Jack Kirby Collector #32

Fully Authorized

By The Kirby Estate

$9.95

THE NEW

In The US

SPOTLIGHTING KIRBY’S LE ASTKNO WN WO RK!

In The Days Of The Mob Dingbats of Danger Street Soul Love True Divorce Cases The Black Hole The Prisoner Marvel Westerns The Horde and more!

A Long-Lost

Kirby Interview Mark Evanier on the Fourth World

Kirby Checklist UPDATE

Unpublished Art including published pages Befo re They Were Inked, And Muc h Mo re!!

ISSUE #32, JULY 2001

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Number 2, May-June 2001

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Hype and hullabaloo from the publisher determined to bring new life to comics fandom

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Edited by Eric Nolen-Weathington

TwoMorrows. Bringing More Women Into Comics.

Well, ONE more woman, anyway! As announced last issue, publishers JOHN & PAM MORROW are expecting their first child in September 2001, and if the Ultrasound technicians are to be believed, it’ll be a little girl! Names are already being batted around. (JOHN thinks “Jacquelyn Kirby Morrow” has a nice ring to it; Comics Savant TOM STEWART offered up “Vinnie Colletta Morrow” if it ends up being a boy.

PAM has other ideas.) Meanwhile, John’s other new arrival, The Jack Kirby Collector #32 (our second tabloid-size issue, spotlighting Kirby’s least known work, plus an update to the Kirby Checklist) is now shipping. (And special thanks to ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON, our new full-time production assistant, for keeping things together at the Raleigh, North Carolina headquarters while the two Morrows are otherwise distracted with all things Baby.)

3 Eisners & A Surprise!

TwoMorrows was delighted to receive THREE Eisner Award nominations this year; TWO for STREETWISE (“Best Anthology” and “Best Short Story” for Sergio Aragonés’ delightful “Gorilla Suit”), plus one for the CBA COLLECTION, VOL. ONE (“Best Comics-Related Book”). Both books are still available directly from us, so if you missed either one, check ’em out!

Inexplicably, the judges this year decided to eliminate the category for “Best Comics-Related Periodical” (the one the COMIC BOOK ARTIST won last year). We’re not sure why; maybe with so many TwoMorrows mags, plus COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE, COMICS JOURNAL, and so many other great mags up for the honor, they just couldn’t limit the field enough?!

July brings the release of our first comic BOOK, PRIME8: CREATION #1, created by the Eisner award-winning editor of COMIC BOOK ARTIST, Jon B. Cooke! It features 64 pages of story by writing team of Jon B. & Andrew D. Cooke, penciler Chris Knowles, and inkers George Freeman & Bob Wiacek! With a NEW wraparound color cover by NEAL ADAMS, and NEW Prime8 pin-ups by SERGIO ARAGONÉS, WALTER SIMONSON, BARRY WINDSORSMITH, and BRUCE TIMM, we’re “primed” and ready to take the comics world by storm! And you thought we were going to make some lame gorilla pun. Shame on you.

PROS & CONS! Meet the TwoMorrows crew at COMICON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO (July 19-22), and if things work out, WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO (August 1719). Come see us and buy stuff! (Please? -snif-)

To get periodic e-mail updates of what’s new from TwoMorrows Publishing, sign up for our mailing list! Go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/twomorrows

Miracles Happen In August!

John Morrow, publisher, KIRBY COLLECTOR editor (and the one to go to with subscription problems): twomorrow@aol.com Jon B. Cooke, COMIC BOOK ARTIST editor: jonbcooke@aol.com

Mike Manley, DRAW! editor: mike@actionplanet.com And the TWOMORROWS WEB SITE (where you can read excerpts from our back issues, and order from our secure online store) is at: www.twomorrows.com

FASTER DELIVERY! We’ve signed a deal with DHL to handle our overseas shipments, cutting “Surface” delivery times from 6-8 weeks down to 2-4 weeks—what took us so long?

Coming in August, DRAW! #2 is filled with more great interviews and How-To demonstrations from some of comics’ and animation’s top pros! There’s a new cover by and interview with GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY, the man behind DEXTER’S LABORATORY and the upcoming SAMURAI JACK! Inking tips and tricks with KLAUS JANSON! Plus PHIL HESTER, BRET BLEVINS, STEVE CONLEY, reviews, links, & more! It’s edited

by MIKE MANLEY, is 88 pages, and includes a COLOR section!

