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Kirby: King of Comics
Jack Kirby created or co-created some of comic books’ most popular super heroes, including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor, Darkseid, and The New Gods. More significantly, he created much of the visual language for fantasy and adventure comics. There were comics before Kirby, but for the most part their page layout, graphics, and visual dynamic aped what was being done in syndicated newspaper strips. Almost everything that was different about comic books began in the 1940s on the drawing table of Jack Kirby. This is his story by one who knew him well—Mark Evanier. First issued in 2008, King of Comics was the first overview of the legendary comic book creator’s career. It is now available in a smaller, more affordable package, revised and expanded for Kirby’s centennial.
426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2007
About the author
Mark Evanier
690 books48 followersMark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
June 22, 2025
Jack Kirby - the best of the best. This is the definitive on JK - told in words and (more importantly) through the decades of art he produced that transformed comics and pop culture. Both JK fans and those wanting to understand more about panelology will want to read this important contribution by Mark Evanier.
January 6, 2023
This is a charming and enlightening book about Jack Kirby, know best for his many decades of illustrating comic books. Fortunately, this book (and particularly the Kindle edition) contains many of his best works that can be examined in detail.
According to Neil Gaiman: “Jack Kirby created part of the language of comics and much of the language of super-hero comics. He took vaudeville and made it opera. He took a static medium and gave it motion. In a Kirby comic the people were in motion, everything was in motion. Jack Kirby made comics move, he made them buzz and crash and explode. And he created . . . He would take ideas and notions and he would build on them. He would reinvent, reimagine, create. And more and more he built things from whole cloth that nobody had seen before. Characters and worlds and universes, giant alien machines and civilizations. Even when he was given someone else’s idea he would build it into something unbelievable and new, like a man who was asked to repair a vacuum cleaner, but instead built it into a functioning jet pack.”
Evanier is a Kirby enthusiast and that perspective carries through the entire arc of retelling Kirby’s life. Because he writes well, this was an enjoyable ride as I hope the quotations below will demonstrate:
"Joe and Jack were way out in front in making comic books different from strips. They had a bigger canvas and they used it, designing by the page instead of by the panel and forging a new style for a new medium. Before them, almost everyone drawing adventure comics had been replicating five syndicated strip artists—Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, Roy Crane, Milton Caniff, or Chester Gould. Even Joe and Jack had mimicked all five at times. But now they were Simon and Kirby, and others would want to be, as well. Gil Kane, who would become one of the top illustrators, would remark, “They were the first comic book artists to inspire others with their drawing.”"
"“There was no ‘Marvel’ age of comics. It was a Lee and Kirby age. No matter how much the tots in us admired other artists, other writers, the highest massif of the Marvel pinnacle was tenanted solely by that two-headed monster. It is arguable only by idiot deconstructionists or parvenus that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee not only worked way far outside the traditions of the envelope that was comics, they tore it to shreds. They recreated an entire universe. they set a tone, a path, a vision that hungry talents other than theirs perceived . . . and tracked. But Kirby, above all the others, was the Nostradamus. He painted that Sistine Chapel ceiling of funnybook environment with a brush and a palette of colors everyone else—to this day—emulates. No praise is too much.” — HARLAN ELLISON,"
"Later, when stories veered back toward Asgard, Jack would do some of his most striking ad-lib costume design and architectural rendering. Like so much of what he drew, it wasn’t deeply researched or logical, but it was drawn with such conviction and originality, few quibbled. You thought, Sure, that’s what Odin and his throne room must look like. As Chic Stone, who inked some of Jack’s best work on the strip, remarked, “Kirby could just lead you through all these different worlds. The readers would follow him anywhere.”"
"He was an unusual creation whose convoluted birthing process would cause considerable friction between Lee and Kirby. Both would forever claim to have come up with the idea for what would prove to be Marvel’s most successful character ever—the Amazing Spider-Man."
"Kirby’s output during this period was staggering, not just for quantity or quality, but for quantity of quality. Marvels carrying dates of 1962–64 featured 3,130 interior pages of Kirby art plus 285 covers—roughly the equivalent of a book a week."
I have enjoyed Kirby’s art for much of my life. This book was a great find because the publisher does not stint in giving us many full-page color examples of Kirby’s vision and execution. For those who are into this subject, I will leave you with Kirby’s own assessment:
"Asked about it on one occasion, he explained, “Nick Fury is how I wish others saw me. Ben Grimm [The Thing] is probably closer to the way they do see me.”"
5* - less if you aren't into comic art and its history
According to Neil Gaiman: “Jack Kirby created part of the language of comics and much of the language of super-hero comics. He took vaudeville and made it opera. He took a static medium and gave it motion. In a Kirby comic the people were in motion, everything was in motion. Jack Kirby made comics move, he made them buzz and crash and explode. And he created . . . He would take ideas and notions and he would build on them. He would reinvent, reimagine, create. And more and more he built things from whole cloth that nobody had seen before. Characters and worlds and universes, giant alien machines and civilizations. Even when he was given someone else’s idea he would build it into something unbelievable and new, like a man who was asked to repair a vacuum cleaner, but instead built it into a functioning jet pack.”
Evanier is a Kirby enthusiast and that perspective carries through the entire arc of retelling Kirby’s life. Because he writes well, this was an enjoyable ride as I hope the quotations below will demonstrate:
"Joe and Jack were way out in front in making comic books different from strips. They had a bigger canvas and they used it, designing by the page instead of by the panel and forging a new style for a new medium. Before them, almost everyone drawing adventure comics had been replicating five syndicated strip artists—Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, Roy Crane, Milton Caniff, or Chester Gould. Even Joe and Jack had mimicked all five at times. But now they were Simon and Kirby, and others would want to be, as well. Gil Kane, who would become one of the top illustrators, would remark, “They were the first comic book artists to inspire others with their drawing.”"
"“There was no ‘Marvel’ age of comics. It was a Lee and Kirby age. No matter how much the tots in us admired other artists, other writers, the highest massif of the Marvel pinnacle was tenanted solely by that two-headed monster. It is arguable only by idiot deconstructionists or parvenus that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee not only worked way far outside the traditions of the envelope that was comics, they tore it to shreds. They recreated an entire universe. they set a tone, a path, a vision that hungry talents other than theirs perceived . . . and tracked. But Kirby, above all the others, was the Nostradamus. He painted that Sistine Chapel ceiling of funnybook environment with a brush and a palette of colors everyone else—to this day—emulates. No praise is too much.” — HARLAN ELLISON,"
"Later, when stories veered back toward Asgard, Jack would do some of his most striking ad-lib costume design and architectural rendering. Like so much of what he drew, it wasn’t deeply researched or logical, but it was drawn with such conviction and originality, few quibbled. You thought, Sure, that’s what Odin and his throne room must look like. As Chic Stone, who inked some of Jack’s best work on the strip, remarked, “Kirby could just lead you through all these different worlds. The readers would follow him anywhere.”"
"He was an unusual creation whose convoluted birthing process would cause considerable friction between Lee and Kirby. Both would forever claim to have come up with the idea for what would prove to be Marvel’s most successful character ever—the Amazing Spider-Man."
"Kirby’s output during this period was staggering, not just for quantity or quality, but for quantity of quality. Marvels carrying dates of 1962–64 featured 3,130 interior pages of Kirby art plus 285 covers—roughly the equivalent of a book a week."
I have enjoyed Kirby’s art for much of my life. This book was a great find because the publisher does not stint in giving us many full-page color examples of Kirby’s vision and execution. For those who are into this subject, I will leave you with Kirby’s own assessment:
"Asked about it on one occasion, he explained, “Nick Fury is how I wish others saw me. Ben Grimm [The Thing] is probably closer to the way they do see me.”"
