Jack Kirby Collector #1-5 by TwoMorrows Publishing

$ 50

$2.70 Canada $3.70 Foreign

Issue #1, Sept. 1994

Characters © MCG, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Fully Authorized By The Kirby Estate

Kirby artwork! I feel certain we fans have the ability to submit the editorial material to make a lively, entertaining, and informative publication. So use your Kirby knowledge and submit an article, art, or idea! Send your submissions to: TwoMorrows • 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605 • USA 919/833-8092 • Fax 919/833-8023 or E-mail via the Internet to: twomorrow@aol.com Don’t forget: this publication is for FANS! Use your imagination and let’s have some fun! In the process, hopefully we’ll introduce some new people to Jack’s magic. Now here are the ground rules: • If you like this free issue, tell a friend about it and subscribe! If not, pass it along to another Kirby fan - the idea is to get as many people involved as possible. • Here’s where your $2.00 subscription cost goes with 100 subscribers: Postage (1st Class): 57.00 Xeroxing: 84.80 CBG Advertising Expenses: 43.48 Misc. Postage & Expenses: 15.00 $200.28 ($2.00 per issue)

Jack Kirby telling war stories at the 1991 San Diego Con (Photo by John Morrow)

Welcome to The Jack Kirby Collector!

To reach as many fans as possible, we’re producing this thing at-cost, only charging enough for expenses. When we reach 300 subscribers, we can print for the same price as xeroxing. At around 400-500, we’ll can add more pages! So tell someone about us: more subscriptions means more submissions and better quality for everyone.

his is the first issue of a new publication for and by collectors of Jack Kirby’s work. You received this issue free because you’re a fan of Jack Kirby, and you may have written a tribute letter to Comics Buyer’s Guide or on one of the many online computer services when Jack died last February. My name is John Morrow, and I’m not some hotshot comics professional, just one of the many loyal Kirby fans throughout the world. I first got hooked on Jack’s work in the early 1970s, and I’ve been a hardcore fan ever since. I only met him briefly on one occasion, but like all of you, his recent passing really affected me. In corresponding with other Kirby fans I’ve discovered that there’s a lot of his work out there that I wasn’t aware of. I also discovered a great many people willing to share their knowledge to help others find, experience and appreciate Jack’s talent. And it occurred to me that there’s no regular outlet for Kirby fans to express their respect and appreciation for Jack’s contributions to our lives. So I came up with this publication. I worked up a rough version of this issue and sent it to Roz Kirby for her approval. She graciously gave her consent, and put me in touch with Kirby historian Greg Theakston. Greg offered some much appreciated advice and volunteered the use of his immense archive of Kirby artwork for future issues, so rest assured great things are ahead. This publication is my effort to keep Kirby fandom alive, active, and unified. But I need your help! Out of necessity, most of this issue’s submissions are by me. But it’s meant to be full of articles, reviews, letters, and personal recollections of Jack’s life and work submitted by YOU! And of course, plenty of great

• Since we’re producing this thing at-cost, we can’t pay for submissions. But if your submission is used, you’ll receive that issue FREE! (We’ll extend your paid subscription by one issue.) The success of this publication depends on YOU! We need your comments, ideas and submissions to make this the best publication it can be. I look forward to hearing from you. Long live the King!

John Morrow, Editor (This issue’s cover is a self-portrait Jack drew in the late 1960s, and it’s the first Kirby art Mike Royer ever inked. According to Mark Evanier, Mike came to Jack’s studio to talk about inking his work, so Jack handed him this drawing and told him to give it a try. While Jack took a walk for an hour or so, Mike sat there and inked this drawing as a sort of test. Talk about pressure! Jack must have liked the results, because Mike went on to do a great job inking much of Jack’s 1970s work.)

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 1, No. 1, Sept. 1994. Published bi-monthly by TwoMorrows Advertising, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Single issues and back issues: $2.50 each U.S., $2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside N. America. 6-issue subscriptions: $12.00 US, $13.20 Canada, and $19.20 outside North America. Sixth printing (Dated 4/26/95). The initial printing of this issue was mailed the week of Sept. 5, 1994. All characters are © their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective authors.

Kirby News Update espite Jack’s passing, he’s still a dominant force in the comic marketplace. Besides his characters at Topps Comics and Genesis West, there’s a few new Kirby items on the horizon. A new series of collector’s cards features characters, concepts, and machinery created by Jack while he was working at Ruby-Spears Productions during the 1980s. Called Jack Kirby, The Unpublished Archives, these cards promise to show many characters that Kirby fans haven’t been privy to. Published by Comic Images (201/794-9877), it’s a 90-card set of unseen, unpublished work done as proposals for animated television shows. Included will be a number of bonus cards, and production values should be great. Look for these cards in October. Another set of Kirby collector’s cards is being published by 21st Century Archives. It’s a sort of retrospective set of cards highlighting famous Kirby covers and characters from throughout Jack’s career, with biographical information provided by Greg Theakston. This 50-card set contains some never-before published artwork, and should be available this Fall. Some unusual collectibles will be available soon: Kirby telephone cards. These cards come with various amounts of long distance phone credit. Once you’ve used up the credit, you keep the card as a collectible. Each features either a photo of Jack or some of his unpublished artwork. Check with your local comics dealer for details. Another Kirby product that should be out by the time you read this is the Black Magic edition of Jack Kirby’s Heroes and Villains. If you missed the hardcover edition of this sketchbook that Jack drew for his wife Roz in the 1970s, you’re missing a real treat. The original was all in pencils, while this new soft-

cover version is inked by a variety of industry professionals, and should be interesting. It’s being published by Greg Theakston’s company, Pure Imagination (212/682-0025). Mark Evanier (Jack’s assistant in the early 70s and a highly respected professional in his own right) is working with Frank Miller on a HUGE tribute book call Jack Kirby: A Celebration. Tentative plans call for it to be in three parts: 1) an expanded version (about 4x the size) of Mark’s touching tribute to Jack in Comics Buyer’s Guide; 2) a section of tributes, quotes, articles, etc... from industry professionals; and 3) a gallery of color drawings by around 200 top comics artists, each doing a different Kirby character. With Mark involved, you can bet this book will come straight from the heart, and won’t pull any punches about some of the lousy things the industry did to Jack. Mark was responsible for both the Kirby Unleashed and Masterworks portfolios of Jack’s work done in the 1970s, and he’s currently writing Groo at Image Comics. Kirby fans everywhere owe him a debt of gratitude for the many ways he’s helped Jack over the years, and the many unseen pieces of Kirby artwork he’s helped get published. Thanks, Mark! Also according to Mark Evanier, Jack’s old drawing table (the one used since the beginning of his career) will be getting a new home; at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC! An exhibition of Jack’s work was displayed at the Words & Pictures Museum of Fine Sequential Art in Northampton, MA last April. We hope to have a report on the exhibit next issue. Don’t forget about the educational fund that was set up in Jack’s name shortly after his death. Send your contributions to: The Jack Kirby Educational Fund Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

Letters

Send to: TwoMorrows 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605, USA or E-mail to: twomorrow@aol.com

“Wow! A Kirby fanzine would be GREATLY appreciated. You mentioned the fanzine will include articles from all over the U.S. - I hope you don’t mean to exclude us Canadian Kirby fans!” Jamie Lauchlan, 2512 Windsor St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3K 5C1

(Here’s what a few fans had to say about us starting this fanzine.) “Thanks for including me in your new venture. Although I normally don’t follow fanzines, I would be interested in seeing your new Kirby publication. No one has had a bigger impact on the modern comic book than the King. “ Scott Tacktill, 3009 SW Archer Rd. Apt C2, Gainesville, FL 32608

(Wouldn’t dream of it, Jamie! Tell all your fellow Canadians about us, and send some submissions, eh?!) “What a great idea. Maybe an idea for an article would be an examination of how Kirby invented & improved the “language” of comics. Having read McCloud’s Understanding Comics, I was struck by how much of comic’s vocabulary was invented/improved upon by the King.” Michael Rhodes, 430 North Civic Drive #106, Walnut Creek, CA 94596-3306

“It’s a great idea!! It seems that (comics) more than ten years old are totally forgotten! By the way, I’ve also been publishing a magazine about comics (but in French!) for a few years now, and in our last issue, we published a long paper about the King, his work and his career and a second one about some forgotten Kirby works. More, there is also a Belgian magazine (quarterly I think) named Kirby, and which is of course publishing papers only about the King along with old artwork (there are already 15-20 issues).” Olivier Toublan, Beaulieu 9, 1004 Lausanne, SWITZERLAND

(How about it? Is there anyone out there willing to take this on? Or does Scott McCloud owe anyone a favor...) Special thanks to Chris Kemp and Paul Doolittle for their last minute submissions to this issue, and to Paul for all the names of Kirby fans to send this issue to. And thanks to everyone who wrote with words of encouragement and advice. Now we want to hear from YOU! Let us know what you think, and send those submissions!

(When I first contacted Roz Kirby about this ‘zine, she mentioned there was a British fan club doing a similar publication. Jack’s appeal is truly international! We’ll try to translate Oliver’s papers and reprint them here in a future issue.)

Characters © MCG, Artwork © Jack Kirby

The

Marvelmania Portfolio by Paul Doolittle looks like a bathyscaphe (it’s hard to describe because this picture didn’t copy too well).The Surf Hunter strip can be found on page 101 in The Art of Jack Kirby and also in Jack Kirby Masterworks. The Thor pages consist of a full-page Odin and Asgardian; a full-page Loki, Karnilla, and Haag; 2 full-page Galactus in space; and 2 pages of panels. Some of these are easy to figure which issues they came from, while others can be speculated. The Loki, Karnilla, and Haag page is most likely from Thor #167, where Haag is holding the clay image of Balder. One page of panels depicts the battle between Balder, Fandral and Hogun against the Thermal Man, probably from Thor #169 or #170. One of the Galactus pages is almost identical to page 17, panel 2 of Thor #162. The other page shows Loki speaking from the branches of a tree to a group of Asgardian warriors. The Fantastic Four pages are of panels most likely intended for the Black Panther origin in Fantastic Four #53. Of the two

pon Jack Kirby’s departure from Marvel Comics to DC Comics in 1970, a special tribute portfolio was prepared by the staff of Marvelmania. It was offered for sale in the first two issues of Marvelmania Magazine. Both issues described the contents of the portfolio; 12 unpublished pencil drawings, a photo of Jack, and the text of an interview, all inside a folder. This was intended to be a one printing offer, only enough copies to fill requests, but extras were run off for sale while they lasted. I recently received xeroxes of this rare item, although I suspect that the original they came from was incomplete. Only the folder, introduction page, and 11 pieces of art were accounted for. The folder artwork is the same as the Kirby-style machinery art from the endpapers to the Jack Kirby’s Heroes and Villains hardcover published a few years ago. A collage and a page of Jack’s unpublished Surf Hunter newspaper strip accompany 9 unpublished pencil drawings from Thor and Fantastic Four. The collage appears to have an astronaut riding a spacecraft which

pages, one panel is almost identical to page 6, panel 4. Other panels show T’challa’s father, a panther idol, a mound which may be Vibranium, and a panel of some very strange machinery which appears to have been intended as a full-page drawing. A third page is a pin-up of the Black Panther with his unmasked face in the lower corner which is also included in Masterworks. Strangely enough, neither Thor nor the FF appear in any of the drawings. Naturally, the portfolio is a joy to behold, and hopefully will see print in a future issue of TJKC if we can find a complete set of originals to reproduce from. Marvelmania #1 and #2 had unpublished pencil drawings announcing the port-

folio offer. #1 has a drawing of Captain America battling foes from above and below, while #2 has a drawing of the Hulk running through a wave of boulders and bombs with The Leader in pursuit (reproduced here). But what of the interview, photo of Jack, and the other drawing? So far I have yet to contact anyone else who has even heard of this portfolio, never mind have a copy of it. Maybe there is a fan out there who can shed some light on this subject. Let us know.

Submissions

Greg Theakston Needs Help!

(Special thanks to Paul for this submission, and for all his help compiling a list of Kirby fans to mail this issue to.)

We need your: • Rare and unpublished Kirby art or sketches • Kirby interviews and correspondence • Photos and personal recollections of Jack • “What Jack Meant To Me” stories • Original and previously published reviews of Jack’s work • Anything else that you think Kirby fans would like to see • And of course, Letters of Comment (LOCs)

Greg Theakston of Pure Imagination needs help locating three key Golden Age comics for a new book he’s working on called The Complete Kirby. This book will reprint every story Jack did from his first published work until Captain America #1. Greg has copies of every comic he needs except Red Raven #1 and Blue Bolt #8 and #9. To achieve the best reproduction, he uses his “Theakstonizing” process to bleach out all of the colored inks from the original comic, leaving clean black artwork to reproduce from. Since the books get destroyed in the process, Greg is looking to purchase or trade for poor condition or coverless copies or tear sheets. Incomplete issues are okay, as long as the Kirby stories are intact. If you have any of these books or know where Greg can get them, call him in New York at (212)682-0025. Let’s help Greg finds these books so he can publish this worthwhile collection of early Kirby work.

Artwork should be submitted in one of the following forms: 1) Good quality xeroxes (color or black-&-white) - as faithful to the original as possible, and as large as possible. 2) Scanned onto a computer disk, saved as a Grayscale, 300ppi .TIFF file, in IBM or Macintosh format (Mac preferred), as large as will fit on a disk (High Density disks and “Stuffed” files OK). 3) Original materials (carefully packed and insured) - PLEASE write or call first. In order to keep expenses down, only originals will be returned. We’ll pay return postage and insurance, but call or write before sending originals - we may already have what you’re sending, and a postcard or E-mail could save us all a lot of trouble and expense.

Next Issue... If you’ve ever seen Jack’s work in pencil form, you know that very few inkers can capture all the detail he put in. Wouldn’t you love to have seen every page of Jack’s original pencil art from the 1960s - 70s, exactly as they were before they were inked? Well, we’ve got the next best thing - XEROXES! Whenever Jack sent penciled pages into Marvel or DC, they’d make xeroxes of them before they were inked, and send them back to Jack so he could keep up with each issue’s continuity. Greg Theakston just got back from a trip to California to clean out Jack’s studio, and brought back with him thousands of these xeroxes. Best of all, he’s agreed to share them with us. Whatta guy! We hope to start featuring these next issue and on an ongoing basis, so stay tuned, and subscribe! Our current plans are to alternate between general interest issues (like this one) and theme issues. Issue #2 is scheduled to be another general interest issue featuring your submissions. Issue #3 is slated to be a Captain America theme issue. Future ideas for theme issues include Golden Age, Fourth World, Kid Gangs, Gods, and anything else you suggest. Write and let us know what you’d like to see!

Written submissions should be sent in one of the following forms: 1) E-mailed via the Internet to: twomorrow@aol.com 2) Pre-typed and saved on a floppy disk as an ASCII file (the most generic word processing file there is, with no formatting - sometimes called “Plain Text”), IBM or Macintosh OK. 3) Neatly typed or laser printed pages, with solid black letters on clean white paper, and with no “fancy” fonts. 4) In the case of previously printed articles and interviews, originals or good quality xeroxes can be sent - please write or call before sending originals. Please send any background information you know about your submissions, including: • When and where it was published • Inker (if inked) and writer (in the case of stories) • Copyright information (look for a © symbol or publisher’s name somewhere in the publication it came from) 5

Kirby Original Art At Sotheby’s n June 18, 1994, Sotheby’s Auction House in New York held its annual auction of comic book related items. Included were numerous items by Jack Kirby, including the following pieces of original art. Nearly every piece sold, and we felt collectors might like a recap of the results. The prices listed here are the final selling prices. While some of these prices may seem exorbitant, bear in mind the following:

June for $250. Three weeks later I saw the same page at a comic convention for $400, and it had already changed hands at least twice.)

While all the extra costs undoubtedly make this more expensive than buying at a convention or by mail, it’s difficult to find this kind of selection anywhere else. If you missed out on this year’s auction, consider ordering next year’s catalog by calling Sotheby’s at 800-444-3709. The catalog itself is profusely illustrated and makes an interesting collectible. Combined sales of all these Kirby items totals $142,309.00. This doesn’t include the numerous comic books sold with Jack’s art in them. The total sales for the one-day event were $1,688,304.00 (of which Sotheby’s collected between $200,000$300,000 in commissions and premiums). If you know of other interesting sales of Kirby originals, write and give us the details.

• Each price listed includes a 15% premium paid to Sotheby’s. • The seller has to pay Sotheby’s a commission equal to 10-20% (minimum $100) of the successful bid price, which will naturally be reflected in the minimum bid they’ll accept. • Unfortunately for collectors, Jack’s death has (at least temporarily) driven up the cost of his work. (I saw a Mr. Miracle page in Comics Buyer’s Guide in

Kirby Cover Recreations: The original art for many of the most famous Marvel Comics covers is assumed either lost or destroyed, so here’s the next best thing. These are recreations of famous Marvel covers, drawn by Jack in 1993. Logos and balloons were hand-lettered by Jack to distinguish them from the originals (in case they still exist). These drawings were fully authorized by Marvel Comics, and all proceeds went to Jack’s estate (minus Sotheby’s commissions and a share to Dick Ayers for the inked pieces).

Characters © MCG, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Title Amazing Fantasy Tales of Suspense Amazing Spider-Man Fantastic Four X-Men Journey Into Mystery Strange Tales 6

Issue #

Comments

Final Price

#15 #39 #1 #1 #5 #1 #83 #89

Penciled only Penciled only Penciled only Inked by Ayers Inked by Ayers Inked by Ayers Inked by Ayers Inked by Ayers

$10,925.00 $7475.00 $14,950.00 $7475.00 $6325.00 $4887.00 $9200.00 $5750.00

Alarming Tales Amazing Adventures Avengers

Black Cat Mystery Capt. America Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four Annual Jimmy Olsen Kamandi Sgt. Fury Tales To Astonish Thor

Issue #

Page #

Comments

Final Price

3 4 3 8 57 211 10 11 15 15 16 16 17 27 31 31 56 61 61 61 90 2 136 136 24 6 82 127 131 141 142 147

Unused cover 3 5 1 Cover 22 & 31 Pin-Up 3 14 16 Pin-Up 4 7 21 6 9 3 9 14 18 1 Pin-Up 15 21 Entire Book 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Complete Story 13 9 10 1 1

Part of a non-Kirby lot.

Did not sell. $1092.00 $2587.00 $4600.00 $1955.00 $977.00 $7475.00 $4025.00 $1495.00 $2070.00 $6900.00 $1610.00 $1035.00 $1150.00 $1035.00 $1380.00 $2070.00 $1265.00 $1610.00 $1495.00 $2070.00 $5175.00 $2070.00 $2587.00 $3737.00 $1725.00 $2300.00 $747.00 $690.00 $1380.00 $2070.00 $2185.00

Part of a non-Kirby lot. “Invisible Girl”

“Mr. Fantastic”

“Infant Terrible” Part of a non-Kirby lot. Part of a non-Kirby lot. Cover plus 20 pages. Part of a non-Kirby lot. Complete 10-page story.

Title

Misc. Items: Item Art for Capt. America and Hulk Marvelmania Buttons Art from Sky Masters Newspaper Strip 7

Date

Final Price

Late 1960s 2/21/59

$1150.00 $1610.00

Original Art Pages:

Kirby On Tour by John Morrow n 1978 I attended a traveling art show at the Museum of Fine Arts in my hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. But this wasn’t just any art show - it was devoted exclusively to COMICS! After seeing the notice in the Sunday paper, I begged and pleaded with my mother to take me (being only 15, I couldn’t drive myself ). Knowing my love of comics, she quickly gave in. I arrived an hour before closing and rushed to the exhibit hall. Much to my chagrin, most of what I found was original newspaper strip art by men with names like Capp, Caniff, Foster, Frazetta, Gould, Herriman, Hogarth, Raymond, and Segar. Who were these guys? And where were all the super heroes? “Boy, what a lousy show,” I thought. Then suddenly, there it was. The most amazing thing I’d ever seen; an actual Jack Kirby original! And of the Forever People, too (my favorites)! Unlike the reproduction I’d seen in my Kirby Unleashed portfolio, on this one you could see the brush strokes! I stood there staring until closing time when the staff person ran me out. As I walked away, I saw a sign saying “Tour Books Available For Purchase.” I ran back and begged the staffer to sell me a copy. With much reluctance he unstacked several boxes, and a moment later I was $5 poorer. And so much richer. When I look back through the Tour Book, I kick myself for not taking the time to appreciate the work of all the great mas-

ters on display there. But I know if that show were held today, I’d still spend the majority of my time standing in front of that Kirby original, memorizing every line and brush stroke. And I’d leave there thinking the same thing I thought 16 years ago. “Boy, what a great show!”

Characters © DC

Artwork © Jack Kirby

s, Inc. erprise t n E p © Cap

In case you’re not familiar with this rare Kirby collectible, it’s a 32-page black-&-white booklet with L’il Abner on the cover. The tour was called “The Cartoon Show” and it featured the work of 100 American cartoonists. Ray Bradbury wrote the introduction to the book, and all work was selected from the collection of Jerome K. Muller. The Forever People plate (reproduced above) was the only Kirby art in the book and the show. And while there’s no specific mention of Jack other than the listing of his work, this book is a nice momento of a time when Jack’s (and other’s) work toured the country and brought a little credibility to an often maligned medium. I’d be interested to hear if anyone else has this item, and what you thought of the show.

Characters © MCG, Artwork © Jack Kirby

9 These two posters each measure 19”x 26” and were printed in black-&-white. I bought these at a convention in 1977 for 50¢ each. What a bargain! Does anybody know if these were authorized by Jack, or are they a “bootleg” product? Let us know if you have any information on these great pencil sketches.

