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Hey, Crivvies - are you Kirby fans? Then this one's for you, pilgrims. Now let's make with some progress as we eye these iconic images from the hand of the 'King'. (With an inking assist from some other talented artists; perhaps Jack even inked one or two himself.)
If there's anything you want to say, you know where the comments section is.
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Love me some Kirby! These are delightful!
ReplyDeleteTook me a while to warm to Jack Kirby's art, I'd always feel disappointed when he took on the art chores of a mag I'd been buying because of another artist (I was very fickle, following artists from comic to comic rather than the characters or writer) but once I 'got with the program' I was hooked. I now have the full run of Marvel masterworks (and an Epic) of Fantastic Four plus the early Avengers because of his art, along with a number of digital editions of The Jack Kirby Collector.
ReplyDeleteFunny how sometimes you can't apprreciate what's right in front of you until later. Here's a guy who's style meant that he was meant to draw comics! A true original.
Most of them are, RJ, but there's a couple where Jack's diminishing powers are evident. There's also a mistake that Jack always made, which was having anyone with a bow and arrow holding the arrow against the bow on the wrong side - as can be seen with the cowboy archer.
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I'm maybe the opposite, PC, in that, while I loved John Byrne's art on the FF and a few other titles, I wasn't compelled to pick up absolutely everything he did, especially non-Marvel and DC heroes. It was perhaps the same with Jack's comics later on in his career; I picked up a couple of issues or so of Captain Victory and one or two other titles, but didn't stick with them. I also feel that there's some of Jack's art in the JKC that should never have seen the light of day, as it's not him at his best.
Have the Silver Surfer Epic Collections volumes been released yet?
Nope. Still got that big gap where the John Buscema issues should be!
ReplyDeleteI'd buy it in a shot if it ever sees the light of day. Can't figure out why they have released later Surfer collections by lesser artists (in my opinion) and yet these remain unpublished.
I'll be buying them as well, PC, even though I have the originals, the first printings of the Masterworks editions, plus the Omnibus. The first Masterworks weren't 'archival' and suffered from inferior touch-ups, but I believe later printings used the same proofs as the Omnibus, which were practically perfect. The Epic Collection editions will use those same proofs, plus they'll be closer to the size of the originals and on a paper that is similar to an actual comic, though better quality.
ReplyDeleteAs to why they're still unpublished, maybe Marvel is trying to build up a greater appetite for them (outside of your house I mean).
Wow. Kirby inked by John Severin in that pinup is fantastic! I now have to find out if Severin ever inked him in a full length comic and if so, track it down FORTHWITH!
ReplyDeleteJohn Severin inked a few Kirby Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. issues, DS, which look great. They might be available in an Epic Collection volume, but there was definitely a Masterworks edition which reprinted them. I know 'cos I've got it.
ReplyDeleteEven in his prime, Kirby never really got Spider-man right. Always too stiff, and really never got the webbing on his costume right.
ReplyDeleteIt's always puzzled me why he simply didn't look at how Ditko drew the webbing and then copy it. Even Kirby had his limitations it seems.
ReplyDeleteKirby always drew Spidey too solidly built, in my opinion. He should be lean, not built like a wrestler. But, he wasn't the only legendary comics titan who didn't quite have the right feeling to draw Spidey-: Gene Colan and John Buscema never really captured the "body language" that Ditko gave him and Romita perfected.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, DS, but Buscema, when he drew Spidey in his own mag, usually had the benefit of Jim Mooney inking, who gave Big John's Spider-Man the same sort of look as John Romita's. Incidentally, if you look at Ditko's Spidey again, you'll see that Steve had bulked him up quite considerably at some stage, and he was quite muscular - not the scrawny looking superhero he'd been at the start.
ReplyDeleteVery few got Spidey right in the first years, and even Jazzy Johnny took his time. Once Romita's look became the look ( and it was considerably simplified compared to the original costume), Romita had to spend all his time correcting/re-doing the Spidey costume as drawn by other artists (including Kirby!)
ReplyDeleteAn artist who could draw Spidey was Sal Buscema...he did some good covers with Spidey when in his prime, but by the time he got to MTeam-up it was layouts only, and a mediocre standard end result.
There are some nice Kirby Spidey pieces: the Marvelmania poster is a favourite are mine, but there is also Spidey#1 ( cover inked by Ditko), Spidey#8 (again Ditko) a couple of Spidey Super Story covers and the cover of the 1977 Marvel calendar (all inked by Romita). There is also the weird: the Spidey included in the Kirby's Black Book is the scrawniest super-hero I have ever seen!
Agreed JKC includes some pieces that should remain in archive. I don't know if Jack still had to work, or whether he still wanted to work, and if the former then it shows the American system in poor light.
As you allude to, Romita, when he first took over Spidey, kept the webbing on the costume pretty much the same as Ditko's, though he (Romita) simplified it over time. I thought Sal's version was okay, but not as good as Romita's, and as you say, when he was doing layouts, it wasn't quite 'hitting it'.
ReplyDeleteAs for Kirby continuing to work when his skill had deserted him, I think it was a bit of both -he wanted to AND he had to. Gotta pay those bills.