5* - less if you aren't into comic art and its history
March 30, 2021
This is an excellent biography of (and tribute to) Kirby, one of the most influential figures in the history of comics. It's a big, beautiful volume on sturdy paper with rich colors. Along with some classic and famous works from the best of his time at DC and Marvel, it includes a lot of old, rare, and obscure material, such as newspaper strips from the 1930s, alternate versions of some of the famous Marvel covers, his drawing of Paul and Linda McCartney meeting Magneto in 1975, several U.S. postage stamps which featured his art, etc. Evanier, who worked as his assistant for a time, presents a fair view of Kirby's personal life, and details some of the events which characterized his life and work. He shows how the famous feuds and lawsuits about creator's credit and rights came about, and how Kirby's way of working with Stan Lee led to such misunderstandings. I learned quite a bit, such as that he was not very verbally eloquent, which surely led to some of his problems. Altogether, it's a very intelligent and incisive book, and a good look at a fascinating and important individual. The book includes a quote from Harlan Ellison that I thought summed Kirby's place up pretty well: "...Kirby, above all the others, was The Nostradamus. He painted that Sistine Chapel ceiling of funnybook environment with a brush and a palette of colors everyone else--to this day-- emulates. No praise is too much."
May 11, 2018
As today would have been the 100th birthday of Jack Kirby, I decided to pull this down and finally read it after listening to some other remembrances across the web. I don't know if Jack Kirby made a decisive impact on my life, or if he simply contributed to a direction I was already taking, but there is no doubt that his creations fired my imagination at an early age, sometimes to the point of obsession.
This biography by Mark Evanier is not hagiographic, but sometimes it gets close. There was a lot of information about Kirby's early career that I was unfamiliar with, and I think it rounded out the broad strokes of his life pretty well. The text is pretty short--I read it over the space of an hour or two--the rest of the book is taken up with examples from Kirby's art, often full page reproductions of covers, sometimes even two pages or more pages of interior art.
That's definitely the high point of the book. The biographical detail dwells on the poor deal Kirby got with most of his creations--it's obvious that Evanier wanted to drive home this point, though he does admit that sometimes it was Kirby's own choices that led up to it. There's no doubt that that is a large part of Kirby's story, though I would have liked to have read more about his creative process, if that information is to be had.
It's hard for me to believe that a book like this could really convert anyone new to Kirby into a fan--Kirby never was like a Wally Wood or an Alex Raymond, where the beauty of the artwork is so instinctively pleasing. With Kirby, I think one needs to be immersed in a story to get the full effect, to be fully swept away by his wacky energy and incongrous mixture of sobriety and fantasy. But the book was a perfect reminder of just how impressive his work was for me, and a fun trip through my memories.
This biography by Mark Evanier is not hagiographic, but sometimes it gets close. There was a lot of information about Kirby's early career that I was unfamiliar with, and I think it rounded out the broad strokes of his life pretty well. The text is pretty short--I read it over the space of an hour or two--the rest of the book is taken up with examples from Kirby's art, often full page reproductions of covers, sometimes even two pages or more pages of interior art.
That's definitely the high point of the book. The biographical detail dwells on the poor deal Kirby got with most of his creations--it's obvious that Evanier wanted to drive home this point, though he does admit that sometimes it was Kirby's own choices that led up to it. There's no doubt that that is a large part of Kirby's story, though I would have liked to have read more about his creative process, if that information is to be had.
It's hard for me to believe that a book like this could really convert anyone new to Kirby into a fan--Kirby never was like a Wally Wood or an Alex Raymond, where the beauty of the artwork is so instinctively pleasing. With Kirby, I think one needs to be immersed in a story to get the full effect, to be fully swept away by his wacky energy and incongrous mixture of sobriety and fantasy. But the book was a perfect reminder of just how impressive his work was for me, and a fun trip through my memories.
April 5, 2018
This is an amazing book that delves into the life of the King of Comics, Jack Kirby. The strength of this book is that you really come to know Jack Kirby to the point where he's as big as the characters he created. Kirby's personality comes alive in the stories that are told here. When the book gets to Kirby's death, it was an emotional experience for me, which is a sign that the author was successful in transmitting his love for Kirby to the readers.
As an added bonus, there are many examples of Kirby's production art on display here. Many of the pieces receive a full color page, so you can see the art in all its glory. If you are a comics fan, then this book is a must-read.
As an added bonus, there are many examples of Kirby's production art on display here. Many of the pieces receive a full color page, so you can see the art in all its glory. If you are a comics fan, then this book is a must-read.
August 8, 2008
I find this biography intensely depressing. Kirby created a million different characters, stories, and titles for a jillion different comics companies, yet he never enjoyed anything resembling basic financial security for himself and his family. Not until near the end of his life did he even get health insurance and that was only once he had quit comics and was working as a TV producer for a branch of animation giant Hannah-Barbera.
It's yet one more argument against ever having kids if you want to have some level of career freedom.
The image of Kirby, the former tenement slum youth, slaving for ripoff bosses and editors without serious complaint, reminds me a lot of the bit on the KRS-One album I Got Next where he goes off on "thinking poor" and "thinking rich."
Stan Lee certainly doesn't come away smelling very rosy in this version of events: repeatedly taking credit where Kirby may likely have been the progenitor, fussing unnecessarily with decent scripts, driving Kirby to distraction, etc. Evanier goes pretty soft on him, taking a "who can know what really happened?" attitude towards the conflicts over the years. Sometimes I almost wanted a more critical eye on Evanier's part, but he's purely a hagiographer.
Text-wise, this was a pretty short book; I think I've read longer New Yorker articles.
--these kinds of books (incomplete big teases of comics)
--politics? K's view of children/chidhood?
And Jack Kirby's real name? Jacob Kurtzberg. I guess my Jewdar is completely broken, because it never registered a reading whenever I looked at Kirby comics.
Fave quote, from page 215: At a comic art festival sponsored by Los Angeles public library, "The head librarian turned to the man next to her, who happened to be Kirby, and asked him if he thought comics mirrored reality. Jack said, 'No, comics transcend reality.'
"The answer startled the librarian, and she said, 'If you were to mirror reality, then perhaps others could begin to understand it.'
"Jack popped a piece of cheddar into his mouth and fixed her with a stare he'd learned either on the streets of New York or on Omaha Beach during World War II. 'Madam,' he said, 'when you mirror reality, you see it all backward. When you start transcending it, that's when you have a real good shot a figuring out what's going on.'"
I'm finding more and more that my heroes -- Emma Goldman, the Amazin' Amy Goodman (I think she took her first week-long vacation in a decade last week), W.E.B. DuBois (10,000 articles published in the course of a lifetime), Kirby who in the early 1960s drew over a 1,000 detailed pages and almost 100 comic covers a year -- were insanely talented people with tons of ideas who worked extremely hard and tirelessly produced a huge amount of great work. Which is a problem, because I'm a lazy sack of shit who writes reviews on GoodReads while at work whenever I'm not watching YouTube videos. The people I idolize were or are brilliant, irrepressible workaholics, loaded with thoughts that they had to get out of their heads. The inside of my head is like a desert wasteland swirling with siroccos of dust and nothingness, while my creative output is somewhere between zero and less than zero. And my work ethic is scandalous.
It's yet one more argument against ever having kids if you want to have some level of career freedom.
The image of Kirby, the former tenement slum youth, slaving for ripoff bosses and editors without serious complaint, reminds me a lot of the bit on the KRS-One album I Got Next where he goes off on "thinking poor" and "thinking rich."
Stan Lee certainly doesn't come away smelling very rosy in this version of events: repeatedly taking credit where Kirby may likely have been the progenitor, fussing unnecessarily with decent scripts, driving Kirby to distraction, etc. Evanier goes pretty soft on him, taking a "who can know what really happened?" attitude towards the conflicts over the years. Sometimes I almost wanted a more critical eye on Evanier's part, but he's purely a hagiographer.
