The "Definitive" Jack Kirby...?

A new discussion thread poked it’s head out the sand on the Kirby-L internet discussion forum, and it has to do with the Jack Kirby book that came out a few years back entitled “Tales to Astonish” and written by the infamous Ronin Ro.

I’ll leave my comments on the Ro book until later in this thread, but the Kirby-L discussion has got me wondering if there will ever be a “definitive” Jack Kirby biography. I’m as anxious as the next Kirby fan to see Mark Evanier’s much anticipated Jack Kirby biography -- if and when it ever gets published, and speaking of which I’m not really sure how to classify the Kirby tribute book that Mark has coming out in February ’08. The Kirby bio and the tribute book are two different entities.

In the meantime though, it dawned on me that the closest thing we fans have to the “Jack Kirby Story” can be found within the pages of John Morrow’s always-entertaining Jack Kirby Collector. I consider the JKC to be an on-going look at the life and times of the King. Granted, a lot of times JKC has a bit of redundancy to it. It seems like no matter how many interviews Jack gave he rarely shed some light on anything “new” and Jack’s early years have been played out dozens of times in any number of articles. Still, I’m grateful for the JKC because the magazine has provided many of us with a sort of bedrock in the life of Jack Kirby. Which kind of allows me to segue into a bit of commentary for Ronin Ro’s Tales to Astonish.

There was very little that I recall in Tales to Astonish that was original. I mean -- I wouldn’t exactly call the effort a product of deep research. It seemed like Ro culled most of his information from other interviews and articles and even pulled some discussions from Kirby-l and then he mixed it all together and called it a “book.” Furthermore, I don’t recall TtA presenting Jack in an especially positive light, nor do I recall walking away feeling like I learned anything. There was a passage or two at the end that dealt with Jack’s untimely passing that was more than I expected but otherwise I was glad I read it in an afternoon --for free -- at the local library.

Which is what I recommend you do as well. Tales to Astonish can probably be picked up cheap on eBay or any number of other discount book sellers. (I just did a quick search on Amazon.com and found used copies for about $2.50 here).

It’s not for me to say what the exact merits are concerning Tales to Astonish. I just feel that if you really want to learn about Jack Kirby you can do so by turning the pages of the Jack Kirby Collector.

That is at least until Mark Evanier’s book comes out. I hope.

Devil Dinosaur -- 30 years later

I admit it -- I picked up the Devil Dinosaur Omnibus Edition recently (on eBay) more for nostalgic reasons than because of any particular artistic or literary merit due the series. Back in 1978 or '79 or whenever it was Jack produced it this mini-epic, I had no idea that Kirby pretty much had his foot out the door -- that he was at the tale-end of a three-year contract with Marvel Comics and Devil Dinosaur represented part of his 15-pages-of-comic-art-a-week obligations to the company.

At any rate I thought the series was fun. But I was probably a little too old to appreciate it at the time. But here it is 30 years later and now I'm a father with a daughter who not only likes to read but who also loves dinosaurs. What better excuse than that do I need to pick up this nicely-produced edition that packs all nine of 'ol DD's adventures in one easy-to-read volume.

There's only one flaw in my humble opinion. I don't understand the introduction written by Marvel big guy Tom Brevoort. Now Tom is a nice guy. I never had the pleasure of meeting him but he always provided great commentary when he participate in the KIRBY-L online forum a while back and he has been in instrumental in his efforts to get Kirby's mid-1970's material reproduced. But his tone in the Devil Dinosaur volume is almost apologetic.

I can think of a lot of great things to write when it comes to Jack Kirby and I can certainly come up with enough superlatives to fill a page-and-a-half intro to this Omnibus edition. So why does Tom spend his time basically telling us that Jack's mid-70's titles all failed, that the inking and writing weren't what the fans were asking for or that Devil Dinasaur was the impetus or a proposed animation series for Saturday morning. Why not focus on the positive? Like how Jack could find a unique angle for any genre, how his imaginaiton in Devil Dinasaur is unbridled or that the series is just plain old fun.

Apparently the folks at Marvel decided to sell the book shrink-wrapped so they wouldn't risk anyone opening it up and not enjoying the contents.