Coming in August is the newest addition to our growing list of Companion books, KIMOTA! THE MIRACLEMAN COMPANION! Before Watchmen, before Dark Knight, there was ALAN MOORE’s Miracleman, the first of the grim, ultra-realistic strips that would change super-hero comics forever. GEORGE KHOURY has uncovered all the behind-the-scenes secrets of the strip, from the character’s start as the British Marvelman, to the legal and creative hurdles during its 24-issue run at Eclipse Comics, and why you never saw the final NEIL GAIMAN-scripted issue! This 128page trade paperback is chock-full of unpublished art, uninked pencils, & sketches by JOHN TOTLEBEN, BARRY WINDSORSMITH, MARK BUCKINGHAM, JIM LEE, & more! Not to mention in-depth interviews with MOORE, GAIMAN, TOTLEBEN, BUCKINGHAM, RICK VEITCH, & more! It sports a snazzy, new BUCKINGHAM cover as well as an introduction and back cover by ALEX ROSS! And if that’s not enough, it also includes a NEVER-PUBLISHED 8-page MOORE/TOTLEBEN story, “Lux Brevis,” and an unused MOORE script! Look for it in Previews or order it directly from TwoMorrows for $17 postpaid in the US. A percentage of profits go to Miracleman artist John Totleben, who is battling the eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa, so order it already!

Miracleman is a shared TM of Todd McFarlane Productions, Inc. and Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham. Art ©Barry Windsor-Smith.

If you need to contact the TwoMorrows editors (or want to send a letter of comment), try e-mail!

Brian Saner Lamken, COMICOLOGY editor: comicology@aol.com

We’d like to give a quick shout-out to You might think so, with all the “Creepy” Barbara Knutson, wife of TwoMorrows and “Eerie” version If you’re viewing a digital transcriber extraordinaire, Jon Knutson. books we’ve got PLEASE read GETof WELLthis SOON,publication, BARBARA! coming out! June this plea from the seespublisher! not only the release of the is NOT INTENDED FOR FREE his is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, whichmassive 288a print subscriber, or you paid DOWNLOADING ANYWHERE. If you’re WARREN page the modest fee we charge to download it at our website, you have our sincere COMPANION, thanks—your support allows us to keep producing publications like this one.

If instead you downloaded it for free frombut some other website or torrent, also a new WITHOUT please know that it was absolutely 100% DONE of OUR CONSENT, collection and it was an ILLEGAL POSTING OF OUR COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. If Last issue tolddo: MICHAEL T. what you we should that’s the case, here’s GILBERT’s MR. about this you 1) Go ahead and READ THIS DIGITAL ISSUE, and see what you think.

The FCA it,trade Best of 2) If you enjoy it enough to keep DO THE MONSTER! RIGHT THING andWarren purchaseCompanion a featurestheanprint exhaustive a complete it from our website, edition at checklist, our legal download of Now or purchase paperback. youtell to you the Digital Edition for free) or atsold-out your localComic Book Artist website (which entitles redesign of the we can comic book shop. We’d love to have you as a regular paid reader. #4, and nearly 200 pages of new interviews, it’ll be shipping in COMPUTER IT FROM YOUR 3) Otherwise, DELETE and DO NOT SHARE articles, & more! It is available in softcover IT WITH FRIENDS OR and POST IT ANYWHERE. August can DOWNLOADING OUR 4) Finally, DON’T KEEP ($35 MATERIAL PP US) and ILLEGALLY, a limited edition hardcover be ordered from for free. We offer one complete issue of all our magazines for free download($57 PP US) signed by JIM WARREN himPreviews or be sufficient for you which should to decide if you want to ing at our website, self!

MR. to MONSTER: HIS BOOKS OF purchase others. directly If you enjoy our publications enough keep downloading from company by paying for the material we produce. them, support our FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE, VOL. ZERO TwoMorrows ($20 PP US), 12these hard-to-find tales ($20 PP US). We’re Featuring: A giant new corporation painted with deep not some pockets, andincludes can absorb a small company—literally shop—with dozens as and wellpop” as over 30 pages of BRANDcover by losses.

JERRYWe’re ORDWAY! An index of all a “mom of hard-working freelance creators, slaving away day and night weekSPANKIN’ NEWand artonand stories! The horror, Fawcett comics published from 1940-1953! ends, to make a pretty minimal amount of income for all this work. We love the horror!

Check out the horror!

