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Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics
Told in vivid graphic novel form by a groundbreaking Eisner-nominated comics creator, the long-overdue biography of the legend who co-created Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and many more superhero favorites.
“Scioli details Kirby’s life with the same passion and crackling energy the King of Comics brought to his own work. An essential text for fans of the medium.”—Library Journal
Now in paperback, this sweeping, full-color comic book biography tells the complete life story of Jack Kirby, co-creator of some of the most enduring superheroes and villains of the twentieth century for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and more. Critically acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Scioli breathes visual life into Kirby's life story--from his days growing up in New York during the Great Depression and discovering a love for science fiction and cartoons to his time on the frontlines in the European theatre of World War II where he experienced the type of action and adventure he'd later imbue his comic pages with, and on to his world-changing collaborations at Marvel with Stan Lee, where the pair redefined comics as a part of pop culture.
Just as every great superhero needs a villain to overcome, Kirby's story also includes his struggles to receive the recognition and compensation that he believed his work deserved. Scioli captures his moves from Marvel to DC and back again, showing how Kirby himself and later his family fought to preserve his artistic legacy.
Drawn from an unparalleled imagination and a life as exciting as his comic book tales, Kirby's super-creations have influenced subsequent generations of creatives in the comics field and beyond. Now, readers can experience the life and times of a comics titan through the medium that made him famous.
“Scioli details Kirby’s life with the same passion and crackling energy the King of Comics brought to his own work. An essential text for fans of the medium.”—Library Journal
Now in paperback, this sweeping, full-color comic book biography tells the complete life story of Jack Kirby, co-creator of some of the most enduring superheroes and villains of the twentieth century for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and more. Critically acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Scioli breathes visual life into Kirby's life story--from his days growing up in New York during the Great Depression and discovering a love for science fiction and cartoons to his time on the frontlines in the European theatre of World War II where he experienced the type of action and adventure he'd later imbue his comic pages with, and on to his world-changing collaborations at Marvel with Stan Lee, where the pair redefined comics as a part of pop culture.
Just as every great superhero needs a villain to overcome, Kirby's story also includes his struggles to receive the recognition and compensation that he believed his work deserved. Scioli captures his moves from Marvel to DC and back again, showing how Kirby himself and later his family fought to preserve his artistic legacy.
Drawn from an unparalleled imagination and a life as exciting as his comic book tales, Kirby's super-creations have influenced subsequent generations of creatives in the comics field and beyond. Now, readers can experience the life and times of a comics titan through the medium that made him famous.
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
July 27, 2020
Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics is a biography of Jack Kirby by Tom Scioli.
When I was a kid, I first discovered Jack Kirby through Who's Who in the DC Universe. Most of the entries I found myself rereading were creations of his, like the OMAC and the New Gods. As reprints became more accessible, I discovered this Kirby guy created most of the Marvel Universe! Anyway, I've been on a Kirby kick lately so I snapped this up.
Scioli takes us on a journey through Kirby's life from start to finish, starting with his parents coming to America, through his rough childhood and beyond! Kirby's stints at the various companies are detailed, as is his tour of duty during World War II. Upon his return, Kirby eventually ends up at Marvel Comics during its darkest hour and the rest is history.
I knew a lot of snippets but great whacks of the book were new to me. For instance, I didn't know Simon and Kirby sold their company to Charlton when it looked like they were going under. I was aware he worked at the Eisner shop and Harvey but didn't know all the details. I also didn't realize the magnitude of how much of a huckster shitheel Stan Lee was. How many millions (or billions) did Jack get screwed out of over the years?
The way Marvel treated Kirby during his time at the company was fucking shameful. DC didn't really know what to do with the goose that laid the golden egg either. Super hero comics probably wouldn't exist in their current form without The King but you'd never know it the way the Big Two treated him for most of his life.
This was clearly a labor of love by Tom Scioli. The presentation is gorgeous and his colored-pencil art give the book a unique look and feel, although it's still evocative of The King at times. There are some sad moments, particularly during Kirby's twilight years when he could barely hold a pencil.
Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics is a fitting tribute to the King. Five out of five Kirby dots.
When I was a kid, I first discovered Jack Kirby through Who's Who in the DC Universe. Most of the entries I found myself rereading were creations of his, like the OMAC and the New Gods. As reprints became more accessible, I discovered this Kirby guy created most of the Marvel Universe! Anyway, I've been on a Kirby kick lately so I snapped this up.
Scioli takes us on a journey through Kirby's life from start to finish, starting with his parents coming to America, through his rough childhood and beyond! Kirby's stints at the various companies are detailed, as is his tour of duty during World War II. Upon his return, Kirby eventually ends up at Marvel Comics during its darkest hour and the rest is history.
I knew a lot of snippets but great whacks of the book were new to me. For instance, I didn't know Simon and Kirby sold their company to Charlton when it looked like they were going under. I was aware he worked at the Eisner shop and Harvey but didn't know all the details. I also didn't realize the magnitude of how much of a huckster shitheel Stan Lee was. How many millions (or billions) did Jack get screwed out of over the years?
The way Marvel treated Kirby during his time at the company was fucking shameful. DC didn't really know what to do with the goose that laid the golden egg either. Super hero comics probably wouldn't exist in their current form without The King but you'd never know it the way the Big Two treated him for most of his life.
This was clearly a labor of love by Tom Scioli. The presentation is gorgeous and his colored-pencil art give the book a unique look and feel, although it's still evocative of The King at times. There are some sad moments, particularly during Kirby's twilight years when he could barely hold a pencil.
Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics is a fitting tribute to the King. Five out of five Kirby dots.
October 15, 2021
This is an interesting graphic novel style biography of Jack Kirby. It contains a lot of information and provides a unique look at his life and times and work. It's a massive undertaking and achievement, and I'm sure was a real labor of love. I wish I had liked this more, but there are two things that I disliked a lot: First, the use of first-person narration implied the book was autobiographical, which it wasn't. There is a list of resources and notes at the end, but the narration was completely written by the author, not Kirby, which would be okay for a historical novel, I suppose, but not in this context. Secondly, I didn't care for the way Kirby was drawn throughout. All of the people are drawn in a similar and realistic fashion except for Kirby, who looks like a bobble-headed cartoon with huge manga-eyes. I didn't have a clue why this decision was made or what I was supposed to get from it, but I thought it detracted from the overall experience because I couldn't take the characterization seriously. Kirby was one of the most influential figures in the history of sequential art, and his story is one that should be better known. One must remember when ranking a biographical book that it is the book being ranked, not the subject.
September 27, 2020
I'm a big fan of this book. Kirby truly is the King of Comics. Reading this, you can see how influential Kirby was in creating a lot of the characters we love today. One thing that I wasn't aware of was that Kirby had quite a few harrowing war experiences during World War II. Those stories have quite a lot of tension because it's hard to imagine American comics without Kirby's influence. Well worth reading.
August 16, 2020
Must read.
By every person in this planet.
Right now.
Because...
image:
EDIT: My full review of this masterpiece, in Greek @ Comicdom.gr:
https://www.comicdom.gr/2020/08/13/ja...
By every person in this planet.
Right now.
Because...
image:
EDIT: My full review of this masterpiece, in Greek @ Comicdom.gr:
https://www.comicdom.gr/2020/08/13/ja...
June 14, 2024
Very torn on this one. I am a BIG Jack Kirby (JK)/Stan Lee (SL) fan; there is no question that they revolutionized comics. But this book reinforces what I have read elsewhere; JK did not get the credit he deserved for character design/writing that he deserved. Marvel made so many promises to JK: but rarely kept their word. SL made promises to JK - promises he should have kept. The story of JK original artwork is heartbreaking; really makes me angry! Then JK goes over to DC...and other artists/inkers are changing his work to make it look more like the 'DC style'!? If I could go back in time with money I would start my own comic company - JK would be president - Steve Ditko would be VP of artistic development - and I would just rake the money in!
June 19, 2023
I really enjoyed this short biography of the comic legend Jack Kirby. We get a pretty thorough overview of his entire life in just 200 pages. I especially liked that Scioli took the time to walk through a good chunk of his bibliography and not just the super well-known properties. I could see some biographies start with Captain America skip to Fantastic Four/early Marvel and Fourth World then just end.
Early life - He got into a lot of fights, but started drawing comics young. His favourite comics were Tarzan, Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon. Later the book mentions a third creator as one of Kirby's all time greats in Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates.
Start in comics He started super young and published as a staff cartoonist doing political gag comics. Then as an "in-betweener" at Max Fleischer animation studios. Later he did a comic strip called Cyclone Burke and ghosted on a Popeye clone "Socko and the Seadog". An advice strip called "Your Health Comes First". I've never seen any of these comics. The first work he ever saw in print comics is Jumbo Comics (1938). The first strip he signed as Jack Kirby was "Solar Legion" printed in Crash Comics Adventures #1–3 (1940). I believe Scioli (author of this book) is creating a Solar Legion book soon.