Well let me tell you -- Devil Dinosaur holds up a lot better now than a whole bunch of whatever "dark" comics that were being published at the time. And if you have the cash and especially if you have young kids than I say Devil Dinosaur is a worth the money.

I just ask you to ignore the silly introduction written by Tom Brevoort.

Quote/Unquote...!

The first time I noticed Jack using quotation marks to make a point I thought to myself -- “What the heck is THIS?” Oddly enough, my dottering father does the same thing whenever he writes a letter but the similarity ends there. I think. All I know is that (what I call) those “crazy Kirby quotation marks” were being put to (over) use by the time Pacific Comics started publishing Captain Victory and Silver Star. And if my memory serves me, they were STILL being used when Jack went back to DC to do the Hunger Dogs graphic novel and the Super Powers maxi-series.

So why did Jack use “quotation marks” to put emphasis on “specific words and phrases” when plain old bold face type would have worked just fine? I’m not exactly sure. I am confident about one thing: Jack the “editor” wasn’t about to interfere with anything that Jack the “writer” put down on the printed page. And that rule-of-thumb also applied to whoever lettered Jack’s books (we certainly know it was true when it came to inking – just ask Mike Royer).

We’ll never know if the use of “crazy Kirby quotation marks” ever existed when Jack was at Marvel in the 1960’s because Jack never “wrote”. Let me clarify -- Kirby never wrote in the sense of turning in scripts and certainly wasn’t writing word balloons on the art boards. If Jack was “quote-happy” when he returned to Marvel in the mid’70’s we never saw them because even if they were present, because Archie Goodwin or whoever else was managing editor t the time no doubt politely whited those silly “quotes” out or erased them altogether.

Looking back now after all these years, I accept those “quotation marks” as part of Jack Kirby’s unique, inimitable writing shorthand. Much the same way as Jack’s use of certain words. Ever notice that to Jack it always a “blowup” and never an “explosion?” Look back on some of Kirby’s more diversified works from 1975 on – and I swear you’ll never find the word “explosion”. Just a little pet peeve on my part -- but in the sense of words “sounding good” and reading “better” a powerful explosion just sounds easier on the ear and a bit more literary than “powerful blowup.”

Which brings me back to Jack Kirby’s use of quotation marks. Maybe Jack felt that by using quotes on certain words and phrases they stood out more than by using bold face type. Kind of like Mike Meyers/Austin Powers using his fingers to put everything into quotes.

Silly? Absolutely. Annoying? You bet! But Kirby comics wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable without those crazy Kirby quotation marks.

And you can quote me on that!

Another One Bites the Dust: Death of the New Gods

I caught wind of this late last month and I have to say I’m shocked and depressed over “Death of the New Gods.” I guess if I had to choose, I’d say I was more depressed, because it seems like after all these years the good folks at DC feel the only way to make any headway into the development of a character (or characters in this case) is to kill them off.

Now I know that maybe by killing off all (but one) of the New Gods, Jim Starlin is alluding that the characters in the Fourth World can be re-introduced or re-tooled or re-whatever’ed and then re-presented into a new series. But I’m just not sure that killing off the New Gods is the way to do it. I’ve never been a big fan of killing off any existing comic book character.

I certainly didn’t know Jack Kirby -- that’s not counting me meeting him at the 1975 MiamiCon (see my post below) – but from what I’ve learned and read from others like Mark Evanier, Jack Kirby was all about LIFE and not DEATH. So I have to wonder how Jack would have reacted to all this killing – especially the killing of a group of characters that continue to make money for DC and especially ones that were so near and dear to his heart.

Granted none of the re-launched series of the New Gods have lasted more than a couple of years each. Some even less than that. You’d have thought that maybe John Byrne could have done something special when he had the chance. Never happened. Mark Evanier had a fun go at it a few years back in a dis-jointed kind of way. I’ve always felt that maybe it’s the way in which the New Gods were presented. Beats the heck outta me what the secret is. I really enjoyed Walt Simonson’s take on the New Gods and THAT didn’t last either!