Monsters, Magic, And The King by Chris Kemp For me, it started with this weird little comics company. In the very late Fifties, at the age of four or five, I’d fallen in love with comic books. They say my grandmother read them to me while I sat on her lap. In fact, most say that’s how I learned to read. The first comics I remember were strictly kiddy stuff – Dennis the Menace, Wendy the Witch, Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories – you get the idea. It wasn’t too long before other stuff got added to the mix. There was Turok because I liked dinosaurs and the torrent of Silver Age DC stuff coming down the pipeline: Batman, Superman, World’s Finest, Justice League, etc. In the day of the recently (unknown to me) revitalized superhero, DC was the professional standard by which all others (and there weren’t many) were measured. Regardless, something else lurked on the stands in those days, something holding seeds of great significance – although no one could know it at the time. And that’s where the weird comics company comes in. As far as I knew, the company didn’t even have a name (I sure couldn’t see it anywhere on their covers), but even so, you could always tell which comics were theirs. They all looked alike, and their names even sounded the same: Tales of

Suspense, Tales to Astonish, Strange Tales. More importantly, their covers showcased a gallery of the most awesome creatures I had even seen in my short life. There were giant ants, living trees, monstrous aliens (always immense in size), a coating of paint (enchanted) that made a statue come to life – and more. Some were things that had absolutely no precedent in nature, so original in design that they almost hypnotized me. Sometimes even traditional

“When you saw these things, you figured the guy drawing them had actually seen them...for real.”

monsters like dragons were made to seem so...so...utterly different. The uniqueness of these comics held me in their spell. Superheroes were fine, but there was something special about these books. I would see them on the stands and my pulse would race. My earliest pop culture addiction had begun. Soon, I was buying these books on a regular basis and, over time, began to notice certain things about them. For example, I noticed the first story in each issue was always the best. It usually featured the monster on the cover and was obviously drawn by the cover artist. I was very young, but it didn’t take me long to figure out it was the art that made these stories special. What art it was! It overflowed with strange and bizarre elements, but was, at the same time, action-packed. Creatures reached outward toward their victims or leapt from the very pages on which they were drawn. When you saw these things, you figured the guy drawing them had actually seen them...for real. After a few more months of reading, I came to notice something else about these “good stories”. On the bottom of the first page, usually a spectacular full page drawing of the featured creature, the same little scrawl appeared over and over. It more often than not read: “Kirby and Ayers”. 10

Cut to 1961. I’m still devouring every issue of “Kirby monsters” I can (all attempts by other artists to draw monsters pale in comparison – even those in the back of Kirby’s own books!), but I also continue to ride the flow of the countless costumed DC superheroes washing across the stands. As mesmerizing as “Goom”, “Googam”, “X” and “Krang” are, superheroes remain essential for a balanced diet of

“Unbelievable! The monsters are good guys! Who or what is dreaming this stuff up?” fantasy – and they are multiplying rapidly. Sure, most of these superheroes are hokey. And even though I am only (by psychological and theological standards) on the threshold of the age of reason, something about the everyday lives of these characters seems really fake. The fact remains, however, there is no alternative. Until the day it changes. I walk into the local liquor store and see something on the stands that rivets my attention. It is a new comic, and it appears to be published by the monster comics company. It certainly has the look – that “Kirby and Ayers” look. And there’s a big monster – just like ones in Tales to Astonish – coming right up out of the street. There’s even something about the lettering of the title, Fantastic Four, that reeks of the monster comics. I can’t keep my eyes off this comic because it’s different from the other monster comics. In fact – could it be? – it almost looks like a superhero comic. I look closer, pick it up and see a weird fire man flying through the sky. He’s a strange creature, indeed, but if my eyes aren’t deceiving me he looks as if he’s supposed to be a good guy. Then I see the clincher. There’s this orange rock monster. He’s smaller than the monster coming out of the ground, but as strange as anything I’ve seen in the pages of Tales of Suspense. I notice he seems to be in a bad mood about something, but there’s little mistaking he’s supposed to be a good guy, too. Unbelievable! The monsters are good guys! Who or what is dreaming this stuff up? The comic has an aura about it, and it’s an odd one. I feel I’ve stumbled onto a mystical manuscript or a forbidden treasure – just the G © MC kinds of things I’ve read about in this company’s books. Something’s off. Comics aren’t supposed to be like this. By now it’s obvious this is no normal comic, but, as compelling as it is, I leave it on the racks that day. Somehow it seems cheap, illegitimate, a second-class citizen, especially when compared to the polished veneer of the Superman and 11

Batman comics surrounding it. Even the coloring seems less vibrant. Maybe I’m afraid of getting suckered into something. After all, superheroes are in the mainstream. This monster comics company on the other hand...well...(or maybe I’m scared of opening Pandora’s box). In the days that follow, I continue my almost daily trips to the racks. I always see the book and it just won’t let go of me. I pick it up and look through it every time I’m there. What’s between the covers begins to settle in. These “heroes” fight with each other, get depressed, get jealous and seem to be pretty negative about life in general. They talk different than other heroes talk. In short, they’re pretty strange. Like this Mole Man guy is strange. Like his scrawny, bug-eyed minions are strange. It’s like the monster books, but different. Finally, I run out of titles I want to buy that month and, even though Fantastic Four #1 still seems somehow illegitimate to me, I give into its pull. Even though I’ve read more than half of it while standing in the store, I buy it and take it home. I read it over and over again. I haunt the stands waiting for the second issue (which turns out to be an intolerable two-month wait). I’m never the same again.

Now it’s 1994 and we’ve seen the rise and fall of Marvel, the near death of the comics industry, its rebirth via the direct market, flourishing independents and more sex and violence than you can shake a stick at. But nothing, absolutely nothing, has come out of nowhere like those early monster comics and the first modern superhero book, the Fantastic Four. I know my age had something to do with it, but I also know Jack Kirby’s unprecedented and unique vision had a lot to do with it, too. He was as startlingly original as they come, so much so that in the late 1950’s his books seemed produced somewhere beyond our plane of existence. As if by magic. In the years that follow after the publication of FF #1, Jack and his talented collaborator Stan Lee become revealed to me as human beings. Their stories and art improve and multiply and move away from their monstrous roots, but I get swept away anyhow. The Fantastic Four become the center of my recreational life; its characters, my friends. I long for it each and every month. I am unable – ever– to get enough. “As if by magic”, I said a few sentences before. Maybe, when all’s said and done, that’s the best way to describe the originality and boldness of Jack Kirby’s imagination. It’s held me for life.

(Special thanks to Chris Kemp for his submission to this inaugural issue.)

The Kirby Clone by John Morrow

The portfolio was called KIRBY, a collection of the artistry of Jack Kirby. It was published by the Museum of Cartoon Art in Greenwich, Connecticut in November of 1975. It was published in conjunction with a museum show of Jack’s work. The most notable new material inside was the original character sketch for DC’s OMAC. Included was an unpublished Thor page, which is different from the page in Kirby Unleashed (although apparently from the same unused sequence). There was also a self-portrait of Jack with numerous Marvel heroes (used for this issue’s cover), a Captain America sketch (see the poster on page 8 of this issue), and a “Scrapper”-like sketch accompanying an ad for Neal Kirby (Jack’s son) as exclusive agent for Jack’s originals. While not on a par with Kirby Unleashed, KIRBY made a nice companion piece, and an excellent “fix” while I was waiting for the publication of the later Masterworks portfolio.

Wraparound cover for the KIRBY portfolio. n the late 1970s I ordered an 81⁄2"x11" black-& white Kirby portfolio that I had never heard of before. When it arrived, I noticed it seemed to be a poor man’s version of the Kirby Unleashed portfolio from 1971. Even the biographical information was taken verbatim from its predecessor. But upon closer examination, I realized this copycat could stand on its own.

Characters © DC, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Characters © MCG, Artwork © Jack Kirby

S S L A B T

From The Past!

Test your Kirby knowledge with this simple (?) quiz. ack Kirby is famous for the explosive action he brought to comics, so we devised this challenge. See if you can find the issue number and page number each of these Kirby “explosions” came from. Each panel contains some type of hint as to its origin. And to make things even easier, none of these were published before 1970. (That should narrow it down to only a few thousand books!) To make it interesting, we’re giving away a full ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to The Jack Kirby Collector for the first correct set of answers. And even if you don’t win, think of all the fun you’ll have digging through your Kirby collection!

paper with black-&-white sketches of different characters. The sketches were of Angel & Cyclops from X-Men, Black Bolt & Maximus from the Inhumans, and Green Lantern & Green Arrow. All the drawings looked like they were done with a Bic marker, probably as a quick sketch at a convention. I can only assume the Kirby version had a similar format, and consisted of convention sketches. If memory serves, either the cover or one of the Kirby plates was supposed to be of Orion from the New Gods. Judging from the low quality of the Adam’s version, it’s quite likely these were “bootleg” productions done without Jack’s approval or knowledge. Do you know anything about this “white envelope” portfolio? Help me solve this mystery, and maybe write an article on it in the process. I’ll report anything I find out in the next issue.

The Envelope, Please... by John Morrow ometime in the mid 1970s, I saw a pair of portfolios offered in The Buyer’s Guide To Comic Fandom (the forerunner to Comics Buyer’s Guide). One featured plates by Neal Adams, the other by Jack Kirby. I ordered both. A few weeks later, I received the Neal Adams portfolio and a refund check for the Kirby one (it was sold out). To this day I have never seen the Kirby version for sale at a convention, or known anyone who had ever seen it. I hope someone out there can help me. The Adams portfolio came in an 81⁄2" x 11" white envelope with a rough black-&-white sketch of a Conan-type character on it. Inside were three 81⁄2" x 11" sheets of what looked like xerox

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Cracking The “Kirby” Code

ur goal is to keep subscription costs as low as possible by only charging enough to cover expenses. With 100 subscribers, $2.00 per issue will exactly cover costs. When we reach 200 subscribers, we’ll start mailing by Bulk Mail, saving us all money in the long run. At 300, we can start printing instead of xeroxing, resulting in better quality. Somewhere between 400-500 subscribers, we can start adding pages at no additional cost to you. But this can only happen if you tell every Kirby fan you know about us, and get them to subscribe. More subscriptions means more submissions, lower costs and better quality for everyone.

by John Morrow hrough the years I’ve heard all sorts of theories from people about Jack’s work; everything from finding Aztec imagery in his “squiggles” to spotting occult influences in his dialogue. But I now have my own theory; one so shocking, so utterly amazing, it could change the way you look at Jack’s books from now on. Didja ever notice how, whenever Jack wrote a story, he’d insert quotation marks around the oddest words? It drove me crazy! I remember seeing comments in the letter columns of his books asking why they were there, and to please stop because it was really annoying. What was his reasoning for putting them in there? Well, I think I’ve figured it out. You see, I think it was a secret code Jack invented. And if you know how to look, you’ll find all kinds of messages hidden throughout his books. According to my theory, when he had something important to say to his readers, he’d write it down, mix all the words up, and work them into his dialogue with quotation marks around them. Then he’d stick a few extra words in quotes to keep it from being too obvious. This might explain how some of Jack’s stranger stories came about. To test my theory, I took a copy of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #139 (you remember, the one with Don Rickels in it) and jotted down every word he put in quotation marks. Then I tried to rearrange them into a meaningful order. What I came up with will astound you. After hours of different word combinations, I narrowed it down to the following incredible statement:

Classifieds! Locate those hard-to-find Kirby items with an ad in our Classified section. You’ll be reaching a targeted audience of just Kirby fans, so your chances of finding that rare item is greater (of course, getting someone to part with it is another story). Ads are 10¢ per word, 10 word minimum. Personals are acceptable, and all proceeds go to add more pages to this publication.

If you’re viewing a digital version of this publication, PLEASE read this plea from the publisher! his is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, which is NOT INTENDED FOR FREE T DOWNLOADING ANYWHERE. If you’re a print subscriber, or you paid the modest fee we charge to download it at our website, you have our sincere thanks—your support allows us to keep producing publications like this one. If instead you downloaded it for free from some other website or torrent, please know that it was absolutely 100% DONE WITHOUT OUR CONSENT, and it was an ILLEGAL POSTING OF OUR COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. If that’s the case, here’s what you should do:

“okay children, put-on brass thumbs to foul-up mister tricky.”

1) Go ahead and READ THIS DIGITAL ISSUE, and see what you think. 2) If you enjoy it enough to keep it, DO THE RIGHT THING and purchase a legal download of it from our website, or purchase the print edition at our website (which entitles you to the Digital Edition for free) or at your local comic book shop. We’d love to have you as a regular paid reader. 3) Otherwise, DELETE IT FROM YOUR COMPUTER and DO NOT SHARE IT WITH FRIENDS OR POST IT ANYWHERE. 4) Finally, DON’T KEEP DOWNLOADING OUR MATERIAL ILLEGALLY, for free. We offer one complete issue of all our magazines for free downloading at our website, which should be sufficient for you to decide if you want to purchase others. If you enjoy our publications enough to keep downloading them, support our company by paying for the material we produce.

Now, I have absolutely no idea what this means. Maybe it’s some kind of personal statement Jack was making about how he was treated at DC during the early 70s. Maybe it was the Anti-Life Equation. Or maybe it’s just part of a lame idea I had to fill up space in this issue. You be the judge. But hey, I wouldn’t put it past ol’ Jack to sneak something like that in on us. Would you? For those of you with nothing better to do, take out a Kirby-written comic and try my theory. You might be amazed at what you discover. (Then again, you might not.) Regardless, the funniest response we receive wins ONE FREE ISSUE of The Jack Kirby Collector.

We’re not some giant corporation with deep pockets, and can absorb these losses. We’re a small company—literally a “mom and pop” shop—with dozens of hard-working freelance creators, slaving away day and night and on weekends, to make a pretty minimal amount of income for all this work. We love what we do, but our editors, authors, and your local comic shop owner, rely on income from this publication to stay in business. Please don’t rob us of the small amount of compensation we receive. Doing so will ensure there won’t be any future products like this to download. TwoMorrows publications should only be downloaded at

www.twomorrows.com

Classifieds FOR SALE: One pair of skis, slightly used. Asking $60.00. Contact Willie Walker, Apt. B, Metropolis, USA ____________________________ FOR SALE: Like-new Pogo Plane. Seats 4. Asking $9,900,000.99. B. Grimm, Baxter Building, New York NY 10019 ____________________________ WANTED: Argosy Magazine Vol. 3, #2 (“Street Code” story), Comics Interview #121, 132, Comixscene #5, Marvelmania Portfolio. Contact John Morrow, 502 Saint Mary’s Street, Raleigh, NC 27605, 919-833-8092.

WANTED: New or Used Anti-Life Equation - Must be complete. D. Seid, Armaghetto, Apokolips (No Collect Calls, Please). ____________________________ WANTED: Submissions for new publication entitled The Jack Kirby Collector. Especially need pre1960s experts. Send articles, art, or criticism to: 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605. ____________________________ AIM is looking for a few good recruits. Do you have what it takes to make it in this challenging, rewarding career? Call today!

Well gang, that’s it for this issue. Write and let us know what you think. And get to work on those submissions! Let’s celebrate the life and career of Jack Kirby, the King of comics!

Classifieds cost 10¢ per word (cheap!), with a 10 word minimum. And all proceeds from classified ads go to add more pages to this publication! THANKS: Greg Theakston, Mark Evanier, Paul Doolittle, and everyone else for the help on this issue. ____________________________ WANTED: Rebuilt engine for 1971 Super Cycle. Must have working Mother Box. Contact B. Bear, Supertown, New Genesis. ____________________________ HULK SMASH! Or at least I think I do. Perhaps I should examine the situation further... ____________________________ ASSORTED Boom Tubes for sale. Various lengths available. Contact Metron, c/o the Source.

I’M THOR because I thmacked my thumb with this thilly hammer! ____________________________ OMAC, please come home. All is forgiven. Love, Brother Eye. ____________________________ WANTED: Kirby sketches, original art pages, etc... of Fourth World characters. John Morrow, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, 919-833-8092. ____________________________ READ PHANTOM FORCE from Genesis West. This Kirby inspired book has great potential. So what are you waiting for?

Submission deadline for Issue #2 is Oct. 10 Issue #2 will be mailed Nov. 1

Characters © MCG, Artwork © Jack Kirby

his is a feature we hope will be a big benefit to everyone. You can list personal messages, Kirby items you’re buying and selling, etc... in our classified section.

$ 50

$2.70 Canada $3.70 Foreign

Issue #2, Nov. 1994

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Fully Authorized By The Kirby Estate

any) on your submissions (if and when it was previously published; pertinent details; copyright information, etc...). Half the fun of seeing Jack’s work is knowing the story behind it. • While this publication is fully authorized by Roz Kirby, please remember that all opinions expressed here are the opinions of the individual contributors only. • If you don’t want your address printed in TJKC, please specify that on all correspondence. And now on to some miscellaneous fun stuff: • There’s talk in fandom about putting on a one-day Jack Kirby Cosmic-Con (yes, Cosmic!) sometime in 1995, probably in the Los Angeles, CA area. Early thinking is to include famous industry professionals who were close to Jack, and make it a day to pay tribute to him. The big question: is there enough interest out there to support such a show? Would you be willing and able to make the trip to LA? And do you have any suggestions for events or panels during the con? Put on your thinking caps and let’s hear what you come up with. And let me know if you’d be able to attend. I’ll keep an informal running tally and pass it on to the planners.

Photo of Jack Kirby from January 26, 1989 (Photo submitted by Harry W. Miller)

Incredible!

• Our back cover this issue is a letter to Marvel Comics, asking them to give Jack credit for some of the numerous characters he co-created with Stan Lee. This letter-writing campaign is the brainchild of Dr. Mark Miller of Portland, OR, and it’s being carried out with the consent of Roz Kirby. Let’s all take a few minutes to copy the letter and mail it in. And while you’re at it, make some extra copies and ask your local comics shop to distribute them. If we can generate enough grassroots support, maybe Marvel will finally do for Jack what DC did for Siegel & Shuster in the 1970s.

hat’s the only word I can use to describe the response to the first issue of The Jack Kirby Collector! It’s totally exceeded my expectations - we even had to produce a second printing of #1! Every day I look forward to checking my mail (and E-mail) to see what amazing things people are sending in, or what new person has just learned about TJKC. It seems more and more Kirby fans are finding out about this publication on a daily basis, and I have YOU to thank. I’ve always known Kirby fans will go out of their way to share their love of Jack’s work with others, and apparently that includes telling others about this publication. Keep up the great work! Of course, you benefit by having as many fans involved as possible. More fans means more Kirby collections we have access to, which translates into more submissions. And as more people subscribe, we’ll be able to add pages without increasing subscription costs. Don’t forget: since we’re producing this publication atcost, we can’t pay for submissions. However, if your submission is used, we’ll extend your paid subscription by one issue. But don’t assume because you sent a submission that you’ll get the next issue free - yours may not be used for an issue or two. Go ahead and subscribe, and we’ll credit your account when your submission is used. We wouldn’t want you to miss an issue! By the way, our use of your Letters of Comment doesn’t count toward a free issue, but please don’t let that stop you from writing. Let me know what you like and don’t like about TJKC. That’s the only way this publication will ever be as good as it can be. Now here’s a few ground rules to remember:

Long live the King!

John Morrow, Editor TwoMorrows • 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605 • USA 919/833-8092 • Fax 919/833-8023 Internet Address: twomorrow@aol.com Compuserve Address: 75121,1767 America Online Screen Name: TwoMorrow

About The Cover: This issue’s cover is a sketch Jack drew for a fan named Steve Clement in 1976, and it was inked by Joe Sinnott. Sadly, Steve died in 1977, and this sketch had been kept with his belongings until it was acquired by Kirk Tilander this year. Our thanks to Kirk for sharing this great drawing with us.

• I really appreciate all the great stuff everyone’s sending, but PLEASE send some background information (if you know

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 1, No. 2, Nov. 1994. Published bi-monthly by TwoMorrows Advertising, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Single issues and back issues: $2.50 each U.S., $2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside N. America. 6-issue subscriptions: $12.00 US, $13.20 Canada, and $19.20 outside North America. Fifth printing (dated 4/26/95). The initial printing of this issue was mailed the week of Nov. 7, 1994. All characters are © their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective authors.

Kirby News & Reviews hristie’s Auction House in New York had its annual auction of comic collectibles on October 29, featuring a tribute to Jack Kirby. Christie’s offered 70 lots of Kirby originals, including key Fantastic Four pages: #5, last page (1st appearance of Dr. Doom), #35, splash page (“Calamity On The Campus”), #46, page 9 (the Thing battling Black Bolt), and #59, page 6 (“Doomsday” page). You may still be able to order a copy of the catalog by calling (800)395-6300. We hope to have a full report of the auction results next issue. Mark Evanier reports that plans are in the works for DC to reprint Jack’s early-1970s stories from Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen. Fans may recall that due to office politics at the time, DC had Al Plastino and Murphy Anderson redraw the Olsen and Superman faces without Jack’s knowledge, supposedly because Jack’s version didn’t match the established look of the characters. For this reprint, Steve Rude will work from xeroxes of the original, unaltered Kirby pencils to restore the original faces. Mark Evanier will be in New York this month to discuss moving the project ahead, and we’ll keep you updated. (An interesting bit of trivia that coincides with this is the fact the Mark Evanier regularly redrew Superman’s chest insignia on Jack’s work according to Mark, it was “the only thing I ever drew better than Jack Kirby, except for his signature.”) Hogan’s Alley is a new publication about comic strips and comics in general. #1 contains a wonderful account of Jack’s life by Jim Steranko. There’s also an article where leading comics professionals recall their favorite Kirby work. Editors Tom Heintjes and Rick Marschall have put a lot of effort into this new publication, and I highly recommend it. To order issue #1,

send $8 to Hogan’s Alley, PO Box 47684, Atlanta, GA 30362. Computer users may want to check out the new After Dark Marvel Screen Saver from Berkeley Software. It’s available for Macintosh and Windows machines, and retails for $19.95. It features Jack’s covers of Captain America, Hulk, Fantastic Four, and more. It’s available through most major computer stores and by mail order through CompUSA, Fry’s, and MacZone. Ron Mann’s critically acclaimed documentary Comic Book Confidential will be available on Laser Disc and CD-Rom in January. It features a host of influential comics authors and artists including, of course, Jack Kirby. Each entry in this anthology is introduced by Scott McCloud (author of Understanding Comics). It will feature 120 pages of comic art, including Jack’s work from Fantastic Four #51 in its entirety. You can order the Laser Disc or CD-Rom from The Voyager Company (800/446-2001). Marvel Comics has been noticeably silent about Jack’s death, so it’s nice to see their Pro Action Magazine Vol. II, No. 1 (July/August 1994). Inside is a remarkably fair, honest, and heartfelt tribute to Jack by none other than Stan Lee. Though it stops short of giving Jack credit for co-creating any of Marvel’s characters, it’s nice to see them give some recognition to the artist who put them on the map. You might still be able to find a copy of this football-oriented magazine at your newsstand be sure to check it out. Finally, don’t forget about the educational fund that was set up in Jack’s name shortly after his death. You can still send contributions to: The Jack Kirby Educational Fund, Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.

Mediascene Issues On Sale! Theakston Still Searching! Kirby collectors! Supergraphics is having a back issue clearance of Jim Steranko’s outstanding publication Mediascene (formerly Comixscene). Copies are only $2.00 each when ordering 11 or more issues, and $2.50 each when ordering 5-10 issues. Of particular interest to Kirby fans are issue #5 (Kirby full-page art, shown here), #15 (Kirby full-page art), #28 (features Kirby’s unpublished Prisoner adaptation), #30 (article on Lee/Kirby Silver Surfer Graphic Novel), #31 (Kirby animation storyboards), #38 (Kirby and Royer’s Black Hole Comic Strip), and #41 (Kirby’s Lord of Light artwork). You can call Supergraphics at (800)726-5936 to order.

Greg Theakston of Pure Imagination still needs low-grade copies of Red Raven #1 and Blue Bolt #8 and #9 for his new book The Complete Kirby. This book will reprint every story Jack did from his first published work until Captain America #1. Since the books get destroyed in the reproduction process, Greg is looking to purchase or trade for poor condition or coverless copies or tear sheets. Incomplete issues are okay, as long as the Kirby stories are intact. If you know where Greg can get these books, call him at (212)682-0025. Let’s help Greg find these books so he can publish this worthwhile collection.

Congratulations! Richard Kolkman of Indianapolis, IN is the winner of our “Blasts From The Past” contest from issue #1. He was the first person to correctly identify the four Kirby explosion panels as: • Fantastic Four #100 (Pg. 8) • Forever People #3 (Pg. 15) • OMAC #6 (Pg. 10) • New Gods #10 (Pg. 10) For his hard work, Richard receives SIX FREE ISSUES of The Jack Kirby Collector. Congratulations, Richard! 3

A Sandman Sleeper by John Morrow, artwork submitted by John Cowan, Bill Alger, and Greg Theakston n June 1978, DC Comics went through a major shake-up in their line of comics. Coming off a rapid period of expansion called the “DC Explosion,” they suddenly and dramatically cut back on their output. The shake-up came to be called the “DC Implosion.” In the midst of this, many books that were ready to go to press got shelved. To retain copyright on these unpublished stories, DC xeroxed the original art on 8-1/2" x 11" pages, onesided, and bound them into two volumes called Cancelled Comics Cavalcade. Both volumes have a blue cover and a taped spine, and only 35 copies were printed and distributed (mostly to artists whose work was included, with one copy sent to Bob Overstreet as verification of its existence). But since Jack had already left DC for Marvel Comics by 1978, what does all this have to do with him, you ask? Well, included in Volume Two is an unpublished Kirby Sandman story (inked by Mike Royer) originally scheduled for Sandman #7 before that book was cancelled in 1975. It was rescheduled to run in Kamandi #61, but Kamandi was a victim

of the Implosion, so the story ended up in Cancelled Comics Cavalcade. Presented here are six pages of that Sandman “sleeper.” The story has a Christmas theme, and we felt this was an appropriate submission with the holidays upon us. Kamandi #61 contained a framing sequence (not by Kirby) that tied the Sandman story in with Kamandi’s continuity. Apparently Jack C. Harris (editor of Kamandi at the time) planned to send Kamandi on a series of adventures that had him encountering all of Kirby’s 1970s DC characters. The Vortex that swept Kamandi away in issue #59 would eventually have been revealed as connected to The Source (from the Fourth World series). On a related note: although not by Kirby, Cancelled Comics Cavalcade contains work by other artists working on Kirby DC characters, including what would have been Kamandi #60 (with an OMAC story) and a Mister Miracle drawing by Michael Golden intended for the cover of Mister Miracle #26. If you’d like to see more of this Sandman story, let us know and we’ll run it in a future issue.