Joe Simon
There's Stan Lee in the 60s. Everyone knows that famous duo. But before Lee, Kirby's main collaborate was Simon. Kirby seems to have a much higher respect for Simon. Simon helped Kirby on the business end and seemed to be a 50/50 collaborator helping on the concept, story, and artwork. Unlike Lee, who Kirby dismisses as a sometime concept collaborator but mostly just a hack writer who ruins his work and takes full credit for all the success. They created Captain America, introduced romance comics, and created numerous other lesser known creations.
WW2
I have to imagine these stories were embellished by Kirby. In one story he walks into a bar, unarmed, and there are 3 Nazis in it. He grabs the one officer's knife and implies that he killed all 3! But regardless he experiences horrific things in the war that never leave him. It's implied that Kirby stays up late creating comics to avoid dreaming about the war.
After the war Kirby is impacted by the Comic Senate hearings and the comics code creation.
At all steps in his life Kirby seems to get swindled by the business men in comics. There's a lot of in fighting with different companies ripping each other off and then threatening lawsuits. But its also completely accepted by creators that they rip each other off (really most superheroes are a rip-off of Superman).
Later in life Kirby is pretty upset walking into a Toys R Us and seeing all the figures based on his characters and he gets zero credit and zero income from it. Thankfully later that is somewhat rectified as now Marvel movies all state that the characters were in part created by Jack Kirby (and his estate has gotten some good settlements I'm sure).
I was hoping Scioli would include a bibliography in the book. Here's my unofficial attempt mostly just using Wikipedia. I'd like to go through a few of the older ones many are available to read on archive comic sites.
cyclone burke (early work)
Your Health Comes First (early work, advice strip)
early political cartoons
1938 - [Count of Monte Cristo Picturized by Jack Curtiss] Jumbo Comics #1–3 (1938) (Fiction House) You can sorta see the Kirby in these. The line work especially the really thick lines on clothing and faces. The novel is on my books to-read right now... so I didn't really want to read the strip. The art is in line with others of the time period and doesn't really stand out in these issues.
1939 - Famous Funnies #63, 84 (1939) (Eastern Color) I flipped through these and I couldn't spot the Kirby work. Maybe I had the wrong volume or I just couldn't tell.
1940 - [Solar Legion] Crash Comics Adventures #1–3 (1940) (Holyoke Publishing) I read this last night and it was pretty awesome. Super early wacky Flash Gordon style story telling. I'm excited to see what Scioli does with it. These 3 issues can't be the full adventures of Solar Legion.
1940 - Daring Mystery Comics #6 (Timely, 1940)
1940 - Mystery Men Comics #10 (1940) (Fox Comics)
1940 - Red Raven Comics #1 (Timely, 1940) (Jack thinks this was terrible)
1940 - Science Comics #4 (1940) (Fox Comics)
1940–41 - Blue Bolt Comics #2–6, 8–10 (1940–41) (Novelty Press)
1940–41 - Marvel Mystery Comics #13–25 (Golden Age Vision)(Timely, 1940–41)
1940–41 - Wow Comics #1 (1940–41) (Fawcett Comics)
1940–41, 1947 - Prize Comics #7-9, #63 (1940–41, 1947)
1941 - All Winners Comics #1–2 (Timely, 1941)
1941 - Captain Marvel Adventures #1 (1941) (Fawcett Comics)
1941–42 - Captain America Comics #1–10 (Timely, 1941–42)
1942 - Star Spangled Comics (Newsboy Legion) #7–30
1942 - World's Finest Comics (Sandman) #6–7 (1942); (Boy Commandos) #8–11,13,14 (1942–43)
1942-43 - All Star Comics #14–17, 19 (Sandman) (1942–43)
1942-43 - World's Finest Comics (Sandman) #6–7 (1942); (Boy Commandos) #8–11,13,14 (1942–43)
1942-46 - Adventure Comics (Sandman) #72–97, 100–102 (1942–46); (Manhunter) #73–80 (1942–43); (Green Arrow) #250–256 (1957)
1942-48 - Detective Comics (Boy Commandos) #64–83, 85, 128, 134, 136–137, 150 (1942–44, 1947–48)
1942-49 - Boy Commandos #1–6, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23–24, 29–33 (1942–43; 1946–49)
1942–46 - Star Spangled Comics (Newsboy Legion) #7–30, 53–56, 58–59 (1942–46)
1946 - All-New Comics #13 (1946) (Harvey Comics)
1946 - Stuntman #1–3 (1946) (Harvey Comics)
1946 - Treasure Comics #10 (1946)
1946–47 - Real Fact Comics #1–2, 9 (1946–47)
1947 - Airboy Comics vol. 4 #5–11 (1947) (Hillman Comics)
1947 - Black Cat #6–8 (1947) (Harvey Comics)
1947 - Clue Comics #13, vol. 2 #1–3 (1947) (Hillman Comics)
1947 - Frankenstein Comics #7 (1947)
1947 - Real Clue Crime Stories vol. 2 #4–6 (1947) (Hillman Comics)
1947-48 - Green Hornet Fights Crime #37–39 (1947–58) (Harvey Comics)
1947-48 - My Date Comics #1-4 (1947-1948) (Hillman Comics)
1947-49 - Headline Comics #23–37 (1947-49)
1947-49 - Justice Traps the Guilty #1-10, #18-19 (1947-49, 1950)
1947-54, 1955-59 - Young Romance #1–47, #53-67, #80-88, #90-93, #95, #97-99, #102-103 (1947-54, 1955-59)
1950-51 - Boys' Ranch #1–6 (1950–51) (Harvey Comics)
1950-54 - Black Magic #1-7, #10-11, #13, #15, #18-33 (1950-54)
1950-54 - Black Magic v2 001-009 (1973-1975) (I need Black Magic #1-7, #10-11, #13, #15, #18-33 (1950-54)
1952 - Strange World of Your Dreams #1-3 (1952)
1952-56 - Young Brides #1-4, #6-12, #25-30 (1952-54, 1955-56)
1953 - Captain 3-D #1 (1953) (Harvey Comics)
1954-55 - Fighting American #1-7 (1954-55); #1 (1966, Harvey Comics)
1956 - Strange Stories of the Unusual #7 (Atlas, 1956)
1956-57 - Yellow Claw #2-4 (Atlas, 1956-1957)
1957 - Black Rider #1 (Atlas, 1957)
1957 - World's Finest Comics (Green Arrow) #96–99 (1957)
1957-58 - Showcase (Challengers of the Unknown) #6-7, 11-12 (1957-1958)
1957-59 - My Greatest Adventure #15–18, 20–21, 28 (1957–59)
1957–58 - House of Secrets #3–4, 8, 11–12 (1957–58)
1957–58 - Tales of the Unexpected #12–13. 15–18, 21–24 (1957–58)
1957–59 - House of Mystery #61, 63, 65–66, 70, 72, 76, 78–79, 84–85 (1957–59)
1958 - All Star Western 99
1958-59 - Challengers of the Unknown #1–8 (1958–59)
1958-59 - Strange Worlds #1, 3 (1958-1959)
1958-59 - The Green Arrow (Adventure Comics 250,251,252,253,254,255,256 Worlds Finest Comics 96,97,98)
1958-63 - Gunsmoke Western #47, 51, 59, 62-67, 69-71, 73, 77 (1958-1963)
1959 - All For Love vol. 3, #2 (1959)
1959 - Double Life of Private Strong #1–2 (1959) (Archie Comics)
1959 - Fly #1–2 (1959) (Archie Comics)
1959 - World of Fantasy #16, 18 (1959)
1959-60 - Journey into Mystery #51–52, 54–82 (1959–62)
1959-61 - Kid Colt Outlaw #86, 93, 95-96 (1959-1961);
1959-64 - Strange Tales #67–70, 72–100 (1959–62); (Human Torch) #101–105, 108–109, 114, 120, Annual #2 (1962–64); (Nick Fury) #135, 141–142 (full pencils), 136–140, 143–153 (layouts only) (1965–67)
1959-1960 - Battle #64-70 (1959-1960)
1959-1968 - Tales of Suspense #2–4, 7–35 (1959–62); (Iron Man) #40-41, 43 (1963); (Captain America) #59–68, 78–86, 92–99 (full pencils), #69–75, 77 (layouts only) (1964–1968)
1960-63 - Love Romances #85, #96-105 (1960-1963)
1960-1963 - Two-Gun Kid #54-55, 57-62 (1960-1963)
1960-1964 - Rawhide Kid #17-32, 34, 43 (1960-1964)
1961 - Amazing Adventures 001-006 (1961)
1961–71 - Fantastic Four #1–102, 108, 236, Annual #1–6 (1961–71, 1981)
1962-63 - The Incredible Hulk #1–5 (1962–63)
1962-66 - Journey Into Mystery (Thor) #83–89, 93, 97–125, Annual #1 (1962–66)
1962-66 - Tales to Astonish #1, 5–34; (Ant-Man) #35–40, 44, 49–51 (1962–64); (The Incredible Hulk) #68–72 (full pencils), #73–84 (layouts only, pencils by Bill Everett and others) (1965–66)
1962-1963 - The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1 001-006 (1962-1963) (digital)
1963–64 - Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1–7, 13 (1963–64)
1963–65 - The Avengers #1–8 (full pencils), #14–16 (layouts only, pencils by Don Heck, Dick Ayers) (1963–65)
