 |
| Images copyright MARVEL COMICS |
The word 'genius' is oft bandied around far too freely these days. Perhaps it's always been the case. I've seen JACK KIRBY described as a genius, but, much as I love what he did when he was good at what he did (which, let's face it, he wasn't in his later years), I don't think he can rightly be called a genius, according to the true and wider definition of the word.
Why do I say that? Well, few things are created in a vacuum, they're normally developments of what has gone before, and that was true of Jack. He didn't create the medium of comicbooks, and his stories were almost always based on what he'd read in pulp novels, science-fiction magazines, science journals, or seen in movies and on TV. MARK EVANIER revealed that Jack referred to a book on Norse mythology when plotting his TALES Of ASGARD back-up stories in THOR.
Do you remember the series of FANTASTIC FOUR issues where The THING is held hostage by The SKRULLS on a planet modelled on 1920s America? 'Tis said it was inspired by episodes of TV's STAR TREK. Do you recall the FF saga where the fab foursome find themselves 'guests' in LATVERIA? Inspired by The PRISONER TV show. Sure, Jack put his own spin on them, but they were derivative, not wholly original. They were, however, immensely entertaining, so hats off to him.
Sadly, Jack's artistic abilities deserted him in the latter part of his career. HUNGER DOGS, it must be admitted, was a mess, looking like it had been drawn (badly) by a 13 year old kid trying (and failing) to imitate the style of Jack Kirby. Whenever I look at it, I'm saddened to see the decline of a once-excellent artist who'd known how to lay out a story in a way that few other comic artists could emulate.
Genius? No, but certainly a legend, and rightly so. As I've said before, when Jack was at the top of his game, there was no one who could match him artwise, especially when he was paired with an inker who enhanced his strengths and diluted his weaknesses. But even giants wither and shrink, and, sadly, Jack was no exception to the effects of time on his titanic talent. Titanic being the operative word, as, just like the famous liner, it eventually sank from sight.
However, in this, the 100th year of Jack's birth, it's better not to dwell on the negative. Instead, let's take a look at some FF covers and splash pages from a time when Kirby was still regarded as 'King'. True, the crown had begun to slip a little, but it would be several more years before it fell off completely. As someone once said in a movie: "Such, my friend, is life!"
.jpg)