Characters © DC Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

indicia

Conversations With Jack Kirby by Harry W. Miller (This article was originally published in Alpha Omega #26, May 1989, well before Jack’s passing, and should be viewed in that light.) artists as Walter Berndt, creator of the Smitty strip. This was essentially the place Jack Kirby served his “apprenticeship.” During the thirties, his eyes and mind were being fed by the visual glories of the cinema and newspaper comic strips. Jack was increasingly impressed by the magnificent, large-sized strips he read in the Hearst paper, The New York Journal. One cartoonist whose great line-work he found to be particularly outstanding was Billy DeBeck in his Barney Google strip around 1935. Frequent trips to the cinema reinforced Jack’s appreciation for the visual, sequential type of story-telling. I can tell you, he is still a die-hard movie buff of the first order. Although he greatly prefers movies with well thought-out plots to those which lean needlessly on special effects, the three dimensional aspect of cinematography has always had a strong fascination for him. The Kirby style, noted for its use of strong perspective and foreshortening, makes this clear. However, Jack mentioned the actual 3-D work he did with Ray Zone in Battle for a Three-Dimensional World as, perhaps, the best example of this interest. Like many young boys of the thirties, he sold newspapers to make spending money. The experiences he had as a newsboy planted the seed of what would later become his Newsboy Legion which appeared in Star-Spangled Comics and still later in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen. The Legion was, perhaps, the first such teen group to lend a hand to their favorite super-hero. During World War II Jack mentally stored away enough exciting experiences to supply him with a near inexhaustible source of story ideas. Kirby served as an advanced scout for

here is no questioning the important place Jack Kirby has in the history of comics, both in terms of his visual and conceptual innovations. But even more impressive to me is the character of the person behind those historic contributions. I was able to appreciate this very clearly after having the opportunity to talk with Mr. Kirby on the phone several times. My hope is that someday I’ll have the chance to meet him face-to-face. The following is my paraphrasing of some of the thoughts he shared with me during our phone conversations, the last of which were on January 18th and March 16th this year. Much of it concerns the formative influences which went into the development of his unique and hard-hitting brand of telling stories with words and pictures. He has reviewed and given me permission to use this material.

Jack Kirby was born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 of Austrian Jewish parents who came to America from Europe. He had one younger brother Dave who he used to refer to as a “big guy”. That’s easy to understand, considering Jack is 5' 7". Jack was the first member of his family to be a native-born American. This fact, together with his character-shaping experiences in the U.S. Army in World War II France, imbued him with the staunch patriotism so forcefully expressed in his stories and in characters such as Captain America and his hero with a sense of humor, The Fighting American. Indeed, all of his work was strongly influenced by or directly based upon his true-life adventures. During his youth, growing up in New York City, he experienced the kind of prohibition and depression era world he pictured in works such as In The Days of the Mob and numerous other crime comics. His neighborhood was an ethnic melting pot, so he learned to understand all types of people. He seems to have found there are basically two types, good and bad, individuals, that is. Later, he would at times choose to use ethnic minorities such as blacks in stories based upon experiences in which the original character was white. Because, he says, “there were no blacks in comics at that time.” In Fantastic Four #52 he created what is deemed the first black super-hero, the Black Panther. That character went on to star in Jungle Action and then appeared in his own title. Kirby’s early surroundings helped stimulate his interest in story-telling. Being from a hard-working emigrant family, short on income, one of the chief forms of entertainment was telling stories to one another after the evening meal. So, young Jack was trained at his craft early-on. He told me he could just as well have become a journalist, so strong was his interest in the story-telling aspect of his art. His home was on the lower east side, a short trolley ride from where most of the publishers were then located. As luck would have it, he came under the influence of the comic strip artists rather than the journalists. He would often visit with, run errands for, and most of all, learn from such accomplished

Harry did finally get to meet Jack face-to-face at the 1990 Atlanta Fantasy Fair. Shown here is a photo taken at that meeting in August 1990. 6

General Patton’s Fifth Armored Division in France. It was his job to go into targeted towns ahead of the troops to gather intelligence as to what troop movements should be made. Many nights were spent half-covered with snow in freezing cold. He said that the wind blew constantly in France and would “never seem to stop.” Instead of Captain America fighting the Nazis, in real-life it was Jack Kirby who put his life on the line and was present at Bastogne when those famous words were uttered in answer to the German’s demand for surrender, “nuts!”. He told me of two specific “Losers” stories in Our Fighting Forces which were based directly on his war experiences. One, in #159, was called “Mile a Minute Jones.” It was about two soldiers running what amounted to a marathon along a white line which marked the edge of a mine field. “Jones” was a black soldier in the story only. The other story was called “A Small Place In Hell.” Knowing such stories were based upon actual experiences makes them much more meaningful to me and I would assume to any other fan. Considering all his accomplishments, Jack Kirby is an unusually unassuming person. He has a good word for most

Letters

everyone and is always ready to give helpful advice to young artists and writers. He said that he was especially blessed with the talented inkers who have worked with him over the years. Let me conclude with a personal note about the entire body of Jack Kirby’s work. What strikes me as most exceptional about his stories is the way he is able to inject his personal philosophy or worldview in them so that they always seem larger than life. His art and story-lines weave together to form a unified fabric which is dramatic and hard-hitting visually and conceptually. It is moralistic without being preachy or moralizing. Its truly heroic stature becomes only too apparent when we see other artists and writers try unsuccessfully to interpret his creations. The results of their efforts to make his heroes more “realistic” is that they only manage to make them more mundane and so much less memorable. (Harry W. Miller is a retired professor of art and art history who serves as the Coordinator for Alpha Omega, the Christian comics apa. For information about the apa, send an SASE to him at: 1106 Jones Ave., Bowling Green, KY 42104.)

Send to: TwoMorrows 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605, USA or E-mail to: twomorrow@aol.com

(Now that’s the kind of creative thinking we like to see! It’s amazing how far Jack’s influence reaches, and how he’s touched people’s lives in other countries. I’m looking forward to getting your submission.)

(Let’s start off with a letter from one of my favorite comic artists:)

“Incredible! The design of the thing bowled me over. It’s more attractive than I ever thought it would be. I had no idea this would be such an –uh– legitimate fanzine. No offense, but it’s hard to size up people when you’re communicating through cyberspace. It was great Roz sanctioned it. It just makes it all the better. I feel very proud that my writing is framed in such a first-rate package.” Chris Kemp, 1010 Sage Place, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

“Thanks for sending me the first issue of your Kirby magazine. It’s certainly the kind of thing I would’ve been ecstatic over in high school, where my memories recall drawing from his books almost every day.” “Jack was a genius. The fact that he is no longer physically with us seems almost immaterial to me. Everywhere I look, I still see him.” “I wish you much success with your publication.” Steve Rude (The Dude)

(Chris is, of course, speaking of his excellent submission from issue #1. And no offense taken, Chris. A lot of people who wrote in said basically the same thing; I’m just glad everyone was so pleasantly surprised!)

(It’s an honor to hear from Steve, who I consider to be the one of the few artists to ever really do justice to Kirby’s creations. He even took the time to draw a neat sketch of OMAC on his letter. WOW!)

Special thanks to Roz Kirby for her continued support, to Mark Evanier for answering all my questions, and to Greg Theakston for all his help. And of course to everyone who sent submissions. Now let us know what you think, and keep sending all that neat Kirby stuff!

“A fanzine dedicated to the King has been too long in coming. The man is to comics what Frank Sinatra is to music. He was beyond gifted, beyond genius. He was a God.” “I’m sure The Jack Kirby Collector will thrive and grow. Kirby fans are a special breed. We deserve a forum such as this, a gathering place for those who appreciate the finest in comic art.” “I will be a lifetime subscriber, and I hope you’ll go monthly soon.” Fred L. Smith, 404 Anita Dr., Goose Creek, SC 29445 (Actually, I envision this publication eventually being 48-pages and monthly, which would allow more space to show Jack’s art large size. With everyone helping spread the word and sending submissions, I think we can achieve that goal.) “Just finished off your newsletter, and still had fun reading it! I’ve decided on an angle for a submission. Basically, it is a remembrance of my earliest recollections of Kirby and the various languages I read comics in. (ie; I first met Jack’s work on a couple of issues of Fantastic Four which were published in Italian. Later, in French). I can write a small piece and have copies of pages from each book thrown in. What do you think?” Mike Aragona 12384 Fortin, Montreal-North, Quebec, Canada, H1G-3Z8

Jack Kirby, by Stephen Ashley Holt. 7

Marvelmania Portfolio Showcase

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Submitted by Paul Doolittle Here are a few plates from the rare 1970 Marvelmania Portfolio, which was discussed in detail in issue #1. We’ll be running additional plates through issue #4.

9 Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Kirby On Display by Kirk Tilander he Words & Pictures Museum of Fine Sequential Art presented a tribute to Jack Kirby from April 6 to May 7, 1994. The exhibit was called King of Comics. The museum, located in Northampton, Massachusetts was completely filled with works of comic art by Jack Kirby. In the main gallery, art from the much-too-often overlooked Kirby series Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth was on display. Covers and double page spreads of numbers 3, 7, 8, 12, 14, 16, 19, 20, 27 and 28 were displayed on one wall. The other side of the gallery wall offered a complete issue of #15 -“The Watergate Secrets,” wherein Kamandi, Dr. Canus, and Prince Tuftan are sent by Sacker the snake to find the fabled secrets of a long dead past, encountering much danger along the way. In the upper gallery, Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos #7 (“The Court Martial of Sgt. Fury”) was displayed in full, minus the cover. Our Fighting Forces featuring the Losers splash pages and action battle scenes were also displayed on the wall. Along the balcony, showcases featuring text quotes about Jack Kirby were displayed along with double page spreads from The Demon and OMAC. The last showcase held the last page of Kamandi #20 where he feels as if he is truly alone. Video featuring Jack Kirby interviews played on a monitor. A written thesis by Charles Hatfield was also on display.

analysis and examples and discussions of his styling and layouts could spill over several volumes. They do not, however, take into consideration why he worked so hard. “I never wanted to work for a living, but I never made it a goal to become famous or well-known. Drawing was an obsession to me. Ever since I was a small boy I wanted to draw. After years of practicing, I turned the obsession into an artform, and a way to make a living. I was supporting my family, and I was doing what I wanted to do. I always looked for ways of improving my art and I watched to see if it was accepted by the most important person in the process - the reader. Because, if the reader doesn’t like what you’re doing and you don’t do something about it, then you’re out of a job.” Despite his great love to create, Kirby never became jealous of his style or storytelling. He made adjustments and modifications as the tastes of his readers changed. The evidence of his efforts is clearly demonstrated on the many comics pages and covers he produced. There are distinct “eras” in his career that are easily identifiable by their style and treatment. Eventually, his quest for originality cultivated such a unique appearance during the Silver Age of comics art that it was easier to simply call it Kirbyesque comics art than to indulge in any effort to describe it. This is only one reason why many consider Kirby to be the comic book artist’s artist.

Here are a few quotes by Jack that were on display: “I couldn’t draw the way they teach you in school. To me, realistic detail was boring and unimportant. The reader wants to see the close-up, bird’s eye view of the action. You have to decide which you want, a well-designed book of pictures or a great story.”

“I think the greatest contribution I’ve made in comics is the fact that I helped to build up readership. I think people have accepted me, they have accepted my stories, because I think they recognized their own values in those stories. I don’t think the average reader believes in fairy tales, and I’ve never given them fairy tales. Yes, I’ve given them fictionalized drama, but this is drama, that is enacted by real people.” Here’s a summation of the show, as it appeared at the museum: Stripped of the plaudits, the praise, the controversies - and the arguments - Kirby’s career is still an extraordinary lifetime of dedicated hard work enriched by his love of the art. Quantitative

Artwork used to promote the show. 10

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

“Comics are a universal product. They have no boundaries. You can use them in a very serious manner or just for laughs. Comics can be used to educate, to entertain or to provoke deep thought. A well-read person will one day produce a classic epic in comics, one that everybody will remember. I wanted to do that, but I think that’s going to be somebody else’s job. I’m happy that I got the chance to accomplish what I did.”

Here is the complete listing of the original art on display:

Characters © DC Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

• Kamandi # 3: Double page spread • Kamandi # 7: Cover and double page spread • Kamandi # 8: Cover & double page spread • Kamandi # 12: Cover and pages 4 and 10 • Kamandi # 14: Cover, splash page, double page spread and page # 6 • Kamandi # 15: Entire issue • Kamandi # 16: Cover, and double page spread • Kamandi # 17: Cover and double page spread • Kamandi # 19: Cover, double page spread and page # 6 • Kamandi # 20: Cover and double page spread • Kamandi # 23: Double page spread • Kamandi # 27: Cover, double page spread and page # 16 • Kamandi # 28, April 1975: Cover, double page spread and page # 5 • Demon # 8: Cover, splash page and double page spread • Our Fighting Forces # 154: Cover and page # 10 • Our Fighting Forces # 155: Cover and double page spread • Our Fighting Forces # 156: Double page spread • Our Fighting Forces # 158: Cover • OMAC # 8: Double page spread • Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos # 7: Entire issue • The Art of Jack Kirby cover illustration • Jack Kirby and Marvel Characters, 1970 • Kamandi # 20: End page (Editor’s note: The Words & Pictures Museum was founded by Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a long-time Kirby fan. All artwork displayed was on loan from his collection. The museum celebrates its grand opening December 31, 1994 at their new location - 140 Main Street, Northampton, MA. Our thanks go to Co-Director Fiona Russell for supplying supplemental materials for this article.)

One of the pages from Kamandi #15 that was on display.

4) For previously printed articles and interviews, originals or good xeroxes can be sent - call before sending originals.

Send Your Submissions!

Please send background info on your submissions, such as: • When and where it was published • Inker (if inked) and writer (in the case of stories) • Copyright info (look for © symbol or publisher’s name)

The Demon © DC Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Artwork should be submitted in one of the following forms: 1) Good quality xeroxes (color or black-&-white) - as faithful to the original as possible, and as large as possible. 2) Scanned onto a computer disk, saved as a Grayscale, 300ppi .TIFF file, in IBM or Mac format, as large as will fit on a disk (High Density disks and “Stuffed” files OK). 3) Original materials (carefully packed and insured). To keep expenses down, only originals will be returned. We’ll pay return postage and insurance, but PLEASE call before sending originals - we may already have what you’re sending, and a call could save us all a lot of trouble and expense. Text should be sent in one of the following forms: 1) E-mail (see page 2 for address) 2) Saved on a floppy disk as an ASCII file, with no formatting, IBM or Macintosh OK. 3) Neatly typed or laser printed pages, with solid black letters on clean white paper, and with no “fancy” fonts. 11

The Spinner Rack by Timothy M. Walters he year was 1966 and I was nine years old. My father had music for eight years, while Kirby produced art for half a taken me into Purity Drug Store, where I contemplated the century! Yet consider the numerous similarities. Jack Kirby was tall spinner rack like a hungry man studying an apple tree. I acclaimed by his peers while simultaneously attaining commerfinally chose my “apple” from the potpourri of four-color cial success. Kirby’s effect on the field was not merely influential, treasures. It was the first comic book I ever bought, Fantastic it was innovative – he virtually revolutionized the process. He Four #50. created formidable art in an arena not then considered an art I was a little young in 1966 to comprehend the Lee-Kirby form (comics were at best viewed as fodder for children; at plot nuances, but even my innocent eyes appreciated the art. I worst they were labeled as vile trash). Pubescent lads who have read this classic issue countless times over the decades. I hyperventilate over the current “hot”’ artists might be unfamiliar have equally powerful memories of FF #51 (“This Man, This with Kirby’s work, but the pioneering King paved the way for Monster”) and FF #52 (“The Black Panther”). I will forever view the contemporary creators. these three issues through a rose colored haze. I eventually Kirby’s artwork is frequently imitated, mirrored, copied digested the earlier Fantastic Four books, which was a joyous and parodied, but never surpassed. Regardless of the passing experience. years, his art remains the industry measuring scale. Comic At a tiny drugstore in a small Oklahoma town, a new door book art is gauged by, compared to, and contrasted with the was opened to me via comic books. I walked through and work of the King. encountered worlds, universes, and unlimited imagination I am fortunate to have been introduced to comics during courtesy of Jack Kirby and other purveyors of comic book such a fertile period and by such a seminal artist. Stan Lee and artistry. By 1971 I was a full-fledged collector and self-professed Jack Kirby were responsible for the finest superhero material of comic “expert.” the Silver Age. The era’s only creative team of comparable When my father died in 1993, one of my many thoughts quality was the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko duo, whose sensational was of that initial sojourn to the drugstore spinner rack. When stint on Spider-Man is legend. Jack Kirby died one year later I remembered my father again. There may have been a touch of serendipity in my long ago Jack Kirby is to comics what the Beatles are to rock music. discovery, but I suspect that an appealing Kirby cover was desThis might seem a tenuous comparison; the Beatles produced tined to capture the eye of a certain small boy in the heartland.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Presented here are two panels of Jack’s unused pencils from Fantastic Four #108, including his margin notes for Stan Lee to dialog by. Submitted by David Hamilton.

Here is page one of a three-page story Jack did for Esquire Magazine (May 1967), detailing the events leading up to Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald. Jack’s art was also featured in the Sept. 1966 issue, in an article about the comics craze on college campuses. Artwork submitted by Greg Theakston. 13

Thinkin’ ‘Bout Inkin’

Kirby Kuriosities by Richard Kolkman uperman and Batman were my favorites until I purchased Demon #2 from that ol’ spinning comic rack. After that, Mr. Mxyzptlk saying his name backwards just didn’t seem very exciting. For me, Jack Kirby took over from there until 1978, which was a bittersweet year; the Silver Surfer graphic novel was published, as was Machine Man and Devil Dinosaur numbers nine. It was the end of an era. The time that’s passed since then has given Kirby historians an opportunity to properly catalogue his massive body of work. As with all publishing, weird things, such as unexplainable typos, print errors and art credits tend to slip unnoticed, through the cracks of comic history. Here are some kurious Kirby kurios to kick your konsciousness:

ho’s the best Kirby inker of all time? Royer? Wood? Sinnott? Theakston? Simon? Or some other? Send in your vote, and we’ll print the results here next issue. But before you decide, check out the nifty sketch below, inked by the one and only Roz Kirby! (submitted by David Hamilton)

• What is the only Marvel art (1961-1970) on which Kirby inked his own pencils? The cover of Fantasy Masterpieces #4. According to the Bullpen Bulletins page of October 1966: “For years fans have been asking to see a sample of King Kirby’s inking, but Jolly Jack just hasn’t had the time to put down his pencil and pick up a brush. However, just for kicks, he both penciled and inked the fight scene depicting Captain America and Ivan the Terrible on the cover of Fantasy Masterpieces #4. So, if you want a real not-soon-to-be-repeated treasure, latch onto a copy pronto!” • Are you one of those Kirby collectors who think that Jack’s last Fantastic Four interior art is in #108? Well, you’re wrong. Take a look at #124, page 19, panel 1. Does that look like a John Buscema Thing? No – because it’s lifted directly from the splash page of #49. Check it out yourself. In addition to that bizarre panel, Marvel inked over Jack’s storyboards for the 1978 Fantastic Four cartoon, and printed them in #236, much to Jack’s displeasure. Also, Jack’s last cover for Fantastic Four was not #190 as regularly listed, but is actually #200. It’s even signed by Kirby and Sinnott. • Everywhere I turn, I see Adventures of the Fly #2 (Archie; 1959) listed as Simon & Kirby’s last project together. Has anyone heard of a DC comic called “Sandman” #1 from the Winter of 1974? That is the last Simon & Kirby comic! • Lastly, I’d like to name two (if not three) Kirby covers not properly listed anywhere: Marvel Superheroes #54 (Marvel) inked by Vince Colletta - NOT A REPRINT! Marvel Double Feature #13 (Marvel) inked by Frank Giacoia Supervillain Team-Up #13 (Marvel) inked by ? (this one is a maybe) There are many more strange items of interest from Jack’s long career...perhaps I’ll dig back down through the stacks and find some more. My personal thanks for this opportunity to help keep Jack’s memory alive in the pages of The Jack Kirby Collector. 14

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

• Silver Star #1 (Pacific; 1983) - shown above On page 16, check out Dr. Hammer telling Floyd Custer not to rattle his gonads in his ear!

Classifieds WANTED: Any Kirby romance, western, war, crime and horror comics (pre-1963). Fred Smith, 404 Anita Dr., Goose Creek, SC 29445. ____________________________ FEMALE Pen Pals Wanted: Steve, 420 Fourth Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18018. ____________________________ CORBEN original art wanted. Send copies to: John Kelly, c/o 901 Broad St., Shrewsbury, NJ 07702.

Kirby Plates. Contact John Morrow, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, (919)833-8092. ____________________________

FOR SALE/TRADE: Silver Marvel, DC Comics, Kirby Books, Cards, etc. Ben Apilado, 99-115 Kohomua St. Apt. 21-D, Aiea, HI 96701. ____________________________

WANTED: Members to join a general comics Apa (Comicopia - 3 years and going strong). $3.00 pays for shipping a sample issue ($5.00 Can.). For information: Mike Aragona, 12384 Fortin, Montreal-North, Quebec, CANADA, H1G-3Z8 or send Email to: savage@vircom.com

I’M ACTING as a go-between for a French Kirby fan who wants the following in VF or better condition: Kirby GODS Portfolio, Battle 64-70, Black Magic Vol. I #3-5, Vol. II #1,3-6,8,10,13, Vol. III #1-3, Vol. IV #1,2,5,6, Vol.V #1-3, Strange World Of Your Dreams #1-3, Ltd. Edition

WANTED: GODS Portfolio, rare Kirby art and interviews, video, lowgrade Atlas Monster Comics, correspondence. Marvelmania, Paul, 92 School St., Apt. 4, Whitman, MA 02382. ____________________________ WANTED: Boy’s Ranch hardcover reprint book. Also Argosy Vol. 3, No. 2 (Street Code story). Send asking price to: John Morrow, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, 919/833-8092.

Subscribe! ur goal is to keep subscription costs as low as possible by only charging enough to cover expenses. With our current number of subscribers, $2.00 per issue will exactly cover costs. With more paid subscribers, we can ship by Bulk Mail, and the postage savings can be put toward adding more pages. But this can only happen if you tell every Kirby fan you know about us, and get them to subscribe. More subscriptions means more submissions, lower costs and better quality for everyone.

Back Issues!

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Next Issue... ...is our Captain America theme issue, so get to work on your submissions about everyone’s favorite star-spangled patriot (no, NOT Ollie North). In addition, we’ll have Installment Two of the Marvelmania Portfolio plates, plus news, reviews, and more Kirby art than you can sling a shield at! Current plans call for issue #6 to have a Fourth World theme, #8 to have a Kid Gang theme, and for all the in-between numbers to be like this one - a more general interest issue (except for #5 - we’ve got something really special planned for that one. Sorry, no hints!).

TwoMorrows publications should only be downloaded at

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Don’t Forget...