1963–65 - X-Men #1–11 (full pencils), #12–17 (layouts only, pencils by Alex Toth and Werner Roth) (1963–65)
1964 - Kid Colt Outlaw #119 (1964)
1964 - The Amazing Spider-Man #8 (1964)
1966-70 - Thor #126–177, 179, Annual #2 (1966–70)
1967–68 - Not Brand Echh #1, 3, 5–7 (1967–68)
1968 - Tales of Asgard (Marvel)
1968-69 - Captain America #100–109, 112 (1968–69); #193–200
1970 - Astonishing Tales #1–2 (Ka-Zar) (1970)
1970 - Chamber of Darkness #4–5 (1970)
1970 - Fourth World
1970 - Silver Surfer #18 (1970)
1970-72 - Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133–139, 141–148 (1970–72)
1970-1971 - Amazing Adventures vol. 2 #1–4 (Inhumans) (1970–71)
1971 - In the Days of the Mob #1 (1971)
1971 - Spirit World 001
1971-72 - Forever People #1–11 (1971–72)
1971-72 - New Gods #1–11 (1971–72)
1971-74 - Mister Miracle #1–18 (1971–74)
1972 - Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #6 (1972) (material intended for Spirit World #2)
1972 - Weird Mystery Tales #1–3 (1972) (material intended for Spirit World #2)
1972-74 - The Demon
1972–76 - Kamandi The Last Boy on Earth #1–40 (1972–76)
1974 - The Amazing World of DC Comics #1 (1974) (material intended for In the Days of the Mob #2)
1974-1975 - OMAC 001-008 (1974-1975)
1974–75 - Our Fighting Forces (The Losers) #151–162 (1974–75)
1974–76 - Sandman #1, 4–6 (1974–76)
1975 - 1st Issue Special #1 (Atlas), #5 (Manhunter), #6 (Dingbats of Danger Street) (1975)
1975 - Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #3 (1975)
1976 - Marvel Treasury Special Featuring Captain America's Bicentennial Battles (1976)
1976-77 - 2001 A Space Odyssey #1–10 (1976–77) and 2001 A Space Odyssey treasury special (1976)
1976-77 - Captain America #200–214, Annual #3–4 (1976–77)
1976-78 - The Eternals
1977-78 - Black Panther #1–12 (1977–78)
1978 - Devil Dinosaur #1-9 (1978)
1978 - Machine Man #1–9 (1978)
1978 - Silver Surfer The Ultimate Cosmic Experience (1978) (Marvel Fireside Books/Simon & Schuster)
1979 - Cancelled Comic Cavalcade (Sandman) #2 (1978)
1981–84 - Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1–13, Special #1 (1981–84) (Pacific Comics)
1982-83 - Destroyer Duck #1–5 (with Steve Gerber) (1982–83) (Eclipse Comics)
1983-84 - Silver Star #1–6 (1983–84) (Pacific Comics)
1984 - New Gods vol. 2 #6 (1984)
1984 - Super Powers #1–4 (plotter), #5 (writer/penciller) (1984)
1984 - Superman #400 (1984)
1985 - DC Comics Presents #84 (Superman and the Challengers of the Unknown) (1985)
1985 - DC Graphic Novel #4 ("The Hunger Dogs") (1985)
1985-86 - Super Powers vol. 2 #1–6 (1985–86)
1985–86 - Who's Who The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #2–6, 8–18, 20, 22 (1985–86)
1992 - Turtle Soup #4 (with Michael Thibodeaux) (1992) (Mirage Studios)
1994-2020 - Jack Kirby Collector 001-078 (1994-2020)
Argosy vol. 3 #2 (1990) (Richard Kyle Publications)
Astonishing #56 (Atlas, 1956)
Battleground #14 (Atlas, 1956)
Black Rider #1 (Atlas, 1957)
Boy Explorers #1–2 (1946) (Harvey Comics)
Bullseye #1–5 (1954-1955) (Mainline Publications)
Champion Comics #10 (1940) (Harvey Comics)
Foxhole #2 (1954) (Mainline Publications)
Heroes Against Hunger #1 (two pages only) (1986)
In Love #1–3 (1954) (Mainline Publications)
Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1962–66)
Justice, Inc. #2–4 (1975)
Kobra #1 (1976)
My Own Romance #74 (1960)
Phantom Force #0 (with Michael Thibodeaux) (1994) (Genesis West)
Phantom Force #1–2 (with Michael Thibodeaux) (1993–1994) (Image Comics)
Police Trap #2, 4 (1954–1955) (Mainline Publications)
Police Trap #5–6 (1955) (Charlton Comics)
Quick Trigger Western #16 (Atlas, 1957)
Satan's Six #1 (1993) (Topps Comics)
Teen-Age Romance #84-86 (1961-1962)
The Best of DC #22 (story intended for unpublished Sandman #7) (1981)
The Last of the Viking Heroes Summer Special #1 (writer, with David Schwartz and Michael Thibodeaux) (1987) (Genesis West)
Two Gun Western #12 (Atlas, 1957)
What If #11 (Fantastic Four) (1978)
Young Allies Comics #1 (Timely, 1941)
Stuff mentioned in the biography but not show above:
Mercuty - realy work
Comet Pierce - early work
Super Sherlock - periodical but "nothing ever came of it"
Starman Zero
Sky Masters (Space Busters collab with Dave Wood)
King Master (never syndicated)
Ont he green with peter Parr (never syndicated)
Alarming Tales (not sure about this one)
Animation - Devil Dinosaur
Animation - Fantastic Four
Animation - Superfriends
"Lord of Light" / Argo
a novel The Horde
Animation - Thundarr the Barbarian
Animation - Cary Becomes a Car
Early life - He got into a lot of fights, but started drawing comics young. His favourite comics were Tarzan, Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon. Later the book mentions a third creator as one of Kirby's all time greats in Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates.
Start in comics He started super young and published as a staff cartoonist doing political gag comics. Then as an "in-betweener" at Max Fleischer animation studios. Later he did a comic strip called Cyclone Burke and ghosted on a Popeye clone "Socko and the Seadog". An advice strip called "Your Health Comes First". I've never seen any of these comics. The first work he ever saw in print comics is Jumbo Comics (1938). The first strip he signed as Jack Kirby was "Solar Legion" printed in Crash Comics Adventures #1–3 (1940). I believe Scioli (author of this book) is creating a Solar Legion book soon.
Joe Simon
There's Stan Lee in the 60s. Everyone knows that famous duo. But before Lee, Kirby's main collaborate was Simon. Kirby seems to have a much higher respect for Simon. Simon helped Kirby on the business end and seemed to be a 50/50 collaborator helping on the concept, story, and artwork. Unlike Lee, who Kirby dismisses as a sometime concept collaborator but mostly just a hack writer who ruins his work and takes full credit for all the success. They created Captain America, introduced romance comics, and created numerous other lesser known creations.
WW2
I have to imagine these stories were embellished by Kirby. In one story he walks into a bar, unarmed, and there are 3 Nazis in it. He grabs the one officer's knife and implies that he killed all 3! But regardless he experiences horrific things in the war that never leave him. It's implied that Kirby stays up late creating comics to avoid dreaming about the war.
After the war Kirby is impacted by the Comic Senate hearings and the comics code creation.
At all steps in his life Kirby seems to get swindled by the business men in comics. There's a lot of in fighting with different companies ripping each other off and then threatening lawsuits. But its also completely accepted by creators that they rip each other off (really most superheroes are a rip-off of Superman).
Later in life Kirby is pretty upset walking into a Toys R Us and seeing all the figures based on his characters and he gets zero credit and zero income from it. Thankfully later that is somewhat rectified as now Marvel movies all state that the characters were in part created by Jack Kirby (and his estate has gotten some good settlements I'm sure).
I was hoping Scioli would include a bibliography in the book. Here's my unofficial attempt mostly just using Wikipedia. I'd like to go through a few of the older ones many are available to read on archive comic sites.
cyclone burke (early work)
Your Health Comes First (early work, advice strip)
early political cartoons
1938 - [Count of Monte Cristo Picturized by Jack Curtiss] Jumbo Comics #1–3 (1938) (Fiction House) You can sorta see the Kirby in these. The line work especially the really thick lines on clothing and faces. The novel is on my books to-read right now... so I didn't really want to read the strip. The art is in line with others of the time period and doesn't really stand out in these issues.