Interviewswhat andwefeatures on C.C. BECK, do, but our editors, authors, and your local comic shop owner, rely on income from this publication in business. Please don’t rob us of the small MARC SWAYZE, OTTO BINDER, to & stay others!

COPYRIGHT NOTICES: amount of compensation we receive. Doing so will ensure there won’t be any Rare andfuture previously unpublished artwork by 2001 Baby ©2001 Marvel Characters, Inc. Mr. Monster products like this to download. ©2001 Michael T. Gilbert. Uncle Creepy, Cousin Eerie BECK, SWAYZE, KURT SCHAFFENBERGER, ©2001 Warren Publishing. Captain Marvel, Bulletman, should only be downloaded at MAC RABOY,TwoMorrows ALEX TOTH, publications GEORGE Bulletgirl, Mary Marvel, Capt. Marvel Jr., Spy Smasher, EVANS, ALEX ROSS, &www.twomorrows.com more, and a foreIsis, Ibis ©2001 DC Comics. Samurai Jack ©2001 Cartoon Network. Prime8 and all related characters word by SWAYZE! If you love the FCA stuff ©2001 Jon B. Cooke. in ALTER EGO, this is a must-have!

Fawcett T Companion Update!

Now We Do Comics, Too!

Roy Thomas, ALTER EGO editor: roydann@oburg.net

Halloween In June?

Next Issue: An all-Fantastic Four extravaganza!

Contents OPENING SHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 (to those who say “We don’t need no stinkin’ unknown Kirby work”, the editor politely says “Phooey”)

THE NEW

UNDER THE COVERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 (the story behind the somewhat Glen Campbell-looking fellow on our covers) JACK F.A.Q.s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 (Mark Evanier answers a reader’s Frequently Asked Questions about the Fourth World)

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ANIMATED GESTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 (Eric Nolen-Weathington begins his ongoing crusade to make sense of some of the animation art Kirby drew) IN HIS OWN WORDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 (Kirby speaks in this long-lost interview from France—oui!)

CREDIT CHECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 (Kirby sets a new record, as we present the long-awaited update to the Kirby Checklist, courtesy of Richard Kolkman) GALLERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 (some of Kirby’s least-known and/or never-seen art gets its day in the sun) KIRBY AS A GENRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 (Adam McGovern takes another swat at those pesky Kirby homages that are swarming around his mailbox) INTERNATIONALITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 (this issue’s look at Jack’s international influence finds Jean-Marie Arnon owes the King a huge debt) TRIVIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 (an impossibly hard quiz with absolutely no prizes! What could be more fun?)

JACK RUBY STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 (pages from the impossible-to-find Esquire Magazine story) RETROSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 (we take aim at Kirby’s Mighty Marvel Western Gunfighters—plus present an index of his cowboy books!)

UNEARTHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 (Jack’s son Neal Kirby clues us in on the Original Teen Agent) GALLERY EXTRA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 (additional True Divorce pages) NOVELTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 (the scoop on Kirby’s unfinished novel The Horde, courtesy of Janet Berliner, Ray Wyman, and Peter Burke) COLLECTOR COMMENTS . . . . . . . . . . .76 (a whopping four-page lettercol this ish, dealing largely with our largesse!)

PARTING SHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Front cover painting: LADRONN Back cover inks: DAVID ROACH Back cover color: TOM ZIUKO Photocopies of Jack’s uninked pencils from published comics are reproduced here courtesy of the Kirby Estate, which has our thanks for their continued support.

This issue dedicated to the memory of Rich Morrissey, a real challenger of the unknown COPYRIGHTS: Big Barda, Black Racer, Darkseid, Dingbats of Danger Street, Funky Flashman, Glorious Godfrey, Guardian, In The Days Of The Mob, Jimmy Olsen, Kamandi, Manhunter, Morgan Edge, Newsboy Legion, Orion, Perry White, Phantom of the Sewers, Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter, Scott Free, Soul Love, Spirit World, Superman, Terry Dean, True Divorce Cases © DC Comics • 2001: A Space Odyssey art, Avengers, Black Panther, Black Rider, Captain America, Daredevil, Devil Dinosaur, Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four, Giant-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, Kid Colt, Leader, Machine Man, Montana Brown, Moonboy, Rawhide Kid, Scarlet Witch, Sgt. Fury, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, Sub-Mariner, Thor, Two-Gun Kid, Vision, Wasp, Wonder Man, Wyatt Earp © Marvel Characters, Inc. • Capt.