Text-wise, this was a pretty short book; I think I've read longer New Yorker articles.
--these kinds of books (incomplete big teases of comics)
--politics? K's view of children/chidhood?
And Jack Kirby's real name? Jacob Kurtzberg. I guess my Jewdar is completely broken, because it never registered a reading whenever I looked at Kirby comics.
Fave quote, from page 215: At a comic art festival sponsored by Los Angeles public library, "The head librarian turned to the man next to her, who happened to be Kirby, and asked him if he thought comics mirrored reality. Jack said, 'No, comics transcend reality.'
"The answer startled the librarian, and she said, 'If you were to mirror reality, then perhaps others could begin to understand it.'
"Jack popped a piece of cheddar into his mouth and fixed her with a stare he'd learned either on the streets of New York or on Omaha Beach during World War II. 'Madam,' he said, 'when you mirror reality, you see it all backward. When you start transcending it, that's when you have a real good shot a figuring out what's going on.'"
I'm finding more and more that my heroes -- Emma Goldman, the Amazin' Amy Goodman (I think she took her first week-long vacation in a decade last week), W.E.B. DuBois (10,000 articles published in the course of a lifetime), Kirby who in the early 1960s drew over a 1,000 detailed pages and almost 100 comic covers a year -- were insanely talented people with tons of ideas who worked extremely hard and tirelessly produced a huge amount of great work. Which is a problem, because I'm a lazy sack of shit who writes reviews on GoodReads while at work whenever I'm not watching YouTube videos. The people I idolize were or are brilliant, irrepressible workaholics, loaded with thoughts that they had to get out of their heads. The inside of my head is like a desert wasteland swirling with siroccos of dust and nothingness, while my creative output is somewhere between zero and less than zero. And my work ethic is scandalous.
July 29, 2008
to say that I am 'currently reading' this book is a bit of a misnomer. 'continually reading' is a more appropriate term.
my history with Jack Kirby goes back to my earliest childhood memories in the early '70s. Back then every comic on the stand seemed to be drawn & co-created by Jack Kirby. (Kamandi alone was enough of a spark to fuel in me a lifelong obsession with dystopian fiction & films) The fantastical stories & artwork in all of his creations were (& are) something to behold. He was a major influence on the business then & remains one today.
this book collects all the major & minor works & reproduces them brilliantly. I find myself returning to these pages often & reliving the joyful enthusiasm in the stories & artwork that I had as a wee tyke when I first discovered them.
my history with Jack Kirby goes back to my earliest childhood memories in the early '70s. Back then every comic on the stand seemed to be drawn & co-created by Jack Kirby. (Kamandi alone was enough of a spark to fuel in me a lifelong obsession with dystopian fiction & films) The fantastical stories & artwork in all of his creations were (& are) something to behold. He was a major influence on the business then & remains one today.
this book collects all the major & minor works & reproduces them brilliantly. I find myself returning to these pages often & reliving the joyful enthusiasm in the stories & artwork that I had as a wee tyke when I first discovered them.
September 17, 2020
Informative and entertaining bio of one of the most important and influential comic book creators of all time. No matter how much you know about artist/writer Jack Kirby, there's still more to learn.
Author Mark Evanier writes "Kirby: King of Comics" from an insider's perspective as Kirby's studio assistant. He provides an intimate perspective on a true creative genius. He highlights the highs and lows of an extraordinary career in comics.
The book is packed with amazing, rare art, sidebar stories, and testimonials from fascinating people.
It's worth noting that I sped through this book in record time. Evanier is a skilled prose writer (and comic book writer!), so everything flows fast and fun. If there was a companion book of even more stories and art, I would buy that too.
Author Mark Evanier writes "Kirby: King of Comics" from an insider's perspective as Kirby's studio assistant. He provides an intimate perspective on a true creative genius. He highlights the highs and lows of an extraordinary career in comics.
The book is packed with amazing, rare art, sidebar stories, and testimonials from fascinating people.
It's worth noting that I sped through this book in record time. Evanier is a skilled prose writer (and comic book writer!), so everything flows fast and fun. If there was a companion book of even more stories and art, I would buy that too.
January 30, 2018
Terrific intoduction by Neil Gaiman and some really neat Kirby history. Plus soooo many great panels of art--Kirby was such a master of shading and composition!
April 3, 2008
From the age of 17 to his death in 1994, at the age of 76, artist Jack Kirby 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 Will Eisner, who 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.
Unlike other contemporary visionaries such as Will Eisner, who 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.
January 6, 2014
Lange, bevor sein Name Legende wurde und er von Stan Lee den Beinamen "King of Comics" zuerkannt bekam, über 20 Jahre vor der Geburt der Fantastic Four, begann der aus dem New Yorker Ghetto stammende Jack Kirby - diesen Namen nahm er später erst an - damit, unter unzähligen Künstlernamen für alle möglichen Zeitungen Comic Strips zu zeichnen. Er war unglaublich produktiv, vor allem aber auch innovativ. Er war es, der zum ersten Mal die klassischen dreiteiligen Strips graphisch durch ein riesiges WOW in der Mitte auflockerte. Als Ende der 30er Jahre die Comicbooks auf den Markt kamen, sah er seine Chance, für die unglaubliche Arbeitsmenge, die er täglich ablieferte, auch etwas Geld zu sehen, um seine Familie zu ernähren. Außerdem boten sich plötzlich auch künstlerisch ganz andere Möglichkeiten. Im Laufe der Jahre hat Kirby viele Verleger reich gemacht und Comicgeschichte geschrieben. Er hat mit fast allen zusammen gearbeitet, die Rang und Namen im Comicuniversum haben.
Mich beeindruckt immer aufs Neue die irrwitzige Dynamik, mit der Kirbys Figuren sich bewegen, und der schier grenzenlose Einfallsreichtum, mit dem er den staunenden Leser in fernste Galaxien und andere Dimensionen entführt.
Evaniers Biographie KIRBY: KING OF COMICS ist von Bewunderung und Zuneigung zu Kirby geprägt. Wir erfahren genug aus Kirbys Leben und Schaffen, um eine gute Vorstellung davon zu bekommen, aber es handelt sich natürlich nicht um einen dickleibigen Wälzer, der alle Fragen beantwortet und verschiedene Blickwinkel einnimmt.
Das Buch ist großformatig und viele Skizzen des Meisters werden ganzseitig abgebildet, wodurch diese noch sehr viel beeindruckender wirken. Es sind auch etliche Strips und ganze Comicseiten abgebildet und in zwei Fällen sogar ganze Storys.
Am meisten hat mich die Story beeindruckt, in der Kirby sein Leben als Jugendlicher im Ghetto beschreibt. Zwischen Achtung vor der Mutter und Bandenkrieg auf der Straße wird ein irrwitziger Bogen gespannt, der ähnlich den New Yorker Stories von Eisner ein einzigartiges Lokalkolorit enthält und den Leser in eine Welt entführt, die es seit 70 Jahren so nicht mehr gibt.
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS ist eine Liebeserklärung an Kirbys Werk und bei dem mehr als angemessenen Anschaffungspreis fast schon Pflichtlektüre für alle, die sich für die Entwicklung der Superhelden-Comics interessieren.
Mich beeindruckt immer aufs Neue die irrwitzige Dynamik, mit der Kirbys Figuren sich bewegen, und der schier grenzenlose Einfallsreichtum, mit dem er den staunenden Leser in fernste Galaxien und andere Dimensionen entführt.