1939 - Famous Funnies #63, 84 (1939) (Eastern Color) I flipped through these and I couldn't spot the Kirby work. Maybe I had the wrong volume or I just couldn't tell.
1940 - [Solar Legion] Crash Comics Adventures #1–3 (1940) (Holyoke Publishing) I read this last night and it was pretty awesome. Super early wacky Flash Gordon style story telling. I'm excited to see what Scioli does with it. These 3 issues can't be the full adventures of Solar Legion.
1940 - Daring Mystery Comics #6 (Timely, 1940)
1940 - Mystery Men Comics #10 (1940) (Fox Comics)
1940 - Red Raven Comics #1 (Timely, 1940) (Jack thinks this was terrible)
1940 - Science Comics #4 (1940) (Fox Comics)
1940–41 - Blue Bolt Comics #2–6, 8–10 (1940–41) (Novelty Press)
1940–41 - Marvel Mystery Comics #13–25 (Golden Age Vision)(Timely, 1940–41)
1940–41 - Wow Comics #1 (1940–41) (Fawcett Comics)
1940–41, 1947 - Prize Comics #7-9, #63 (1940–41, 1947)
1941 - All Winners Comics #1–2 (Timely, 1941)
1941 - Captain Marvel Adventures #1 (1941) (Fawcett Comics)
1941–42 - Captain America Comics #1–10 (Timely, 1941–42)
1942 - Star Spangled Comics (Newsboy Legion) #7–30
1942 - World's Finest Comics (Sandman) #6–7 (1942); (Boy Commandos) #8–11,13,14 (1942–43)
1942-43 - All Star Comics #14–17, 19 (Sandman) (1942–43)
1942-43 - World's Finest Comics (Sandman) #6–7 (1942); (Boy Commandos) #8–11,13,14 (1942–43)
1942-46 - Adventure Comics (Sandman) #72–97, 100–102 (1942–46); (Manhunter) #73–80 (1942–43); (Green Arrow) #250–256 (1957)
1942-48 - Detective Comics (Boy Commandos) #64–83, 85, 128, 134, 136–137, 150 (1942–44, 1947–48)
1942-49 - Boy Commandos #1–6, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23–24, 29–33 (1942–43; 1946–49)
1942–46 - Star Spangled Comics (Newsboy Legion) #7–30, 53–56, 58–59 (1942–46)
1946 - All-New Comics #13 (1946) (Harvey Comics)
1946 - Stuntman #1–3 (1946) (Harvey Comics)
1946 - Treasure Comics #10 (1946)
1946–47 - Real Fact Comics #1–2, 9 (1946–47)
1947 - Airboy Comics vol. 4 #5–11 (1947) (Hillman Comics)
1947 - Black Cat #6–8 (1947) (Harvey Comics)
1947 - Clue Comics #13, vol. 2 #1–3 (1947) (Hillman Comics)
1947 - Frankenstein Comics #7 (1947)
1947 - Real Clue Crime Stories vol. 2 #4–6 (1947) (Hillman Comics)
1947-48 - Green Hornet Fights Crime #37–39 (1947–58) (Harvey Comics)
1947-48 - My Date Comics #1-4 (1947-1948) (Hillman Comics)
1947-49 - Headline Comics #23–37 (1947-49)
1947-49 - Justice Traps the Guilty #1-10, #18-19 (1947-49, 1950)
1947-54, 1955-59 - Young Romance #1–47, #53-67, #80-88, #90-93, #95, #97-99, #102-103 (1947-54, 1955-59)
1950-51 - Boys' Ranch #1–6 (1950–51) (Harvey Comics)
1950-54 - Black Magic #1-7, #10-11, #13, #15, #18-33 (1950-54)
1950-54 - Black Magic v2 001-009 (1973-1975) (I need Black Magic #1-7, #10-11, #13, #15, #18-33 (1950-54)
1952 - Strange World of Your Dreams #1-3 (1952)
1952-56 - Young Brides #1-4, #6-12, #25-30 (1952-54, 1955-56)
1953 - Captain 3-D #1 (1953) (Harvey Comics)
1954-55 - Fighting American #1-7 (1954-55); #1 (1966, Harvey Comics)
1956 - Strange Stories of the Unusual #7 (Atlas, 1956)
1956-57 - Yellow Claw #2-4 (Atlas, 1956-1957)
1957 - Black Rider #1 (Atlas, 1957)
1957 - World's Finest Comics (Green Arrow) #96–99 (1957)
1957-58 - Showcase (Challengers of the Unknown) #6-7, 11-12 (1957-1958)
1957-59 - My Greatest Adventure #15–18, 20–21, 28 (1957–59)
1957–58 - House of Secrets #3–4, 8, 11–12 (1957–58)
1957–58 - Tales of the Unexpected #12–13. 15–18, 21–24 (1957–58)
1957–59 - House of Mystery #61, 63, 65–66, 70, 72, 76, 78–79, 84–85 (1957–59)
1958 - All Star Western 99
1958-59 - Challengers of the Unknown #1–8 (1958–59)
1958-59 - Strange Worlds #1, 3 (1958-1959)
1958-59 - The Green Arrow (Adventure Comics 250,251,252,253,254,255,256 Worlds Finest Comics 96,97,98)
1958-63 - Gunsmoke Western #47, 51, 59, 62-67, 69-71, 73, 77 (1958-1963)
1959 - All For Love vol. 3, #2 (1959)
1959 - Double Life of Private Strong #1–2 (1959) (Archie Comics)
1959 - Fly #1–2 (1959) (Archie Comics)
1959 - World of Fantasy #16, 18 (1959)
1959-60 - Journey into Mystery #51–52, 54–82 (1959–62)
1959-61 - Kid Colt Outlaw #86, 93, 95-96 (1959-1961);
1959-64 - Strange Tales #67–70, 72–100 (1959–62); (Human Torch) #101–105, 108–109, 114, 120, Annual #2 (1962–64); (Nick Fury) #135, 141–142 (full pencils), 136–140, 143–153 (layouts only) (1965–67)
1959-1960 - Battle #64-70 (1959-1960)
1959-1968 - Tales of Suspense #2–4, 7–35 (1959–62); (Iron Man) #40-41, 43 (1963); (Captain America) #59–68, 78–86, 92–99 (full pencils), #69–75, 77 (layouts only) (1964–1968)
1960-63 - Love Romances #85, #96-105 (1960-1963)
1960-1963 - Two-Gun Kid #54-55, 57-62 (1960-1963)
1960-1964 - Rawhide Kid #17-32, 34, 43 (1960-1964)
1961 - Amazing Adventures 001-006 (1961)
1961–71 - Fantastic Four #1–102, 108, 236, Annual #1–6 (1961–71, 1981)
1962-63 - The Incredible Hulk #1–5 (1962–63)
1962-66 - Journey Into Mystery (Thor) #83–89, 93, 97–125, Annual #1 (1962–66)
1962-66 - Tales to Astonish #1, 5–34; (Ant-Man) #35–40, 44, 49–51 (1962–64); (The Incredible Hulk) #68–72 (full pencils), #73–84 (layouts only, pencils by Bill Everett and others) (1965–66)
1962-1963 - The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1 001-006 (1962-1963) (digital)
1963–64 - Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1–7, 13 (1963–64)
1963–65 - The Avengers #1–8 (full pencils), #14–16 (layouts only, pencils by Don Heck, Dick Ayers) (1963–65)
1963–65 - X-Men #1–11 (full pencils), #12–17 (layouts only, pencils by Alex Toth and Werner Roth) (1963–65)
1964 - Kid Colt Outlaw #119 (1964)
1964 - The Amazing Spider-Man #8 (1964)
1966-70 - Thor #126–177, 179, Annual #2 (1966–70)
1967–68 - Not Brand Echh #1, 3, 5–7 (1967–68)
1968 - Tales of Asgard (Marvel)
1968-69 - Captain America #100–109, 112 (1968–69); #193–200
1970 - Astonishing Tales #1–2 (Ka-Zar) (1970)
1970 - Chamber of Darkness #4–5 (1970)
1970 - Fourth World
1970 - Silver Surfer #18 (1970)
1970-72 - Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133–139, 141–148 (1970–72)
1970-1971 - Amazing Adventures vol. 2 #1–4 (Inhumans) (1970–71)
1971 - In the Days of the Mob #1 (1971)
1971 - Spirit World 001
1971-72 - Forever People #1–11 (1971–72)
1971-72 - New Gods #1–11 (1971–72)
1971-74 - Mister Miracle #1–18 (1971–74)
1972 - Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #6 (1972) (material intended for Spirit World #2)
1972 - Weird Mystery Tales #1–3 (1972) (material intended for Spirit World #2)
1972-74 - The Demon
1972–76 - Kamandi The Last Boy on Earth #1–40 (1972–76)
1974 - The Amazing World of DC Comics #1 (1974) (material intended for In the Days of the Mob #2)
1974-1975 - OMAC 001-008 (1974-1975)
1974–75 - Our Fighting Forces (The Losers) #151–162 (1974–75)
1974–76 - Sandman #1, 4–6 (1974–76)
1975 - 1st Issue Special #1 (Atlas), #5 (Manhunter), #6 (Dingbats of Danger Street) (1975)
1975 - Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #3 (1975)
1976 - Marvel Treasury Special Featuring Captain America's Bicentennial Battles (1976)
1976-77 - 2001 A Space Odyssey #1–10 (1976–77) and 2001 A Space Odyssey treasury special (1976)
1976-77 - Captain America #200–214, Annual #3–4 (1976–77)
1976-78 - The Eternals
1977-78 - Black Panther #1–12 (1977–78)
1978 - Devil Dinosaur #1-9 (1978)
1978 - Machine Man #1–9 (1978)
1978 - Silver Surfer The Ultimate Cosmic Experience (1978) (Marvel Fireside Books/Simon & Schuster)
1979 - Cancelled Comic Cavalcade (Sandman) #2 (1978)
1981–84 - Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1–13, Special #1 (1981–84) (Pacific Comics)
1982-83 - Destroyer Duck #1–5 (with Steve Gerber) (1982–83) (Eclipse Comics)
1983-84 - Silver Star #1–6 (1983–84) (Pacific Comics)
1984 - New Gods vol. 2 #6 (1984)
1984 - Super Powers #1–4 (plotter), #5 (writer/penciller) (1984)
1984 - Superman #400 (1984)
1985 - DC Comics Presents #84 (Superman and the Challengers of the Unknown) (1985)
1985 - DC Graphic Novel #4 ("The Hunger Dogs") (1985)
1985-86 - Super Powers vol. 2 #1–6 (1985–86)
