If you’ll indulge me in a rare completely Kirby-free post on this weblog, if you like funny comics may I recommend the just-released SUGAR & SPIKE ARCHIVES VOL. 1, collecting the first 10 issues of the Sheldon Mayer series from 1956-1957. One of my favourite comics of all time, this is a long overdue collection, and I hope the first of many.
If you’re unfamiliar with the series, you can see many, many posts about it over on my other site.
The subject of this very weblog, Jack Kirby, was born this day in 1917. I’m sure the sharp-eyed among you can figure out the theme for the six covers I chose to mark the day above.
Our host Rand Hoppe on Kirby and some upcoming Kirby Museum plans.
Harry Mendryk has the first page to use the Simon&Kirby credit line.
Buzz Dixon on meeting Kirby while working on THUNDARR.
Mark Evanier on Kirby, including a 1-hour documentary.
Colleen Doran shares a note from Jack and Roz Kirby and a photo with Jack Kirby.
For Father’s Day, Neal Kirby shares some thoughts on his father Jack Kirby, along with some great family photographs.
On THE COMICS JOURNAL website they’ve begun to put up complete scanned issues from the earliest days. As I understand it eventually these archives will only be available to subscribers, but right now they’re open to all. Some Kirby content in those earliest issues (when it was actually THE NOSTALGIA JOURNAL), most of which was reprinted in the 2002 COMICS JOURNAL LIBRARY v1 – JACK KIRBY special (which is still available and you can get a free copy with a JOURNAL subscription), but it’s interesting to see it all in the original context.
From #27, the first Fantagraphics issue, a 1971 Kirby radio interview.
From #30, a Kirby/Sinnott cover, and the first half of a 1969 interview with Kirby.
From #31, the conclusion of that interview, including the penciled version of the cover to #30. And the cover to #31 is by Dave Cockrum, but it’s a topless drawing of Big Barda which might be of interest.
There’s an episode of the PBS show THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW on in some markets tonight (check your local listings) featuring comics and artwork by Jack Kirby from his personal collection, brought in by one of his grandchildren. See details here. Video doesn’t seem to be up yet, but you can see some photos and a transcript of the segment. Especially interesting is the Boy Commandos ad, and the 1930s cartoon with the Kurtzberg signature. I’ll update this with more details when I’ve seen the segment.
Okay, seen it now. It’s a two minute segment at about the 45 minute mark of the show, if you want to see it next time it’s on. Or just go to the link above, the video is live now. The items were brought in by one of Jack Kirby’s grand-daughters, they don’t mention her name [Tracy Kirby, according to John Morrow]. Five really good pieces, well displayed in the video, and Kirby is credited as co-creator of many of his most well known characters by the resident expert.
If you’re going to be around Vermont’s Center For Cartoon Studies in the next little while, check out the “Mentors and Monsters” art exhibit, featuring art from the collection of Steve Bissette. There’s a Kirby/Ayers original there (see the link for a taste of it), plus work by Jack Davis, Joe Kubert, Harvey Kurtzman, Alex Toth, Sam Glanzman, Al Williamson, Bernie Wrightson and others. Exhibit opens Friday, September 3, including a talk by Bissette, and you can also go see it Saturdays until October 16.
Paul Gravett presents a video tour of the massive Jack Kirby exhibit in Lucerne, Switzerland. If you’re passing by you still have a few days to see it for yourself.
If you happen to be passing through Lucerne, Switzerland in the next week, there’s an exhibit Fumetto International Comics Festival of over 150 pages of original Jack Kirby artwork. If your daily commute doesn’t take you that way, here are some photos, and here are some more including some of the biographical text from the exhibit and transcriptions of some of Kirby’s letters from WWII.
Via Mark Evanier, an article about some of Kirby’s 1980s animation designs for Ruby-Spears being developed by Sid and Marty Krofft. Includes a slide-show of some of the designs (although a few of them look less Kirby than others). Some of the designs were of course seen in a trading card set in the 1990s, and others have appeared in THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR over the years. Evanier also mentions that there’s an art book with some of the designs in the works.
Also, Amazon has a cover up now for THE SIMON AND KIRBY SUPERHEROES. They still have an October release date, but I’m guessing that’ll be moved up soon.
The magazine ROYAL FLUSH #6 has an article on Jack Kirby and Frank Zappa written by Jeff Neweit. Rick Veitch provides the Kirby-inspired illustration. The article isn’t on-line, unfortunately.
Oops, didn’t look closely enough, I guess, here’s the full article.