Evaniers Biographie KIRBY: KING OF COMICS ist von Bewunderung und Zuneigung zu Kirby geprägt. Wir erfahren genug aus Kirbys Leben und Schaffen, um eine gute Vorstellung davon zu bekommen, aber es handelt sich natürlich nicht um einen dickleibigen Wälzer, der alle Fragen beantwortet und verschiedene Blickwinkel einnimmt.
Das Buch ist großformatig und viele Skizzen des Meisters werden ganzseitig abgebildet, wodurch diese noch sehr viel beeindruckender wirken. Es sind auch etliche Strips und ganze Comicseiten abgebildet und in zwei Fällen sogar ganze Storys.
Am meisten hat mich die Story beeindruckt, in der Kirby sein Leben als Jugendlicher im Ghetto beschreibt. Zwischen Achtung vor der Mutter und Bandenkrieg auf der Straße wird ein irrwitziger Bogen gespannt, der ähnlich den New Yorker Stories von Eisner ein einzigartiges Lokalkolorit enthält und den Leser in eine Welt entführt, die es seit 70 Jahren so nicht mehr gibt.
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS ist eine Liebeserklärung an Kirbys Werk und bei dem mehr als angemessenen Anschaffungspreis fast schon Pflichtlektüre für alle, die sich für die Entwicklung der Superhelden-Comics interessieren.
December 4, 2012
(More pictures at parkablogs.com)
Jack Kirby, King of Comics. It's a prestigious title certainly befitting for someone who created or co-created some of the most popular comic characters like Captain America, The X-Men, Fantastic Four and many others whose stories are still running in the comics today.
This book is the biography of Jack Kirby's career in comics, written by Mark Evanier who had worked as his assistant in 1969.
Kirby learned his drawings from newspaper comic strips and movies, doodling incessantly whenever possible. Kirby started poor and was constantly worried about his family's finance. Dropped out of school at 12th grade, he tried to get a job selling his art. Times were really tough, which makes us appreciate his work even more after reading.
The book details his career, from drawing newspaper comic strips, moving on to work with Will Eisner, then Joe Simon, Marvel, DC and other people. Along the way, he created lots of great characters but unfortunately didn't translate to good money for him. Sometimes he would have nightmares of running out of money to support his family. The story of his struggle is very humbling.
Included are many illustrations collected by the author from the many fans. This includes personal sketches, photos and comics, some drawn under different names. All these from a talented hardworking man who puts in 60-hour weeks.
Kirby's story is one of dedication and passion. This book is highly recommended to all fans of his work.
January 26, 2021
A loving tribute to Jack Kirby, the most talented and prolific artist in comic history (my opinion, but shared by others). The book gives Kirby's story from childhood, in rough and tumble neighborhoods of New York, through the war years and lean years, right up to his death in the 90s, when he finally was getting the accolades he deserved. The book focuses on the lack of compensation and (more importantly) lack of recognition that Kirby suffered, particularly in the creation of the Marvel empire. But that was only part of the Kirby story. So much emphasis on it, unfortunately, paints Kirby as a bit of a sad, martyred figure.
Only Stan Lee and Jack Kirby probably know the truth of what went on during the early Marvel years. Lots of stories have been told about who invented what and whether Stan improperly took credit for Jack's work. I expect though that it basically came down to a personalities. In one corner, you've got Stan Lee - bombastic, charismatic, loud, assertive, everyone's pal, focused on the story through WORDS. In the other corner, Jack Kirby - gruff, irritable, constantly worried about bringing home a paycheck, glued to his art board day and night, focused on the story through ART.
To simplify even further, who is a reporter sent to Marvel going to get the story from? An extrovert story-teller (Lee) or an introvert artist (Kirby)?
The art in this book is fantastic. I would've liked another couple hundred pages of full page Kirby reproductions.
Only Stan Lee and Jack Kirby probably know the truth of what went on during the early Marvel years. Lots of stories have been told about who invented what and whether Stan improperly took credit for Jack's work. I expect though that it basically came down to a personalities. In one corner, you've got Stan Lee - bombastic, charismatic, loud, assertive, everyone's pal, focused on the story through WORDS. In the other corner, Jack Kirby - gruff, irritable, constantly worried about bringing home a paycheck, glued to his art board day and night, focused on the story through ART.
To simplify even further, who is a reporter sent to Marvel going to get the story from? An extrovert story-teller (Lee) or an introvert artist (Kirby)?
The art in this book is fantastic. I would've liked another couple hundred pages of full page Kirby reproductions.
May 28, 2008
The best thing about this book is that it gave me a few more details on the Kirby/Lee war that I've only gotten pieces of before.
As this is a bio on Kirby, it certainly focused on his side more, though impressively, it wasn't an attack on Stan Lee.
Maybe it should have been though. For the most part it was a bland read, that used phrases like "Once again" or "As always" and repeated a general story of Kirby working hard for little reward.
There is a story here, but Evanier missed it. Perhaps, because Evanier was too close to Kirby, he--who is usually quite funny--adopted much to somber and reverential a tone. Perhaps even a few specifics would have helped. He paints Kirby as a struggling artist at times, but I generally get a feel for him as a middle-class worker. Not that there isn't room for pathos there, but Evanier was perhaps too gentle with Kirby; even if he did acknowledge his foibles, one needs to see them a little more clearly to really feel you know a man.
And that's what this type of book should do, I think, make me feel like I know Kirby, not just have a more detailed timeline of his life.
The inclusion of the art from different periods and often times uninked (Kirby rarely inked his own stuff) makes it a great book for artists (I think Harry would like it), but I can't help compare it to the story Spiegleman did on the guy who created Plastic Man. THAT was a great read. This was somewhat informative.
And it didn't have to be. Evanier knew Kirby well, and almost appologetically adds the one really "living portrait" of the man right at the end. More of that from friends and family and less general accolades would have been appreciated.
As this is a bio on Kirby, it certainly focused on his side more, though impressively, it wasn't an attack on Stan Lee.
Maybe it should have been though. For the most part it was a bland read, that used phrases like "Once again" or "As always" and repeated a general story of Kirby working hard for little reward.
There is a story here, but Evanier missed it. Perhaps, because Evanier was too close to Kirby, he--who is usually quite funny--adopted much to somber and reverential a tone. Perhaps even a few specifics would have helped. He paints Kirby as a struggling artist at times, but I generally get a feel for him as a middle-class worker. Not that there isn't room for pathos there, but Evanier was perhaps too gentle with Kirby; even if he did acknowledge his foibles, one needs to see them a little more clearly to really feel you know a man.
And that's what this type of book should do, I think, make me feel like I know Kirby, not just have a more detailed timeline of his life.
The inclusion of the art from different periods and often times uninked (Kirby rarely inked his own stuff) makes it a great book for artists (I think Harry would like it), but I can't help compare it to the story Spiegleman did on the guy who created Plastic Man. THAT was a great read. This was somewhat informative.
And it didn't have to be. Evanier knew Kirby well, and almost appologetically adds the one really "living portrait" of the man right at the end. More of that from friends and family and less general accolades would have been appreciated.
September 19, 2017
If you're looking for a really in-depth treatment of Jack Kirby's life and work, this isn't it.
Most of the text (and there really isn't much) is focused on Kirby's struggles for recognition and financial security while Marvel and DC insisted on devaluing his achievements. You get some sense of Kirby The Man but very little of anyone else involved, including his wife Roz, whose personality is less developed than Stan Lee's. Since the book is primarily about his relationship to the world of comics, I guess that's understandable, I guess, but it's not exactly well-rounded biography. And it does get a little wearying; there's hardly a single break from "and then this person short-changed him", and when there is, it's almost hagiography. To be clear, there probably isn't anyone in the history of comics as deserving of such fawning treatment, but the book becomes one-note after a while.