Submission deadline for Issue #3 is DEC. 5th Issue #3 will be mailed Dec. 31

...about the letter-writing campaign to get Marvel Comics to give Jack a little credit. The sample letter is on the back cover of this issue. Give a little back to Jack by sending it in! 15

Let’s give something back to someone who has given us so much. Let’s give Jack Kirby something as simple as a little credit! Please join me in signing your name to the letter below, or write your own letter to Terry Stewart, President of Marvel Comics.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Terry Stewart, President Marvel Comics Company 387 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 USA Dear Terry, Count me among the fans of Marvel Comics who feel that Jack Kirby deserves a little credit for helping to create the Marvel Universe. Without the creative teamwork of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby I might never have known a world filled with the Fantastic Four, The Silver Surfer, The X-Men, The Avengers, Thor, Sgt. Fury, or the Hulk. On these titles and with other characters developed by Stan and Jack, I ask that you place the by-line “Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.” This would serve as a long overdue tribute to the genius of their teamwork. Just as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster will always be formally identified as the creators of Superman, I would like to see Jack Kirby and Stan Lee afforded a similar tribute for their many contributions to the Marvel Universe. Sincerely,

Note: This ad copy was prepared prior to Jack’s death. For more information regarding this letter writing campaign, please contact: Dr. Mark Miller 6466 S.W. Barnes Rd. Portland, OR 97221 USA

Fully Authorized By The Kirby Estate

$ 50

$2.70 Canada $3.70 Foreign

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Issue #3, Jan. 1995

you still haven’t gotten #2, please contact me, and I’ll correct the situation immediately. This issue’s slightly higher cover price reflects the January postage increase. Sorry about this, but rest assured we’ll continue to do everything possible to keep TJKC affordable. Does anyone know how to contact Glen Kolleda? A few years ago, Glen’s company Creations produced two sculptures based on Jack’s creations: Jacob & The Angel and Beast Rider, both of which came with signed limited edition Kirby prints. He doesn’t answer at his old number, so if you’ve got information on how to reach Glen, please let me know. I’d also like to mention The Jack Kirby Quarterly, a British ’zine very much like this one. It’s published by Chris Harper, a very knowledgeable British Kirby fan who’s published three issues so far. JKQ is full of Kirby art, reviews, and articles, and I highly recommend it. I’ll have full details next issue, but you can get back issues in the US from TJKC subscriber Wes Tillander, PO Box 366, Morrow, GA 30260, (404) 361-7682. Try it! Finally, have you sent your letter to Marvel Comics, requesting that they give Jack credit on the characters he created/co-created? I’ve included a copy of Mark Miller’s form letter with each copy of this issue, or you can send your own letter to: Terry Stewart, President, Marvel Comics Company, 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016.

Jack Kirby with Bob Newhart during the filming of Jack’s guest appearance in the January 29, 1993 episode of CBS-TV’s BOB.

The Stars & Stripes Forever! ere we are with our first theme issue. And what better character to base our theme on than Joe Simon’s and Jack Kirby’s first major creation, Captain America! Joe and Jack went on to become the most prolific creative team of the Golden Age, but Cap remains their shining achievement. I hope you enjoy my recent interview with Joe Simon, and finding out what Cap means to some of our readers. After more than half a century, Cap is still a viable character. As long as America stands as a beacon of freedom for the world, Captain America will remain a symbol of that freedom. Our next theme issue (#5) will center on Jack’s Fourth World series. Among other things, we’ll have interviews with Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman, Jack’s assistants at the time. Due to overwhelming response, we’re considering making it double-size (32-pages). If you’ve always wanted to express your feelings about this great series, get to work on a submission! Exciting things are happening with TJKC. First, Tony Isabella gave us a wonderful review in Comics Buyer’s Guide, and now Mike Allred is giving us a plug in Madman Comics #5! It turns out Mike’s a long-time Kirby fan, and one heck of a nice guy. If you’ve never read the adventures of his quirky, funky, hip hero, pick up a copy today! Thanks to both of these highprofile professionals for helping spread the word. Let me apologize for how long it took some of you to receive issue #2. I mailed the first 200+ copies on November 10, but some of you didn’t receive it until the beginning of December. It turns out our local Bulk Mail office was moving to a new building the following day, and apparently my mail got misplaced during the move. The person in charge assures me it won’t happen again (yeah, right), so hopefully this issue will reach you in a more reasonable amount of time. If by chance

Long live the King!

John Morrow, Editor TwoMorrows • 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605 • USA 919/833-8092 • Fax 919/833-8023 Internet Address: twomorrow@aol.com Compuserve: 75121,1767 • America Online: TwoMorrow About The Cover: This issue’s cover is from artwork used for a signed, numbered Kirby lithograph produced in 1978. Inks by Mike Royer. Submitted by yours’ truly. The Jack Kirby Co llecto r #3 Edited by: John Morrow Pro duction by: John & Pamela Morrow Special thanks to : Mike Allred, Mark Evanier, Tony Isabella, Mike Royer, Scott Shaw!, Steve Sherman, Joe Simon, Greg Theakston, & of course, Roz Kirby.

Contributo rs: Paul Doolittle, Paul Eginton, Jeff Gelb, David Hamilton, Chris Harper, Richard Martines, Tom Morehouse, Merrill Singer, Ed Hawkeye Stelli, Carl Taylor, & Greg Theakston Majo r Contributo r:

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 2, No. 3, Jan. 1995. Published bi-monthly by TwoMorrows Advertising, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Single issues and back issues: $2.50 each U.S., $2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside N. America. 6-issue subscriptions: $12.00 US, $13.20 Canada, and $19.20 outside North America. Third printing (dated 4/26/95). The initial printing of this issue was mailed the week of Mar. 1, 1995. All characters are © their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective authors.

Kirby News & Reviews (Christmas with the Super Heroes). Apparently we weren’t the only ones unaware of this; a lot more readers wrote in asking to see the rest of the story. Thanks for letting us know, everyone! In Harry Miller’s article “Conversations with Jack Kirby”, mention was made that when Jack changed his name to “Kirby,” he took it from the comic strip Rip Kirby. However, this doesn’t seem likely, since Rip Kirby didn’t begin until 1946, well after Jack changed his name! Also in his article, Harry mentioned that the Newsboy Legion appeared in Detective Comics. This should have read Star-Spangled Comics (the Boy Commandos appeared in Detective Comics). Harry Miller says he took these statements straight from his conversations with Jack, who might have remembered incorrectly. Considering the incredible amount of ideas Jack kept filed away in his head, I think we can forgive him for a minor memory lapse!

ere’s a bit of news in-keeping with this issue’s Cap theme: in 1965, Jack kicked around several designs for a new costume for Captain America. Although Marvel decided not to use it, you can see Jack’s chosen design for Cap’s new costume in Captain America Collector #1, published by Steve Saffel. Look for it in comic stores in late January. Also in that issue, you’ll find a reprint of the Simon & Kirby Captain America story from All Winners #1 (Summer 1941), and a 2-page piece by Greg Theakston on the creation of Captain America. There’s good news and bad news at DC. The good news is that two new Kirby hardcover reprint editions are being proposed. Last issue we mentioned the Jimmy Olsen reprint book, wherein Steve Rude will work from xeroxes of Jack’s pencils to restore the original faces. Mark Evanier reports that DC is also discussing a reprinting of Jack’s Challengers of the Unknown issues, and another one featuring the best of Simon & Kirby’s Golden Age Sandman stories! Now the bad news: sales on DC’s reprint volumes haven’t been great, so it’s very likely the series will be cancelled before they ever get to these Kirby volumes. If you want to see reprints of these exceptional stories, write to Bob Kahn at DC Comics, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019 and tell them what you think (no calls, please)! Mark Evanier also reports that things are proceeding on the Kirby tribute book we reported on in issue #1. They’re currently tying up some legal loose-ends, and should have a formal announcement soon. We’ll keep you posted. Masters of Imagination is the title of a new book dedicated to the best in comic book art. Written by Mike Benton, it features a section on Jack, as well as profiles on comic greats like Will Eisner, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, and many others. It retails for $29.95, and should be available by the time you read this. Check your local comics shop. By now you’ve probably seen Jack Kirby, The Unpublished Archives, a set of collector cards featuring Jack’s creations while working for Ruby-Spears Productions. Be warned: this card set, published by Comics Images, contains a number of cards NOT by Jack, including work by Gil Kane and Doug Wildey. We’ll have a review of the set next issue. Greg Theakston reports that the set of Kirby collector’s cards from 21st Century Archives is due out in January. This is a 50 card set with 5 chase cards, and is a retrospective of Jack’s career. It highlights famous covers and characters, and features some never before published artwork. Look for these at your local comics shop. Don’t forget about the educational fund that was set up in Jack’s name shortly after his death. Send your contributions to: The Jack Kirby Educational Fund Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

We’re Updating The Kirby Checklist We’re embarking on a new project! Our goal is to update/correct the Kirby checklist from Blue Rose Press’ The Art Of Jack Kirby, and publish what we hope will be the definitive checklist of Jack’s published work. But we need your help! Already, we’ve received several lists of uncredited Kirby work, and we’re incorporating them into one final, accurate checklist. So if you remember seeing an error, omission, or inaccuracy in the checklist, do some research and let us know what you find. This is an ongoing project that we hope to have completed for our first anniversary next Fall.

Congratulations to John Little! John sent in his theory about our “Kirby Code” in issue #1. In it, we took boldface words from Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #139, rearranged them, and came up with the following sentence: “Okay children, put on brass thumbs to foul-up mister tricky.” John’s theory states that this was a political statement Jack was making about old “Tricky Dick” himself, the late Richard Nixon! Considering Nixon was President at the time, and Jack once got a letter from some irate Republicans claiming that Gabby (from the Newsboy Legion) was an unflattering caricature of Nixon, John’s theory seems plausible to us! For his creative thinking, John gets one free issue of TJKC!

Errors From Issue #2 Several people wrote in to mention that the Sandman story from Cancelled Comics Cavalcade (featured in issue #2) was finally published in the early 1980s, in Best of DC Digest #22 3

The Christie’s Auction O

Fantastic Four

35 1 $5750.00 43 19 $920.00 46 8 $1265.00 46 9 $2530.00 46 10 $4830.00 46 11 $2530.00 59 6 $10,350.00 61 17 $805.00 90 14 $805.00 94 18 $748.00 96 15 $748.00 97 3 $460.00 102 9 $1955.00 Fantastic Four Annual 1 10 $1093.00 Forever People 9 4 No sale. Hulk 4 4 $1495.00 Journey Into Mystery 101 3 $978.00 112 1 $2530.00 112 6 $1955.00 116 15 $518.00 119 15 $805.00 120 5 $518.00 121 5 $460.00 Machine Man 5 2-3 No sale. Marvel Treasury Special 1 (CA’s Battles) 37 No sale. New Gods 9 Cover No sale. 9 2-3 $2070.00 9 6 No sale. 9 19 $978.00 10 2-3 $1380.00 10 16 $1265.00 11 4 $1380.00 11 7 No sale. Phantom Force 1 Entire book No sale. Silver Surfer Graphic Novel 42 & 86 $1380.00 Super Powers (pencils) 5 Cover No sale. (pencils) 5 1,11,13,14,15 $1380.00 Strange Tales 102 5 No sale. Strange Tales Annual 2 9 $2530.00 2 17 $2300.00 Thor 130 1 $1725.00 131 2 $575.00 140 13 $575.00 144 16 $518.00 153 8 $552.00 X-Men 26 Entire book No sale.

n Oct. 29, 1994, Christie’s Auction House in New York held an auction of comic collectibles. Besides the numerous comics by Jack, there was an extensive collection of Kirby original art up for bid. Here are the results, with prices in US dollars. Keep in mind that: • Prices include a 15% premium paid to Christie’s by buyers. • Sellers pay Christie’s a fee of 10%-20% of the winning bid.

Mark Moonrider © DC Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

by John Morrow

This Mark Moonrider pencil sketch sold for $920.00.

• Each item has a minimum bid, which may be rather high to make up for the auction costs. Combined sales of these Kirby originals total $97,847.00. This doesn’t include the many comic books sold with Jack’s art in them. Christie’s next sale of comic collectibles will be in March 1995. Call 212-606-0543 for details or to order a catalog.

Original Art Pages: Title Avengers

Captain America Demon Eternals Fantastic Four

Issue # 2 2 3 6 102 211 2 2 14 15 5 5 11 15 16 17 17 34

Page # Final Price 8 19 16 7&8 16 2-3 2-3 6 1 Cover 17 23 2 2 6 9 15 5

$2300.00 No sale. $2990.00 $4140.00 $920.00 $1610.00 $2645.00 $2070.00 $805.00 No sale. $5520.00 $5750.00 $1610.00 $978.00 $1265.00 $805.00 $863.00 No sale. 4

of the first things Kirby did was to invite Rosalind to his room (which happened to be at his parent’s place) to see his drawings!

Kirby Quiz #2:

2. Adolph Hitler. Interestingly, Kirby was drafted on June 7, 1943 and was himself fighting the Nazis at Normandy by August of the following year.

The Origin of Cap, by Merrill Singer

3. In considering how to counter German spies, President Roosevelt wonders aloud if someone like the Human Torch of Golden Age comic book fame is available for the job. This was an interesting technique to make Captain America seem real by contrasting him with a mere comic book figure in the company of real people.

ack Kirby was catapulted to the frontlines of comicdom with the first appearance of Captain America (or just plain “Cap” to his fans). In the spirit of this issue, I offer this Captain America trivia quiz (if you are sitting there puzzled about the numbering, you can find my first Kirby trivia challenge nicely preserved in the Oh, So? section of a back issue of the Comic Buyer’s Guide from October). This brief poetic romp focuses on the early years of Captain America, a hero that was Marvel’s biggest success of the Golden Age and one of the best selling comics ever.

4. Professor Reinstein, a take on Albert Einstein, and portrayed wearing a mustache like the latter. 5. He was the spy, in the pay of Hitler’s gestapo, who killed Professor Reinstein while stealing the formula that gave Cap his strength.

Questions:

6. Steve Rogers, drawn as a sickly army reject until he received Professor Reinstein’s magic potion and was transformed immediately into “the first of a corps of super-agents whose mental and physical ability will make them a terror to spies and saboteurs”. It was also the good professor who dubbed Rogers as Captain America.

1. It now is far but once was near, exactly when did Cap first appear? 2. And on Cap’s premier so long ago, who did his smashing right cross lay low? 3. The “Human Torch” (namesake of the one Kirby drew), how did he figure in Cap’s debut?

7. Bucky Barnes was the teenage “mascot of the regiment” at Camp Leigh where Captain America was sent for basic training. Where did Kirby receive his basic army training? Camp Stewart, Georgia.

4. Science treads where fools won’t go, name the professor behind our star spangled hero.

8. Sgt. Duffy.

5. Dirty deeds and malice do abound, state the mission of the first spy Cap laid down.

9. The corrupt industrialist George Maxon, otherwise known as the Red Skull.

6. Being a super hero is a daunting task, who was the mortal behind Cap’s mask?

10. The full list is very long, given the enormous and rapid success of Captain America, but includes figures like: Captain Flag, Major Liberty, the Fighting Yank, Captain Valiant, the Liberator, and the American Crusader.

7. A hero without a sidekick just won’t do, how did Bucky become Cap’s number two? 8. Basic training under this drill sergeant was very tough, who was the non-com who made Cap’s army life so rough?

11. Lee’s first published work in comics, a prose piece entitled “Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge.”

9. No hero can be great without a well-matched rival, name the fiend that most threatened Cap’s survival. 10. Like Superman before him there were many imitators, name 3 early Cap wannabes drawn by rival comic creators. Extra Credit: 11. Captain America #3, included what from Stan Lee?

Capt. America © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Answers: 1. The comic showed up on newsstands in late 1940 with a cover date of March 1941; about a year before Pearl Harbor and the Axis declaration of war on the U.S., and about a year before Kirby and partner Joe Simon left Timely/ Marvel for National Periodical/ DC. Kirby left the title after issue 10, but helped to revive the character at Marvel twenty years later. It was during the late summer of 1940, while Kirby and Simon were first developing Captain America, that Kirby met Rosalind Goldstein who was later to be his wife. One

Captain America, submitted by Jeff Gelb. 5

Joe Simon on Captain America Interviewed by John Morrow oe Simon began his professional art career in the early 1930s doing sports and editorial cartoons and spot illustrations for a variety of newspapers and magazines. On the advice of one of his editors, Joe decided to try his hand in the new field of comic books. Moving to Funnies Incorporated, his first comic work was creating the Fiery Mask in Daring Mystery Comics #1 (January 1940). From there he produced numerous covers for Victor Fox’s line of comics, and created Blue Bolt. Things really took off when he teamed up with Jack Kirby to create Captain America, and the two went on to produce a string of hits during the Golden Age, and up through the late 1950s. In 1990 he and his son Jim wrote and published The Comic Book Makers, a fascinating account of Joe’s career, including details about his collaborations with Jack Kirby and the industry as a whole. I spoke with Joe Simon by telephone on December 11, 1994 to conduct this interview.

had the word death or murder in the titles! Was this your your way of getting the kid’s attention? JS: It was just a pulp thing. We also put out the True Detective magazine, and they all had sex in the title, and that seemed to sell them! (laughter)

THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR: What was your inspiration for Captain America? JOE SIMON: We were just trying to do comics, trying to make a dollar. Even in those days people were putting out tons of characters, trying to get a big hit. It was a long shot to come up with a winner, so what we did was to take advantage of the patriotic fervor that was sweeping the country. Of course we weren’t in the war yet, but Hitler was really the villain. We started off with the villain and built the superhero character around him. Captain America was a G.I. in those days - I thought that was a very human thing to do with the guy, to make him a regular soldier and not an officer. The trick was that he’d come out of his role of peeling spuds to become a Captain.

TJKC: Did you name Bucky? JS: Yes, Bucky was named after one of the guys on my high school basketball team, Bucky Pierson.

TJKC: It sounds like you had a pretty good idea the war was coming to the US, and that it was just a matter of time. JS: Yes, everybody felt that way. There were a lot of Nazi sympathizers in the US. They had rallies in Madison Square Garden, and big camps out in Long Island and New Jersey.

TJKC: How did you and Jack work on Captain America? Did you do layouts? A full script? Or did you write it as you went along? JS: At the beginning I roughed in the layouts with the story, and then Jack would tighten it, and I’d have one of my people ink it. Or on occassions when I had time, I would ink. I was doing everything up at that office. We were putting out true love magazines and detective magazines. I spent a lot of time out of town at the printers. I was very busy.

TJKC: Do you still own the original sketch of Captain America that you show in The Comic Book Makers? JS: No, Phil Seuling wound up with that, he got it out of Marvel Comics somewhere. I have something else that’s very interesting that hasn’t been published. It’s a drawing that I hung up in the art department, showing how to do the new shield, and the measurements between Captain America and Bucky. Not a great drawing, but it’s very interesting.

TJKC: What about The Red Skull? Was he your idea as well? JS: Yes, he was something I did that I had no idea would last. I was just looking for villains, and thought he was interesting looking. TJKC: The Red Skull died at the end of his first appearance. Did you bring him back because of fan response, or just because you liked the character? JS: Yeah, we did get a lot of letters about the Red Skull, but it’s hard to keep coming up with new villains!

TJKC: That’s amazing looking back... JS: Yes, it is amazing. But the thing is, Steve Rogers was an ordinary guy, and that’s what’s lost on him now. You don’t know who he is.

TJKC: Did you and Jack receive royalties from Marvel Comics for the Captain America hardcover reprints? JS: Oh yes, they treated us very well.

TJKC: Did you and Jack get a lot of fan mail on Captain America? JS: Oh yeah, sure. We were organizing the kids to get together in their Sentinels of Liberty clubs and have secret meetings. I think we were a little like the Nazis ourselves! (laughter)

TJKC: I understand you just collaborated with John Byrne on something for Captain America at Marvel. What is it? JS: Yes, I inked a cover. I also did a lot of recreations of Captain America covers.

TJKC: Well, you guys put an ad for the Sentinels of Liberty in your first issue, so you must have figured it would be a success. JS: Yes, it was just a lot of fun.

TJKC: Yes, I saw those in the Christie’s Auction catalog - they’re gorgeous. How did they sell? JS: Oh, very well.

TJKC: At what point did you know Captain America was a smash hit? Was it based on sales figures or fan mail? JS: Oh, at the first issue! We actually sold out. I came back to the office one day, and Martin Goodman showed me the sales figures and he says, “If anybody asks you about the sales, cry a lot.” (laughter) I’ve been asked if the bucanneer boots had something to do with pirates, and what the psychology was behind the character; but we just made it good, with good drawings.

TJKC: Do you plan to do more of those in the future? JS: Well, I did them all. But I’m holding on to them. TJKC: How did you manage to get the names Simon & Kirby across the top of everything you produced? Did you have to fight to get this? JS: Oh, no! They put it on to increase sales! We had a lot of fans. We were like the Image kids of our time.

TJKC: I’ve noticed that an awful lot of your Captain America stories

TJKC: Over the years, did publishers send you copies of your books? JS: No, they didn’t send them. We picked them up.

Simon & Kirby fans:

TJKC: Do you still have all those? That would be quite a collection! JS: No, I don’t have them all. I have a few of them. I never even saved the Boy Commandos - they were great, I loved them. We have a few Black Magics, and a bound volume of Adventure and Star-Spangled, but not all of them.

Here’s your chance to pick up copies of The Comic Book Makers ($18.95 + $5 shipping & handling) and the Boys’ Ranch and Fighting American hardcover books ($39.95 + $5 shipping & handling each) direct from Joe Simon. They come with a certificate of authenticity signed by Joe, and you get 10% off when you order two or more books. You can order them directly from: Crestwood/II Publications 330 West 56th St., #6-M, New York, NY 10019

TJKC: Well Mr. Simon, that’s about it. Thank you for your time. JS: Good talking to you.

A classic Simon & Kirby splash page, from All Winners Comics #1 (Summer 1941). Submitted by Greg Theakston. 7

Capt. America © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Historic Kirby A

lmost 20 years ago (gosh!), Jack Kirby took us on a journey through two centuries of American history. The year was 1976, and the book was a Marvel Treasury Special called Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles. In it, Cap is sent back-&-forth through time to experience history in the making (including an encounter with a young Jack Kirby!). If you don’t have your old copy, check your local comic store like I did. I picked one up for cover price! It’s easily worth that much to see Barry WindsorSmith ink Jack’s pencils. The Bullseye-esque pin-up of Cap in the Wild West is an extra bonus no Kirby fan should miss. And it’s great to see Jack’s art at large size. All-in-all, this oversize volume is well worth another look, and a real bargain.

Cap sketch, submitted by Carl Taylor.

My Jack Kirby Story by Paul Eginton hen I was 7 years old, I bought a 12¢ comic called Tales of Suspense. And I remember seeing Cap falling upside down with his red, white, and blue shield for protection. From then on I was hooked. I would skip the Iron Man story and go right for the Captain America story, and I would admire the drawing of some guy called “The King.” As time went by and I grew older I realized what a talent this man was, and what a great body of work he left us. It’s funny when I visit comic shops now. I often see young collectors buying whatever new artist is hot this week, and I laugh and say that the real good stuff is in the bargain bins under Marvel’s Greatest Comics (the old F.F. reprints) and Marvel Double Feature (the Cap reprints), drawn by the best artist of all, Jack Kirby.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Jack’s original pencils from page 1 of Captain America #193, heralding his 1970s return to the character he co-created. Submitted by David Hamilton. 8

by Ed Hawkeye Stelli

1964

the Captain America that Jack Kirby helped create in 1941, when Marvel was known as Timely Comics. What Captain America had done for Timely in 1941, he did for Marvel in 1964. Cap’s revival made certain that the gains Marvel had made in the comics industry were solidified. Along with the revival of the Sub-Mariner and the revamping of the Human Torch, Captain America completed the resurrection of Timely’s heroic Golden Age triumvirate. Marvel had firmly established its link with its illustrious heritage. The cover of The Avengers #4 proclaimed “Captain America Lives Again.” Jack pulled out all the stops for Cap’s triumphant return to comicdom. Kirby’s rendering of Captain America showed his fans that the old shield bearer held special meaning for him. Jack’s visuals depicted Cap as someone who commanded respect just by his mere presence alone. Cap may not of been the strongest, fastest, or smartest hero in the Marvel Universe, yet as a personification of heroism, he was unmatched by any other Marvel character. With Captain America as a member, the Avengers embarked upon their greatest adventures. As of issue #16, Cap took his rightful place as leader of the Avengers. Over the years, many creative talents have given us their interpretations of Simon and Kirby’s most enduring character. For me, the once and future Captain America will always be the one revived by Jack while the Beatles ruled the airwaves back in 1964.