Anyway, Jim Starlin seems to think it’s time to do away with the Fourth World and he’s just the guy to do it. I’m not entirely convinced. I’ve always run hot and cold on Starlin’s art: loved him on Shang Chi way back in the day. Enjoyed his run on Warlock and especially Pip the Troll (which I recall was a homage to Jack Kirby -- cigar and all). I thought Cosmic Odyssey was o-k, but Starlin only wrote it and didn’t illustrate it (that was early Mike Mignola if I’m not mistaken). Not to mention that over time Starlin’s characters seem to gain weight. Kind of the same way Jack Kirby’s characters got bulkier over the years. Startlin’s version of Orion is the beefiest I’ve ever seen. And I don’t necessarily mean that as a compliment.

You can read an interesting interview with Jim Starlin regarding Death of the New Gods by clicking here.

Anyway -- so over the course of this 8-issue mini-series all the New Gods will bite the dust. Silly me -- I didn’t even realize LightRay got whacked in another series. And now Big Barda. And that’s just the beginning! Issue #5 is already being pre-ordered and I’m sure by issue #8 there will be more carnage and mayhem going on than even Orion can handle. That is if he’s still around by then.

My only solace: if they can kill Superman and bring him back I’m sure the New Gods can work their way back into the DC Universe. Hopefully it’s just a matter of a time.

A few words about the Jack Kirby Collector

Not that John Morrow needs the publicity -- but any chance I get, I try to say a good word about John’s fantastic publication the Jack Kirby Collector. The Jack Kirby Collector is on the brink of its 50th issue and will shortly earmark 10 years of publication! No small feat in today’s crowded comic book and magazine marketplace. The aim of the Jack Kirby Collector has always been to "celebrate the life and art of Jack Kirby." And if you don’t know who Jack Kirby is yet, then you can start by reading a few of the posts on this page.

The JKC started innocently enough. Back in 1996 or 1997 and I kind of stumbled upon it by chance. John may have just published or was just about to publish his first issue of JKC -- a thin little fanzine that had a few scans of art and maybe an article or two or three. But it was about Jack Kirby darn it and that made it an instant "buy" in my book! In fact, if I remember correctly, I subscribed right then and there and was all the happier because of it.

Now you have to understand that 10 years ago, TwoMorrows Publishing was publishing just one thing: the Jack Kirby Collector. Who’d have figured that from that humble beginning John Morrow would create a virtual publishing empire – one that made comics fun again! Or at the very least it made reading “about” comics fun again!

In short order, the Jack Kirby Collector increased its page count, started showcasing color covers and was previewing page after page of raw, unlinked Jack Kirby artwork. The fan base for the JKC increased as well, as subsequent issues soon became theme-based and full of articles and commentary that made the Jack Kirby Collector the closest thing to a literary review of the art and life of Jack Kirby that we’ll probably ever see.

Of course of you already read the Jack Kirby Collector than you know everything I’m saying is true. And if you haven’t read the JKC yet, then you owe it to yourself to throw down a few bucks and treat yourself to a true visual experience.

It’s hard to pick out favorite issues of the Jack Kirby Collector, but as long as you’re twisting my arm I’ll admit to getting all giddy over the first New Gods issue (#6), The Demon issue #23 ) and the one devoted to Kamandi (#17). An issue that showcased Jack’s work in animation after he left Marvel the second time is another fave.

With issue 31, the JKC went King-Size: publishing the mag at nearly the same size as Jack’s original artwork and as if that weren’t enough, now Tomorrows Publishing puts out a digital edition which makes it even easier to get your hands on the JKC.

At the same time -- call it coincidence or fate or good timing -- but over the years that the Jack Kirby Collector has been published, the public’s awareness of Jack Kirby has increased. More and more of Jack’s work is being reprinted than ever before, and a lot of folks are finally connecting the dots and realizing that Marvel Comics is a lot more than Stan Lee.

Like I said, John Morrow sure doesn’t need the publicity. He let’s the quality of his work speak for him. But in the event there’s someone out there who still isn’t convinced that Jack Kirby is the real architect of the Marvel Universe – then click here and strap yourself in for one wild ride!

A mere tip of the hat somehow just doesn’t seem a sufficient accolade to John Morrow and ten great years of publishing the Jack Kirby Collector! He deserves more -- much more. Guess I'll have to renew my subscription yet again!

