Here’s a particular favourite among Kirby’s 1970s covers for other editors, featuring the Impossible Man. Not one of the great Kirby villains, true (I think this is only his second story, maybe the longest gap between a Kirby FF villain’s first and second major appearances), but I love the pose and especially the Iron Man and Mjolnir hands.
Joe Sinnott inks, of course.
Published 1976
Here’s a nice different kind of cover from Kirby/Ayers featuring Kid Colt. Obviously not the kind of design that works if you do it every issue, but good for a change of pace, as a nice little mini-story. I especially like the posing on the third panel.
Published 1963
Beautiful crime cover from S&K, their last for this title as the romance and horror comics for Prize dominated their time (plus BOYS’ RANCH over at Harvey). Love that distinctive inking over on the cops’ uniforms.
Published 1951
In addition to the previously mentioned JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #44 and Marvel monster books with Kirby reprint backups, the latest solicitations see a new hardcover Masterworks volume for Thor, only five years after the last one.
Collects 10 issues from JiM #121 to THOR #130, some great comics featuring Thor in battle with the Absorbing Man, Hercules and the hordes of the Netherworld, plus some of the best Tales of Asgard back-ups, with the conclusion of the grand quest and the revelation of Ragnarok and the aftermath which evokes the New Gods. The reproduction of a few of these was a bit weak in the recent ESSENTIAL THOR v2, so hopefully they can be punched up a bit here. The usual $50 price for the regular edition, $55 if you want a dustjacket matching the first printings of the early volumes.
Another 1970s cover, this time inked by Joe Sinnott. I like the look of those demonic hands reaching up, looks kind of like something from a 1950s BLACK MAGIC story combined with 1960s super-heroics. Plus of course Sinnott inking Thor makes you think of what might have been…
Published 1976
A very cute mid-1950s cover for Harvey, I especially like the expression on the ride attendants face (plus his pipe). Note also the old man in the back seat. I think he’s one of the most frequent regulars in Kirby crowd scenes. I wonder if he’s based on anyone in particular?
Published 1956
Only one Kirby piece in this issue of DC’s character guide, inked by Greg Theakston.
A very nice look at the enigmatic Forever People character, who would trade places with the team when he was needed for battle. A nice character, one of Kirby’s strong, confident, optimistic types, which comes across nicely in these little vignettes.
Published 1986
After drawing the first 8 issues, Kirby went to just drawing the covers for AVENGERS with this issue (returning to layout a few issues a while later).
I have to say, that’s way to big an intro blurb for a character as lame as Wonder Man.
Is this the first “floating heads” cover that Marvel had? I know the format became a bit of a cliche in 1970s Marvel team books, but were there any before this one?
Chic Stone inks the cover this time.
Published 1964
![Marvel's Greatest Comics #75 [1978]a](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/07/Marvels-Greatest-Comics-75-1978a.jpg)
You tell ’em, Ben.
This issue has an edited reprint of FF #93 (1969), finishing off the “Thing Enslaved” storyline. Reed, Johnny and Crystal follow the trail of the Skrull slave ship while Ben fights Torgo in the arena, holding his own and trying not to harm Torgo while figuring out how to stop the Skrull threat to the homeworlds of their slaves.
![Marvel's Greatest Comics #75 [1978]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/07/Marvels-Greatest-Comics-75-1978.jpg)
The rest of the FF finally arrive and dress up in 1920s mob wear themselves as they make their way to the arena. The story ends kind of abruptly after that, I’m not sure if it was supposed to go somewhere else at first and changed for the usual reasons or what. Lot of nice bits in the art, like the flying 1920s car over the faux-1920s city, Torgo leading the final rebellion of the slaves after the FF free them of the fear of retribution against their home planets and Reed, Johnny and Crystal in 1920s garb.
Two pages edited out, both of Ben in the arena. One is just a recap of what we know from the previous issue but the other is right before this page so the first half of Torgo’s sentence is missing. I hope the money from that Hostess ad was worth it, Marvel…
Frank Giacoia was the inker on the story and cover here, doing a great job of filling in for Joe Sinnott and keeping the look of the book consistent.
Published 1978
Minor landmark time here at ye olde Kirby webloge, with this book I have comments and samples up here of 400 Kirby publications that you can peruse using those alphabetical and chronological lists over in the sidebar (once I update them in a few minutes).
“BONK BONK BONK”. That’s the sound of a dinosaur stomping on an alien invader. In case you ever wondered. Gotta love that old Devil Dinosaur stomping action.
![Devil Dinosaur #4 [1978]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/07/Devil-Dinosaur-4-1978.jpg)
The adventures of Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy ramp up in this issue with an invasion of the Valley of Flame by mysterious aliens, as foretold in prophecy and in Moon-Boy’s dreams at the beginning of the issue (including a great two-page splash). The invasion is swift and effective, as Moon-Boy is taken prisoner and Devil is left stunned. Eventually Devil teams up with two other Dawn-Men, Stone-Hand and White-Hairs, and plan a rescue.
Kirby also writes the text page for this issue, “Dinosaurs as Devils and Moon-Boys as PRIMITIVES”, about how the tendency of people is to treat the non-human as unintelligent, whereas he thinks “every living creature is capable of an intelligent and compassionate move”.
Mike Royer inks the 17-page story while Joltin’ Joe Sinnott inks the cover.
Published 1978