Victory, Flesh Crawl, Killer Bee, Silver Star, Sundance of Mars, Teen Agent, The Horde, Tiger 21, Unknown Hero © Jack Kirby Estate • Stuntman © Joe Simon & Jack Kirby • Planet of the Apes is a trademark of 20th Century Fox. Art is © Ruby-Spears • Prime8 TM & © Jon B. Cooke • Prisoner © ITV • Jack Ruby art © Esquire Magazine • Black Hole TM & © Walt Disney Productions, Inc. • Dinosaur Bop, Eddy Bochrane © Jean-Marie Arnon • Socko the Seadog, Abdul Jones, Lone Rider, and Detective Riley are © their respective copyright holders

Pencils from Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter #3 (Aug. 1975), probably Kirby’s least-known published work for DC Comics in the 1970s.

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 9, No. 32, July 2001. Published quarterly by & © TwoMorrows Publishing, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092.

John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Eric Nolen-Weathington, Production Assistant. Single issues: $13 postpaid ($15 Canada, $16 elsewhere). Fourissue subscriptions: $36.00 US, $60.00 Canada, $64.00 elsewhere. All characters are trademarks of their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective authors. First printing. PRINTED IN CANADA.

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Opening Shot (background) Pages from the never-published Soul Love b-&-w magazine, mostly inked by Vinnie Colletta (with one Tony Dezuniga-inked story).

Challenges Of The Unknown or, “Should Kirby’s Least-Known Work Stay That Way?” by John Morrow, Editor hen Jim Amash interviewed Carmine Infantino about his work with Simon & Kirby in the 1950s (an interview that had to be cut from this issue for space reasons, but will appear in TJKC #34), Carmine mentioned Jack’s proposed 1970s book Soul Love, saying simply, “It wasn’t that good and we didn’t publish it.”

In hindsight, it looks like that was one of Carmine’s better calls as DC’s publisher. Based on reader response to the story “The Teacher” we ran in TJKC #23, Soul Love, if it’d been published, could easily stand out as Kirby’s biggest turkey of the 1970s (or maybe any decade)—and frankly, I can’t get enough of it! As one reader put it, the story was “just awful, and not to be missed!”

While it’s mind-boggling to see a guy of Jack’s caliber producing such an awkward, ill-conceived strip at the same time he was producing something of the quality of his Fourth World series, I’ve gotta hand it to Kirby for trying (and for the really nice art job he turned in), even if the plots and dialogue left a lot to be desired.

Kirby aficionados will recall the concept for Soul Love spun off from “Old Fires” (previously printed in the Kirby Masterworks portfolio), a two-page filler created for an earlier unused book, True Divorce Cases. We ran a story from TDC back in TJKC #20, and reader response was exactly the opposite; they overall loved it!

So there’s the dilemma: Does Jack’s leastknown work deserve to be seen? I’ve gotten a handful of vaguely-similar letters from readers over the announcement of this issue’s theme, basically saying, “There’s a reason this stuff hasn’t been published; it’s terrible!”

Yeah, well, sez you! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and it was never truer than when applied to Kirby’s work. What’s so amazing about Kirby fans is how they focus on a certain series or time period that’s their favorite, and they’ll proclaim Kirby was at his absolute peak then; but unlike most other artists, you won’t get a consensus. (My favorite is his 1970s DC work, probably because that’s when I first was exposed to him. Legions of fans swear he peaked in the mid-1960s on Fantastic Four, and

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was never the same after. Still others grew up on Golden Age work, or his ’70s Marvel series, and feel that’s the primo work.)

I think that when DC abandoned the idea of True Divorce Cases in favor of pursuing the Soul Love concept, they missed the boat. My personal opinion, after having read most of both books, is that True Divorce was a really exceptional assembly of stories and art, whereas Soul Love is about as far from being Kirby’s best work as Fantastic Four is from being his worst... ...but why should you give a flying fig what I think? (Hey, I’m the guy who’s been lobbying DC Comics for years to finally print the two unused Dingbats of Danger Street stories Kirby drew.) The fun of being a Kirby fan to me is discovering (or rediscovering) all of Jack’s work, good and bad. I hate the thought of anyone keeping me from even the least of it.