I can hardly wait for the next 50 issues to hit the stands!

Re-Cap: Death is the Black Star!

Whenever I look at a Jack Kirby comic I try to imagine just how enthusiastic Jack was about the book he was drawing when he was actually drawing it. Anybody even remotely familiar with Jack’s work knows he was such a consummate professional that it was darn near impossible for him to not give each book his all. There are some books that I like more than others but I’m reasonably sure he tried to tackle each assignment he was given with the energy. Still there are some efforts that just more energized than others.

Take for example Captain America King Size Annual #3 (1976) – aptly titled “Doom is the Black Star!” This came out early in Jack’s run on his return to Captain America. I want to say in fact that it hit the stands shortly after the “Madbomb” story arc wrapped up. I’ve read this particular annual a number of times and considering it featured no other established Marvel characters other than Captain America, that didn’t stop it from being a great self-contained rip-roaring yarn that pits Cap against an evil alien from space.

But one of the things I enjoyed most about Doom is the Black Star is that it exists within Jack’s own little world. Forget the Marvel Universe! Jack’s is a world that wastes no time with rhyme or reason. For instance Cap just happens to be a guest on a local talk-show about UFO’s and that gets him introduced to a guy who jus happens to have aliens skunking about his farm. This is all played out in a few word balloons and after that it’s typical action, action, action sown in Jack’s own imitable style.

Favorite pages for me include 26 -- where Cap turns laser gun back on an alien and blows its head off. And of course a spine tingling splash on page 36 that shows the alien villain morphing into someone’s worse nightmare.

It’s a hokey story but a fun one and I can almost hear Jack giggling to himself as he drew the thing.
And true to form, Jack wraps up the story in a few panels -- a sudden explosion on page 46 and *POOF* it’s over. The US government denies everything and we’re left pondering earth’s fate.

Doom is the Black Hole had great art, workman-like inking courtesy of Frank Giacoia and nice lettering thanks to Gasper Salidino.

Like I said, this was done early in Jack’s run on Captain America -- probably before Jack started o get pelted with hate letters demanding that Captain America be placed firmly in the Marvel Universe. Certainly this annual is better than the one that followed 12 months later entitled “The Great Mutant Massacre” I’m thinking Jack saw the writing on the wall and was fast approaching his mutual agreement to be removed from writer/artist chores on Captain America.

But for a while there – the pages of CA was a fun place to be. And that first Captain America annual provided a terrific read.

So Many Comics So Little Time

If only Jack Kirby had produced a lot less great comics, my life would be a lot less complicated! “Complicated” in the sense that because Jack was so prolific there’s so much of his work for me to still discover. It’s not a matter of collecting. I don’t really consider myself a comic book collector as much as I do a comic book “appreciator” -- and especially of Jack Kirby’s work. Like I mentioned a few posts a go, everyone has specific periods of time in which they enjoyed Kirby the most. For awhile there I was hooked on Jack’s DC comics (do I need to mention more than once that Kamandi is a great example of what comics is all about?) but that was only until Jack went back to Marvel in 1975 and I got all jazzed up about Jack’s return to Captain America and his take on Black Panther. And then that was surpassed by Captain Victory and Silver Star.

Now, thanks to the great job John Morrow does with The Jack Kirby Collector, I’m all excited about Kirby’s monster books-- forever reprinted by Marvel back in the early 1970’s but never appreciated by me until recently. And don’t even get me started on his romance books! For anyone who ever questioned Jack’s ability to write a good yarn, they have only to look at any number of the dozens of stories Kirby told within the pages of True Love and My Romance. Say what you will about Joe Simon being the “writer” and Jack Kirby just being the “artist”. There was a whole lot of cross-pollination going on and I think it’s pretty evident that Jack wrote more than his share of stories.

I guess I take Jack’s work at Marvel in the 1960’s for granted. He produced so much for so long that it’s really impossible for me to digest it all! It’s almost numbing: The Fantastic Four, Thor, The X-Men, the Hulk. You know as well as I do that the list goes on and on.

It’s a classic case of too many comics and too little time! But that’s o-k. I’m not going anywhere. And if I have to have a vice – it might as well be one as enjoyable as discovering the work of Jack Kirby…one comic book at a time!