1985–86 - Who's Who The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #2–6, 8–18, 20, 22 (1985–86)
1992 - Turtle Soup #4 (with Michael Thibodeaux) (1992) (Mirage Studios)
1994-2020 - Jack Kirby Collector 001-078 (1994-2020)
Argosy vol. 3 #2 (1990) (Richard Kyle Publications)
Astonishing #56 (Atlas, 1956)
Battleground #14 (Atlas, 1956)
Black Rider #1 (Atlas, 1957)
Boy Explorers #1–2 (1946) (Harvey Comics)
Bullseye #1–5 (1954-1955) (Mainline Publications)
Champion Comics #10 (1940) (Harvey Comics)
Foxhole #2 (1954) (Mainline Publications)
Heroes Against Hunger #1 (two pages only) (1986)
In Love #1–3 (1954) (Mainline Publications)
Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1962–66)
Justice, Inc. #2–4 (1975)
Kobra #1 (1976)
My Own Romance #74 (1960)
Phantom Force #0 (with Michael Thibodeaux) (1994) (Genesis West)
Phantom Force #1–2 (with Michael Thibodeaux) (1993–1994) (Image Comics)
Police Trap #2, 4 (1954–1955) (Mainline Publications)
Police Trap #5–6 (1955) (Charlton Comics)
Quick Trigger Western #16 (Atlas, 1957)
Satan's Six #1 (1993) (Topps Comics)
Teen-Age Romance #84-86 (1961-1962)
The Best of DC #22 (story intended for unpublished Sandman #7) (1981)
The Last of the Viking Heroes Summer Special #1 (writer, with David Schwartz and Michael Thibodeaux) (1987) (Genesis West)
Two Gun Western #12 (Atlas, 1957)
What If #11 (Fantastic Four) (1978)
Young Allies Comics #1 (Timely, 1941)
Stuff mentioned in the biography but not show above:
Mercuty - realy work
Comet Pierce - early work
Super Sherlock - periodical but "nothing ever came of it"
Starman Zero
Sky Masters (Space Busters collab with Dave Wood)
King Master (never syndicated)
Ont he green with peter Parr (never syndicated)
Alarming Tales (not sure about this one)
Animation - Devil Dinosaur
Animation - Fantastic Four
Animation - Superfriends
"Lord of Light" / Argo
a novel The Horde
Animation - Thundarr the Barbarian
Animation - Cary Becomes a Car
September 20, 2020
Jack Kirby's life, presented as if he were the narrator of a classic Marvel comic -- well, I take that back, with the giant captions, stiff art, and strict six-panel grid, it looks more like a product of Charlton Comics, Marvel's Connecticut competitor. But Kirby's life is big, even if these panels are small. (Oddly, the creator has chosen to depict Kirby with a giant manga head while everyone else in the book is illustrated in a more traditional style.)
Based mostly on interviews Kirby gave late in life to fan magazines and books devoted to him, we follow "The King" from his birth in 1917 to his death in 1994. So if you are a Stan Lee fan, prepare to see him thrown under a fleet of buses. Kirby was a grinder, churning out ideas and pages like a machine, often working simultaneously on several projects for multiple publishers. It's sad to see him be worn down and become embittered with the industry that took so much from him while giving little back.
Kirby's art could be goofy at times and way too blocky (those giant rectangular fingers reaching off the page!), but it was striking as hell. His writing on the other hand . . . The more control he had over the dialogue and plot, the worse his books became. The cosmic crap of the New Gods/Fourth World and Eternals is just unreadable. I think there's a reason none of these characters (maybe excepting Darkseid) ever became big hits no matter how often DC and Marvel have tried. (And now the movie studios think they can do something with them. Poor saps!)
Anyhow, I still respect Kirby as a creator and will not deny the huge impact he had on the industry during his life and beyond. Giant corporations will still be milking his work long after we are all gone.
Based mostly on interviews Kirby gave late in life to fan magazines and books devoted to him, we follow "The King" from his birth in 1917 to his death in 1994. So if you are a Stan Lee fan, prepare to see him thrown under a fleet of buses. Kirby was a grinder, churning out ideas and pages like a machine, often working simultaneously on several projects for multiple publishers. It's sad to see him be worn down and become embittered with the industry that took so much from him while giving little back.
Kirby's art could be goofy at times and way too blocky (those giant rectangular fingers reaching off the page!), but it was striking as hell. His writing on the other hand . . . The more control he had over the dialogue and plot, the worse his books became. The cosmic crap of the New Gods/Fourth World and Eternals is just unreadable. I think there's a reason none of these characters (maybe excepting Darkseid) ever became big hits no matter how often DC and Marvel have tried. (And now the movie studios think they can do something with them. Poor saps!)
Anyhow, I still respect Kirby as a creator and will not deny the huge impact he had on the industry during his life and beyond. Giant corporations will still be milking his work long after we are all gone.
July 19, 2020
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by David Allen
Who deserves credit for the meteoric rise of Marvel Comics? Was it Stan Lee, writer, eventual publisher, and Marvel mascot, a man whom nerds across the globe revere? Or was it artist extraordinaire Jack Kirby, whose contributions went uncredited and underappreciated for decades?
Although Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics does not explicitly set out to answer this question, it nevertheless makes a solid argument on behalf of Jack Kirby. The 200-page graphic novel sets out to recall the legendary artist’s life from conception to death in the master’s own medium.
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
Who deserves credit for the meteoric rise of Marvel Comics? Was it Stan Lee, writer, eventual publisher, and Marvel mascot, a man whom nerds across the globe revere? Or was it artist extraordinaire Jack Kirby, whose contributions went uncredited and underappreciated for decades?
Although Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics does not explicitly set out to answer this question, it nevertheless makes a solid argument on behalf of Jack Kirby. The 200-page graphic novel sets out to recall the legendary artist’s life from conception to death in the master’s own medium.
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
May 3, 2022
When I was in high school I was sent to a school in another province. When I returned home(Ottawa at the time), I had a conversation with my mother;
"Mom, where are my comic books that I've been saving?e.g. Original X-Men, original Daredevil, Original Avengers(all first editions as well as dozens of other early Marvel comics) ?
"Dear, you're too old for those, so we threw them out."
"And my complete sets of hockey cards, baseball cards, football cards, and baseball caps?
"Yes dear, we completely cleared out your room'!
... I love you Mom. : (
I quite enjoyed this book. The format appealed to me because I've never outgrown illustrated books.
Jack Kirby had a pretty rough time of it. I read Stan Lee's book and the Kirby book confirmed for me what a jerk Lee really is.
"Mom, where are my comic books that I've been saving?e.g. Original X-Men, original Daredevil, Original Avengers(all first editions as well as dozens of other early Marvel comics) ?
"Dear, you're too old for those, so we threw them out."
"And my complete sets of hockey cards, baseball cards, football cards, and baseball caps?
"Yes dear, we completely cleared out your room'!
... I love you Mom. : (
I quite enjoyed this book. The format appealed to me because I've never outgrown illustrated books.
Jack Kirby had a pretty rough time of it. I read Stan Lee's book and the Kirby book confirmed for me what a jerk Lee really is.
October 17, 2022
As I read through this book, I began to really feel a lament for Jack Kirby and the other golden age creators. But especially Jack. Not only because this book is about him, but because he was one of the most prolific and inspiring creators... ever.
