Director Ricki Stern teams with Producers Dan Braun & Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment, Mike Cecchini, Ron Fogelman, and Chris Longo on long-awaited, official documentary feature on the life, legacy, and influence of Jack Kirby, the legendary King of Comics.
Acclaimed documentary film director, Ricki Stern (“Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,” “UFOs: Investigating the Unknown”), has set her sights on “Kirbyvision” – a feature length documentary telling the complete and fascinating story of legendary artist, storyteller, and creator, Jack Kirby. Dan Braun and Josh Braun (“The Andy Warhol Diaries”, the Emmy-winning “Wild Wild Country”) will produce under their Submarine Deluxe production banner, a wholly owned subsidiary of Submarine, alongside Mike Cecchini, Ron Fogelman, and Chris Longo.
Kirby is widely regarded as one of the comic book medium’s most innovative, prolific, and influential creators. At the height of his nearly six decade career, Kirby created or co-created many of Marvel’s major characters including Captain America (with Joe Simon), the Avengers, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, Silver Surfer, Thor, the X-Men, and countless others (with comics impresario Stan Lee).
He worked similar magic for DC Comics, where he created the sprawling, psychedelic “Fourth World,” a series of political and psychedelic sci-fi epics often considered his most ambitious work. His creations as writer, artist, and editor include Darkseid, Mister Miracle, OMAC, The Demon, and many others who are mainstays of DC’s publishing and screen projects to this day.
In the decades since his passing, Kirby’s name has become synonymous with epic sequential art storytelling and unrestrained creativity. But the influence of his work extends far beyond the page, and his name is often celebrated by not only the entire comic book industry, but blockbuster filmmakers, contemporary artists, best-selling novelists, musicians, and more.
Ricki Stern says: “Jack was not only one of the great comic book artists of all time, but a true visionary genius. In this new feature length documentary, we actively campaign for the recognition he finally deserves as a leading artist and storyteller of the 20th Century.”
“If there were a Mount Rushmore of 20th century pop culture luminaries, Jack Kirby should be the first one to be carved into the mountain ” says Producer Josh Braun. “‘Kirbyvision’ will let audiences experience the full scope of Jack’s limitless imagination, creativity, and heart.”
To bring Jack’s remarkable story to life, “Kirbyvision” will work with the Estate of Jack Kirby as represented by the Rosalind Kirby Family Trust, his daughters Lisa and Barbara Kirby, and grandchildren Tracy and Jeremy Kirby, as well as the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center to access a treasure trove of personal documents, home movies, and creative materials, many widely unseen by the public until now.
“We are thrilled to work with such a dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable team of filmmakers,” Lisa Kirby says. “The legacy of Jack Kirby is in good hands, as Ricki, Dan, Josh, Ron, Mike, Chris, and their team share the same creative energy that helped my father create boundless universes of characters that continue to inspire us and shape our imaginations.”
Randolph Hoppe, Director of the Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center says, “Now is the perfect time to tell the complete story of the man whose imagination and craft continue to ignite and shape the dreams of new generations. We’re delighted to be working with Ricki and the whole production team to unlock the life story of a true legend.”
Kirby drew his way out of an impoverished, Depression-era upbringing when he co-created Captain America, who brazenly punched out Adolf Hitler on the cover of his very first comic, months before the US had entered World War II. He was soon sent into real combat on the frontlines of the war in Europe, a harrowing experience which had a significant impact on his later work. Kirby’s astounding career touched virtually every genre, including war, romance, westerns, science fiction, horror, and, of course, superheroes. His impact is felt beyond comics to this day everywhere from animation to music to blockbuster films.
Whether noble underdogs battling extraordinary villains, lowly soldiers in the trenches ripped from his own battlefield experiences, remarkably prescient looks at our potential technological future, or man’s relation to the divine nature of the gods, Kirby’s tales are as universal and human as they are mythic and cosmic in their scope. Kirby’s creations and his subsequent struggles have made him a symbol of the enduring power of storytelling. “Kirbyvision” will bring to life the fascinating story of the man who transformed the comic book into an art form and whose work continues to influence and inspire to this day.
For press inquiries and interviews, please contact: kirbyvision@submarine.com