964 will be remembered by many as the year the Beatles spearheaded the British music invasion. For me, 1964 will always be remembered as the year Jack Kirby helped to introduce Captain America to the Marvel Universe. This was the real Captain America, not some red, white, and blue patriotic wanna-be, like the one briefly revived by Atlas Comics in 1954, or like the one who battled the Human Torch in the pages of Strange Tales #114 in Nov. 1963. This was indeed

Cap Says The Darndest Things... I

by John Morrow t was about 2:00 AM, sometime in the late 1970s. My best friend Matt Turner was over at my house helping me catalog my comic collection. Matt was pulling books out, telling me the issue number and condition, and I was writing it down. We were up to the letter “C.” Suddenly, Matt was rolling on the floor laughing! The kind of laughing where the more you try to compose yourself, the harder you laugh. The kind where tears stream down your face. Naturally I asked what was so funny. But Matt couldn’t answer. He was laughing too hard! So he just pointed to the cover of Captain America #197 (shown here). I read the cover, but failed to see what was so darn funny. “So?” I asked. “What’s the big deal?” “If Cap’s down there all alone,” Matt gasped, “then who is he yelling to?!” Minutes later, we were both still on the floor laughing hysterically. Maybe it was because of the late hour, but the more we thought about it, the funnier it got. And though I know it was just Jack’s idiosyncratic form of storytelling, Captain America was responsible for a great moment between two friends - one we remember to this day. Thanks Cap, for one of the best laughs I’ve ever had. 9

Fabulous cover art to Captain America #107. The Red Skull, submitted by Tom Morehouse. Tom also inked the face on this sketch.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

11 Rejected pencil version of page 3 of Captain America #204, submitted by David Hamilton.

Jack’s original pencils to page 8 of Captain America #103, submitted by David Hamilton.

Marvelmania Portfolio Showcase Submitted by Paul Doolittle Here are a few more plates from the rare 1970 Marvelmania Portfolio, which was discussed in detail in issue #1. We’ll be running the final installment of plates next issue.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Note: A modified version of this Galactus drawing (inked by Mike Royer) was used for the envelope to Jack’s GODS Portfolio.

3) Original materials (carefully packed and insured).

Send Your Submissions!

To keep expenses down, only originals will be returned. We’ll pay return postage and insurance, but PLEASE call before sending originals - we may already have what you’re sending, and a call could save us all a lot of trouble and expense.

We’ll send you a free copy of any issue your submission appears in (if you’re a subscriber, we’ll extend your paid subscription by one issue). We’re looking for:

Text should be sent in one of the following forms: 1) E-mail (see page 2 for address) 2) Saved on a floppy disk as an ASCII file, with no formatting, IBM or Macintosh OK. 3) Neatly typed or laser printed pages, with solid black letters on clean white paper, and with no “fancy” fonts. 4) For previously printed articles and interviews, originals or good xeroxes can be sent - call before sending originals.

• Rare and unpublished Kirby art or sketches • Kirby interviews and correspondence • Photos and personal recollections of Jack • “What Jack Meant To Me” stories • Original and previously published reviews of Jack’s work • Anything else that you think Kirby fans would like to see Artwork should be submitted in one of the following forms: 1) Good quality xeroxes (color or black-&-white) - as faithful to the original as possible, and as large as possible. 2) Scanned onto a computer disk, saved as a Grayscale, 300ppi .TIFF file, in IBM or Mac format, as large as will fit on a disk (High Density disks and “Stuffed” files OK).

Send to: TwoMorrows 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605, USA or E-mail to: twomorrow@aol.com

contributions, not only to Marvel, but for all of the extra work he had done for Marvelmania. Well, Marvel felt that since Jack was going over to DC they did not want any more Kirby products to be publicized under the Marvel banner. Eventually, this became the genesis for Kirby Unleashed.

(Here’s an Email message I got from Steve Sherman, one of Jack’s assistants in the early 1970s:)

Since Jack’s passing in February I’ve read a lot of the tributes and articles about him. He truly was a kind, generous man. I was fortunate to have known him for over 20 years.” Steve Sherman

“A friend recently passed along the first two issues of the Kirby Collector to me. It brought back memories of the ‘good old days’ when fanzines were created on mimeo machines and put together on kitchen tables. A couple of things that may be of interest:

(Thanks for clearing this up, Steve, and for agreeing to an interview for issue #5.)

1. The Xeroxes that were made of Jack’s 1970s pencils were not done by Marvel or DC. They couldn’t have cared less about keeping Jack up to date. About the time Jack began working for DC, his son, Neal was a sales rep for Canon. This was in the days before faxes or bubble-jet printers or home copiers. Neal came across a refurbished industrial-strength Canon flatbed copier that could copy up to 11 X 17 inches. It was perfect for Jack’s work. Before Jack would send the pages in, either he or usually Roz would copy the pages. Jack did it mostly because he just enjoyed keeping copies of the pencils, and as a back up in case the pages were lost in the mail (never happened). Mostly Jack kept the continuity going in his head. He had copies of everything from the DC days through his return to Marvel. They truly are of historical value since they capture the power of Jack’s pencils, especially on the early New Gods stories. The Canon was a good machine since it was able to capture a lot of the pencil shading which a Xerox machine couldn’t back then. I have a couple of the pages from an early Mister Miracle of Big Barda which haven’t faded over the years.

Thinkin’ ‘Bout Inkin’

Bill Everett

Syd Shores

Chic Stone

Jack Kirby

2. The reason that the Jack Kirby Portfolio from Marvelmania did not have the picture or interview is because when the powers at Marvel got wind of the project they were very upset. You have to remember that at the time, Kirby leaving Marvel was a MAJOR blow to egos and image. Mark and I wanted to produce something to honor Jack for all of his

Wally Wood

Joe Simon

Joe Sinnott

Mike royer

Letters

ere are the current results from our informal tally of who your favorite Kirby inker is, based on 14 respondents so far. This is an ongoing poll so if you didn’t vote yet, send yours in and we’ll add it to our results next issue.

H 14

Classifieds FOR SALE: Argosy Vol. 3, No. 2 (Kirby Street Code story). Call Manny at 609-426-0299. ____________________________ BUYING original Warren Art. Especially by Gonzalo Mayo, Jose Gonzalez and Jose Ortiz. Please call Frank, 718-777-2288. ____________________________ WANTED: Any Kirby romance, western, war, crime and horror comics (pre-1963). Fred Smith, 404 Anita Dr., Goose Creek, SC 29445.

ROCKET BLAST, ON THE DRAWING BOARD, THE COMIC READER, THE COMICOLLECTOR, ALTER EGO, COMIC ART, and the satiric humor fanzines such as WILD, JACK HIGH, SMUDGE, BLASE, NOPE, ODD, IDIOT, and FOO. I will pay or trade. Jay Kennedy, PO Box 1190, Canal Street Station, New York, NY 10013-1190. ____________________________

WAH-HOO, HEROES! This is ol’ Sarge Fury comin’ at ya,’ sayin’ get the lead out and subscribe to The Jack Kirby Collector, or me and the Howlers will be stormin’ yer beachhead! ____________________________ FOR SALE: Mister Miracle (Jack Kirby) #1-17 FN/NM, Most NM. $75.00 set. OMAC #1 NM, $8.00. Add $3.00 shipping. Michael Wilczek, 33 Arlington Ave., Auburn, NY 13021. ____________________________

WANTED: Hunger Dogs graphic novel, Spirit World. Also color xeroxed copies of MMMS Posters at 8-1/2” x 11” and color copies of 1940s Kirby comic covers. Write David Penalosa, Box 814, Arcata, CA 95521.

WANTED: Comic book fanzines from the sixties, especially the early dittoed and mimeographed type. A few of the fanzines I want are: THE

KIRBY COMICS for sale. F.F.’s, Thor, TTA, 1970’s Kirby DC’s and Marvels. Also other Marvel and DC comics. Reasonable prices, not collector prices. SASE for list. Patrick Price, 2614 Lyon Street, Des Moines, IA 50317. (515) 264-0617. ____________________________ GREG THEAKSTON needs copies of the following Golden Age comics in ANY condition for The Complete Kirby, a reprint volume he’s working on. Blue Bolt #4, 6, 7, Famous Funnies #75, 80, Red Raven #1, WOW #1. Call him in New York at (212)682-0025 if you have any of these for sale or trade, or know where he can find them.

Subscribe! o get as many people involved as possible, we only charge enough to cover expenses. With our current number of subscribers, $2.00 per issue covers costs. As more people subscribe, the savings can be put toward adding more pages. But this can only happen if you tell every Kirby fan you know about us, and get them to subscribe. More subscriptions means more submissions, lower costs and better quality for everyone.

Back Issues! We keep back issues of TJKC in-stock at all times. If you missed an issue, send $2.00 per copy in the US ($2.20 Canada, $3.20 outside North America) and we’ll ship it out right away.

Classifieds! Classified ads are 10¢ per word, 10 word minimum. Proceeds go to add pages to this publication.

Next Issue...

...is another general interest Kirby issue. We’ll have an interview with Mike Royer, the final installment of the Marvelmania Portfolio plates, plus news, reviews, and more great Kirby art! Current plans call for every other issue to be a theme issue. #5 will have a Fourth World theme, and future theme issues will center on Kid Gangs and the Fantastic Four. So get to work on those submissions everybody!

TwoMorrows publications should only be downloaded at

www.twomorrows.com

Submission deadline for Issue #4 is Feb. 5th Issue #4 will be mailed Feb. 28

...to send your letter to Marvel Comics requesting they give Jack credit for the characters he created (see the Editorial section on page 2 of this issue). And while you’re at it, send one to DC telling them how much you’d like to see those Kirby reprint volumes (see the News section on page 3 of this issue).

Don’t Forget... 15

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Jack’s original pencils to page 10 of Captain America #101, submitted by David Hamilton.

A pencil sketch of Cap and Bucky battling the Red Skull, submitted by Richard Martines.

Fully Authorized By The Kirby Estate

$ 50

$2.70 Canada $3.70 Foreign

Characters © DC Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Issue #4, Mar. 1995

with at least half of each issue devoted to a single theme. Let me know what you think! Stan Lee appeared on NBC’s Late Night With Conan O’Brien on January 12. When asked about the creation of the Marvel characters, Stan replied, “I worked with a lot of great artists, guys like Jack Kirby (audience applause) and Steve Ditko. So I guess you could say I cocreated those characters.” Does this indicate a softening of Marvel’s position about giving Jack co-credit? Keep the heat on by participating in Mark Miller’s letter writing campaign and getting everyone you know to do likewise. Send letters to: Terry Stewart, President, Marvel Comics Co., 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Also, don’t forget DC is considering canceling their hardcover reprint editions, just as they’re getting around to reprinting several Kirby volumes. Slated for the axe are the Jimmy Olsen volume (with restored Kirby faces), a Challengers Of The Unknown volume, and a Simon & Kirby Sandman volume. If you want to see DC reprint these classic Kirby stories, either in their hardcover volumes or in a less expensive format, write to Bob Kahn at DC Comics, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, and tell him what you think (no calls please)! Finally, this issue’s 50¢ cover price increase affects single issues and back issues only. Your subscription price remains the same - $2 per issue in the US ($2.20 Canada, $3.20 Foreign). This is part of my attempt to get back issues into retail stores where more people can see TJKC, and allows retailers to earn a fair profit off each issue. If your local retailer doesn’t carry TJKC, show them a copy and have them contact me! Remember, the more readers we have, the more rare Kirby art will surface and be published for everyone’s enjoyment.

Outtake photo from The Art Of Jack Kirby photo session. (Photo by Susan Skarr)

Momentum Is Building... M

Long live the King!

ore people are finding out about TJKC, thanks in large part to the positive press it’s receiving. Ryan Dillman reviewed TJKC in Alternative Entertainment #5, and Mark Evanier plugged TJKC in his POV column in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1109. Thanks, guys! It’s come to my attention that some Kirby fans don’t want to publicize what’s in their collections for fear of theft, among other reasons. So starting this issue, we’re doing away with the “Submitted by...” notices under artwork, although we’ll continue to list all contributors alphabetically in the box on page 2 (unless the contributor wants their name left off entirely). We hope this will encourage collectors with larger Kirby collections to get involved in TJKC. In response to many letters we’ve received, I’m happy to report that the recent flooding hasn’t affected the Kirby house in Thousand Oaks, CA. I spoke with Roz Kirby in January, and she said everything’s fine. Thanks to everyone who wrote in expressing concern. Regular subscribers will notice an insert in this issue for a wonderful ’zine called Comic Effect. Publisher Jim Kingman and I are trading inserts to promote our publications. Comic Effect features a wealth of articles emphasizing the fun in reading comics. Contact Jim at Paloma St. Publications, PO Box 2188, Pasadena, CA 91102-2188. Remember a great video released in the 1980s called Masters Of Comic Book Art? Producer Ken Viola says he has a full 11⁄2 hours of Jack on tape, and he generously volunteered to transcribe the full interview for publication in TJKC! I hope to run the first installment in issue #6. Stay tuned! Don’t forget that next issue will be double-size (32-pages for $4.00), and feature a Fourth World theme. #5 will count as two issues, so I’ll adjust your accounts accordingly. If your mailing label says you only have one issue remaining in your subscription, please forward an extra $2.00 ($2.20 Canada, $3.20 Foreign) to pay for the other half of #5. I’m considering going to double-size permanently,

John Morrow, Editor TwoMorrows • 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605 • USA 919/833-8092 • Fax 919/833-8023 Internet Address: twomorrow@aol.com Compuserve: 75121,1767 • America Online: TwoMorrow About The Cover: This issue’s cover features the unpublished cover pencils for DC’s First Issue Special #1 (originally intended to be Atlas #1), circa 1975. From the collection of Peter Von Sholly.

The Jack Kirby Co llecto r #4 Edited by: John Morrow Pro duction by: John & Pamela Morrow Special thanks to : Shel Dorf, Mark Evanier, Richard Howell, Mike Royer, Scott Shaw!, Steve Sherman, Jim Steranko, Greg Theakston, & of course, Roz Kirby.

This Issue’s Contributo rs: Paul Doolittle, Paul Gravett, David Hamilton, Chris Harper, Chris Knowles, Patrick Price, Peter von sholly, Greg Theakston, & Kirk Tilander. Majo r Contributo r:

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 2, No. 4, Mar. 1995. Published bi-monthly by TwoMorrows Advertising, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Single issues and back issues: $2.50 each U.S., $2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside N. America. 6-issue subscriptions: $12.00 US, $13.20 Canada, and $19.20 outside North America. Third printing (dated 4/26/95). The initial printing of this issue was mailed the week of Mar. 1, 1995. All characters are © their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective authors.

Comic Images Cards Reviewed

Kirby News

by Chris Knowles

ig news this time around - Greg Theakston reports he is seeking a publisher for several unpublished Kirby stories. Dark Horse Comics has already expressed some interest in the stories, which include: two Stuntman stories, two Boy Explorers stories, the entire contents of what would have been In The Days Of The Mob #2, and Soul Love and True Life Divorce, Jack’s experimental black-&-white books from the early 1970s. Some of these stories exist in inked form, while others are still in pencil. The final format is yet to be decided, but we’ll keep you posted as things develop. Greg also reports he’s completed the first 100 pages of The Complete Kirby, an ongoing reprint series. The first two volumes will be approximately 250 pages each, and will reprint everything Jack did up to Captain America #1 in March 1941 (including eight Count Of Monte Christo strips that were never reprinted in Jumbo Comics). The tentative release date for the first volume is Christmas 1995. Future volumes will each cover a different year of Jack’s career. The format will be softbound, with black-&-white interiors. Because of your responses to our notices here, Greg has acquired three of the books he needs to publish The Complete Kirby. Thanks to: Rich Vitone (Red Raven #1), Steve Robertson (Blue Bolt #8), and Marvin Taylor (Wow #1) for helping this project see print. Greg still needs the following books - Blue Bolt #4, 6, 7, 9, Famous Funnies #75, 80, and Justice Traps The Guilty 2. If you know where he can acquire these in any condition, call him in Atlanta at (404)424-5151. Don’t forget about the educational fund that was set up in Jack’s name shortly after his death. Send your contributions to: The Jack Kirby Educational Fund Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

heretofore obscure chapter of Jack’s long and fruitful career was recently revealed to his fans in a series of trading cards entitled Jack Kirby: The Unpublished Archives, published by Comic Images. The set features animation concept boards that Jack produced for Ruby Spears Productions in the 1980s. For long-time Kirby fanatics these cards are quite a treat indeed, for they shed light on an era in Jack’s career that has long been shrouded in mystery. Depicted in the series are action scenes, team line-ups, incredible illustrations of vehicles and spaceships, and triptychs and faux comic pages. The art is prime 80s style Jack. A lot of the inking seems to be done by Alfredo Alcala, who worked with Jack on Destroyer Duck. The cards are all painted in a slick and colorful airbrush style that gives Jack’s designs a haunting and bizarre surreality. Liberated from the flat-color hell of mainstream comics, the other-worldliness of Jack’s drawing leaps at you, even from a tiny trading card. Many of the images are quite disturbing. What is incredible about this series is that one is reminded how amazingly prolific Jack was in the 1980s. Although well into his 60s, Jack produced three comics series in addition to working in animation, a notoriously high stress vocation. I have a great deal of affection for Jack’s early 80s work. Although many fans complained about the disjointed narratives and awkward anatomy of Captain Victory, Silver Star and the New Gods finale, I felt that this work was essential Kirby. If you enjoy Jack’s idiosyncratic imagination as much as I do, then this new card series is essential.

(Editor’s note: A lot of fans have expressed disappointment and outrage to me about this card set - not over Jack’s work, but over Comic Images having included art by artists like Gil Kane and Doug Wildey in a Kirby set without telling anyone. I’ve been told they were aware of this discrepancy prior to publication and chose to ignore it, despite there being hundreds of other “unseen” Kirby pieces in the Ruby-Spears files. The small size doesn’t lend itself to the reproduction of the huge originals, and little effort was put into the copy on the back of the cards. Mark Evanier reportedly offered to write them free-of-charge, but Comics Images didn’t take him up on it. People I’ve spoken with seem to be split 50/50. While Comic Images should be taken to task for including other artist’s work in a Kirby set, I agree with Chris Knowles that it’s an important addition to any Kirby fan’s collection. There’s simply nowhere else to see this amazing body of Jack’s work. Let’s hope Comic Images will put more effort into future sets, and they’ll be devoted strictly to Jack’s art.)

Help With The Kirby Checklist Don’t forget our goal to update/correct the Kirby checklist from Blue Rose Press’ The Art Of Jack Kirby. We hope to publish what will be the definitive checklist of Jack’s published work as a separate atcost publication. But we need your help! Already, we’ve received several lists of uncredited Kirby work, and we’re incorporating them into one final, accurate checklist. So if you remember seeing an error, omission, or inaccuracy in the checklist, do some research and let us know what you find. This is an ongoing project that we hope to have completed for our first anniversary next Fall.

Two Mysteries From #1 Solved

Thanks to Greg Theakston for helping solve the mystery of the “White Envelope” Kirby portfolio we reported in issue #1. When I ordered it in the mid 1970s, I was told that it was sold out. In talking with Greg, he mentioned that in the 1970s a fan had commissioned Jack to do sketches of the Demon, Orion, Hulk, and Captain America. The fan then decided to publish them in a portfolio without Jack’s permission. Jack got wind of it and put a stop to it before they were distributed, but Greg’s not sure if any ever got sent out. This portfolio probably consisted of an envelope with one of the above sketches printed on it, and the other three inside on 8-1/2" x 11" plates - a similar format to the Neal Adams version sold at the same time. If you have a copy of this portfolio, please consider making copies and sending it in so we can share it with everyone. Also, the Captain America and Silver Surfer posters in TJKC #1 were originally printed by Jack to sell at his convention appearances around 1975. It’s not clear how individual dealers acquired copies to sell, but these were legitimate items Jack produced, not bootlegs.

Shown here (actual size) is a promo card, which is not in the final set. 3

Savage World of Fantasy is a French magazine published by Olivier Toublan, a TJKC reader in Switzerland. Olivier (who writes excellent English) sent me #12 (June 1994), which featured tributes to Jack. Thanks to French-to-English translation software, I could read it as well as enjoy the artwork. SWOF is a slick, professional magazine dealing with comics in general, and Olivier is a big Kirby fan. It’s $10 US per issue. Write to: Olivier TOUBLAN, Beaulieu 9, 1004 Lausanne, SWITZERLAND.

by John Morrow irby fandom is alive and well throughout Europe! In the course of starting The Jack Kirby Collector, I’ve discovered several interesting developments going on overseas that I think US fans should know about.

Artwork © Jack Kirby

The Jack Kirby Quarterly The Jack Kirby Quarterly is a British ’zine similar to TJKC. Editor Chris Harper started JKQ in Summer 1993, months before Jack’s passing and well before I started TJKC. He even conducted an in-depth interview with Jack - one of the last before his passing. It was published in JKQ #1, and additional comments from Jack were in #2. Chris also published a #0 tribute issue when Jack died, and issue #3 should be available by the time you read this. Each issue features lots of Kirby art, articles and reviews. JKQ #0, 1, 2, and 3 are currently available; a five-issue subscription to the US (which can include back issues - please specify when ordering) is £10.00. Chris prefers UK funds, which can be purchased from travel agents. If you must send US funds, the cost for five issues is $25 (cash) or $30 (check). Send to: The Jack Kirby Quarterly, 25 Napier Drive, The Parklands, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 7NW, ENGLAND. (US readers: You can also obtain back issues from Wes Tillander, PO Box 366, Morrow, GA 30260, 404-361-7682.) This is a nicely produced ’zine, and I highly recommend it. Chris Harper and I swap copies of Kirby artwork that’s submitted to us - an arrangement that benefits Kirby fans in both our countries.

Silver Surfer © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Savage World of Fantasy

Euro-Kirby

KIRBY - A Belgian Fanzine KIRBY is a quarterly French-Belgian fanzine devoted to American comics. Started in June 1988, it’s published by Daniel Tesmoingt of Belgium. Daniel is a longtime Kirby fan, and his ’zine pays homage to Jack by including at least one article about Jack’s creations in each issue. In addition, Daniel has published large Kirby tribute volumes (which are out of print) and a checklist of all the Kirby work translated into French. Like SWOF, all the text in KIRBY is in French. The US subscription rates are $3.00 per issue or $12.00 per year (Foreign Money Orders only!). Write to: Daniel TESMOINGT, Rue du By 9, 6211 Mellet, Belgique, BELGIUM.

Jack signed two limited editions (250 copies each) of beautiful multi-color silkscreened reproductions of the Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom Marvelmania posters from 1970. The address for the Paris publisher is: Editions Déesse, 8 rue Cochin, 75005 Paris, FRANCE. These prints are absolutely gorgeous! The phone number for Editions Déesse in Paris is (331) 46.34.18.31 (they speak English!). There may still be a few left. The price is based on French currency, but one fan reported paying somewhere around $250 US each. Editions Déesse had planned on doing a series of these, but sadly Jack’s death prevented this.

Dr. Doom © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

French Kirby Prints

Jack Kirby: The King of Comic Books An exhibition at London’s National Museum of Cartoon Art Information submitted by Chris Harper & Paul Gravett etween September 29 and October 31, 1994, the National Museum of Cartoon Art in London, England held an exhibition of artwork by Jack Kirby. While not as extensive a selection as the museum had hoped for, Paul Gravett, the museum’s administrator, commented, “One result of staging this exhibit was that several more collectors popped up who own original Kirby artwork. Chris Diamond had quite a selection from Jimmy Olsen.” The National Museum is a registered charity (“The Cartoon Art Trust”). If you’d like more information on the museum, the address is: Baird House, 15-17 St. Cross Street, London, EC1N 8UN, ENGLAND. Telephone 0171 405 4717. Below is a complete listing of the Kirby artwork on display.

