Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Happy Birthday, Jack Kirby! ~~ A "Comical Wednesday" Post, Edited and Reprinted from 8/28/2013

Jack Kirby, one of comic books' true gods, would turn one hundred years old next Monday, August 28th, if he hadn't left us back in 1994. But the amazing artwork the man gave us will be ours forever.

I'm going to shut up in a minute and just throw a random sampling of stuff at you, fellow babies... "Stuff" from the King. "Stuff" that shows the power in the man's work. And forgive me if I've left out some -- or all -- of your favorite characters! The man created or co-created hundreds, and if you count those that he also illustrated, one would have to say thousands! A list of most of the characters he had a hand in creating can be found here.




















And if you'd like a more in-depth description of how I "discovered" Marvel Comics (and Jack Kirby), and Kirby's effect on the young Silver Fox, click here for "My Keys to the Kingdom, Part One," and here for  "My Keys to the Kingdom, Part Two!"

Thanks for your time!

16 comments:

  1. He sure paved the way for many and could bring most anything to life that he wanted.

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    1. Yes, he was copied by so very many in the field.

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  2. Sorry, never got into the whole comic books thing. Superheroes didn't, and still don't, make sense to me. I like my "comics" to be funny, as the name implies, and read the amusing and sometimes philosophical ones like Bloom County, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, Garfield, etc. (Don't mind me, I'm just grumpy today because I spent my last shift at work listening to a whiney co-worker complain to EVERY. LAST. CUSTOMER. he waited on that he was working on his day off. Dude, grow up and suck it up!)

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    1. Calvin and Hobbes is one of my all-time favorite comic strips.

      I've always enjoyed superheroes, but long for the days when comic books focused on so many more types of story-telling.

      And no need to apologize for being grumpy. If you can't vent in the comments section of a blog that has frequent "David'Z RantZ," where can you vent?

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    2. Also, I should point out that although my illustrations were mostly of Kirby's superhero work, he also did war comics, humor comics, illustrated classic literature stories, and (with his partner Joe Simon) pretty much began the romance comic genre.

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    3. Not to mention Westerns, crime comics, mystery/horror/monster comics...!

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  3. Hi, SF! I hopped over from Pat Hatt's post on your blog today. I'm enjoying his series on bloggers because it's funny and it's pushing me to visit new bloggers. I read a lot of comics growing up ((Superman was a favorite), but back then I never thought about the artists behind the stories. It's fascinating to look at the Kirby images you posted and realize what great story-telling goes on through the artwork and how powerful the art is. Have a good one!

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by. I haven't read Pat's blog yet today. Going there now.

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  4. Don't ya love the Pat Hatt has shown our way:) I think the comic book animation is often overlooked and it shouldn't be because it is well done. Love the works you have shown here

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    1. Thanks! And yes, your comments still show up here but not in my personal emails, Birgit!

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  5. I had no idea Jack Kirby had created so many familiar (and beloved) characters. WOW. And I liked the links you provided! Do you still have those comic books in your possession?

    Loved the photos in the second part as well. I've never seen a photo of Stan Lee that young.

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    1. MOST of the comics pictured in all my Kirby-related posts have been in my collection at one time or another, but few of them still are. Some issues I owned, lost or sold, then bought a second time! I got most of these scans from the internet because I'm basically a lazy b*st*rd.

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  6. We needed more superheroes in Charlottesville--the kind who can stop drivers who head their cars into groups of people. The whole world needs those superheroes.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Just one person with powers like that would be a great start... if he or she was on the side of what's considered good.

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  7. I have always loved that picture of Scott Free. He is really an underrated character.

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    1. I remember seeing Mr. Miracle #1 advertised in the early 1970s. I also remember being shocked as a kid when Kirby had gone over to DC from Marvel. Little did I know that he'd worked for them already during the 1940s and again in the late 1950s! He really got around, having worked for Prize Comics, Harvey, Archie Comics, Gilberton, and many others over the years!

      You may like my "Comical Wednesday" post coming up a week from next Wednesday, Brandon. It's a focus on the infamous issue of Superboy where he meets Bonnie and Clyde!

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