Fortunately, while the text isn't all one could wish, the book also includes page after page of Kirby art. There's a stunning pencil comic about his childhood street gang. There are pages from New Gods and Fantastic Four and Captain America. Covers. Posters. Sketches from his time in World War II. It's a beautifully produced book and I almost wish it was just a coffee table affair, meant for slow admiration, with far fewer words.
Most of the text (and there really isn't much) is focused on Kirby's struggles for recognition and financial security while Marvel and DC insisted on devaluing his achievements. You get some sense of Kirby The Man but very little of anyone else involved, including his wife Roz, whose personality is less developed than Stan Lee's. Since the book is primarily about his relationship to the world of comics, I guess that's understandable, I guess, but it's not exactly well-rounded biography. And it does get a little wearying; there's hardly a single break from "and then this person short-changed him", and when there is, it's almost hagiography. To be clear, there probably isn't anyone in the history of comics as deserving of such fawning treatment, but the book becomes one-note after a while.
Fortunately, while the text isn't all one could wish, the book also includes page after page of Kirby art. There's a stunning pencil comic about his childhood street gang. There are pages from New Gods and Fantastic Four and Captain America. Covers. Posters. Sketches from his time in World War II. It's a beautifully produced book and I almost wish it was just a coffee table affair, meant for slow admiration, with far fewer words.
April 5, 2018
A lovingly written book, you can feel Evanier's admiration for Jack on every single page. Which is good on one level, you get a strong sense of Jack as a man and family member. However, it sometimes feels a little fawning (not that I'm personally complaining; I'm a huge Kirby fan). Evanier does a fine job explaining how Kirby was taken advantage of without making it personal or singling out anybody. You can read Stan Lee in a few different ways, and it's probably a very complex truth - he could've done more to help Jack and he enjoyed the spotlight himself, but he didn't have the ultimate say and the money-people weren't going to give their profits to Jack if they didn't have to.
The book has TONS of artwork, and the oversize pages show it off nicely. Many pages have been seen before many times, but they're still great pages.
Mostly, though, Evanier does a very good job giving the reader a feeling for Jack Kirby, the man, and his determined ethic to provide for his family no matter what. It's very moving, and well worth the time.
The book has TONS of artwork, and the oversize pages show it off nicely. Many pages have been seen before many times, but they're still great pages.
Mostly, though, Evanier does a very good job giving the reader a feeling for Jack Kirby, the man, and his determined ethic to provide for his family no matter what. It's very moving, and well worth the time.
July 13, 2017
Poor Jack Kirby--so talented, but so terrible at promoting and negotiating.
January 15, 2018
Mark Evanier chose the perfect format for writing a biography of Jack Kirby. With the form factor of a coffee-table book or tabloid-sized comic, Kirby: King of Comics is a delightful blend of original sketches, reproduced covers, and reproduced pages. Although I’ve read a lot about the history of comics, there were new anecdotes and insights that I appreciated about both the early days and the latter years of Kirby’s career.
There are lots of histories of comics available today, but Evanier’s work solved something of a mystery to me. One reads about the rift between Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and takes in the idea that Jack was resentful of how much credit Stan received compared to Jack. This never fully soaked in to me. As a pre-teen and then, teenager in the days when the Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spiderman, The Mighty Thor, and Doctor Strange appeared on the stands, I very much remember the names of Lee and Kirby side-by-side. What I didn’t understand was that Martin Goodman and the later corporate overlords of Marvel always believed that Lee alone was the brain trust and that “anyone” could draw stories based on his genius. Since Jack often fleshed out the story seeds he agreed upon with Lee, not only drawing, but also writing dialogue for much of a story, it was understandable why he would have been offended by the lack of credit/respect, as well as disparity in pay between writers and artists.
I was amazed to find out how much work Kirby had undertaken based merely on a verbal contract. It suddenly made sense as to why his partnerships with Joe Simon worked out (generally) better than his other deals. Joe understood his value and recognized how he benefited from Jack’s phenomenal work ethic. Also, having been in the magazine business, I could really resonate with the problems with distributors. And, having worked with a large publishing corporation, I felt for Kirby with regard to editorial interference on covers and his brief tenures at DC/National/Warner when corporate wonks tried to force the Kirby style into the house style (I always wondered why I never liked Kirby’s DC books as well as those in the Marvel years.). I also choked up when I read about the way he received no participation in the ancillary products based on characters he created.
Kirby: King of Comics doesn’t read like a coffee-table book. The narrative is clear, straightforward, and heart-felt. The text is solid. But let’s be honest, readers wouldn’t be as overwhelmed without the behind the scenes comments on original art, the non-inked comic based on Jack’s newsboy days (entitled Street Code), and contrasting spreads with a penciled or inked version of a comic page on the left and the fully inked and colored version on the right. These are gems and well-chosen by Evanier to visually transmit the period under discussion in the text.
Kirby: King of Comics is the kind of book one not only reads from cover-to-cover, but it the kind of book one picks up and flips through every so often—just to remember. Of course, it helps that I have some of the actual comics discussed in the book and flipping through the pages sends me back to them.
There are lots of histories of comics available today, but Evanier’s work solved something of a mystery to me. One reads about the rift between Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and takes in the idea that Jack was resentful of how much credit Stan received compared to Jack. This never fully soaked in to me. As a pre-teen and then, teenager in the days when the Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spiderman, The Mighty Thor, and Doctor Strange appeared on the stands, I very much remember the names of Lee and Kirby side-by-side. What I didn’t understand was that Martin Goodman and the later corporate overlords of Marvel always believed that Lee alone was the brain trust and that “anyone” could draw stories based on his genius. Since Jack often fleshed out the story seeds he agreed upon with Lee, not only drawing, but also writing dialogue for much of a story, it was understandable why he would have been offended by the lack of credit/respect, as well as disparity in pay between writers and artists.
I was amazed to find out how much work Kirby had undertaken based merely on a verbal contract. It suddenly made sense as to why his partnerships with Joe Simon worked out (generally) better than his other deals. Joe understood his value and recognized how he benefited from Jack’s phenomenal work ethic. Also, having been in the magazine business, I could really resonate with the problems with distributors. And, having worked with a large publishing corporation, I felt for Kirby with regard to editorial interference on covers and his brief tenures at DC/National/Warner when corporate wonks tried to force the Kirby style into the house style (I always wondered why I never liked Kirby’s DC books as well as those in the Marvel years.). I also choked up when I read about the way he received no participation in the ancillary products based on characters he created.
Kirby: King of Comics doesn’t read like a coffee-table book. The narrative is clear, straightforward, and heart-felt. The text is solid. But let’s be honest, readers wouldn’t be as overwhelmed without the behind the scenes comments on original art, the non-inked comic based on Jack’s newsboy days (entitled Street Code), and contrasting spreads with a penciled or inked version of a comic page on the left and the fully inked and colored version on the right. These are gems and well-chosen by Evanier to visually transmit the period under discussion in the text.
Kirby: King of Comics is the kind of book one not only reads from cover-to-cover, but it the kind of book one picks up and flips through every so often—just to remember. Of course, it helps that I have some of the actual comics discussed in the book and flipping through the pages sends me back to them.
October 22, 2015
Easily the prettiest biography I've ever read--Evanier's work includes numerous original drawings and collages by Kirby. The book also feels intimate, and it should considering that Evanier was Kirby's production assistant. Neither bogged down in details nor light in content, the biography does a good job of laying out Kirby's professional life, from his days at Max Fleischer's animation studio in the 30s through his rich contributions to the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Ages of comics and Kirby's time at Hanna-Barbera. The book does touch on most of Kirby's notorious feuds with major comics publishers, as well as his bitterness over Stan Lee's promotion and celebration at Marvel, but it does not dwell on any of them. Evanier is also fair in acknowledging that Kirby's version of events might not have always been 100% accurate. (However, we all know that the poor man was shafted financially by both Marvel and DC, right?) All in all, a very satisfying book.