This book takes us through the life of a man who has shaped not only comics, but modern day entertainment altogether. Tom Scioli takes us year by year, chapter by chapter of how this man grew up, and what all his experiences accumulated to. He poured himself into his creations and stories. His art speaks for itself, but this book strives to show us where the source of the art comes from; the man and his experiences. And Scioli did a fantastic job of conveying the lifetime of this legend into these few pages.
Of course, like any life, there are dark moments. The war, the losing of loved ones, and his business dealings were presented with as much care and love as the rest of his achievements. The other side of Stan Lee is presented in this book, as it is no secret that the Kirby/Lee relationship was strained to say the least. To hear the story from Kirby's mouth is somehow more damning though, as you get the sense that this man had a lot of honor and dignity that you felt in his work. Stan Lee is one of my heroes, but he is human. And this book shows us the less than favorable side.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in comics, the history of comic book making, or just like interesting lives lived. Because it doesn't get any greater than Jack Kirby. He is a legend and always will be. And a comic book about his life is perfectly apropos. Long live the King.
This book takes us through the life of a man who has shaped not only comics, but modern day entertainment altogether. Tom Scioli takes us year by year, chapter by chapter of how this man grew up, and what all his experiences accumulated to. He poured himself into his creations and stories. His art speaks for itself, but this book strives to show us where the source of the art comes from; the man and his experiences. And Scioli did a fantastic job of conveying the lifetime of this legend into these few pages.
Of course, like any life, there are dark moments. The war, the losing of loved ones, and his business dealings were presented with as much care and love as the rest of his achievements. The other side of Stan Lee is presented in this book, as it is no secret that the Kirby/Lee relationship was strained to say the least. To hear the story from Kirby's mouth is somehow more damning though, as you get the sense that this man had a lot of honor and dignity that you felt in his work. Stan Lee is one of my heroes, but he is human. And this book shows us the less than favorable side.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in comics, the history of comic book making, or just like interesting lives lived. Because it doesn't get any greater than Jack Kirby. He is a legend and always will be. And a comic book about his life is perfectly apropos. Long live the King.
July 23, 2020
Just finished reading Tom Scioli's Jack Kirby biography comic and it's beautiful. The legend of Jack Kirby told in mostly six panel pages and decidedly in pencil not ink; two of the tools the king was most known for. It's inspiring, heartbreaking, hilarious and most importantly superhuman...cosmic. Kirby.
April 12, 2021
Enjoyed this well enough and there's clearly some effort and affection put into it. I've always liked Jack Kirby's art, though often found it far too overwhelming trippy to read much of it without getting a migraine. It's cool to find out a bit more about his life and why he was such an intense bloke. Also shines a light on how often he was exploited and taken for a ride, maybe because being an instinctively intelligent artist doesn't always equal business savviness.
April 23, 2022
Did we really have Free Comic Book Day 2020? We did, because I loved reading this fine excerpt from Scioli's comics/graphic biography of Kirby.
Let's all read the book!
Thanks, Dugan, at Book Nook Decatur, for keeping me in the Free Comic Book Day loop.
Let's all read the book!
Thanks, Dugan, at Book Nook Decatur, for keeping me in the Free Comic Book Day loop.
December 8, 2023
Jack Kirby has always been a figure who's fascinated me with the contrasts he embodies, and this biography did nothing to change my opinion, or to really reconcile the interesting contradictions in his character. His look and attitude, at least in the public eye, suggested nothing less than pugilistic, brusque Brooklyn street tough that he apparently was, and yet he was capable of producing the most fanciful and at times poetic flights of imagination. And despite that combative nature, he was also seemingly unwilling to ever take definitive steps to rupture partnerships and relationships that not only failed to serve him, but which actively aggravated him. Impossible to judge a book by its cover, or to boil a person down to a set of a few seemingly contradictory characteristics, especially when you have to take into account the effects on a life made by experiences like being in the bloody ranks of World War II, or of the need to raise a young and growing family, or the impulse to express oneself artistically despite years of setbacks, disappointments, and trickery.
Scioli's work is a bit pointilistic in nature, hopping from event to event sometimes panel by panel with little logical connection. But that's life sometimes, and it allows the book to cover the breadth of Kirby's experiences in bracing manner.
The art is semi-realistic throughout, with the notable exception of the writer/artist's depiction of Kirby himself, which is cartoony, cutesy, and almost Manga-like, with big eyes and an exaggerated pouf of hair. I'm not sure what the significance of that choice is. It helps the figure of Kirby to stand out from everyone around him, at least, but in a sea of mostly balding middle-aged men in the Golden and Silver Ages of the comics industry, short and pugnacious and follically-gifted Kirby would have stood out anyway.
Most of the book is told in straightforward first-person narration by Kirby himself. There are two exceptions: his wife Roz is given a voice throughout the book, but also, and most interestingly, is Stan Lee. Anyone who knows about the fraught partnership between Lee and Kirby is sure to find this a fraught choice. Lee does not come off looking well from Kirby's perspective - and seemingly with very good reason - but the smattering of scenes in Lee's voice help modulate and moderate that view just a little. Some important context that this book adds to the famous acrimony between the two creators is that, to be fair in a very unfair situation, pretty much everyone in the comics world shat on comics artists until the very late 80s at the earliest, and some people -particularly some folks at DC - treated Kirby even worse than Stan seemed to. (A low standard to meet.) At the same time, Lee is one of those people that, at least according to this account, Kirby kept giving chance after chance to. He said he wanted to wring the guy's neck, was very rightly angry at the ways Lee would twist and mutilate his stories, would seethe at the way Lee would absorb all the credit for characters and stories Kirby was *at least* as responsible for as Lee was - but Kirby stuck with him for over a decade, and went back to Lee's Marvel, and was even tempted to return one more time later in his career (adorably, it was loyal Roz who steered Jack away from that potential additional frustration).
Bits and pieces, bits and bobs. Brooklyn of the 1920s and 30s seemed like a real war zone, and anyone claiming that crime is worse anywhere today should take a look at this kind of history. Speaking of war, Kirby seems to have had some truly harrowing experiences there. The account of Kirby's conception of his New Gods line for DC Comics has made me interested in reading that cycle for the first time. And I know I shouldn't be surprised to learn this, but I am, I am - Kirby had some sympathy for the bad boys of Image. It makes sense: they were artists who had experienced some of the same injustices Kirby had, but they found a way to claim some power over the industry. And yes, Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane and Erik Larsen and some of the others are legitimately talented artists and storytellers. But, but...the Rob Liefeld of it all! At least I think I detected a bit of "damning with faint praise" in the discussion of Image Comics, and of course it's all just Scioli's idea about what Kirby might have thought about some of this stuff, anyway.
It's a nifty book! Would recommend.
Scioli's work is a bit pointilistic in nature, hopping from event to event sometimes panel by panel with little logical connection. But that's life sometimes, and it allows the book to cover the breadth of Kirby's experiences in bracing manner.
The art is semi-realistic throughout, with the notable exception of the writer/artist's depiction of Kirby himself, which is cartoony, cutesy, and almost Manga-like, with big eyes and an exaggerated pouf of hair. I'm not sure what the significance of that choice is. It helps the figure of Kirby to stand out from everyone around him, at least, but in a sea of mostly balding middle-aged men in the Golden and Silver Ages of the comics industry, short and pugnacious and follically-gifted Kirby would have stood out anyway.
Most of the book is told in straightforward first-person narration by Kirby himself. There are two exceptions: his wife Roz is given a voice throughout the book, but also, and most interestingly, is Stan Lee. Anyone who knows about the fraught partnership between Lee and Kirby is sure to find this a fraught choice. Lee does not come off looking well from Kirby's perspective - and seemingly with very good reason - but the smattering of scenes in Lee's voice help modulate and moderate that view just a little. Some important context that this book adds to the famous acrimony between the two creators is that, to be fair in a very unfair situation, pretty much everyone in the comics world shat on comics artists until the very late 80s at the earliest, and some people -particularly some folks at DC - treated Kirby even worse than Stan seemed to. (A low standard to meet.) At the same time, Lee is one of those people that, at least according to this account, Kirby kept giving chance after chance to. He said he wanted to wring the guy's neck, was very rightly angry at the ways Lee would twist and mutilate his stories, would seethe at the way Lee would absorb all the credit for characters and stories Kirby was *at least* as responsible for as Lee was - but Kirby stuck with him for over a decade, and went back to Lee's Marvel, and was even tempted to return one more time later in his career (adorably, it was loyal Roz who steered Jack away from that potential additional frustration).