Photo by David Hitchcock of Derby, England

Original Art Pages: Title

Issue #

Page #

Inker

From The Collection Of

Amazing Adventures

Chic Stone

Martin Hand

Avengers

Chic Stone

Garry Leach

Demon

Mike Royer

Steve Whitaker

Mike Royer

Garry Leach

Mike Royer

Garry Leach

Mike Royer

unknown

Devil Dinosaur

Mike Royer

Dave Elliott

Forever People

Mike Royer

Hassan Yusuf

8, 17 & 20

Mike Royer

Garry Leach

Mike Royer

Allan Harvey

2&3

Mike Royer

Hassan Yusuf

Mike Royer

Allan Harvey

Mike Royer

Allan Harvey

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 135

Entire book

Vince Colletta

Chris Diamond

Tales of Suspense

Entire story

Dick Ayers

Rian Hughes

Tales to Astonish

Dick Ayers

Garry Leach

Thor

129

Vince Colletta

Martin Hand

169

George Klein

Michael McLester

170

Bill Everett

Dave Elliott

Chic Stone

Garry Leach

Mister Miracle New Gods

X-Men

Misc. Art: Title

From The Collection Of

Fantastic Four silkscreen poster, published by Editions Déesse

Paul Gravett

Cover from Kirby Unleashed Portfolio 1971

Paul Gravett 5

Characters © DC Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

About Faces... S

Pencils vs. inks on Captain America #101, page 11 (above).

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Why did Romita re-pencil Sharon’s face on CA #102, pg. 7 (above) and pg. 8 (below)?

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

omething strange kept happening throughout Jack’s 1960s-70s work; comic book companies were changing the faces on his artwork! By comparing xeroxes of Jack’s uninked pencils to the printed comics, it becomes obvious how widespread this phenomenon was. The “face lift” that immediately springs to most Kirby fan’s minds is Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, where DC had Al Plastino and Murphy Anderson redraw all the Olsen and Superman faces. (DC will restore the original Kirby faces for their upcoming Olsen reprint book if it ever sees print see details on page 2 of this issue.) Shown on the next page are examples from issue #139, page 7. The Superman faces in Forever People #1 were done the same way. And a few years later, DC again changed Jack’s faces in Kobra #1. But DC wasn’t the only culprit. Examine the panel from Marvel’s Captain America #101 (page 11). Was this a conscious decision by Editor Stan Lee, or just heavy-handed inking by Syd Shores? I’m not certain, but it’s interesting to see how much Cap’s face changed while the villain behind him remained basically unaltered. Also shown are examples from Captain America #102 (page 7 and 8). The Sharon Carter faces were redrawn on Jack’s pencil art by John Romita Sr. (with Syd Shores inking, they don’t look much like Romita or Kirby.) And there are numerous other examples from Captain America where Sharon Carter’s hair style completely changes for no apparent reason. Jack fared no better during his mid-70s outing at Marvel. His one and only work on Conan from Giant Size Conan #5 has a redrawn face. And check out the facial changes on the cover of Thor #255 and 258, and Ka-Zar #12 (they even changed Zabu!). Just a few of the many other covers to check out are Marvel Two-In-One #25, Invaders #3 and #5, and Defenders #45. Why all the changes? Well, for better or worse, DC was trying to keep their “house look” consistent among all their Superman books. And Kobra #1 has a text page that explains why they had Pablos Marcos redraw the faces. And what was going on at Marvel? Considering Jack created Marvel’s house look, why all the changes? Sharon Carter was not a company icon, so she could’ve remained unaltered. Stan Lee has widely praised Romita for the beautiful women he drew, so I imagine this was Stan’s decision. While Captain America is widely recognized, Jack drew him numerous other times without any alterations. Heck, he co-created the character! Why change him? We’ve all heard stories about people at Marvel who “had it in” for Jack during the mid-70s, which might explain those later covers. Was a similar thing going on in the late 60s, or is Syd Shores’ inking strictly to blame? If these artwork changes seem insignificant to you, put yourself in Jack’s shoes. This was just one of many indignities he put up with during his career. These annoying art changes may have been the final straw that caused Jack to leave Marvel for DC in 1970, and to abandon mainstream comics altogether in the late 70s. Inevitably, we all lost out. Who knows what wonders of Jack’s imagination we were robbed of seeing, all because comic companies couldn’t treat one of their greatest talents with a little more respect.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

by John Morrow, with help by David Hamilton & Greg Theakston

Notice the dramatic changes to the cover of Ka-Zar #12. 6

Thor © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Pencils and inks from the cover to Thor #255

The cover to Thor #258, before and after some facial reconstruction.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Characters © DC Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #139, page 7 - before and after inking.

Marvelmania Portfolio Showcase

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

This is the final set of plates from the rare 1970 Marvelmania Portfolio, which was discussed in detail in issue #1.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

A Brush With Mike Royer - Part 1 Interviewed by John Morrow (Mike Royer is the current leader in our poll of favorite Kirby inkers, and no wonder! He inked the bulk of Jack’s output from 1970-1980, a peak Kirby period. At age 53, Mike is temporarily living in an apartment in Moorpark, CA while his house in Simi Valley is being repaired from last year’s massive earthquake damage. After fourteen years as a staff artist for the Disney Studios, Mike is now a Disney freelance Product Designer/ Character Artist, with most of his work being on Winnie The Pooh. I spoke with Mike on February 6, 1995 - the one year anniversary of Jack’s death.)

loved as a kid. The real “adventure” now seemed to be in comic books, and I wanted to be part of it.

THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR: How well did you get to know the Kirbys? MIKE ROYER: The relationship I always had with Jack and Roz was that, when I was working with Jack it felt like extended family. And when I wasn’t working with Jack, things were in a state of limbo. Then when we did something together again, it was as if the period inbetween had never existed. I spoke with Roz the other day and told her this interview was coming up, and I said I’d try to behave myself and not insult anyone. (laughter) I think the world of Roz. I think she was the strength and the reality ground in Jack Kirby’s life. I sometimes joke to my wife when we drive places, because I’m constantly thinking about the work I’m doing for Disney... I’m always creating ideas... and I sometimes miss where I’m supposed to turn off the freeway, etc. She’s constantly reminding me of my speed, and I turn and look at her and say, “I’m gonna have to make you my Roz Kirby.” Because as long as I’ve known the Kirbys, Roz always did the driving. Now I understand why. I’m not trying to say what I do with Winnie the Pooh is the same as Jack’s Captain America and Forever People, etc., but the creative process does go on all the time. Roz took care of the things that insured they got from point A to point B safely, while Jack’s mind was completely involved with creating. I remember meeting with them at a restaurant in Burbank for lunch, and Jack asked me if I wanted to ink Silver Star. We sat there and Jack was explaining the story of Silver Star and I’m thinking, “How the hell is he gonna get all this information into one comic?” I subsequently found out that he had told me about all six issues - he had it totally worked out! Talk about the genius of Kirby... he had it all worked out before he’d drawn even one page of the first book.

TJKC: How’d you start inking Jack’s work? MR: One night in the late 1960s, about 8:00 in the evening, the phone’s ringing in the kitchen. I pick it up, and the voice says (in Kirby accent), “Hello, Mike Royer? This is Jack Kirby. Alex Toth says you’re a good inker.” (laughter) And Jack says there’s a bunch of stuff he’s doing for Marvelmania, and he wanted to know if I’d be interested in inking it. So it was Alex Toth that mentioned me to Jack Kirby. I had seen reproductions of his pencils in fanzines and I thought, “Why doesn’t anyone ever ink Jack’s pencils? Why are they interpreting and changing them?” So I drove to Jack’s and he showed me what he’d like me to ink, and I said, “Well, do you want me to bring this to you tomorrow?” And he says, “Why don’t you sit here and do it now?” So I sat there at Jack Kirby’s drawing board and I inked this page of him sitting at his drawing board with all his Marvel characters flying off the board, which became the artwork that accompanied his biography in the Marvelmania membership kits.

TJKC: Did you grow up reading Jack’s stuff? MR: Yeah, but I really wasn’t aware it was Jack Kirby. I have fond memories as a kid enjoying books like Boys’ Ranch, Stuntman, Boy Commandos. Once I decided I wanted to draw, I set my sights on newspaper adventure comic strips. But sometime around 1964 I was exposed to comic books again and got a real kick out of the chutzpah of Marvel Comics. I was familiar with Kirby, but I had never made the connection that this was the Kirby from my youth until I started getting involved with comic fanzines, and the light bulb went off and I realized this was the guy whose stuff I’d

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

One of the Marvelmania pieces Mike inked for Jack.

Characters © Marvel Comics, Artwork © Jack Kirby

TJKC: From that, how did you get started in comics? MR: I moved to California in 1965. Six months before that I sent some sample comic book pages to Russ Manning, whose work on the Magnus comics I really, really liked. He wrote back and said, “If I ever needed an assistant, you would work.” So I packed my bags and moved to California and metaphorically moved into his backyard and said, “Well, I’m here!” (laughter) Out of the kindness of his heart, he gave me work.

TJKC: Which other Marvelmania stuff did you ink? MR: I just inked a lot of the stuff that went into the magazines and brochures. None of those big posters. It was through Marvelmania that I met Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman.

MR: No, Jack made the production copies. The machine that Jack had for years is like the old thermafax copy machines. If you were to tack one of those copies on the wall, in a couple of years it’s turning brown. The ones I’ve got are stuck in a box somewhere. I’ve got a couple of pages from my very first Mister Miracle with copies of how Barda looked when I made her look pretty, before Jack said, “Don’t ever change the faces!” and changed them back himself.

TJKC: Tell me about the transition from Marvel to DC. MR: I remember one evening getting a phone call from Don and Maggie Thompson saying, “It’s just been announced that Jack has left Marvel and he’s gone to DC. What do you know about it?” And I said, “I don’t know anything!” A few hours later I got a call from Jack saying he’d just landed at LAX and he wanted me to know that he had switched to DC, and that he wanted me to ink the books but they had to control them back east. So he couldn’t designate who he wanted to ink for him.

TJKC: Did you ever consider inking on an overlay, leaving the pencils untouched? MR: That method started on the West Coast. The comics based on animated subjects were drawn by animation artists, so it was very easy for them to pencil on layout paper, and for inkers to work on a lightbox. With funny animals it may not make a difference. But when you’re taking somebody like a Jack Kirby or a Russ Manning or a Gil Kane and you’re inking their pencils, to put another piece of paper between their pencils and your brush, what you’re then doing is just an “impression” of their pencils. To me, if that brush is not dragging through carbon, you’re not being true to the penciler’s statement.

TJKC: Let’s talk about your work habits. Before you ink a page, do you read the entire story first? How fast did it go? MR: From Jack I’d get a complete book. I’d read the book, then sit down and letter the whole thing. My goal was to letter a 20-page book in one day. I never made it because Jack would allow more room for the lettering than was necessary because he wasn’t working the Marvel method anymore. He was putting in balloons and dialogue. I tried to break up the long paragraphs into separate balloons that would occupy the same design area in the panel. By the time of Hunger Dogs, I felt comfortable enough to put in backgrounds and machinery and blacks. On average I inked three pages a day. There was something about what Jack had on the paper... all I had to do was finish the statement he made. The only part of me that went into it was making sure the eyes were on the same level, etc., because Jack worked so fast that sometimes things like that might be askew. On one of the Black Panthers I actually did five pages a day because the deadlines were piling up. My wife (at the time) assisted me; she filled in the blacks. Jack’s paper was perfect to pencil on, but incredibly difficult to ink on. I don’t know if he got a good deal on the paper, and I’m not being critical, but there was a period of about a year where before I would ink the pages, I literally stood at the ironing board and ironed the pages. In putting all the detail on the paper, the fiber was so worn out that every stroke I put down would bleed. I ruined a couple of irons that way with carbon clog. But it was something I did willingly, because I always felt that the original should be perfect.

TJKC: Let’s talk about Jack’s experimental black-&-white magazines -

Artwork © Jack Kirby

TJKC: Other than your wife filling in blacks, did you use assistants to help meet deadlines? MR: There was a comics fan who used to come by all the time. I let him fill in the blacks on a Jimmy Olsen. And Bill Stout worked on an issue of Demon with me. TJKC: Did you get involved in the storylines as you inked them? MR: I loved them! I really got into it. TJKC: Did you xerox the pencils before you inked them, in case they got destroyed?

An unpublished splash page from In The Days Of The Mob #2. 11

did you ink the entire In The Days Of The Mob #2? MR: Yes. I lost my ass on that book. As I recall, there were 3 or 4 individual stories in it. On some of them I spent almost a whole day doing just the title page lettering. On the one story that was printed in Amazing World of DC Comics #1, it was re-lettered. It’s not my lettering. I haven’t seen it in nearly twenty years, but as I remember, it was some of the purest Jack Kirby inking I ever did. I remember my ego was delighted when Richard Kyle was waxing euphorically about how it was Boys’ Ranch, it was 1952 Kirby, and it made me feel good because that’s what I wanted to do. Remember when Richard printed “Street Code” in Argosy? I was one of those who encouraged him to print the pencils. I think when he first got the pencils he asked me if I would consider inking them. I didn’t want to, because to me it would be ruining their purity.

USA, surrounded by all this incredible beauty and feeling mellowed to the max, and I thought, “I don’t need this rat race, this constant pressure of three pages every day.” So I came back and said, “Jack, I only want to do one of your books instead of four a month.” And Jack said, “Well, I need you to do all of them or none of them.” So I starved to death for six months! (laughter) There’s an issue of Kamandi, I think it’s #2, that if you look at it closely, except for the density of the line, it could appear to be reproduced from his pencils. The pencils for that book, I just loved them. It was like, “God these pencils are wonderful, I am not going to slick up ANYTHING!” And so, that book is absolutely, incredibly the truest to Jack’s pencils of anything because I literally inked it as if it were pencil lines. But nobody ever said anything, except maybe the Colletta fans. (laughter)

TJKC: Was Spirit World #2 completed? MR: Yes, most of it wound up being re-formatted and re-lettered and appearing in things like Weird Mystery Tales.

TJKC: I’ve heard that Jack drew other issues of Dingbats of Danger Street, although only one was published. How many others do you remember inking? MR: Just one, which I inked when I came down off of the mountain. And that was the last thing I did for months.

TJKC: Were you involved with the aborted Soul Love and True Life Divorce books? MR: Never heard of them until just now. TJKC: What about Galaxy Green? MR: Galaxy Green was two pages that were done as a presentation piece. In the late 60s or early 70s, some entrepreneurs wanted to publish something called Jack Kirby’s Super World, which would’ve been in the tabloid format, probably halfway decent printing rather than newsprint. The first page had these really cute girls in Kirby outfits holding these huge, monstrous phallic rayguns pointing right at you as if it were 3-D! There were a couple of pages that Steve Ditko wrote and drew which I lettered. I even did two pages of my own work. Unfortunately, they had everything necessary to publish it except money. (laughter)

TJKC: Which of Jack’s books was your favorite to ink and why? MR: Oh, that’s Sophie’s Choice! Which kid will you give up? (laughter) Ei-yi-yi! I can tell you my least favorite was Sandman. But it was Jack’s least favorite... he didn’t even write them. It was at that period where Jack just had to do the pages. There were more promises made to him that were never kept, and he had to keep the pages flowing because he had the mortgage and a wife and a family to take care of. He was a responsible man who believed in the American work ethic, and he kept his word whether or not anyone else did. And, because I had a mortgage and kids to put through school, after that brief period of saying I can only do one a month... well, you know the rest.

TJKC: Why did you leave Kamandi midway through the Kirby issues, only to return later? MR: I went on a backpacking trip that ultimately went to the top of Mt. Whitney. I’m up there at the highest point in the continental

(Next issue, our interview with Mike concludes, as he talks about Vince Colletta, the Fourth World, Jack’s final stint at Marvel, the Prisoner and Black Hole projects, the Hunger Dogs Graphic Novel, and more.) 12

Convention Memories by Patrick A. Price n December 1975, I attended my first full-fledged comic book convention, Miamicon I. Among the guests were Neal Adams, C.C. Beck, Stan Lee and James Doohan of Star Trek. But the main reason I traveled over 1,500 miles from the frozen confine of Des Moines was to meet my idol among comic book creators, Jack “King” Kirby. Stan Lee was mediating a panel about Marvel Comics the first afternoon with Neal and Jack in attendance. After fielding questions for several minutes, I think he sensed the panel was quickly turning into a one man show. “C’mon, I’ve been speaking too long,” he said. “Who’s got a question for Neal or Jack?” My hand quickly shot up and when Stan called on me, I’ll never forget what I blurted out. “Yeah, I’d like to ask Jack if there have been any characters you’ve had difficulty drawing?” A hush fell over the room. There I was, an eighteen-year-old fanboy asking the King if he occasionally had penciling problems. Jack thought for a moment and responded, “I suppose if I’m drawing a

character with gaseous or vaporous qualities, like a character who looked like a cloud, it probably would be kind of hard to maneuver them around.” Stan interjected, “What are the two things you have trouble drawing? You’ve always told me this but I’ve never believed you.” “The two things I’ve always had trouble drawing?” Jack asked. Stan prompted, “A laundromat and...” “Oh, yes! A laundromat and a shoe-shine-box,” Jack responded. “Now I found out I can’t draw skateboards,” Jack added. He was referring to “Kill-Derby” from Captain America in which assassins on skateboards pursue Cap around a rink (Jack’s takeoff on the film Rollerball). Come to think of it, I can’t remember any comics drawn by Jack where the action took place in a laundromat. I also can’t recall any of his characters who were noted for carrying a shoe-shine-box as part of their personal effects.

above - Miamicon I program book cover. right - Jack’s cover for the 1977 Baycon convention, inked by Steve Leialoha.

Artwork should be submitted in one of the following forms: 1) Good quality xeroxes (color or black-&-white). 2) Scanned to computer disk - 300ppi TIFF file for IBM or Mac. 3) Original materials (carefully packed and insured).

Send Submissions-Get Free Issues! When we print something you submit, we’ll send you a free copy of that issue (if you’re a subscriber, we’ll extend your paid subscription by one issue). We’re looking for:

Text should be sent in one of the following forms: 1) Typed or laser printed pages with no “fancy” fonts. 2) E-mail (see page 2 for address) 3) An ASCII computer file, IBM or Mac format. 4) For previously printed articles, originals or good xeroxes OK.

• Rare and unpublished Kirby art or sketches • Kirby interviews and correspondence • Xeroxes of original art pages • Kirby convention and fanzine art and articles • Photos and personal recollections of Jack • Original and previously published reviews of Jack’s work • Anything else that you think Kirby fans would like to see

Send to: TwoMorrows 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605, USA or E-mail to: twomorrow@aol.com

“Once in a while our lives are touched by a great human being and I am terribly proud to have created the San Diego Comic-Con in 1970, which established a place for Jack to meet his audience. Through the years we had many celebrated creative people as guests, but to me Jack Kirby was always the diamond which shone brighter and truer than anyone!” “His talent and ability to entertain are unchallenged to this day. His character as a person was at the highest level. Today, the kids who were influenced by Jack and have good careers should also be influenced by his social skills and kindness to others. Not enough has been written about that side of Jack.” “Thank you for asking me to be a part of this ongoing tribute to ‘The King.’ It’s my pleasure.” Shel Dorf, San Diego, CA

“Years ago, Kirby designed costumes and sets for a production of a Shakespeare play. Roy Thomas was to have published some of the designs in Alter Ego, but he never did. If they’ve survived, I think they would make a fine feature in your magazine.” Pierce Askegren, 4710 Commons Dr. #303, Annandale, VA, 22003 (I’d heard Jack did a Shakespeare poster for one of his daughter’s college plays. Does anybody have one of these to submit?) “What a coup, getting a phone interview with Joe Simon himself! Quite interesting, and nicely illustrated with the All-Winners splash! Even more interesting to me was the background info provided by Steve Sherman’s e-mail. I’m looking forward to more from Sherman and Mark Evanier in #5.” “The only bad news is the business about possibly losing DC’s archival reprints series. And this, just days after I learned that the Marvel Milestones series has been axed! Ouch.” Chuck Hatfield, 85A Old Turnpike, Storrs, CT, 06268

(Considering how many fans got to meet Jack at the San Diego Comic-Con myself included - we all owe you a debt of thanks, Shel.) 7

Thinkin’ ‘Bout Inkin’

(It’s not too late to save the DC reprints. Send a letter to Bob Kahn at DC Comics, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019 and tell him what you think - no calls, please!)

“#3 was great: it’s the first time that I’ve seen so many unknown Kirby pencils, and it’s great to see some famous pages without the infamous inking of people who sometimes didn’t seem to care about the pencils of the King. My dream is to read the whole Fourth World collection without inking, especially without the Vince Colletta inking!” “By the way, I’d like to see more consistent articles on Kirby’s work. I don’t think it’s sufficient to print only pictures, even though these pictures are great.” Olivier Toublan, Switzerland

29 respondents so far 4

“I had a word with the Christie’s art experts about X-Men #26, which was placed in the auction as an item with Kirby layouts. It doesn’t. X-Men #26 does not belong in any list of Kirby items. All things considered, it’s just as well it wasn’t auctioned off under false pretenses.” “I’m really enjoying the pencil xeroxes. Keep ‘em coming!” Richard Howell

Dick Ayers

Bill Everett

Syd Shores

Chic Stone

Wally Wood

Joe Sinnott

Mike Royer

(I’m working on getting more in-depth articles for TJKC. In fact, a certain gentleman by the name of Steranko has generously offered his help. More details soon... in the meantime, start writing, everyone!)

Joe Simon

Frank Giacoia

Jack Kirby

Letters

We’ll pay return postage and insurance for originals only, but please write or call before sending originals. Please include any background information you have on your submissions.

ere are the current results of our ongoing poll for best Kirby inker. A number of fans wondered why their favorite inker wasn’t included (it’s because you didn’t vote yet, folks!). The mood was perhaps best summed up by Mike Allred (creator of Madman) who said he was “disturbed to no end” that Dick Ayers wasn’t included last issue. Mike went on to say that Dick’s “lush, wet, bold, throbbing, thick brushline” was the perfect compliment to Jack’s pencils. If you didn’t vote yet, send it in and we’ll add it to our results next issue.

(Thanks for setting us straight, Richard. Mark those checklists, everybody!) 14

Classifieds BUYING original Warren Art. Especially by Gonzalo Mayo, Jose Gonzalez and Jose Ortiz. Please call Frank, 718-777-2288. ____________________________ WANTED: Hunger Dogs Graphic Novel. Also good xerox of Darkseid sketch from Spring 1985 Styx Comic Service catalog, and other Fourth World art. Contact John here at TJKC, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, (919)833-8092.

70’s Kirby Comics For Sale, DC and Marvel. Demon, Kamandi, Black Panther, Captain America, others. Mostly high grade, reasonable prices. SASE for list. Frank Campbell, 3008 Oakhurst, Austin TX 78703, (512)320-8919. ____________________________

WANTED: Kirby original art (especially Monster, Fantasy) and pre-1961 Kirby comics, especially BLACK CAT MYSTIC 57, 58, BOYS’ RANCH 3, 5, 6, BULLS-EYE , 6, 7, FIGHTING AMERICAN 3, 6, 7, HOUSE OF MYSTERY 85, HOUSE OF SECRETS 3, STRANGE WORLD OF YOUR DREAMS 1, 4, STUNTMAN 1, 2, YELLOW CLAW 3, and lots of pre-superhero Marvels. Lower grade is OKAY! Let me know what you’ve got, or write for my want list. Thanks! Contact Steve Robertson, 1807 Burch, Simi Valley, CA 93063.