So, should Kirby’s least-known work stay that way? Since Jack obviously won’t be producing any new work, I think anything—anything—unseen

by Kirby deserves to be published if possible. Sure, Jack had his share of clunkers (it’s bound to happen in a 50-year career), but sweeping them under the rug doesn’t serve anyone, least of all Jack. There’s a wealth of amazing Kirby material still to be published, and this issue’s dedicated to it. You may not like it all—you may not like any of it—but at least you can be the judge of whether it’s good or not. I’m sure Jack poured as much of his heart and (dare I say it) soul into it as he did on your favorite Kirby work. From Soul Love and True Divorce Cases, to In The Days Of The Mob and The Prisoner, to the Black Hole strip and Dingbats of Danger Street, it’s probably somebody’s favorite (okay, maybe not Soul Love—sheesh!) and I’m dedicated to making sure as much of it as possible gets seen.★

(left) An unusual find: Promotional posters to help newsdealers sell Kirby’s two published b-&-w magazines, Spirit World and In The Days Of The Mob. We’re not sure how many of the posters (or the magazines, for that matter) ever made it to newsstands.

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Under The Covers

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his issue’s covers are based on a pencil drawing (shown below) of a never-used Kirby character, Sundance of Mars. This pencil piece, apparently done in the early 1970s, is owned by an art collector in Europe, who sent a copy to TJKC. Included was not only a copy of the Kirby pencils, but also of DC Comics artist David Roach’s inked version of it, which we used for the back cover of this issue (with colors by Tom Ziuko).

Our front cover is an interesting contrast to the Roach version, as Ladronn chose to take the idea of Mars—the red planet—literally, and use a monochromatic color scheme for it. We asked Ladronn to give us a little background on this piece, and he kindly replied: “I always work by mixing different color techniques and tools. The choice of the right color palette is very important because it will have a direct effect on the final result of the painted artwork. For this drawing, it was very important to first have the black-&-white artwork totally finished (inked); after that I prepared the paper to be painted. I felt a warm color palette was the best for this illustration.

“I decided to use watercolors, acrylics and colored pencils; it gave the illustration enough transparency and contrast against the black line. After the coloring process, it was necessary to make some color adjustments, this time using a computer. The final output quality of the artwork was totally controlled using professional photo retouching and image-editing software.”

Both artists chose to be very faithful in their inking of the character, and we present Roach’s and Ladronn’s respective inks on this page for your perusal.

Which leads us to the Kirby art at left, created in pen-&ink with watercolor by Kirby. In case you can’t tell from the very blurry image shown here (taken from the background of a photo of Jack at a 1970s convention appearance; sorry, it’s the best we have at the moment), this character is an AfricanAmerican hero, and was probably created by Kirby around the time of his New Gods concept drawings (mid- to late1960s). We thought we had a lead on tracking this piece down for use on this issue’s cover, but it fell through.

Does anyone out there know its whereabouts? We’d still love to run it as a cover in the future.

Finally, also in the area of missing covers, we present the cover rough (bottom right) for a never-realized comic called Flesh Crawl. This piece was auctioned on eBay a while back as a Kirby original, with no real background information. Is it legit?

While the “logo” and most of the linework are suspect, the handwriting definitely looks to be

by Kirby, so I’m guessing this might be an unused rough for some mystery comic Jack was working on (maybe an unused 1950s Black Magic cover, or something he just doodled for DC in the early 1970s?). Perhaps Jack did the lightest of outlines and the lettering, while some untrained hand (perhaps the seller) went over it and added the name Flesh Crawl. If anyone has information on this piece, please send it to TJKC! ★

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Mark evanier (below) Readers raved about Mike Royer’s reinks of a Thor page last issue, so here’s a recent one from Jimmy Olsen #139 (originally inked by Vinnie Colletta for the July 1971 issue).

Thanks again to Tom Kraft and his website www.whatifkirby.com for supplying this!

Jack F.A.Q.s

A column answering Frequently Asked Questions about Kirby

by Mark Evanier Andy Ihnatko is a fine writer whose work can be perused at www.ihnatko.com.

He sent in our first letter: My Question for The Kirby Answer Man: “What’s the deal with Fourth World?” Oddly enough that’s about as fine a point as I can put on the question. I—like many others—am aware that Kirby created this entire mythos, but am totally unclear on (a) what the basic story and theme is, (b) why Darkseid is such a biggie, (c) who those other people are, (d) did Kirby have a clear plan for this or was he just making it up as he went along, (e) was he kidding when he came up with this idea of Death as a medieval knight on skis, (f ) no, seriously... he was going for a laugh by parodying the Silver Surfer, right? and finally (g) how does all of this matter in the larger creative world of DC? kay, I’m going to start with the easy parts of this septuplebarreled query and work my way towards the hard ones...

