best Penciller/Inker tandem in history

 

Agreed. The mid 1960 FF run was a masterpiece.

 

Yep.

[Cat-Man_America]

It seems to me Jack's art was slowly evolving, becoming more polished and less cartoonish throughout his Marvel run in the 60's. When Joe Sinnott began doing the inks for Fantastic Four at about issue #44, the finished product took a significant step forward. The quality and visual appeal of Jack's art with Joe's inks really started this title popping, bringing an artistic maturity and energy to comics that had not been seen up to that point.

+1

Arguably the best Penciller/Inker tandem in history

 

Agreed. The mid 1960 FF run was a masterpiece.

 

Yep.

 

I can't comprehend any of Kirby's work as being cartoonish, but his style definitely evolved. Every era of Kirby's professional career has it's devotees. His early work (40's & 50's) was arguably more fluid & dynamic, flowing expressively from panel to panel, breaking borders in every possible manner along the way.

 

Like many artists in the early 40's Jack Kirby was undoubtably influenced by Orson Welles then-groundbreaking camera work (Citizen Kane), but to my knowledge he was the first to exploit Welles vision in a comic book format. It made the popular Simon & Kirby production team synonymous with action.

 

During the mid-60's his style became blockier, ...more abstract, in keeping with the pop-art culture of the era. I'm impressed by most of Jack Kirby's contributions to the comic art medium regardless of when they were created, but every Kirby fan has favorites. Some folks prefer the late 50's, early 60's Kirby/Ayers team, for instance. Personally, I'll admit to having a strong preference for his earlier, more macabre Timely art, but his DC work teamed with Joe Simon from the same period isn't shabby. My (adjusted for inflated comic book values)

[Mr. 10%]

With all the technical advantages the new and upcoming creators have or had over Jack Kirby you would think another modern comic creator would give Jack Kirby some competition. It doesn't seem so.

What I mean by new technology as an advantage is Jack had to draw the stuff by hand with no computer to help out or internet for quick research.

Jack Kirby was something special.

 

I'm not sure what role you think technology plays in creative efforts!

 

And as for giving Kirby competition? Jack Kirby has his unique place in comics history because of his unique style, but , in reality, his legend owes a lot to the times he worked. He worked in the industry's infancy. And 20 years later was in the eye of the hurricane of change in comics, at marvel with Stan et al.

 

He created and co created nearly all of Marvel! And comics today are still nearly all derived on things he touched and gave life to. As we all know, you can name on a hand or two all the truly memorable heroes and even villains created since then.

 

So a modern day creator can create a new hero, have his own book or two... But can never reshape the industry anymore. It's a 1000 times bigger and more varied than in Jacks time. MCFarlane and Image came as close as anyone, and that was a lady 25 years ago!

 

+1 good post ...

[Jaylam]

I like what Neal Adams had to say about Jack's work bringing a feel of "ACTION" to the comic book page. Not necessarily violence but "ACTION" . He made reading a comic book as close to watching a movie as you could get.

[ComicConnoisseur]

I like what Neal Adams had to say about Jack's work bringing a feel of "ACTION" to the comic book page. Not necessarily violence but "ACTION" . He made reading a comic book as close to watching a movie as you could get.

That`s what made his comics good. Action and being like movies, and not talking heads standing around in costumes talking about their soap opera problems.

The more I get older the more I realize what a rare creative genius he was.

It`s also not just about Marvel.

I went back and read his Demon and Kamandi stuff.

Totally mind-blowing!

 

[KirbyJack]

I enjoy Kirby's 4th world stuff more every time I read it. I did not grasp it all the first time. (I tend to focus on the cool pictures...)