July 12, 2018
As biography, it works better as a sequence of events. Loaded with Kirby art, it’s a coffee table bio, nothing more. There is little sense of who Kirby was, to my eyes after reading this. Helluva artist, but a bit of a cypher as a person. Maybe I expected too much.
Extra star for being incredibly well designed and all that gorgeous artwork.
Extra star for being incredibly well designed and all that gorgeous artwork.
May 14, 2014
What a trip down memory lane! As a kid I got to see roughly the last 10 years of Jack Kirby’s career as it happened. This book was a delight in the fact that I got to get to know in some small way the man behind the drawings, but it made me miss him something awful. It also made me angry at Marvel for what they did; how they treated him; so it hasn’t renewed an interest in reading comic books, unless I could go to the San Diego comic con or a flea market and dig up old Kirby books from my childhood and before. But, alas, they’re probably very expensive. I’ll bet even Devil Dinosaur carries a hefty price these days!
June 14, 2018
This coffee table book is a loving tribute to arguably the most important of all comic creators: Jack Kirby. The book is filled with rare art and period photos, and they provide some insight into Jack’s creative process. The book’s biggest strength, though, comes from Mark Evanier’s sympathetic prose. This may not be a definitive history of Jack Kirby (and it is definitely not), but I can’t imagine his story told with more empathy.
November 15, 2015
Coming to a close as bed time reading with my son. And I love that this is our first joint absorption of an art history text. I got it a couple of years ago, hoping for just that. It has been mutually edifying.
Read
January 24, 2016A great look back at the life and career of Jack "King" Kirby. A must read for comic book fans.
June 22, 2020
Jack Kirby was born in 1917 and grew up in the slums of New York. He was short and had to fight. He was mad for movies and the comic strips in newspapers and drew all the time. His first proper job was at the Max Fleischer Animation Studios in 1935 and he hated the boring, repetitive work. He got into comic books and worked in a sweatshop run by Victor Fox, a room full of men at drawing boards churning out rubbish as fast as possible. A chap called Joe Simon was hired as editor and soon noticed that Kirby was better and faster than the other guys. They teamed up.
It was probably the happiest time of his career. Jack did all the pencilling, while Joe inked and designed covers and took care of the business side of things. He was good at that. They created Captain America for Timely Comics publisher Martin Goodman and were promised a share of the profits. When it became a bestseller, they saw very little money. Goodman’s accountant wrote off all the expenses of the company against the ‘Captain America’ profits, after which there wasn’t much left. They started moonlighting for other companies and made a deal to start with DC Comics once their contract expired. They were given the heave-ho early when Goodman found out. Did he hear about it from young Stan Lee who was an assistant in the Simon And Kirby Studio and a relative of the publisher? Stan always said he didn’t snitch. Jack forever believed he did.
More success at DC with ‘Boy Commando’s and ‘The Newsboy Legion’. World War II and frostbite under General Patton. Back to work with Joe Simon and more hits in the early 50s with crime and romance comics. Then the Senate decided comic books were evil and the business collapsed. Jack went to work for DC Comics as a hired hand. He created a newspaper strip ‘Sky Masters Of The Spaceways’ but DC editor Jack Schiff wanted a cut. Jack fell out with DC and had to go back working for Marvel at crappy page rates under Stan Lee, his old gopher.
Marvel wasn’t doing well in the early 60s and Goodman thought of closing down the comics line. Then the ‘Justice League Of America’ started selling and he decided that super-heroes were back in. Goodman told Stan to do a group. ‘The Fantastic Four’ launched the Marvel Age of Comics, which was mostly drawn by Jack Kirby. All created and written by Stan Lee? Ah, there’s the rub.
As the characters became successful, Jack thought he should have a share of the profits as co-creator. Goodman disagreed and kept paying him strictly for drawing by the page. Jack fled to DC and created ‘New Gods’, demanding control of both the script and the editing in his terms and conditions. Jack’s talent was visual, not verbal and his dialogue was not what fans were used to, especially if they were accustomed to Stan’s. Whatever his flaws, Stan could write dialogue. The DC line failed and Jack went back to Marvel to bash out more ‘Captain America’ and a run on ‘Black Panther’. He also created ‘The Eternals’ and ‘Machine Man’. But the new generation of artists and writers weren’t impressed. His eyesight was failing and the art wasn’t what it used to be.
There was a kind of happy ending because he was hired by young admirers to work in animation, with health benefits. When he needed a heart bypass operation it was covered. The cost would have crippled the family finances if he had to pay himself. It was always the family finances that counted with Jack. He married in 1942 and had four children. His role was being a good provider, so he put in sixty hours or more every week at the drawing board to earn money. He created much but never had the business savvy to make the most of it. A second-rater like Bob Kane could land a fortune because he made a good deal. Will Eisner was both a great artist and a clever businessman, so he made money. Jack just sweated and sweated and sweated and made other men rich. He believed strongly in the American Dream that a man who worked hard could make it. His experience was the American Reality, that cheats prosper.
This version of ‘Kirby: King Of Comics’ is an updated paperback edition with an additional chapter entitled ‘Legacy.’ There’s more information about the famous court case where Kirby’s children tried to claim some copyright over characters, going up against the mighty Disney Corporation which had just bought Marvel. Stan Lee testified that he was the sole creator of all the characters. Cross-examined by the lawyer about all the times he had hailed Jack as co-creator he said this (Kirby fans of a sensitive disposition should look away now): ‘I tried to write these, knowing Jack would read them, I tried to write them to make it look as if he and I were just doing everything together, to make him feel good.’
Wasn’t that kind of Stan?
In the end, Kirby has the recognition he deserved and Stan Lee’s reputation amongst the comic savvy public and comic professionals is forever tainted. The general public who watch the movies and see his cameos may be vaguely aware that his name is plastered on as Executive Producer and he’s made plenty of money but there’s a regular magazine called ‘The Jack Kirby Collector’ which continues to keep Jack’s legacy going even after his death. Stan ain’t got that.
Despite the interesting text, this is really a picture book and what glorious pictures they are! Well, the first three-quarters anyway. Kirby never went to art school and learned to draw ‘properly’ but sheer practice made him good and he developed techniques to show raw power that have never been matched. The poster-style art of this kind of book can’t show his true strength which was storytelling. He was always more interested in getting the story out than in creating pretty pictures. A great book and a must-have for any Kirby fan.
Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/
It was probably the happiest time of his career. Jack did all the pencilling, while Joe inked and designed covers and took care of the business side of things. He was good at that. They created Captain America for Timely Comics publisher Martin Goodman and were promised a share of the profits. When it became a bestseller, they saw very little money. Goodman’s accountant wrote off all the expenses of the company against the ‘Captain America’ profits, after which there wasn’t much left. They started moonlighting for other companies and made a deal to start with DC Comics once their contract expired. They were given the heave-ho early when Goodman found out. Did he hear about it from young Stan Lee who was an assistant in the Simon And Kirby Studio and a relative of the publisher? Stan always said he didn’t snitch. Jack forever believed he did.
More success at DC with ‘Boy Commando’s and ‘The Newsboy Legion’. World War II and frostbite under General Patton. Back to work with Joe Simon and more hits in the early 50s with crime and romance comics. Then the Senate decided comic books were evil and the business collapsed. Jack went to work for DC Comics as a hired hand. He created a newspaper strip ‘Sky Masters Of The Spaceways’ but DC editor Jack Schiff wanted a cut. Jack fell out with DC and had to go back working for Marvel at crappy page rates under Stan Lee, his old gopher.
