Today would have been Jack Kirby’s 92nd birthday. In the past, I’ve written of my feelings about the man and his work in a little more detail, but since I’ve already talked about what an inspiration he continues to be–and since nothing I could do would come close to matching Bully’s once-per-hour tribute to the King– I’m just going to sit down with some of his comics and remember how great he really is.
Thanks, Jack!
What should I pull off the shelf today? Fantastic Four Omnibus? X-Men Omnibus? OMAC? Losers? Sandman? Fourth World? So many incredible books, so little time. And so many nice editions I wish Jack had been able to see.
Hail to the King!
Thanks, Jack, for making the World That’s Coming (at least, the comics part of it) a better place once it arrived.
Man, did you set the bar high.
There is a scene in Fantastic Four #95 where Johnny Storm is looking wistfully out the window where his girlfriend Crystal just left through a portal to rejoin the Inhumans.
In the full page of Johnny’s face, Kirby managed to capture about six emotions at once: heartache, resignation, anger, confusion, hopelessness and fear. I literally stared at it for ten minutes the first time I read it, trying to figure out how he had managed to capture such complexity with the just the subtle shapes of the eyes and lips.
I can’t figure it out. Except to say, thanks, Jack.
No argument here.
Hail to the King. *throws up the horns*
In honor of Kirby, my friends and I made a drink consisting of dr.pepper, whiskey and pop rocks. We call it the Omega Sanction.
Long live the king.
To the King!
Max, I’ve been on the Gin and Tonics tonight, but tomorrow I’m all about the Omega Sanction!
I can barely put into words how much Jack Kirby means to me.
How is that Omega Sanction, anyway? I am curious! And there’s a liquor store nearby…
I recently learned Kirby created Thundarr the Barbarian. A cartoon written by Steve Gerber. So Kirby/Gerber helped give the world both Howard the Duck AND Ookla the Mook. Truly they were gods who deigned to walk amongst us…
And when we read the Bluesader’s comment about the awesome might of Kirby, let us remember that FF No. 95 was from the time Kirby was getting seriously fed up with Marvel and his heart was no longer in it.