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(g) I have no idea how any of it matters in the larger creative world of DC. I suppose it depends on the extent to which the curators of that world choose to incorporate Jack’s characters and concepts. Personally, I was never entirely comfy with how the New Gods interfaced with the odd array of mortals and Martians that peopled the DC universe, just as it never seemed right to me that The God of Thunder palled around with The Avengers.

Had creative purity been Jack’s only consideration, I believe he’d have preferred it all to be a stand-alone mythos. However, uppermost in Mr. Kirby’s concern was that he wanted the series to be successful—successful enough to expand into multiple books and to become as important to DC as, say, Superman. He also liked the notion that his new concepts would energize the Superman books. All of this meant having his characters intermingle with DC’s other characters and becoming a part of their universe. (d) By and large, Jack did not have a clear plan for anything he did. He had a bottomless supply of ideas and concepts, and he generally had a sense of the direction in which he wanted to move. But insofar as having a detailed outline which he would then follow, no, he did not have a clear plan. This is why, when folks ask me how Jack would have ended the New Gods saga, all I can do is tell them some of the things he said he had in mind. It would not have surprised me one bit if he’d cooked up something quite different.

You have to understand how Jack worked. He would often plot out and draw a sequence—and it was this way at Marvel, as well—with only a “feel” for where he was going next. And he would sometimes change his mind in mid-creation and wind up as surprised as anyone at how his story had turned out.

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To the extent there was planning, much of it was intuitive. While plotting and penciling an issue of something, he did not usually go in order. He’d draw a sequence here and a sequence there, constantly juggling around the order and adding pages before, between and after. Sometimes, he’d erase half a page. Sometimes, he’d pencil a three-page scene for one issue, decide he didn’t have room for it and move it to a little pile of half-completed pages he kept near his drawing table.

But then—and here’s the amazing part—three or four months later, he would be plotting and penciling another issue of the same book. Suddenly, he’d realize that he had a hole that could be filled perfectly by the material in the pile. (Once, a sequence done for Fantastic Four involving the Watcher floated for a year before winding up in Thor.)

The first time I saw him do this, I couldn’t believe it wasn’t meticulously engineered. I assumed he had plotted the new issue to incorporate those leftover pages; but he hadn’t, at least not consciously.

(inset) The Fourth World plays a big part in the DC Universe, as evidenced by this Walter Simonson rough for DC trading card art. (below) Unused Fourth World page, featuring that “biggie,” Darkseid!

He just had a way of flying by the seat of his britches and having it all come together.

A quick aside, possibly relevant here: Every few months, someone approaches me and says, “Hey, how about a book of Jack’s preliminary rough sketches?” And the answer is that he didn’t do very many— certainly a lot less than you’d expect from an artist who was so prolific.

If Jack was asked to draw a cover for Captain America, he would not—like many artists—sit and doodle and scrawl out possible compositions. He would just sit down and draw a cover for Captain America, finished art, right out of the box. Those times he did do a rough, it was because his employer insisted on it; but he almost never did them as part of his own creative thought process. Dave Stevens, drawing one cover, probably does more rough sketches for his own benefit than Kirby felt he had to do for a year’s output.

Jack approached writing with the same spontaneous energy—one that resembled to a great extent, an improvisational actor. In improv, they teach you not to think of what you’re going to do and then do it, but to just do it. Obviously, it does not come out of nowhere. It comes out of all your experiences and past thoughts; you’re just assembling them into final form on the fly.

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(below) No joke: It’s Death on skis! Here’s an unused cover for the second issue of the 1984 New Gods reprint series. (right) The Black Pharaoh.

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By and large, the New Gods was assembled that way. Jack had a concept—one that came to him while doing the “Tales of Asgard” back-ups at Marvel. He had the notion of the two worlds at war—a notion that was born from pondering how readily people could become polarized in the world.

He also had a pile of new character ideas. When given the go-ahead to begin writing and drawing his new books, he began fitting those characters into the concept. At

that moment, had his whims gone in other directions, Lightray might have been a member of the Forever People, or Metron might have been held back to appear in an unrelated comic.

