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Happy Birthday Jack!

In Love #3
In Love #3 (January 1955) by Jack Kirby

I was not planning to do a post tonight but then I remembered it is Jack Kirby’s birthday so I could not let that date go by without something. The cover I have here is for In Love #3 (January 1955). It is special for me because I have the original art signed by both Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. But I also think it is appropriate because it shows a comic book artist, although a rather idealized one. This image is based on what are called progressive proofs. Before a comic is published the cover printer may provide the publisher with progressive proofs. These proofs include pages of the individual colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) as well as pages showing how the printing stages would look. If I remember correctly yellow is printed first, magenta second, cyan third and the black completes it. Printed colors change with age. But with progressive proofs it is possible to scan the individual colors and then combine them together. What results is perhaps the most accurate idea of what the cover originally looked like. I did absolutely no touch-ups on this cover whatsoever.

The Wide Angle Scream, Captain America #7

Captain America #7
Captain America #7 (October 1941) “Horror Plays the Scales”
Larger Image

Simon and Kirby have completely mastered the double page splash with Cap #7. The important center is now occupied by the title “Horror Plays the Scales” and a ring of floating heads. Perhaps you remember me saying that floating heads and oversize figures were devices that Jack Kirby did not use often on covers but were devices that Joe Simon used for covers throughout his career. The Captain America covers did not use either floating heads or oversized figures but both devices appear in the splashes. On this splash the floating heads are obviously under torture with most trying to cover their ears. Behind them is are multicolor rings with musical notes floating about.

If the title and floating heads do not make it obvious about the nefarious use of music, the scene of the splash does. It is divided by the central design into left and right sections. On the left is a violin maestro in the thralls of playing his instrument. The musical notes that he is generating are shown flying up toward the right. The eye follows these notes into the top of the rings of the central design. The eye then follows the stream of musical notes that enters the right section of the scene. The musical notes stream then wraps around the head of a man. Now is revealed what effect the maestros music is having. The man, obviously in a trance, advances with a knife toward Bucky who is tied up on a chair. But Captain America descends from above to save the day. I have no idea where Cap leaped from. While the left section shows a music hall, the right section takes place on a city roof top.

Along the bottom of the splash is the start of the actual story. Unlike what was done in Cap #6, the story section in Cap #7 is well integrated with the rest of the splash. The background to the story panels has strips like the scales of music notation. These scales are given various colors that give them a visual connection to the color rings behind the floating heads. On the left is a musical symbol, I am afraid I am ignorant about music so I do not know what it is called. Following this symbol are a row of musical notes. The round part of the notes are actually the panels of the story.

For me this is perhaps the most interesting design of the Captain America double splashes. That is not to say that the rest are not successful, only that Simon and Kirby would experiment with other different designs.

Not Kirby, Young Romance #52 “Soldier on the Train”

Young Romance #52
Young Romance #52 December1952) “Soldier on the Train” by Bill Draut

Once again the original Checklist gave this as Kirby/Simon and the update as Kirby/Draut. But again it is clearly both drawn and inked by Bill Draut. Unfortunately at this point in his career Bill has stopped signing his work, but his style is quite unique and easy to spot. Bill had a distinct way of drawing woman, wide eye and simple long eyebrows.

Not Kirby, Young Romance #51 “The Way They Met”

Young Romance #51
Young Romance #51 (November 1952) “The Way They Met” by Jack Kirby

Well I guess I misnamed this series because now I want to provide a Kirby work that the Checklist missed. Even though it is a one page work it has all the signs of Kirby penciling. The inking is typical S&K studio style. Generally I am unwilling to hazard a guess, but in this case I believe the spot inking was done by Jack himself.

Not Kirby, Young Romance #47 “A Man For My Birthday”

Young Romance #47
Young Romance #47 July1952) “A Man For My Birthday” by Bill Draut

Originally the Checklist indicated this was penciled by Kirby and inked by Simon. In the update (JKC #32) the inker was listed as Draut. Well the update is correct about the inker being Bill Draut, but he was also the penciler. In fact the entire store is done in a style so similar to other Bill Draut stories I am not at all sure why this one was singled out. I have no doubts that Draut not Kirby drew this piece.

Not Kirby, Young Love #55 “Love War” not “The Baby Dolls”


Young Love #55 (March 1954) “Love War” by Jack Kirby

The Jack Kirby Checklist lists “The Baby Dolls” (Young Love #55) as penciled by Jack Kirby. But in fact there is no story by that name in that comic. Young Love #55 has the story “Love War” that is not listed in the Checklist. There is a “Baby Doll” story in Young Love #31 (March 1952) but it was not done by Kirby. I think we can be pretty certain that some clerical error has occurred and the wrong title was listed for YL #55.

Not Kirby, Young Love #12 “Problem Clinic”

Young Love #12
Young Love #12 (August 1950) “Problem Clinic” by Mort Meskin

The Jack Kirby Checklist lists “Problem Clinic” (Young Love #12) as Kirby pencils and Simon inks. Not signed but clearly Mort Meskin pencils and inks. No Jack Kirby.

Mort did a lot of work for Simon and Kirby but so did Bill Draut and John Prentice as well as a host of other artists. Yet Mort has been mistaken for Jack Kirby more then any of the others.

Not Kirby, Young Love #12 “Smooth Operator”

Young Love #12
Young Love #12 (August 1950) “Smooth Operator” by Mort Meskin

The Jack Kirby Checklist lists “Smooth Operator” (Young Love #12) as Kirby pencils and Simon inks. Once again it is signed as Mort, although it is hard to see because it is in an brown area on the lower right of the splash. And once again typical Meskin pencils and inks. I cannot see any sign of Kirby.

Not Kirby, Young Love #9 “A Man In Her Room”

Young Love #9
Young Love #9 (May 1950) “A Man In Her Room” by Mort Meskin

The Jack Kirby Checklist lists “A Man In Her Room” (Young Love #9) as Kirby pencils and Simon inks. This is another story with a splash panel signed as Mort. In a way I am more surprised with attributing the inking to Joe then I am the pencils to Jack. The inking is done in a manner seen on all Meskin’s work of this period. It is not at all similar to the S&K shop style. Meskin also had his own unique drawing style and this shows up throughout the story.

I am not sure why one of the most common errors found in the Checklist appears to be attributing work to Kirby that was actually done by Mort Meskin. His style is very different from Kirby’s. Actually I am a little surprised that I do not find more of Kirby’s influence in Mort’s work at this time. After all both were working together in the small S&K studio.

Not Kirby, Young Love #8 “Which Is Your Dream Man”

Young Love #8
Young Love #8 (April 1950) “Which Is Your Dream Man” by Mort Meskin

The Jack Kirby Checklist lists “Which Is Your Dream Man” (Young Love #8) as Kirby pencils and Simon inks. This a one page work and it is not signed. But frankly it clearly has Mort Meskin as both penciler and inker. I just do not get a Kirby attribution at all.

There is always a mild cultural shock when reading old romance comics. But it is particularly striking in this short feature. “I like a man who shows me who’s boss” or “I like a possessive man”. Do you think these really represent the beliefs of the readers or those of the men who wrote, drew and produced the comic?