Bits and pieces, bits and bobs. Brooklyn of the 1920s and 30s seemed like a real war zone, and anyone claiming that crime is worse anywhere today should take a look at this kind of history. Speaking of war, Kirby seems to have had some truly harrowing experiences there. The account of Kirby's conception of his New Gods line for DC Comics has made me interested in reading that cycle for the first time. And I know I shouldn't be surprised to learn this, but I am, I am - Kirby had some sympathy for the bad boys of Image. It makes sense: they were artists who had experienced some of the same injustices Kirby had, but they found a way to claim some power over the industry. And yes, Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane and Erik Larsen and some of the others are legitimately talented artists and storytellers. But, but...the Rob Liefeld of it all! At least I think I detected a bit of "damning with faint praise" in the discussion of Image Comics, and of course it's all just Scioli's idea about what Kirby might have thought about some of this stuff, anyway.
It's a nifty book! Would recommend.
March 23, 2025
This was a pretty fun read. Drawn in the style of and filtered like one of those old-school 12-cent comics he labored on, it tells the complicated story of Jack Kirby—legendary artist, writer, and co-creator of a zillion iconic characters from the kind of comic books that I did not read lol. And yet, the guy barely got credit. No lawyer, no royalties—just job-by-job or hourly pay while he pumped out licensable comic art and stories around the clock. He really should’ve been a millionaire if he hadn’t been so naive.
Scioli tries to simplify the chaos. I liked the way he drew Kirby with huge, manga-style eyes—like a wide-eyed creative angel in a brutal industry. Stan Lee and a lot of Kirby’s collaborators come off pretty badly. Might be one-sided? This book left me wanting to learn more about the man behind the myths—though I suspect the full truth might be hard to pin down.
Scioli tries to simplify the chaos. I liked the way he drew Kirby with huge, manga-style eyes—like a wide-eyed creative angel in a brutal industry. Stan Lee and a lot of Kirby’s collaborators come off pretty badly. Might be one-sided? This book left me wanting to learn more about the man behind the myths—though I suspect the full truth might be hard to pin down.
June 16, 2022
I've always been a Ditko guy, so while I've been aware of and impressed Jack Kirby's work, I never really knew the ins and outs of his story. This not only taught me about seemingly every book he worked on, but did compellingly, and beautifully. I'm a huge Tom Scioli fan, so the worst thing is that it took me so long to get to this.
September 3, 2024
This is an interesting look at a great man. I disliked how it was written in first person when Kirby had no part in this book. Also how he was drawn was distracting and not similar to the rest of the work
August 16, 2020
Loved it, a huge leap forward for Scioli, can’t wait to see what he does next.
June 12, 2023
9/10
There were only a few very small narrative/art decisions I didnt like about this book and those did not take away from the story.
There were only a few very small narrative/art decisions I didnt like about this book and those did not take away from the story.
November 28, 2021
This is a very interesting, albeit somewhat unconventional, book. Scioli is an acquired taste, his art style is unconventional for today's professional standards, displaying an independent sensibility that might not be to everyone's taste. Add to that his narrative style, which is very much in the "this happened, and then this happened" mode. Both are displayed to great effect in the Kirby-honoring Fantastic Four: Grand Design.
The risk was that given the author's reverence for his subject, the book would be a simple hagiography, but then I was surprised to read a very sincere, albeit unsympathetic portrayal of a grumpy, bitter man, many times wronged and at the same time admired and copied endlessly, maybe without his even realizing it. Feeling like this through much of the book, close to this death, Scioli manages, through a single vignette to show the motivations behind some of Kirby's most unlikable impulses: he knew people were making good money in his field, many times deriving from his work, and he was systematically slighted. After that breakthrough (it comes in page 186, you cannot miss it) the emotional floodgates were open, and I ended up wanting to re read the whole thing with this new insight.
Great work, not sure if for everyone's taste.
The risk was that given the author's reverence for his subject, the book would be a simple hagiography, but then I was surprised to read a very sincere, albeit unsympathetic portrayal of a grumpy, bitter man, many times wronged and at the same time admired and copied endlessly, maybe without his even realizing it. Feeling like this through much of the book, close to this death, Scioli manages, through a single vignette to show the motivations behind some of Kirby's most unlikable impulses: he knew people were making good money in his field, many times deriving from his work, and he was systematically slighted. After that breakthrough (it comes in page 186, you cannot miss it) the emotional floodgates were open, and I ended up wanting to re read the whole thing with this new insight.
Great work, not sure if for everyone's taste.
October 12, 2020
Jack "the King" Kirby was unarguably the most influential artist in comics and certainly one of the most influential creators in general. He was also one of the first artists whose work left an impression on me when I was a kid reading comics off the spinner rack and old copies that I got from friends and family. Issues of Captain America, the Demon, Forever People, etc. with Jack's artwork were great fun to read and still hold up to most artists working in comics today. He was groundbreaking in a way few people who aren't comics fans understand. Which is why this book was, on balance, a disappointment.
The artist/author, Tom Scioli, bills himself as being "known for his unconventional drawing style, dense page layouts, and imaginative writing." That may be true but there's little evidence of it in this volume. The writing is stilted with poor pacing. There are points in the narrative where it's difficult to tell what's going on because there's no clear "scene change." Scioli's editor did him no favors by not having him tighten up his storytelling.
Which brings us to the art. Kirby was the most original artist of his generation and inspired the majority of pros who would come after him. His work was imaginative and dynamic in ways that set it apart from everything that came before it (which isn't to say Jack had no inspirations himself; he did but he took what was appealing to him and made it his own). In a graphic novel biography of the most influential comics artist in history we get page after page of six panel layouts with linework that's pedestrian and stiff. It's the antithesis of Kirby's style.
The book is a decent biography, though, giving a narrative of the highpoints of Kirby's life from his point of view. The first person narrative is a literary device, which Scioli points out, derived from the use of many interviews Kirby gave. It should also clue the reader in to the fact that this isn't what one would call a non-biased presentation of facts (something which some reviewers seem to have missed). But it's still great to see Kirby get his due and be able to have his version of history told. The book also does a decent job of letting Jack's personality show through in the narrative, the good and the bad. Whether this was deliberate or not I don't know. Kirby fans break down into two large groups: hagiographers for whom Jack could do no wrong and for whom even the slightest criticism is tantamount to heresy, and people who think the Kirby was, in fact, human and therefore not perfect. Scioli seems to be in the second camp but I've met Kirby fans who think even the man's imperfections were virtues so I can't say for sure.
All in all the book is a decent introduction to Kirby and I hope it motivates people to get out and read and appreciate Jack's actual work.
The artist/author, Tom Scioli, bills himself as being "known for his unconventional drawing style, dense page layouts, and imaginative writing." That may be true but there's little evidence of it in this volume. The writing is stilted with poor pacing. There are points in the narrative where it's difficult to tell what's going on because there's no clear "scene change." Scioli's editor did him no favors by not having him tighten up his storytelling.
Which brings us to the art. Kirby was the most original artist of his generation and inspired the majority of pros who would come after him. His work was imaginative and dynamic in ways that set it apart from everything that came before it (which isn't to say Jack had no inspirations himself; he did but he took what was appealing to him and made it his own). In a graphic novel biography of the most influential comics artist in history we get page after page of six panel layouts with linework that's pedestrian and stiff. It's the antithesis of Kirby's style.
The book is a decent biography, though, giving a narrative of the highpoints of Kirby's life from his point of view. The first person narrative is a literary device, which Scioli points out, derived from the use of many interviews Kirby gave. It should also clue the reader in to the fact that this isn't what one would call a non-biased presentation of facts (something which some reviewers seem to have missed). But it's still great to see Kirby get his due and be able to have his version of history told. The book also does a decent job of letting Jack's personality show through in the narrative, the good and the bad. Whether this was deliberate or not I don't know. Kirby fans break down into two large groups: hagiographers for whom Jack could do no wrong and for whom even the slightest criticism is tantamount to heresy, and people who think the Kirby was, in fact, human and therefore not perfect. Scioli seems to be in the second camp but I've met Kirby fans who think even the man's imperfections were virtues so I can't say for sure.
All in all the book is a decent introduction to Kirby and I hope it motivates people to get out and read and appreciate Jack's actual work.
July 18, 2024
I re-read this without realizing it. Which kind of explains why it felt so familiar.
Exhausting. And this didn't feel new or different. And it felt one-sided. Was Jack Kirby given a raw deal over and over again? Almost certainly. But that doesn't make this book into a good book. And recreating an artist's art in a book is always tough. And no I didn't read the comic book recreated text. I'm glad I read this and I'm glad it exists. But I wish we had a traditional researched biography rather than this. 3 of 5
Exhausting but awesome. This reads like an autobiography, though there is a warning/reminder at the beginning that it is not. As well as a notice that this book was not authorized by anyone. Not a pretty story, this book shows someone who worked hard and left a large creative mark and otherwise got taken advantage of to a crazy degree. And it makes Stan Lee in particular look pretty bad. And now I want to read more about Jack Kirby. 4 of 5
Exhausting. And this didn't feel new or different. And it felt one-sided. Was Jack Kirby given a raw deal over and over again? Almost certainly. But that doesn't make this book into a good book. And recreating an artist's art in a book is always tough. And no I didn't read the comic book recreated text. I'm glad I read this and I'm glad it exists. But I wish we had a traditional researched biography rather than this. 3 of 5
Exhausting but awesome. This reads like an autobiography, though there is a warning/reminder at the beginning that it is not. As well as a notice that this book was not authorized by anyone. Not a pretty story, this book shows someone who worked hard and left a large creative mark and otherwise got taken advantage of to a crazy degree. And it makes Stan Lee in particular look pretty bad. And now I want to read more about Jack Kirby. 4 of 5
October 19, 2021
I wasn't sure about the first person narrative at first, but it really ended up working once you get into the rhythm along with the grid structure. Kirby was an amazing artist and a well of ideas; it's too bad he and Stan Lee couldn't work together with more of a partnership. Anyway, very interesting graphic novel.