WANTED: Especially interested in Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko pre-hero Marvel and early Marvel superhero covers, splashes, and pages. BuySell-Trade! Other artists too. Conrad Eschenberg, Rt. 1, Box 204-A, Cold Spring, NY 10516, (914)265-2649.

GREG THEAKSTON needs copies of the following Golden Age comics in ANY condition for The Complete Kirby, a reprint volume he’s working on. Blue Bolt #4, 6, 7, 9, Famous Funnies #75, 80, Justice Traps The Guilty 2. Call him in Atlanta at (404)424-5151 if you have any of these for sale or trade. ____________________________ WANTED: Spirit World #1. Also color xeroxed copies at 8-1/2” x 11” of MMMS posters and 1940s Kirby comic covers. Write David Penalosa, Box 814, Arcata, CA 95521.

ver the years, Jack did a number of pencil drawings featuring the Four-Armed Terror (from Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #137) in battle with various heroes. We’ve located two so far (Four-Armed Terror vs. the Hulk and Four-Armed Terror vs. Black Panther), and would like to feature them all in an upcoming issue. If you know where we can get copies of others, write or call TJKC!

Help! The Four-Armed O Terror Is Loose!!! Subscribe!

If you’re viewing a digital version of this publication, PLEASE read this plea from the publisher!

o get as many fans involved as possible, we only charge enough to cover expenses (currently $2.00 per issue). As more people subscribe, the savings can be put toward adding more pages. But this can only happen if you tell every Kirby fan you know about us, and get them to subscribe. More subscriptions means more submissions, lower costs and better quality for everyone.

his is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, which is NOT INTENDED FOR FREE T DOWNLOADING ANYWHERE. If you’re a print subscriber, or you paid the modest fee we charge to download it at our website, you have our sincere thanks—your support allows us to keep producing publications like this one. If instead you downloaded it for free from some other website or torrent, please know that it was absolutely 100% DONE WITHOUT OUR CONSENT, and it was an ILLEGAL POSTING OF OUR COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. If that’s the case, here’s what you should do:

Back Issues! We keep back issues of TJKC in-stock at all times. If you missed an issue, send $2.50 per copy in the US ($2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside North America) and we’ll ship it out right away.

Classifieds! Classified ads are 10¢ per word, 10 word minimum. Proceeds go to add pages to this publication.

Next Issue...

...is our much anticipated Fourth World theme issue. It’s doublesized (32-pages), and counts as two issues toward your subscription. We’ll show character sketches, pages of Jack’s pencils before they were inked, Part 2 of our Mike Royer interview, an interview with Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman, a feature on the rare black-&-white New Gods portfolio, and much more!

TwoMorrows publications should only be downloaded at

www.twomorrows.com

Don’t Forget...

Submission deadline for Issue #5 is Apr. 2nd

Issue #5 will be mailed on May 2 15

Some beautiful examples of Jack’s uninked pencils to Thor #147, page 6 and #152, page 15 - from xeroxes Marvel Comics made after lettering but before inking, and sent to Jack to help him maintain continuity.

OFI T

A NO

R T - F O - PR

Fully Authorized By The Kirby Estate

$ 50

$2.70 Canada $3.70 Foreign

N •

• P

CELEBRATING THE LIFE & CAREER OF THE KING!

LICATIO

IN THIS ISSUE:

Issue #5, May 1995

Jack Goes To College! Transcripts from Kirby’s 1972 Speech at Vanderbilt University

Unpublished Fantastic Four Pencils! Essential Kirby Collectibles Do You Have Them All?

Jack Meets The Beatles! Well, Sort Of...

How Kirby Used

Real people In His Comics

A Look At Jack’s Art For

Fan Memories And Much Mo re!!

Marvelmania

In case you’re not familiar with the story, Jim Steranko had taken over Captain America from Jack with issue #110. He was two issues into a three-part story, and it became obvious he wasn’t going to make the deadline on #112. So Stan Lee called up Jack and asked him to pencil a fill-in issue. It was Friday. He needed it Monday. And Jack did it. Beautifully, I might add. It’s in that spirit that I’m typing this, as I put the finishing touches on this issue. And it shaped up pretty nicely, too. This fill-in issue gave me an opportunity to use some of the miscellaneous submissions you’ve been sending in. My thanks to all the contributors for helping me build up enough of a backlog of submissions to complete an issue like this. And special thanks to Harold May for digging out his old transcripts of Jack’s 1972 speech at Vanderbilt University. By the way, this issue has partially depleted our backlog of submissions, so if you’ve been meaning to write something for TJKC, now’s the perfect time. To give you some ideas, we’ve planned several theme issues for the near future, including ones on Kid Gangs, the Fantastic Four, and a special Halloween issue featuring Jack’s monster and occult books. But don’t feel limited to those. And next issue, get ready for our slam-bang, extra-whizzy Fourth World theme issue. It’ll be a doozy! And since it’s double-size (which counts as two issues toward your subscription), let me remind you to:

Jack at the 1985 Acme Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina (Photo by Patrick Varker)

Check Yo ur Mailing Label!!

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Our Fourth World Issue...

# Of Issues Left In Your Subscription: 1

Mark Moonrider 2001 Mother Box Way Supertown, New Genesis 99999 USA

es, I know this isn’t the extra special, super-colossal Fourth World theme issue I promised you last time. But there’s a very good reason why. Everything was almost ready. The pages were designed, the articles were written, the art was scanned. But for reasons beyond my (or Mark Evanier’s) control, it wouldn’t have been possible to include Mark’s interview if I’d published the theme issue as scheduled. Mark’s been awfully busy on Jack Kirby: A Celebration, the tribute book he and Frank Miller are co-producing (details are in this issue’s News section). And with so many details to be attended to, our interview got postponed. I thought about running the theme issue without Mark’s interview. But besides the fact that a bunch of pages would’ve been left blank by the omission, I’ve been waiting 20+ years to find out a couple of things about the Fourth World. And this was my one and only chance, so no way was I going to blow it. Since nearly everything I had planned for the Fourth World issue revolves around the interviews with Mark, Steve Sherman, and Mike Royer, deleting one of the interviews would really weaken the issue. So I decided to delay it for two months, along with the second half of Mike Royer’s interview. Mark extends his sincere apologies, and promises me he’ll be ready in time for next issue. He also promises that it’ll be lengthy and full of wonderful anecdotes about his tenure with Jack. If it’s half as interesting as the ones I’ve already done with Mike Royer and Steve Sherman, you’re in for a treat. (When you finally see the issue, I think you’ll be really impressed. It’s by far the best issue we’ve done so far.) This of course left me with a problem; it was Friday, and I had to have issue #5 to the printer on Monday to make the May 1st deadline. “No way,” I thought. “I can’t possibly complete an entire issue of TJKC in one weekend.” I was sure it couldn’t be done. It wasn’t humanly possible! No one could meet a deadline like that!! Then I remembered Captain America #112.

If this is a “1” or is blank, it’s time to renew!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a looooong nap!

Long live the King!

John Morrow, Editor (This issue’s cover is an unpublished pencil page from DC’s Kobra #1. Jack wrote the name ‘King Kobra’ on the back of the page, which Steve Sherman assures me was the character’s original name.) The Jack Kirby Co llecto r #5 Edited by: John Morrow Pro duction by: John & Pamela Morrow Special thanks to : Mark Evanier, Russ Garwood, D. Hambone, Chris Harper, Richard Howell, Mike Royer, Steve Sherman, Greg Theakston, & of course, Roz Kirby.

This Issue’s Contributo rs: Jeff Clem, Paul Doolittle, Shel Dorf, David Hamilton, Chris Harper, Manny Hovis, Harold May, Leo Pando, Scott Shaw!, Greg Theakston, Kirk Tilander, Patrick Varker, R.J. Vitone, Peter Von Sholly, and Bruce Zick. (Each Receives one free issue fo r their effo rts!)

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 2, No. 5, May 1995. Published bi-monthly by TwoMorrows Advertising, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Single issues and back issues: $2.50 each U.S., $2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside N. America. 6-issue subscriptions: $12.00 US, $13.20 Canada, and $19.20 outside North America. First printing (dated 4/25/95). The initial printing of this issue was mailed the week of May 1, 1995. All characters are © their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective authors.

Marvel Responds To Campaign!

Kirby News

our letters are working! First Dr. Mark Miller started the letter writing campaign to get Marvel to give Jack co-credit with Stan Lee for for their creations. Then TJKC readers helped get copies of the letter circulated throughout the US, Canada, England, France, and other parts of Europe. Now, Mark Miller reports that he recently received a phone call from Terry Stewart, President of Marvel Comics about the situation. Mr. Stewart said he was well aware of Jack’s contributions to the Marvel Universe, and that Marvel was considering what steps to take on the issue of Jack’s credit. This is an encouraging sign, but it would be easy for them to put this on the back burner. So keep reminding them! Send your letters to: Terry Stewart, President, Marvel Comics Co., 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016.

DC Kirby Reprints NOT Canceled here’s good news from DC - they have NOT canceled their hardcover reprint series! In fact, editor Bob Kahan deserves major credit for his efforts to keep it going. As for the the Jimmy Olsen, Challengers of the Unknown, and Simon & Kirby Sandman reprints, it’s quite possible they’ll see the light of day. Write to Bob at DC Comics, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019 (no calls please). Be sure to tell him how much you appreciate his efforts, and how much you’d like to see these and other Kirby reprint volumes.

Help Compile The Kirby Checklist

Jack Kirby: A Celebration

on’t forget our goal to compile an accurate checklist of everything Jack ever had published, and offer it as a separate at-cost publication. As a starting point, we’re using the Kirby checklist from Blue Rose Press’ The Art Of Jack Kirby. We hope to publish what will be the definitive checklist of Jack’s published work. But we need your help! Already, we’ve received numerous lists of uncredited Kirby work, and we’re incorporating them into one final, accurate checklist. So if you remember an error, omission, or inaccuracy in the checklist, or if you’ve got an accurate list of your own to contribute, write us!

t’s official; Mark Evanier and Frank Miller are co-producing Jack Kirby: A Celebration, a book which they hope will capture on paper, the essence of the man and what he meant to our industry. The book will basically be divided into three parts:

• THE MAN – When Jack passed away, Mark wrote “The King and I,” a two-part article for Comics Buyer’s Guide that attempted to tell the world who Jack was, what he did and what he meant to him. In the year since, Mark has expanded and polished it, correcting some errors and amplifying on other points. The enlarged, definitive version of the article will appear in the tribute book.

We Need Interviews & Photos!

• THE HISTORY – This section will feature an array of articles and essays by and about Jack, with particular emphasis on hearing from those who worked with him. There will be previously unseen Kirby art and previously untold recollections.

e’re not just limiting our checklist to Jack’s published artwork. We want to include a complete bibliography of interviews he gave, newspaper and magazine articles about him, even down to the fanzine level. So search through your collection and scrapbooks, and send us a listing of what you find. We’re also looking for photos of Jack to show here in TJKC, so dig through your scrapbooks and send them in! All photos will be scanned and returned ASAP.

• THE GALLERY – In this section, hundreds of the most accomplished artists in comics will each draw one of Jack’s characters. Based on the early response to the book, it’s safe to say that there has never been – and perhaps never will be – such a gathering of prominent comic book artists in one place. (They’re holding certain characters with certain artists in mind. For instance, Will Eisner will be drawing the Newsboy Legion.) At this point, all Mark could promise was, “It will be out when it’s done and done right.” The final cover price and page count haven’t been determined, but there will probably be a deluxe hardcover edition and a lower-priced paperback. The goal is to keep this book in print forever to tell future generations who Jack Kirby was and what he meant to us. All proceeds from the book will go to either the Jack Kirby Estate or the Jack Kirby Educational Fund. No one involved in the book will be making a profit off it. The folks at Image Comics have agreed to underwrite the book and to solicit it and handle initial distribution. But it will not be an “Image” publication or any other kind of companyoriented effort. Frank Miller has the final say with regard to art and graphics, while Mark’s in charge of the text. Stay tuned for updates about this project.

Kirby Display At Heroes Con ’95 e’re considering putting together a Kirby display for Heroes Convention ’95 in Charlotte, NC, on June 16-18. It would consist of a wide range of rare and unpublished Kirby artwork (both originals and photocopies from the Kirby archives). Greg Theakston has tentatively agreed to let us display some unpublished Stuntman and Boy Explorers art from his files, among others. We’re still working out the details at press time, but if you’ll be in the area, be sure to stop by! For more information on Heroes Con ’95, you can call (704)372-4370 anytime 24-hours a day.

Jack’s Pencil Sells For $500! e’re not talking about a drawing, but Jack’s actual pencil! Roz Kirby donated a pencil that was on Jack’s drawing board when he passed away to Tom Horvitz of TRH Gallery in California. Tom in return offered it up for auction at this year’s WonderCon in San Francisco, with proceeds going to benefit the Literacy Volunteers of America. After some spirited bidding, a consortium of California comics retailers won with a $500 bid. They plan to put the pencil on rotating display between their stores and the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco as a way of “keeping Jack’s memory alive through the instrument of his magic.” Way to go, gang!

Educational Fund Still Going On on’t forget that you can still make donations to the educational fund that was set up in Jack’s name shortly after his death. Send your contributions to: The Jack Kirby Educational Fund Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

small portion of his artwork back), this issue helped bring it to the public’s attention, and helped put some heat on Marvel to negotiate with the Kirbys. Check your back issue dealer for this one - cover price $2.95.

Essential Kirby by John Morrow

Jack Kirby’s Heroes & Villains n response to numerous requests by newer Kirby fans, here’s a list of Kirby collectibles (other than comic books) I think no collector should be without. If I’ve left out some critical piece of Kirby work, feel free to send in your favorites, and I’ll include them in a future issue. And now, in no particular order:

(Pure Imagination Publishing - 1987) If you’ve never seen this reproduction of Roz Kirby’s “Black Book,” you’re in for a treat. Jack drew this sketchbook as a Valentine gift for Roz in the mid 1970s, and it features more than 100 of his greatest characters, all in pencil form. I much prefer the original pencil version to the 1994 softcover inked version - this one shows all the power and majesty of his incredible pencils. It’s hardbound, and originally listed for $65.00, with a limited edition of 1000 signed, numbered copies.

(Communicators Unlimited - 1972) This simple portfolio consists of only an envelope and four color plates - but what plates they are! They show four different Norse gods, each beautifully inked by Don Heck and watercolored by Jack. Original price was around $3.50. (Don’t confuse this with the New Gods Portfolio from around the same time, featuring eight black-&white plates, with no envelope, of various New Gods characters. We’ll have a full report on that one next issue.) Hot tip from subscriber Danny Serafin: Passaic Book Center has copies of the Gods Portfolio! Contact them at 594 Main Ave., Passaic, NJ 07055 - (201)778-6646.

Kirby Unleashed (Communicators Unlimited - 1971) This was the first really comprehensive Kirby portfolio produced. It includes a nice biography of Jack, hitting on all the major highlights of his career up to 1971. There’s lots of artwork that up to that point had never been seen, and much of it still hasn’t been reproduced anywhere else. The color plates suffer from some too-dark coloring, but all-in-all, a very nice piece. Original cover price was $4.00, but expect to pay at least ten times that, if you can find a copy for sale.

Jack Kirby’s Gods

(Privateer Press - 1979) A fantastic portfolio, some say the best ever done! It features an updated biography of Jack by Mark Evanier and gobs of great unpublished Kirby pencils. The original price was $10.00.

Jack Kirby Masterworks

The Comics Journal #105

Marvelmania Portfolio

(The Comics Journal, Inc. - February 1986) This issue highlighted a very painful but important part of Jack’s career - his fight with Marvel Comics for ownership of his original artwork. While the battle was finally resolved (with Jack getting only a

(Marvelmania International - 1970) See issues #1-4 of The Jack Kirby Collector for more information on this one. Shown above is the artwork from the folder the plates came in. The original price was $1.75! 4

(Blue Rose Press - 1992) Okay, so this is a highly flawed piece of work. There are lots of mistakes in the copy, books appeared with the wrong captions under them (some twice), etc... But a monster-size volume like this was a long time in coming. And despite the mistakes, it collects more of Jack’s work in one place than any other publication. The softcover version listed for $28.95, and there was a signed hardcover available as well. Even if you can’t overlook its flaws, just flipping through the artwork is worth the price of admission.

(Pure Imagination Publishing - 1982, 1991) Though Volume 2 is larger and more thorough than Volume 1, the two together provide a nice account of Jack’s career through 1960, a checklist (up to the letter ‘S’) and a lot of unseen older work. Volume 1 is out of print. This softbound version of Volume 2 was originally $9.95.

The Jack Kirby Treasury Vol. 1&2

The Art Of Jack Kirby

Sorcerers • A Collection Of Fantasy Art (Ariel Books/Ballentine Books - 1978) This softcover, squarebound book was available in bookstores in the late 1970s, and includes a six page feature on Jack’s work, as well as features on Jim Steranko, Bruce Jones, and others. It shows full color reproductions of some of Jack’s paintings, along with a nice pencil sketch (shown above is one of the full-page reproductions). The binding on my copy is hopelessly destroyed, and I suspect others are having the same problem. The jet black softcover will also probably make it hard to find a copy in nice condition, so grab the first one you find. Originally published at $7.95.

Argosy Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 2 “Street Code” Story

(Richard Kyle Publications - November 1990) This 10-page story, drawn by Jack in 1983, is a striking departure from the superheroics he’s so well-known for. Which is not to say that it’s lacking in action; it’s an autobiographical story about Jack’s rough childhood growing up in the late 1920s in New York. Published in pencil form, it gives us some insight into the environment that helped shape the mind of comicdom’s greatest storyteller. It took publisher Richard Kyle’s encouragement for Jack to create this story, and it’s a shame he didn’t do more like this one. Shown at left is the center page spread from “Street Code.” The original cover price was $4.00. 5

But it’s a language tool. I think comics is a form of speech, and each individual that uses it speaks in his own way. And everybody who uses it is performing in some way, whether he’s an editor, a writer, an artist – he’s really a performer. He makes his own individualistic stamp on the plot he’s working on; whatever magazine you’re reading has got the stamp of everybody who has worked on it. It’s the product of everybody through whose hands it’s passed. So comics to me is a language, and I feel that some day, if we have to speak to people from another planet, I think we’re going to talk to them in comics. I think they’ll understand us. I can talk to – well certainly I’m not a linguist and I’m not fluent or versed in any other language except – in fact, I’m not quite sure about English. But I can communicate well in comics; I can talk to people in comics, and from what they see in the comics they know what’s wrong with me. If I feel great they can see that in comics, or if I feel very passionate they’ll get a slam-bang fight like they never saw before.

Kirby At College © 1972, 1995 Harold May, 5050 Poplar, Suite 2414, Memphis, TN 38157. pril 28, 1972 was the day I met Jack Kirby. I had cut classes to help set up a hospitality tent on the athletic field between the freshman dorms and the law school. The event was a comic art symposium sponsored by the Vanderbilt University speakers program. I hadn’t believed they could pull it off. The whole weekend was put together in less than six weeks. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby both would attend. So would Dave Berg, Garry Trudeau, Gahan Wilson, and five or six other notable artists and writers. I didn’t want to miss a minute of it. But I wasn’t prepared for what was to happen next. A phone call came in from our program chairman. Jack Kirby’s plane was due at the Nashville airport in 10 minutes, and there was no one to meet him. “Does anybody have a car? Anyone willing to go?” I seized the moment. “Yes!” I shouted, and began racing across campus to my car. Another student came with me. We leapt into my ’69 Mustang and vroooomed down West End Avenue toward the expressway, and onward to the airport. Fifteen minutes later. Nashville airport. A short, wizened figure, looking lost in the nearly empty corridor. I recognized The Man from recent photographs I had seen. We introduced ourselves, and I became Jack Kirby’s unofficial host for the remainder of the weekend. After checking Jack into his hotel (and after he had dinner on his own), I picked him up later to attend the evening’s events. Jack wasn’t scheduled to speak until Saturday morning, but wanted to hear the other speeches that would precede his. Garry Trudeau was just beginning his keynote speech when we entered the auditorium. Seats had been held for us in the center of the room. As we entered, a hush fell on the crowd. The speeches stopped. Every head in the room turned and watched as we walked down the aisle and took our seats. The King was seated... now the program could really begin. It was a ball being with Jack that weekend. He was so casual and relaxed with his fans. Rather than go with the other artists to a night club, he preferred to go on a night-walking tour of the campus with a group of students, ending up at a coffee shop where we shot the bull about comics until 2 a.m. Jack was scheduled to speak at 8:30 the next morning. What follows is the text of the speech that Jack made that morning at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition, I’m including some comments that Jack made during a panel discussion, the only contribution he made in that particular session. The program chairman introduced Jack as a man who needed no introduction, other than by a list of the characters he had created. He named a dozen or so of those characters, and Jack got up to speak.

The Transcript Of Jack’s Speech April 29, 1972, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee The way he rattled off all those characters – why, I feel like the father of a hundred acrobats. And possibly I am, because that’s been my stock in trade, really – creating people with wonderful reflexes. Perhaps in doing these comics I’m doing an analysis of myself – of things I’d like to be and things I’d like to do. You know, while I’ve been here, we’ve discussed the situation in which I – well, after doing so much of the action in Captain America, I was looking forward to being attacked by eight or nine guys and fight ’em and see how things worked out. I thought I could really do it! But that’s an ego trip, and I know I’d get my lumps. But somehow you get into that sort of thing and you begin to enjoy the action. And you begin to surprise yourself.

(Jack brought with him that day an unpublished Fantastic Four page from the 1st Black Panther story. Harold May comments, “ I could have studied that page for hours... but actually only got a glimpse of it. Jack was very protective of the page, and wouldn’t let me touch it!” Here are two panels, showing a beautiful example of Jack’s “choreographed, violent ballets.”) 6

They’ll know exactly how I feel. And that’s a form of communication which I feel is more explicit than the written language. The written language can be juggled around. A fellow can walk up to you and say, “I’m going to give you a hundred dollars,” but what he doesn’t say is that he’s going to pay it to you over a period of three hundred years. Words can be twisted, but I feel that a picture or a storyline can’t. Whatever a man is thinking, is concerned with, that’s what you’re going to find there. You’re either going to enjoy it, there’s something you’re going to get out of it, it’s going to have an impact on you, or it’s going to be very bland. It depends on the individual who does it. I was going to speak on the evolution of comics, today. It’s my only bag, really, but Mr. Trudeau actually gave you a pretty good insight of it and I’d only be redundant if I got into it. But I’d like to follow it by saying that the evolution of comics is the evolution of people. I can tell you with my own case, that my beginning work looked pretty rough, and certainly I wasn’t the type of person you might say was fully aware, but whatever I did then was very simplistic. There was a good guy, a bad guy, and a conflict, and the good guy always won, and everybody read about it. That’s all there was at first, for me. But somehow comics has given me the opportunity to sit down and study people and situations, to juggle life around and see myself in these conflicts. My characters are really myself, and the situations I get them into are really challenges for me. I’ve often told my wife that if I ever get put into San Quentin, I’ll be out in three weeks. Somehow I know that I’d figure out a way to get out of there. I do it in comics. I feel I’ve really created something. I’m fully aware that, in a sense, in doing this army of characters I’ve had the opportunity to make an army of people. I see them all as real people. And in doing that I believe I’ve achieved a depth of understanding of others. It’s given me a chance of trying to understand the entire motivation of everyone else. I feel my heroes can stand up as well as I can. And I can see them – heroes and villains – acting out of frustration and other emotions. I never used to see them that way. They had no dimension. They’d just slug it out over any differences they had. Now they’ll compromise; try to talk it out. If you find out what the villain’s like, he might not really be so bad. Most of my villains wore masks. And I think they wore masks because they were afraid of their own beings. They were afraid of themselves. So I always wanted to say to them, “Why don’t you take that mask off. Let’s see what you really look like. Maybe you’re not really so bad.” But I never did it. It would ruin sales. I never had the opportunity to do that, and someday I hope the conditions arise that I can. But at the bottom of all my scripts, I sincerely say that my characters are real, and if anybody does anything bad, especially if it’s real bad, I’m sorry he does it. But if my villain does something real bad, I think it’s a reflection of everything else in the world that’s bad. Someday, possibly, I can do a strip where that kind of condition doesn’t exist, and everybody can be a hero, and make all the action a form of exercise or maybe a ballet. That’s what I feel my fights are. They’re choreographed, violent ballets. There’s nothing objectionable in it; you don’t see any blood, or cuts and bruises. I just don’t think they’re necessary. Somehow, I just can’t bring myself to bring that kind of realism in. But I like to look at it as a kind of beautifully planned acrobatic act. And if you like the performance, then I’m genuinely gratified, and I hope I can keep giving you the same kind of show, with as much depth, and with as much ability to reach you, as I can. If I can generate some kind of action that can be constructive to you, then I’ve done my part. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk to you. It’s really been my pleasure.