You have perhaps seen in this publication, a drawing Jack did of an Egyptian-motif hero. When he first showed it to me— this was before he’d started on any of his DC books—he intended to call him The Black Pharaoh and use him somewhere in one of them, but hadn’t decided if he was a hero or villain.

So no, Jack did not have a firm overview for New Gods when he started, just as there was never any real advance planning for any of the books he did with Stan Lee. When they started on an issue of, say, Fantastic Four, they knew (usually) where they’d left off the previous month and whether there were any dangling plot threads to address; but that’s about it. For the Fourth World books, Kirby had lots of ideas and stories that he intended to do; but he never knew in advance which ones he’d do, in what order he might get to them, or how they might evolve on his drawing table.

Also, one should remember that when Jack launched New Gods, Forever People and Mister Miracle, he planned to hand them off to others. He was seeking to get away from cranking out comic book pages, at least in the traditional format. What he wanted to do (ideally) was to inaugurate the new books and then supervise them as they were written and drawn by others, and as spin-offs were added. He initially had no intention of them being his major DC project. He wanted to take comics in different directions— magazines and graphic novels and books for audiences other than super-hero fans.

None of those projects were ever realized, at least in anything near the forms in which Jack envisioned them. Some are covered elsewhere in this magazine.

Eventually, around the time he did the third or fourth issues of the Fourth World books, Jack came to realize that DC would most likely keep him indefinitely on New Gods, Forever People and Mister Miracle. If the books were hits, they’d want Kirby to stay on them because they were hits with him at the helm; and if they weren’t hits, they’d be cancelled. It was around this point when he began to crystallize his initial notion of building them all into one finite epic.

Aware now that he would be the sole writerartist of whatever those books became, as opposed to merely their editor, he began to firm up his longrange storyline a bit more. But no Kirby storyline was ever definite until he found the moment and means to commit it to paper; and sometimes not even then.

(e) Jack was not kidding with the idea of the Black Racer. He thought it was a good idea. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

The Black Racer was, now that you mention it, a good example of a character that Jack conceived apart from the mythos of the Fourth World. Initially, he planned it as a completely unrelated book. Then he decided to introduce the concept in New Gods as a possible spin-off, the way the Silver Surfer spun-off from the Fantastic Four. I believe this was a tactical mistake... (f ) But, no, Jack was not going for laughs with it. And he didn’t really see why some of us thought a black guy on skis was any sillier than a silver guy on a surfboard. (b) Darkseid was such a biggie because Jack wanted a big villain. He felt most of the villains in DC books were pretty dull. He felt most of the heroes were dull, as well, but the villains were the greater problem. He saw Darkseid as not only an interesting antagonist but as a concept through which other interesting antagonists could easily be introduced. All you had to do was say that a given new character was “a minion of Darkseid” and instantly, he had an origin, a motive and— since he figured into an earth-shattering mythos—a sense of importance.

Which brings us, unfortunately, to (a) and (c). Really, I can’t sit here now and tell you who all the characters are, above and beyond what you can get from reading the books.

I can tell you that each of them represented one or both of two things. One was that they personified some concept that interested Jack; some topic that he could talk about at some length and about which he felt he had something interesting to say. For instance, talk about the then-extraordinary “youth movement” in the country—with one generation clearly handing off America and the Vietnam War to the next—manifested itself in the Forever People. Discussions about TV evangelism brought us Glorious Godfrey, while the takeover of Warner

Communications by Kinney National Services was what inspired Morgan Edge and Galaxy Broadcasting.

The other factor present in many (not all) of Jack’s characters was that they either represented someone in Jack’s world... or someone he’d grown fascinated with watching on TV or following in the news—and I don’t mean “fascinated” as, necessarily, a positive term. The Reverend Billy Graham was a model for Glorious Godfrey, for instance, and TV executive James Aubrey clearly was a source for Morgan Edge. As should be clear in his work, Jack disliked both men, at least based on what he heard and/or read about them.

Other characters, as I mentioned, were based on folks Jack knew or even, in several cases, on himself. I suppose everyone instantly thinks of the parallels between Funky Flashman and Stan Lee—parallels, incidentally, which Jack thought were much less evident than you’d assume. But quite a few of the folks who peopled his Fourth World were based to some degree on people from Jack’s life, or composited from several. The

(above) Some of Kirby’s real-life inspirations: Glorious Godfrey and Billy Graham, Big Barda and Lainie Kazan, and Funky Flashman and Stan Lee. (left) Mark tells us the look of Morgan Edge was based on both actor Kevin McCarthy (top, of Invasion of the Body Snatchers fame), as well as James T. Aubrey, Jr. (bottom).