January 5, 2023
It was mid. Going with a first person narration for a biography is an interesting choice, but it didn't really go well with the "this happened. Then that. Then this" style.
March 25, 2023
Anyone familiar with the history of comic books should recognise the name Jack ‘King’ Kirby. As the father of much of Marvel’s mythology, his influence pre-dates Stan Lee and continues to this day. While his tales of Captain America, Black Panther, Darkseid and the Fantastic Four are almost as well known as Shakespeare these days, what is less well known are the many chapters of his own – rather interesting – personal story.
Jack Kirby: The Epic Life Of The King of Comics is an unofficial comic book biography written and drawn by Tom Scioli. Pieced together from numerous sources and interviews, it provides an unfiltered look at the man who crafted some of the finest artwork and stories of the modern age.
So what better way to tell the story of the King than through his most popular medium, the comic book? Each page is filled with a familiar 2×3 layout, with Jack himself seemingly narrating the storyboard of his own life. The book flows like a seamless tapestry, starting with his childhood spent on the streets of 1920s New York, onto his harrowing experiences during the Second World War and through into his many years working for both Marvel and DC during the swinging Sixties, all the way up to his sad death in 1994.
Jack not only lived through pivotal moments in history, he also created a lot of his own. For those less familiar with the industry, Jack Kirby: The Epic Life Of The King of Comics may seem a bit too free-flowing as we bounce from topic to topic and year to year, without Scioli providing cultural context to the work being discussed or the people involved.
But this is most definitely Jack Kirby’s history of comic books as he remembers it, complete with a narrative agenda that can be biased and, at times, uncomfortable. Kirby (and many others) famously did not get sufficient credit for his work at the time, with much of it going to the arguably still more famous Stan Lee. Jack’s life revolved around comics about good vs evil, so naturally his own story is peppered with villains. Stan Lee brought out a comic book style biography of his own back in 2015 and we can’t help but wish that Jack Kirby had been alive to read it, as it might have softened some of the bitterness that taints his recollections.
The artwork in the book is an impressive achievement – it constantly, subtly, evolves, reflecting Jack’s life and his own growth as an artist. Scioli is often touted as drawing with a Kirby style and it pays dividends in this work, as he cleverly turns panel backgrounds into intricate collages of some of Kirby’s most iconic works. Whether they’re fakes or a homage, we don’t care, as the opportunity to read/watch one of the masters of the art form creating in front of our eyes is an emotive experience.
Despite an unavoidable natural bias to some of the storytelling, Jack Kirby: The Epic Life Of The King of Comics is an opportunity for fans to read about comic book history from the man who created most of it.
Jack Kirby: The Epic Life Of The King of Comics is an unofficial comic book biography written and drawn by Tom Scioli. Pieced together from numerous sources and interviews, it provides an unfiltered look at the man who crafted some of the finest artwork and stories of the modern age.
So what better way to tell the story of the King than through his most popular medium, the comic book? Each page is filled with a familiar 2×3 layout, with Jack himself seemingly narrating the storyboard of his own life. The book flows like a seamless tapestry, starting with his childhood spent on the streets of 1920s New York, onto his harrowing experiences during the Second World War and through into his many years working for both Marvel and DC during the swinging Sixties, all the way up to his sad death in 1994.
Jack not only lived through pivotal moments in history, he also created a lot of his own. For those less familiar with the industry, Jack Kirby: The Epic Life Of The King of Comics may seem a bit too free-flowing as we bounce from topic to topic and year to year, without Scioli providing cultural context to the work being discussed or the people involved.
But this is most definitely Jack Kirby’s history of comic books as he remembers it, complete with a narrative agenda that can be biased and, at times, uncomfortable. Kirby (and many others) famously did not get sufficient credit for his work at the time, with much of it going to the arguably still more famous Stan Lee. Jack’s life revolved around comics about good vs evil, so naturally his own story is peppered with villains. Stan Lee brought out a comic book style biography of his own back in 2015 and we can’t help but wish that Jack Kirby had been alive to read it, as it might have softened some of the bitterness that taints his recollections.
The artwork in the book is an impressive achievement – it constantly, subtly, evolves, reflecting Jack’s life and his own growth as an artist. Scioli is often touted as drawing with a Kirby style and it pays dividends in this work, as he cleverly turns panel backgrounds into intricate collages of some of Kirby’s most iconic works. Whether they’re fakes or a homage, we don’t care, as the opportunity to read/watch one of the masters of the art form creating in front of our eyes is an emotive experience.
Despite an unavoidable natural bias to some of the storytelling, Jack Kirby: The Epic Life Of The King of Comics is an opportunity for fans to read about comic book history from the man who created most of it.
May 23, 2021
Tom Scioli draws, writes, colors and letters this incredible hardcover of the life of Jack "The King" Kirby from his poor upbringing through all of his various comic book creations and series including the creation of Captain America along with writer Joe Simon during WWII. Kirby eventually ends up at Marvel creating such heroes as the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Iron-man, the Black Panther, the Silver Surfer, Thor and the X-men and pretty much the bulk and backbone of the Marvel line of books. Working at a breakneck pace, Kirby was a one man gang with scripting duties done by Stan Lee.
My only issue with the graphic novel was how Scioli drew Kirby pretty much from start to finish much like Big Boy from the free Big Boy comic book one could get there back in the day with a huge pompadour of hair and large blue eyes. I guess Kirby was rather short in stature as well. The only signs of aging were the gray hair on the sides of his head. I am sure this was done purposefully by Scioli, but I think showing some aging would have made the book look a bit more natural.
Otherwise I was impressed reading about Kirby's life. I have enjoyed Scioli's treatment on the history of the X-men.
My only issue with the graphic novel was how Scioli drew Kirby pretty much from start to finish much like Big Boy from the free Big Boy comic book one could get there back in the day with a huge pompadour of hair and large blue eyes. I guess Kirby was rather short in stature as well. The only signs of aging were the gray hair on the sides of his head. I am sure this was done purposefully by Scioli, but I think showing some aging would have made the book look a bit more natural.
Otherwise I was impressed reading about Kirby's life. I have enjoyed Scioli's treatment on the history of the X-men.
April 2, 2022
Se avete amato il progetto Grand Design, non resterete delusi.
Scioli, con lo stile tipico del team di Piskor, racconta tutta la vita di Jack Kirby, il Re dei comics americani, papà dei Fantastici Quattro, Cap, Hulk, X-Men, Avengers, Nuovi Dei, Mr. Miracle, Il Quarto Mondo e tutti gli altri supereroi a cui ha dato magistralmente vita.
Una biografia a fumetti che con il suo stile peculiare e lo storytelling fitto, vi terrà incollati alle pagine. Un gioiellino da non lasciarsi sfuggire per scoprire (o riscoprire) chi era e cosa è stato Jack Kirby per il mondo del fumetto.
Scioli, con lo stile tipico del team di Piskor, racconta tutta la vita di Jack Kirby, il Re dei comics americani, papà dei Fantastici Quattro, Cap, Hulk, X-Men, Avengers, Nuovi Dei, Mr. Miracle, Il Quarto Mondo e tutti gli altri supereroi a cui ha dato magistralmente vita.
Una biografia a fumetti che con il suo stile peculiare e lo storytelling fitto, vi terrà incollati alle pagine. Un gioiellino da non lasciarsi sfuggire per scoprire (o riscoprire) chi era e cosa è stato Jack Kirby per il mondo del fumetto.
April 14, 2020
Well researched comic book biography on Jack Kirby. Covering Kirby's entire life, it goes into detail on what a creative force he was. The book is also a great showcase for the case for creator's rights when they create things for companies and receive almost no credit or compensation.
May 13, 2021
While the art style took some getting used to, this book was a great bio for Kirby and an easier read than the many text-driven books about the creative history of comics and those who toiled within it.
October 24, 2021
A very entertaining history of creator/Artist Jack Kirby in a comicbook format! I’ve been a huge fan of Jack Kirby since I discovered his work in 1972. I have many of his early comics from Marvel and DC. I had read a lot of what was in this book but still enjoyed every bit of it. Long Live the King of Comics! Congradulations to writer artist Tom Scioli for putting this all together.
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