Excerpt From The Panel Discussion QUESTION: What do you think of comic books like Green Lantern/ Green Arrow which use relevance as a theme? JACK KIRBY: I feel that doing any story on a very serious situation in a comic book is wrong. Because of the restrictive nature of its own format, a comic book cannot do a definitive analysis of a given issue. It can do it in a general way, it can probably gloss over it or mention it or maybe devote a segment of the story to it, but it cannot give a definitive opinion on the issue. If I thought Green Lantern had done anything constructive in that direction, it would be fine. But I thought they couldn’t have given the whole story, and possibly left out an important part of the issue. So I felt they were right by doing it, but they missed the point by not doing it in a different format. They should have done a bigger Green Lantern, a book of say 200 to 250 pages. That would tell a really good story on any given issue, and it would have meant something. Because those issues are not entertainment; they’re really problems. And I feel a problem should be extremely well-defined. A comic book, as it is now, really labors to put it across. Certainly those books did a good job, as far as they went. But I feel they should have been given more of a chance to really tell the story. Because that’s what you want, if you have a serious issue, you should get the story, every detail. And that’s my opinion of the Green Lantern book.

STAN LEE: I don’t agree with Jack about comic books not being a medium for serious messages. I’ve always felt that comics are a legitimate art form, really no different from movies, radio, television, novels, plays, what have you. I think that anything you can say in any other medium, you can say in a comic. Years ago, when I was in the army, one of the things I did was write comic books on very serious subjects for training. I taught people how to operate Sherman tanks and how to avoid venereal disease. Very important subjects, but they used the comics format. We were able to get a message across clearly, succinctly, and briefly, and very effectively we found, through the use of comics. As far as Green Lantern is concerned, basically I think the editors of National Comics and we at Marvel have basic, total disagreement in editorial policy on the way these things should be handled. I do agree when Jack said comics are entertainment; of course they are. Our purpose is to entertain our readers as best we can. I love trying to get messages into the stories. I love trying to moralize, sermonize, but it has to be done in a subtle way, in almost a subliminal way. On the other hand, at National they love the idea of their books being “relevant” now. And my own feeling is a personal feeling – they try to hit the reader over the head with their “relevance.” Their covers say, “Hey gang, this is a relevant issue. Look at the guy with the needle in his arm.” And they may be right, but it is totally in opposition to the way I feel about these things.

KIRBY: May I add just one point? I think that’s one thing they did right. And I think that’s one thing the other books did right, is the fact that they do show that. I felt that, as long as they did do it, showing the problem as it is, the needle in the arm is the only way to portray the drug, the only way to portray the issue. Because that’s essentially what it is. There’s no other way to do it. Green Lantern from that point of view I think was good. They didn’t take any other way around the issue. I felt that they didn’t say enough. I wanted to see a bigger Green Lantern in a more definitive way to tell the real story of drugs. When the real story is told and people can take a good look at it and see what it’s really like, then I think the people who are inclined to slip into that sort of thing will hesitate to do so. So the needle in the arm, I think, is a symbol of what the problem really is, and if it’s ugly, let’s face it, it’s ugly, and we have to show it. And I think they were very honest to do that, and very right to do that. 7

Kirbymania! Thanks to R.J. Vitoné for his contributions to this article. uring the 1960s, Marvel Comics continually found ways to get their fans involved. First came the Merry Marvel Marching Society fan club, and later the Marvelmania International mail order company. Both the MMMS and Marvelmania utilized Jack’s art on their promotional ads and merchandise. Shown here are just a few of the many pieces of art he did, most specifically for these products. Jack’s art eventually appeared on everything from buttons and stickers to plastic pillows. To get an understanding of just how fast Jack was, remember that all this was done in addition to his regular comics work (sometimes three or more pages a day). In the 1966 first issue of the Merry Marvel Messenger (official newsletter of the MMMS), Jack gave the following autobiography:

And thus I was born, amidst questions... questions... “Can it be a Leprechaun?” asked Mrs. Rafferty. “A Prince of the Blood, maybe?” laughed Mrs. Goldberg. “Not that anemic runt,” replied the good doctor as he shot a compassionate glance at my mother and handed my father the bill. Not quite convinced that he’d made medical history, the dazed physician clattered down three flights of unswept stairs and into the first rays of dawn. The place, New York City. The date, August 28th, 1917. It turned out to be a gloomy day like all the others. And I was there. I was there thru rickety childhood, thru obnoxious and sullen adolescence, in the shadow of the chipped, brick walls of the slum, my first drawing-board. Frustrated by bad spelling, I turned to bad drawing and improved both enough in my late teens to land a job in a small syndicate servicing weekly newspapers. From there to the Max Fleischer animation studios – where, for negligible wages, I learned that the human body, in motion, has value and beauty. When Popeye and Betty Boop took the initial steps to throw their pies, it was my job to complete the movement and speed of the action. This operation was called in-betweening. When comic magazines blossomed as a field, I leaped in and drew for anyone who would let me tell a story. I became a variety of names,

unleashing a torrent of diverse characters, among them the Blue Beetle, the This note paper was part first Captain of the MMMS Stationery Set. Marvel. Super(below) Dr. Doom drawing from Heroes were Marvelmania Magazine #1(1970). replacing human beings, and even NEXT PAGE: dressed in (1st row, l to r) Jack’s covers to glamorized Marvelmania Magazine #1 (1969), underwear, they #1 (1970), and #5. looked great in (2nd row) Two Marvelmania the wild blue Posters, and the Silver Surfer plate yonder and from the Marvelmania Portfolio. added a new dimension to the (3rd row) Two more Marvelmania lives of the comic Posters, and Jack’s cover for the fans. Marvelmania Catalog. While working on Captain America for Marvel Comics in the dawning “forties,” I was producing at a furious rate. I remember slowing down only once, when a young rapscallion, peering into my cubicle suggested that I show more of Cap’s home life, his aged, kindly mother, his wicked Aunt Agatha, and the stark, heart-rending background of Cap’s early years. “Begone!” I cried, sorely put to drubbing him. “Take off and become an editor or something!” Well, by golly, he did. But before he got the name Stan Lee on his office door, I was busily engaged elsewhere, with the Boy Commandos, Newsboy Legion, Sandman, Manhunter, and other features. The comic field was producing heroes while the world at large came up with villains to match. Hitler, Tojo, Mussolini, and the mess of miscreants stomping in their wake. Things got so bad during the period following Pearl Harbor, they finally drafted me. Then things got so bad in the Army, they actually used me in battle. At Metz, in France, serving in General Patton’s Third Army, I was frozen into immobility by the sight of the advancing armor of the Heinrich Himmler Field Kitchen Panzers of the Waffen SS. I’d created another first, the “Human Road Block.” This won me a PFC stripe and a lot of colorful language from my First Sergeant. Well, the world just couldn’t go on that way. The Axis powers, faced down by men raised side by side with Super-Heroes, had had it. Everyone hustled out of uniform and began raising families. I invaded Harvey Comics, drawing Stuntman, Boy Explorers, Boy’s Ranch. Rushing into other strips I did a teen-age feature called My Date, an adventure satire named The Flying Fool, and a bit of whimsy labeled The Rich Rabbit. There was nothing to be done then but innovate Romance Comics, pulverize the underworld in Headline Comics and Justice Traps The Guilty, and play Edgar Allen Poe in Black Magic. With Fighting American, I was ready for laughs. But fooling with the 3D madness and Captain 3D gave me the vapors. When I came out of the fog, I found I’d also done Win-APrize Comics, Bullseye, Foxhole, and Police Trap. Compounding these concoctions, I stumbled into Green Arrow and kept things humming by creating the Challengers Of The Unknown and a syndicated strip called “Sky Masters.” Returning to Marvel Comics was like re-entering the Halls of Ivy. In charge of comics was that young rascal, and, now, a bit of an older rascal, Stan Lee. We now share ideas, laughs, and stubby cigars. As for all the people who make Marvel what it is, no one could respect them more than I. And that includes our readers. I have a wife named Rosalind, three lovely daughters, Susan, Barbara and Lisa and a fine son named Neal. To put it concisely, you name it, I’ve done it – but fairly.”

Mob, from Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #144. Each member of this villainous musical group was based on a fan Jack met - Roger Freedman, Scott Shaw!, John Pound, Bill Lund, Mike Towry, and Barry (BarriBoy) Alfonso. Barry was also the inspiration for Witchboy from The Demon. And Kirby fan Carl Taylor was drawn as a character in several issues of Black Panther as well as other books. It’s well-known that Jack based Mister Miracle on comic artist Jim Steranko, who at one time worked as an escape artist. And the Forever People were each based on a fan Jack knew, but there’s much debate as to who (I’ve read that Mark Moonrider is probably based on Mark Evanier). I’m sure there are many more examples of Jack putting real people into his books. If you know of any, send them in!

Art Imitates Life by John Morrow, with assistance by Chris Harper and Kirk Tilander hroughout his career, Jack would base some of his comic characters on real people. Here’s a brief recap of some of the ones we’ve discovered. In Boy Commandos #1, Jack and Joe Simon made a guest appearance as themselves. And in the Boy Commandos story in Detective Comics #82, a World War II Bomber is named the Rosalind K., after Jack’s then new bride Rosalind Kirby. Jack also put other family members in his books. His grandson Jeremy (now 16 years old) appeared as himself in the Goozlebobber strip in Captain Victory #4-6. And Jack’s granddaughter Tracy (now 22 years old) also made an appearance in Captain Victory #5, as the little girl Tarin saves from an Insecton on page 4. The Tracy Coleman character in Silver Star is also based on her. Jack himself showed up in more than a few books. You can’t miss the young Jack Kirby as a newsboy in Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles. Jack and Stan Lee attended the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm in Fantastic Four Annual #3. And check out Kamandi #39, page 13. Is that Jack eating a snack in the lower left corner? You be the judge. Jack’s fans also made appearances in his books. One of the more notorious examples was the San Diego Five String

Grandkids Tracy (left, from Silver Star #1) and Jeremy (above, from Captain Victory #5). (below) Joe & Jack in Boy Commandos #1.

(above) The San Diego 5-String Mob (shown here from a promotional drawing done for the San Diego Comic Convention). (bottom left) Kirby fan Carl Taylor in Black Panther #9. (bottom right) Is this Jack in Kamandi #39?

ritualistic passage with the tribe elder, or was it the tribe wizard? Anyway, the drums beat, and comets streaked across the starry sky. Jack’s mind was at work. He was telling a story about the drawing. A story within a story. Why the characters were in combat. Why he was inspired to do it. And not only why, but how it connected to the Kirby Universe. This was the progenitor race of beings that birthed not only Captain Victory, but a fledgling society of new gods. And then it connected to Orion of the Fourth World Mythology. My God!! I was like a child again, being mesmerized once more by the King. But now he was here in person spinning yet another tale, taking me again to that special place of wonderment. Damn, I loved that man. With a new conviction, I told him that if this is the vision he was inspired to create, then that is what I wanted. I didn’t care about expectations. Who was I, after all, to tell Jack Kirby what to do. It was far better to have Jack tell me what inspired him... and then illustrate that. It was an awkward farewell. Nothing like what I would have really wanted. But it wasn’t important anymore. I had experienced a transcendent moment with the master storyteller. A kind of circle in my life had been completed that I can’t quite explain. But I was satisfied beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks, Jack.

The Big Moment... by Bruce Zick en years ago, I had finally saved up enough money for the big moment. With great anticipation, I called up Jack Kirby to commission an original “Kirby Art” piece. In my head swirled images of fantastic architecture and incredible machinery mixed with colossal statues and those patented swirling energy patterns. In other words – a typical Kirby environment. That was what I really loved about the man’s art. His stories took place in a world unlike anything on earth. It was mythical and timeless, designed and obviously constructed by an alien genius. I loved it. So much, in fact, that I later became a designer of worlds, landscapes, and architecture for film and TV. I was really nervous as I talked to Jack about what type of illustration I wanted. I mean, who was I to tell the King what to do. Yet it was a huge amount of money, and I so badly wanted that Kirby magical fantastical environment relating to the type of work I did. After talking to Jack’s wife Roz about the business side of the agreement, I sent a confirmation letter describing the agreement and my expectations. The big deal was set. A month or so later, the Kirbys were visiting their friends in my neighborhood and they brought the finished art. My excitement was near the boiling point that day as I drove over to meet them. When I arrived everyone was in the middle of lunch. Jack got up and took me over to the other end of the room and presented his work. It was all wrong!! Nothing like what I had asked for! There was someone riding on top of a large beast charging up a rock at two smaller figures. What was this??? Where were the machines, the architecture, the weird alien Kirby Konstructs? This had to be the wrong piece. Sure, that was it. Jack brought the wrong piece. As delicately as possible, I said, “I think there must be some mistake. This isn’t what we had discussed. Could you have accidentally brought the wrong piece?” Jack was perplexed, and wondered why I didn’t like it. Roz’s defensive antennae instantly picked up the signals of trouble. She got up from the table and quickly came over, probably thinking, “Here we go again – someone trying to back out of a deal.” Everything was going wrong! Terribly wrong. I had wanted so much for this to be a wonderful experience – a great and meaningful connection with the Kirbys. Instead, the more the three of us talked, the worse it got. Jack then offered to do a new piece. But the last thing in the world I wanted was to inconvenience him. I said no, it would be fine. Still, Jack knew I was disappointed. And then he began to tell me a story. It was as if the lights suddenly dimmed, and we were transported to another time and place. It was a tribal, mythic setting. We were by a fire. I was the initiate in some sort of

The Kirby-Beatles Connection by Leo Pando n June of 1976 I attended a “Paul McCartney and Wings” concert at the Forum in Los Angeles. Halfway through the set I was taken by surprise when a huge painting of “Magneto and Titanium Man” was unveiled behind the band. Paul had written and recorded a song by the same name for his then current album “Venus and Mars.” He introduced the tune by saying, “We’d like to dedicate this next number to Jack Colbey. He’s the artist who originally drew these characters.” Linda McCartney promptly corrected him with a shout of, “Kirby!” Paul acknowledged his mistake and the band kicked into the song. Mistake or not, I was amazed. (Editor’s note: Jack eventually met Paul & Linda McCartney. We hope to have the full story in a future issue.)

The Jupiter Plaque

plaque would have revealed the exuberant, self-confident super visions with which we’ve clothed ourselves since time immemorial. The comic strip super-heroes and heroines, in my belief, personify humanity’s innate idealism and drive. However, I would have included no further information than a rough image of the Earth and its one moon. I see no wisdom in the eagerness to be found and approached by any intelligence with the ability to accomplish it from any sector of space. In the meetings between ‘discoverers’ and ‘discoverees,’ history has always given the advantage to the finders. In the case of the Jupiter plaque, I feel that a tremendous issue was thoughtlessly taken out of the world forum by a few individuals who have marked a clear trail to our door. My point is, who will come a-knocking – the trader or the tiger?

Thanks to Bruce Zick for submitting the original newspaper clipping. n 1972, NASA sent a probe into outer space with an engraved plaque depicting the human male and female, and directions on how to get to Earth. In response, the Los Angeles Times asked several artists to come up with their own version of what should’ve been included in the space probe. Above is Jack’s contribution, which was printed in color in a 1972 LA Times West supplement. Jack included this explanatory letter with his submission: It appears to me that man’s self image has always spoken far more truthfully about him than does his reality-figure. My version of the

Patriot Names

Captain America wasn’t Simon & Kirby’s only patriotic hero. Here are Jack’s original pencils to the cover of Blue Ribbon Comics #5, which featured reprints of the Shield.

And let’s not forget Joe and Jack’s patriotic hero with a sense of humor, the Fighting American (and Speedboy). Shown here is a drawing inked by Dan Reed.

• Rare and unpublished Kirby art or sketches • Kirby interviews and correspondence • Photocopies of original art pages • Kirby convention and fanzine art and articles • Photos and personal recollections of Jack • Original and previously published reviews of Jack’s work • Anything else that you think Kirby fans would like to see

Send to: TwoMorrows 502 St. Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605, USA or E-mail to: twomorrow@aol.com

“After attending the Kirby exhibit at the Words & Pictures Museum, (for a full report, see TJKC #2 - editor) I can really appreciate how difficult it was to ink Kirby’s work. Kirby so completely internalized his way of working that it became instinctual: I believe his drawing hand must have moved with the ease and comfort of someone gesturing during a conversation, or eating with a fork or spoon. After seeing his original art, I have the impression that Kirby could get what he wanted, on the first try, almost all the time – his pages show no signs of fussiness or hesitation. How many inkers have the ability and confidence to work on pages by such an artist? This is born out by the recent paperback of Jack Kirby’s Heroes and Villains. Compared to the pencils, most of the inked versions are stiff and unconvincing.” Charles Hatfield, Storrs, CT

““Love the publication! I just received issue #4, and upon reading Shel Dorf ’s letter, thought I’d jot down a few thoughts of my own. People need to know something about Jack and Roz Kirby. When you get past all of the accomplishments, the superheroes, and the genius, it all boils down to something very simple - they really cared about people. I don’t know how I can emphasize this enough without it appearing overly sentimental, but Jack was, and Roz still is, the nicest people you’d ever hope to meet. I’ve known Jack and Roz for over 12 years now. I’ve been up to their home dozens of times – many times with complete strangers who came wide-eyed to meet their idol. And you know something, Jack always made each person feel special. No matter how many times he gave the tour of his home (and explained his thoughts about the incredible artwork lining the walls), he always made it sound as exciting as the very first time he was talking about it. As a result, time and time again, I watched fans come up to Jack and Roz’s home to meet the great master who created the comics they loved. And I watched them leave after getting to know two people who were as grand as any of the superheroes that flowed from Jack’s pencil. Honestly, I find this caring and consideration for their fans truly remarkable. How many of us would tolerate complete strangers coming up to our homes and asking the same questions over and over again? For decades! Jack and Roz did. They made every visitor feel like family. I saw it time and time again. I can think of no other celebrity in any field who has given more to the people who admire them than Jack and Roz. Look, we all know the genius of Jack Kirby. We all know his ideals and the vision that lived in his comics. What I want everyone to know is that Jack lived these ideals. He was the genuine article. It’s not often that our heroes can live up to the inflated images we have of them. In my opinion, Jack (and his lovely wife Roz) not only lived up to them, they far surpassed them! Keep up the great work, John!” David Schwartz, Agoura Hills, CA

(We’ve gotten lots of comments on inking this time, so on that note, let’s take a look at...) 16 15

Thinkin’ ‘Bout Inkin’

14 13 12 11 10

50 respondents so far 9 8 7

Ditko

Heck

Giacoia

Ayers

Everett

Shores

Stone

Wood

(I’m sure anyone who ever met Jack and Roz would echo your sentiments, David. But I’ve always wondered; how did Jack ever get all those pages drawn with people constantly dropping by?!)

Sinnott

Royer

J. Kirby

Verpoorten

Simon

Letters

We’ll pay return postage and insurance for originals only, but please write or call before sending originals. Please include any background information you have on your submissions.

oger Stern pointed out that I’ve been calling this our poll for BEST Kirby inker. As evidenced by so many of your responses, there could never be one “best” inker, since different inkers were so perfectly suited for what they were working on (Wally Wood on Sky Masters, Sinnott on FF, etc.) From here on out, I’m going to be extra careful to call this our poll of your FAVORITE Kirby inkers. You’ll notice Joe Sinnott took a commanding lead this issue, and there are several new names. If you didn’t vote yet, send it in and we’ll add it to our results next issue.

“...It’s no surprise to me that Kirby has been ill-served over the years by many of his inkers. His pencils are invariably superior to the inked artwork.” Harold May, Memphis, TN (Our two-page article “About Faces” in #4 elicited the largest response we’ve ever gotten about a feature. Glad to see it struck a chord with readers...) 14

Classifieds WANTED: Especially interested in Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko pre-hero Marvel and early Marvel superhero covers, splashes, and pages. BuySell-Trade! Other artists too. Conrad Eschenberg, Rt. 1, Box 204A, Cold Spring, NY 10516, (914)265-2649. ____________________________ BUYING original Warren Art. Especially by Gonzalo Mayo, Jose Gonzalez and Jose Ortiz. Please call Frank, 718-777-2288. ____________________________ WANTED: Kirby original art. Especially looking for pages from “Toxl, The World Killer” and 1970s Marvel, DC work. Michael Dooney, c/o Mirage Studios, 16 Market St., Northampton, MA 01060, 413-5867066.

Help Us Track Down These Kirby Art Pieces!

GREG THEAKSTON is still looking for a few comics for his reprint project. AC Comics supplied Greg with a copy of Blue Bolt #6, so that’s one more down. But he still needs Blue Bolt #4, 7, 9, Famous Funnies #75, 80, and Justice Traps The Guilty #2. If you know where he can acquire these in any condition, call him in Atlanta at (404)424-5151. ____________________________

Have You Seen Jack’s Batman? oes anyone know J.R. Riley Jr., editor of a short-lived Houston, Texas magazine from the early 1980s called Comic Informer? He had plans to publish an article on “What If Marvel Comics Created The Batman” and got Jack to do a Batman drawing for it. I’m not sure if it was ever published. If you know how to contact J.R. or can supply us with a copy of this Batman drawing, please let us know.

WANTED: Spirit World #1. Also color xeroxed copies at 8-1/2” x 11” of MMMS posters and 1940s Kirby comic covers. Write David Penalosa, Box 814, Arcata, CA 95521. ____________________________

Four-Armed Terror Still Loose! e’re also still looking for pencil drawings featuring the FourArmed Terror (from Jimmy Olsen #137) in battle with various heroes. We’ve located two so far (Four-Armed Terror vs. the Hulk and Four-Armed Terror vs. Black Panther), and would like to feature them all in an upcoming issue. If you know of others, write or call TJKC!

CORBEN art wanted, all periods. Private collector, not dealer, I pay most. 908-946-0851.

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o get as many fans involved as possible, we only charge enough to cover expenses. As more people subscribe, the savings can be put toward adding more pages. But this can only happen if you tell every Kirby fan you know about us, and get them to subscribe. More subscriptions means more submissions, lower costs and better quality for everyone.

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Next Issue...

...is our Fourth World theme issue (no really, we mean it this time!). It’s double-sized (32-pages), and counts as two issues toward your subscription. We’ll show character sketches, pages of Jack’s pencils before they were inked, Part 2 of our Mike Royer interview, interviews with Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman, a feature on the rare black-&-white New Gods portfolio, and much more!

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Submission deadline for Issue #6 is June 2nd

...to send your letter to Marvel Comics requesting they give Jack credit for the characters he created, and send one to DC telling them how much you’d like to see those Kirby reprint volumes (see our news section on page 3 for details).

Issue #6 will be mailed on July 3rd 15

Jack’s Funny Farm Other than Lockjaw the Alligator and Earl the Rich Rabbit from the late 1940s, Jack didn’t do much with funny animals. It’s really a shame, based on these two examples of Jack’s offbeat sense of humor.

(left) A sketch Jack did for Scott Shaw! in 1970. (above) A Kirby spoof of Star Wars.