An open letter to all who admire the incomparable work of Jack Kirby

By George Zadorozny

Collect and Spread the KIRBYTRUTH!

What is the KIRBYTRUTH? It’s exactly what Stan Lee himself said in the March 1966 Marvel Bullpen Bulletin, namely, that the legendary Jack Kirby was the primary co-creator of the ’60s Marvel Universe:

 ” . . . all Stan has to do with the pro’s like JACK ‘KING’ KIRBY . . . is give them the germ of an idea, and they make up all the details as they go along, drawing and plotting out the story. Then, our leader simply takes the finished drawings and adds all the dialogue and captions!” (Marvel Bullpen Bulletin, March 1966)

Stan said much the same, at greater length, in a 1998 interview in Comic Book Marketplace magazine, quoted here on Kirby Dynamics on 6-2-12.

 I love the wonderful dialogue and captioning that Stan wrote, but Stan’s own words show that Jack Kirby was indeed the primary co-creator of the ’60s Marvel Universe. In all justice, then, Jack should be at least as well known and celebrated as Stan, and should be getting top billing in the Marvel movies based on his work, which is almost all of the movies, definitely including THE AVENGERS.

 To help achieve this goal,I want to collect all statements by Stan Lee which admit or confirm Kirby’s primacy as co-creator, post them on a single webpage all in one place, with each one fully sourced and with web links and pdfs, whenever possible. Once we’ve got a good number of such quotations, the idea is to send the link to everyone appropriate, e.g. artists, critics, reporters, editors, fan pages–globally. In this way, the truth about the splendid achievement of Jack Kirby will spread so powerfully that appropriate, prominent honor, credit, and recognition can never again be denied his name.

To do this I need every reader’s help, looking through whatever you have time to read of interviews with Stan or introductions by him in books and websites, and sending me fully sourced quotations admitting or confirming Kirby’s primacy as co-creator, with web links and pdfs whenever possible. E-mail them to me at jackkirbyforever@yahoo.com.On request,every reader who wishes to be credited with his find will be credited on the website.

 All of us who love Jack’s work and who ever gained surging, thrilling hope and inspiration and vision from it-we all, together, have great power and great responsibility, to do all we can to have Jack Kirby’s name shine brightly and brilliantly as does his artistic legacy, forever. Let us all dedicate ourselves deeply to achieving this great goal.

Stan was indispensable of course, but so, of course, was Jack Kirby, and now is the time to heap just and due honors upon this great, great storyteller for his stunning,splendid, visionary achievement as the primary co-creator of the 1960s Marvel Universe.

 Kirbyforever!

-Regards,

George Zadorozny

jackkirbyforever@yahoo.com