Kirby: King of Comics

From the age of 17 to his death in 1994, at the age of 76, artist [a:Jack Kirby|10299|Jack Kirby|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206594751p2/10299.jpg] devoted his life to creating an influential pop-culture iconography for the 20th century. His many accomplishments included creating or co-creating Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, and the romance comic. His concepts fuel the backgrounds for both the Marvel and DC comic-book universes. Kirby's works permeate nearly every fantastical creation of the last 40 years, from prose novels to the biggest Hollywood blockbuster.

Unlike other contemporary visionaries such as [a:Will Eisner|1642|Will Eisner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1202618782p2/1642.jpg], who show more in Evanier's heartfelt biography-homage credits Kirby with saving the comics industry many times over – "He was like the cavalry with a pencil" – Kirby failed to comprehend the legal and promotional facets of the business. He rarely owned his own work and spent a good portion of his career in what was often self-perceived as financially desperate straits. Publishers took advantage of his naivete time and time again. This situation propelled Kirby to prodigious artistic feats. Famous for taking on seemingly impossible assignments, Kirby routinely produced amazing 12-page stories in one day. (Most artists draw just one page a day.) Regardless of the time limitations, he always produced powerful, emotionally evocative work, often the finest comic-book accomplishments of his era.

As aptly demonstrated in this visually intense book, Kirby's fame was based on far more than speed or output. He introduced dynamism into visual storytelling, literally creating a new storytelling language using larger than life, yet anatomically realistic, characters, who leapt off the pages at the reader. Whether you love or hate the visuals, Kirby's work was never boring.

By telling a linear story lavishly infused with Kirby's art, Evanier successfully evokes the proper mystique and respect for this creative giant while revealing his human side. Since his death, a handful of books has attempted to showcase or grant insight into Jack Kirby, but none has succeeded quite like Kirby: King of Comics, the perfect tribute to both the artist and the man.

This review originally appeared in The Austin Chronicle, April 4, 2008. show less

When I first started reading comics, somewhere around 1972, Kirby was the first artist that stood out for me. I could pick his art out from the crowd. His characters, while not anywhere near anatomically correct or particularly nuanced, pretty much exploded off the page. That impressed the 10-year-old me.

As I got older, I found other artists to love: John Buscema, Neal Adams, Dave Cockrum, John Byrne. But you can only have one first love, and for me, that was Jack Kirby.

This book serves as a great introduction to Kirby. I would have liked to see a bit more analysis of his work, what made his panels explode, how he influenced others, but as a primer, it doesn't get much better than this.

I didn't find this book as biased as a few other show more reviewers have stated. Of course the entire "who created / who wrote most of those early Marvel superhero stories?" question comes up a couple of times, but the author is pretty good at staying fairly neutral while presenting the opposing views.

And with the (finally) recent settlement between Marvel and the Kirby Estate, it's nice to see him getting his due from the company that he set on the path to greatness. So go back and read how he helped do it. show less

I used to think of Jack Kirby as the comic book illustrator that started the coming-off-the-page-at-you type of drawing. His covers usually depicted a hero running at you or throwing a punch at you. I never realized what a skilled artist he was. I enjoyed the uninked drawings in this book better that the inked and colored ones. He put a lot of detail into his drawings. It seems like the ink and color just diluted the intensity.

I admire him for his work ethic. Kirby was brought up to go to work and bring home a paycheck. He worried about making enough money to take care of his family, so he worked on two or three different titles at a time and at record speed. He was always out there looking for the next paying job.

Like a lot of show more creative people, Kirby never made the money he should’ve. The writers were credited with the creation of the character and he was left out in the cold. It was nice to read that his fans came together, understanding how he had revolutionized the way comics are drawn, and helped him reap some of the rewards and accolades at the end of his life. show less

Very quick read, as it's more a coffee-table book showing off Kirby's artwork. While fun, I'll be waiting for the more in-depth bio Mark Evanier's working on for later publication. This book is great if you've never gotten a good look at Jack Kirby's pencil work.

A biography of and homage to the art of Jack Kirby, the creator or co-creator of several iconic Marvel and DC characters, such as Captain America, the X-Men, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Thor and others. He eventually became known as the "King of Comics", and in some ways it's a fitting title. He revolutionized comic book art and layout. But Kirby always saw himself as a craftsman of some talent, trying to earn a living. His desire to be treated fairly and equitably led to legal wrangling with Marvel and other comics companies. He died in 1994, his reputation secure as one of the most influential innovators in the comics medium. This book is a well-written and nicely illustrated compendium of his life and work.

Nice biography of one of my favorite comic artists who did a lot for Marvel.

Good biography on great comic book artist and innovator.