Marvel wasn’t doing well in the early 60s and Goodman thought of closing down the comics line. Then the ‘Justice League Of America’ started selling and he decided that super-heroes were back in. Goodman told Stan to do a group. ‘The Fantastic Four’ launched the Marvel Age of Comics, which was mostly drawn by Jack Kirby. All created and written by Stan Lee? Ah, there’s the rub.
As the characters became successful, Jack thought he should have a share of the profits as co-creator. Goodman disagreed and kept paying him strictly for drawing by the page. Jack fled to DC and created ‘New Gods’, demanding control of both the script and the editing in his terms and conditions. Jack’s talent was visual, not verbal and his dialogue was not what fans were used to, especially if they were accustomed to Stan’s. Whatever his flaws, Stan could write dialogue. The DC line failed and Jack went back to Marvel to bash out more ‘Captain America’ and a run on ‘Black Panther’. He also created ‘The Eternals’ and ‘Machine Man’. But the new generation of artists and writers weren’t impressed. His eyesight was failing and the art wasn’t what it used to be.
There was a kind of happy ending because he was hired by young admirers to work in animation, with health benefits. When he needed a heart bypass operation it was covered. The cost would have crippled the family finances if he had to pay himself. It was always the family finances that counted with Jack. He married in 1942 and had four children. His role was being a good provider, so he put in sixty hours or more every week at the drawing board to earn money. He created much but never had the business savvy to make the most of it. A second-rater like Bob Kane could land a fortune because he made a good deal. Will Eisner was both a great artist and a clever businessman, so he made money. Jack just sweated and sweated and sweated and made other men rich. He believed strongly in the American Dream that a man who worked hard could make it. His experience was the American Reality, that cheats prosper.
This version of ‘Kirby: King Of Comics’ is an updated paperback edition with an additional chapter entitled ‘Legacy.’ There’s more information about the famous court case where Kirby’s children tried to claim some copyright over characters, going up against the mighty Disney Corporation which had just bought Marvel. Stan Lee testified that he was the sole creator of all the characters. Cross-examined by the lawyer about all the times he had hailed Jack as co-creator he said this (Kirby fans of a sensitive disposition should look away now): ‘I tried to write these, knowing Jack would read them, I tried to write them to make it look as if he and I were just doing everything together, to make him feel good.’
Wasn’t that kind of Stan?
In the end, Kirby has the recognition he deserved and Stan Lee’s reputation amongst the comic savvy public and comic professionals is forever tainted. The general public who watch the movies and see his cameos may be vaguely aware that his name is plastered on as Executive Producer and he’s made plenty of money but there’s a regular magazine called ‘The Jack Kirby Collector’ which continues to keep Jack’s legacy going even after his death. Stan ain’t got that.
Despite the interesting text, this is really a picture book and what glorious pictures they are! Well, the first three-quarters anyway. Kirby never went to art school and learned to draw ‘properly’ but sheer practice made him good and he developed techniques to show raw power that have never been matched. The poster-style art of this kind of book can’t show his true strength which was storytelling. He was always more interested in getting the story out than in creating pretty pictures. A great book and a must-have for any Kirby fan.
Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/
August 7, 2026
Stumbling across the Superheroes in My Pants book lead me to the wonderful News From Me blog which I have been a faithful reader of every since.
This also pointed me to Kirby book which I never thought I’d be able to afford to buy but the New Gods smiled upon me and I got a chance to pick up this coffee table book that is coffee table sized!
The book starts with an introduction by Neil Gaiman, made popular mostly by the Sandman comic, that Jack Kirby drew the first issue of.
"Chapter One: In the Streets"
Somewhere around 1983 Kirby drew a penciled comic called Street Code. It is reproduced amazingly here. It’s about street life for young Kirby. The detail is unbelievable.
Another early job is writing comic strips under different psuedonames. Four are displayed here and there are of amazingly different styles. There’s no way you could tell it was the same artist without being told.
Kirby also learned from Will Eisner and called The Spirit the best comic of the 40s. Kirby also got stiffed - never paid for completed work.
"The Blue Beetle" 1940 newspaper strip has very early examples of Kirby. It’s not even recognizable as him. He’s still got a great ‘directing’ (story-telling) ability, but the precision he’s known for isn’t there yet.
"Chapter Two: Partners"
Simon even looked at an artist’s samples before he’d hire him.
"The other guys would’ve been fine, but there was only one Jack Kirby."
Well, I didn’t know Stan Lee played the ocarina!
An ocarina is a compact, ancient wind instrument classified as a vessel flute. It is traditionally shaped like an egg or sweet potato, featuring a projecting mouthpiece and a series of finger holes.
He insisted on buying scripts from his writers and giving them to Joe and Jack to draw. Joe and Jack insisted on making paper airplanes out of them.
There is a very odd couple of comic book pages that appear to be out of Boy Commandos #1 that have Simon & Kirby getting the newspaper that says the Boy Commandos have all died!! So they get the Sandman involved to get some help rescuing them!?!
Apparently Kirby served in the army under General Patton and even when to Omaha Beach, two months after D-Day.
We are treated to an 9 page story of Fighting American. Apparently a favorite of Kirby’s.
"3) Jack without Joe"
I’m surprised to see a Nicolas Cage quote.
If he could do anything else, he didn’t know what it was.
"Everything that was special about his art prompted the comment, ‘That’s not how we do it here.’"
Besides being beautiful a full-color page from the Sky Masters page is a story about the first full orbit of the moon! It was written in 1959!
Oh, and also an astronaut switched places with his twin brother on the mission.
The Sky Masters Scrap Book shows what the space technology will bring to other fields. Ocean liner hovercrafts that will travel at 100 knots (115 mph).
Helicopters capable of lifting six tons of cargo.
Wheel-less cards floating on magnetized roads.
Yet it took 67 years to actually orbit the moon.
"He painted that Sistine chapel ceiling of funnybook environment with a brush and a palette of colors everyone else - to this day - emulates. No praise is too much" - Harlan Ellison
More so than any release since Action Comics no. 1, Fantastic Four no. 1 changed the rules of the game.
Neither account makes a lot of sense.
For as thick and intimidating as this book is, it’s amazingly easy and fun to read.
The DC product of the day often read like your uncle was telling you a story. With Marvel, you were on a first name basis and your buddies—Smilin’ Stan and Jolly Jack—were there to entertain you.
Not long before, Jack had been lectured at DC for not conforming to the ‘house style.’ Now, his was the ‘house style.’ Jack was the guy other artists were told to emulate.
A page is devoted to Joe Sinnott, with a compelling example.
While the general outline of Kirby’s issues with Marvel are well-known this book adds more specifics that make it a lot clearer.
Roz recalled the attorney saying he’d even spoken to one high exec at Perfect Film who though Stan drew all the comics, too.
Stan Lee created everything at Marvel and they could get any idiot to draw up Stan’s brilliant ideas.
A quote from David Copperfield (from his introduction to a Mr. Miracle collection) starts Chapter 5.
There is also a creepy example with a side-by-side of the same page where they modified Kirby’s art to be more like Curt Swan. CURT SWAN?!?! Are you kidding me?!?
"Collages" talk about some of Kirby’s experimental pages. They look ‘dated’ today, but they were pretty trippy back then and show that he was always stretching the boundaries of what could be done in a comic.
"All I can find around here are knitting magazines…and you can’t make a good spaceship out of yarn."
There is a huge fold-out poster of the New Gods.
We also find out the inspiration for Big Barda!
Kamandi gets a nice two-page color spread. Unfortunately it is from issue #1 with the statue of liberty. Nice, but I’d love to have a huge map of the earth from Kamandi #32!
"Chapter 6: Something Else" talks about Jack getting involved in animation and the last series done for Marvel.
Even Jack’s bad ideas kept coming back.
