Some kids had knocked on our front door, yelling that there were comic books for sale at a garage sale down the street. They knew me like a book, because I quickly ran down there, and saw a coverless copy of #146, with a Jimmy Olson I had never seen before: primitive, brutish, monstrous, compelling (and changed by “regressive gene induction”). Needless to say, I bought it!

Off topic: BTW, very nice website. I’m looking forward to reading “Detached”; I can definately see the Kirby influence in your work, and it’s nice to see it used for autobiography.

Although I had read Kirby before (FF, Thor…), I think that was the first time I recognized his name, and started actively searching for his work.

The store where I bought the issue no longer exists, but the memory of buying it seems like it happened yesterday. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed with this issue!

In retrospect, it’s very clear that Kirby was commenting on his DC employee relationship in this issue (as I believe much of Kirby’s work in the ’70s was autobiographical in one way or another). In the page you posted, the first three panels symbolize the treatment work-for-hire cartoonists get at the hands of corporations, and how little they’re willing to be paid (“…destroying each other – to win a strawberry shortcake”). Then Kamandi says, “I suppose it’s time for ME to race, eh?”. Kirby’s a part of this game, too, and acknowledges it. He comments on the other workers (“poor, ignorant fools”), then he brings the analogy right out in the open: “I’m NOT following their example! I’d rather “Do or die” for “Kamandi Enterprises” – than the Sacker’s company!” (as he did when Simon and Kirby owned their own company). Lastly, Kamandi says: “It’s time I made my escape!” – as Kirby did around a year later, to Marvel.

I constantly hear older Kirby fans (i.e. born in the ’50s or earlier) disparage Kamandi as just a kid’s comic book, and a Planet of the Apes ripoff. But, I believe it just might be Kirby’s most personal work (along with The New Gods).