Hey! I love Devil Dinosaur!
According to Jack, the cause of death was "alcohol and comics, not necessarily in that order."
"Seven: Gods on Earth"
"I don’t think it’s any accident that at this point in their history the entire Marvel universe and the entire DC universe are not all pinned or rooted on Kirby’s concepts." - Michael Chabon
"Afterword"
"I was eighteen years old at the time, a bad age for handling anything more unsettling than jock itch. "
An amazing book and invaluable oversight into Kirby’s work and life. I know it only scratches the surface but I’m glad I read it.
Jack seems to have been unappreciated all his life - even by me who sadly should have been able to meet him when he was alive but never did.
Don’t ever forget to tell the people that made a true difference in your life that they did. You will always regret it if you don’t.
5****
May 6, 2019
Since the world's now gone mad, comic book mad, it made sense to reread the best book about one of the creators that made the current superhero craze possible--Jack Kirby in "Kirby: King of Comics." Mark Evanier did a fine job of balancing dramatic reprints of Jack Kirby's work since his start in the 1930's with a reverent biography. The sheer range of Jack Kirby's creativity is on display with published art and rarely seen personal art in this generous coffee book table book. Evanier skirts one of the chief questions hanging over Kirby's Marvel Comics work--to what degree was he (and not writer/editor Stan Lee) responsible for the heroes, villains and stories that would forever change the comics world. He presents Kirby's take that he should be credited for these icons, but tempers it with acknowledging that both Kirby and Lee's memories evolved over time. It's clear that Kirby's post sixties Marvel work is both ambitious but lacking in comparison due to Kirby's stale writing. Nonetheless, the reader will not only be surprised at how Kirby felt neglected by Marvel but how basic employee benefits such as medical insurance were what drove Kirby to work elsewhere. If Kirby the man seems to be both hard driven and a creative genius, Evanier holds back sharing the kinder side of Kirby for his afterword where he shares memories of his personal friendship with Kirby. In 2019 it was announced that Kirby's greatest inker, Joe Sinnott, had finally retired at the age of 92. The two men rarely met, yet created some of the most memorable comics of all time. Mark Evanier's fine book will help readers young and old appreciate the man who earned a title "King of Comics" that is indisputable. Recommended.
October 1, 2014
Mark Evanier, having worked as one of Jack Kirby's assistants in his youth, has written a wonderful, if not slightly biased, professional biography of Jack Kirby, the King of Comics. It's not as deep as some biographies, and in fact seems to be written for those fans of Kirby who are used to an illustrated telling of a shorter length. There are many, many samples of Kirby's artwork throughout the narrative that give wonderful examples of Kirby's style and achievements. There are even a few gems like unpublished covers and extremely rare artwork.
The book does seem biased towards Kirby and his estate, and in the middle of me reading this book, news broke about the Kirby estate finally getting a settlement with Marvel comics. The book talks of a long-unresolved dispute between the two, and it's good to discover some kind of closure to what was a particularly painful subject.
I remember when Kirby passed in 1994, and I never had the opportunity to meet him, but this book really makes me feel like he would have appreciated meeting a fan. The length of his career and his contributions are offset by his lack of recognition and compensation, and much like Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, his biggest successes were soured by the greed of the publisher.
This book does a wonderful, fantastic job of showing just what kind of solid, stand-up man Jack Kirby was. I was a fan of the man before, and have even more respect for him after reading more about his life and career. The King is dead. Long live the King.
The book does seem biased towards Kirby and his estate, and in the middle of me reading this book, news broke about the Kirby estate finally getting a settlement with Marvel comics. The book talks of a long-unresolved dispute between the two, and it's good to discover some kind of closure to what was a particularly painful subject.
I remember when Kirby passed in 1994, and I never had the opportunity to meet him, but this book really makes me feel like he would have appreciated meeting a fan. The length of his career and his contributions are offset by his lack of recognition and compensation, and much like Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, his biggest successes were soured by the greed of the publisher.
This book does a wonderful, fantastic job of showing just what kind of solid, stand-up man Jack Kirby was. I was a fan of the man before, and have even more respect for him after reading more about his life and career. The King is dead. Long live the King.
October 17, 2019
In his Acknowledgements, Mr. Evanier explains he has not dedicated the volume to anyone since most of the book is Jack Kirby's work. His claim is true and thus I had to rate the book a 5 Star production. If judged merely as a biography, 4 Stars would get it done.
Writing the book was a labor of love, as was reading it. In my youth I had a strong attraction to comics, later rekindled in my college days due to the surge in Marvel availability. More Marvel titles meant more Jack Kirby. My guilty pleasure did not pass unnoticed, it seems, as my sister most thoughtfully passed on to me her copy of Chabon's "Kavalier and Clay" (2000). Evanier's book has graced my shelves since 2010. It is one of those coffee table books one means to read but somehow they escape attention for years at a time. At least mine do. But Netflix and Marvel have made so much of the Marvelverse handy---for instance "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."---that an occasional foray has become almost inevitable. And across the screen is the nod to Kirby and Lee. Thus I rescued the book from the shelf next to my laptop and spent two delightful evenings in its company.
As noted, most of the 222 oversized pages are covered in Kirby art. The rest is text telling his interesting story. The beginning chapters call to mind Chabon's book.
Recommended
Writing the book was a labor of love, as was reading it. In my youth I had a strong attraction to comics, later rekindled in my college days due to the surge in Marvel availability. More Marvel titles meant more Jack Kirby. My guilty pleasure did not pass unnoticed, it seems, as my sister most thoughtfully passed on to me her copy of Chabon's "Kavalier and Clay" (2000). Evanier's book has graced my shelves since 2010. It is one of those coffee table books one means to read but somehow they escape attention for years at a time. At least mine do. But Netflix and Marvel have made so much of the Marvelverse handy---for instance "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."---that an occasional foray has become almost inevitable. And across the screen is the nod to Kirby and Lee. Thus I rescued the book from the shelf next to my laptop and spent two delightful evenings in its company.
As noted, most of the 222 oversized pages are covered in Kirby art. The rest is text telling his interesting story. The beginning chapters call to mind Chabon's book.
Recommended
December 12, 2014
Author Mark Evanier presents the life and works of Jack Kirby, King of the Comics, the man who single-handedly drew and introduced more than 400 characters to pulp magazines over a 50 year period.
Mark worked as an assistant to Mr. Kirby, and described his job as being the person who said, "That's a good idea, Mr. Kirby!" Working as closely as he did to the KING, he was able to give a few insights into his workings and personal feelings, such as ... Mr. Kirby would NOT enter the store "Toys 'R' Us". Why? You'll have to read the book to find out, sorry no spoilers here. Another story involved how Mr. Kirby stood up for then-teenager Mark Evanier, and I could just picture THE KING as one of his drawn creations, like Ben Grimm.
The ONLY REASON I rated it this a Fantastic FOUR was because comics is not everybody's cup of tea; but if you're a comic fan (as I was back in the 60's), then owning a history of THE KING is worth it.
Make Mine Marvel !
Mark worked as an assistant to Mr. Kirby, and described his job as being the person who said, "That's a good idea, Mr. Kirby!" Working as closely as he did to the KING, he was able to give a few insights into his workings and personal feelings, such as ... Mr. Kirby would NOT enter the store "Toys 'R' Us". Why? You'll have to read the book to find out, sorry no spoilers here. Another story involved how Mr. Kirby stood up for then-teenager Mark Evanier, and I could just picture THE KING as one of his drawn creations, like Ben Grimm.
The ONLY REASON I rated it this a Fantastic FOUR was because comics is not everybody's cup of tea; but if you're a comic fan (as I was back in the 60's), then owning a history of THE KING is worth it.
Make Mine Marvel !
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