Aubrey brought many well-loved series like the Andy Griffith Show and Beverly Hillbillies to CBS in the 1960s, but won few friends with his abrasive manner. John Houseman is said to have nicknamed him the “smiling cobra”, a reference Kirby used for Edge in Jimmy Olsen.

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look and power of Big Barda was based on singer Lainie Kazan but her emotional role—and the manner in which she supported Scott Free—was clearly based on Jack’s spouse, Roz. And, yes, he thought that in her own way, Roz was just as beautiful as Barda... and just as strong.

This is not exactly what you asked but it’s

about the best I can do. There are aspects of those books that I do not understand, despite hearing Jack’s detailed, private explanations. On the other hand, each time I read them, I comprehend—and almost always, appreciate—more than I did before.

I believe that some of the more confusing elements would have made not only sense but brilliant

sense, had Jack done another two or three years’ worth of the books. Just as he could always find a place for a discarded three page sequence, he would have made it all come together in the end.

Next question? ★

Got a Kirby-related question you’d like answered?

Let Mark Evanier give it a shot! Send your questions to: Jack F.A.Q.s 5850 W. 3rd St., #367 Los Angeles, CA 90036 or e-mail Mark at: me@evanier.com Be sure to check out Mark’s website for a cavalcade of cool stuff about Kirby, Hollywood, and more: www.evanier.com

(left) Jack’s attachment to Big Barda is evident in this pencil photocopy from Mister Miracle #5 (Nov. 1971). When Mike Royer tried to “pretty-up” her face in the inking, Kirby went back to his pencil copies and cut out the original faces so they could be reinked and restored before publication.

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Animated Gestures A new feature spotlighting Kirby’s animation work,

by Eric Nolen-Weathington t appears this is the Year of the Ape, with the release this July of Tim Burton’s take on the popular sci-fi epic Planet of the Apes. The original movie was released in 1968 and quickly spawned a slew of sequels. In 1970, The POTA concept crossed over into comics with a Gold Key adaptation of Beneath the Planet of the Apes; and it is certainly likely Kirby saw the potential of the concept when he developed Kamandi. I can almost hear him say, “Yeah, after the big war, apes evolve into the superior life form—but why stop with the apes? Why not tigers and snakes and pigs and everything else, too?”

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Behind The Planet Of The Apes Anyway, Marvel cashed in on the concept when, in 1974, they started The Planet of the Apes as part of their new b-&-w line of magazines. Many of you probably remember 1974’s Planet of the Apes TV show, as well (I do, and I have the Mego action figures to prove it) but you may not recall that the very next year there was an animated cartoon entitled Return to the Planet of the Apes which ran on NBC. It, like the live-action show, only lasted one season. It was produced by DePatie-Freleng which, of course, was later bought out by Marvel. The director and associate producer for the ’toon was none other than Doug Wildey, who,

not unlike a baseball player trade, was soon to be shipped with Godzilla to Hanna-Barbera for Jack Kirby and Fantastic Four.

Now, the astute reader of TJKC #30 will have noticed that Kirby did some POTA presentation art, presumably while working at Ruby-Spears. As it happens, Joe Ruby and Ken Spears were story editors on the POTA live-action TV show, so it makes sense they would want to develop a new POTA animated series.

It seems to be a project Kirby was destined to work on. Alas, as with most of Kirby’s animation work, it was not to be. ★

(above and lower left) Kirby’s 1980s art for the POTA proposal. (below) What better place to mention Comic Book Artist editor Jon B. Cooke’s new comic, Prime8: Creation, due out July from TwoMorrows?

Shown are samples of Neal Adams’ wraparound cover, and Walter Simonson’s pin-up from the first issue (which also includes 60 pages of story with art by Chris Knowles, George Freeman, and Bob Wiacek, plus additional pin-ups by Bruce Timm and Barry Windsor-Smith)— be sure to order your copy for only $6 postpaid.

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In His Own Words

The Lost Kirby Inte

by Annie Baron-Carvais (text and photograph ©2001 Annie Baron-Carvais) Transcribed by Eric Nolen-Weathington

(right) A photo of Jack from the day of this interview. (below) Annie’s Cap drawing that adorned the cover of her thesis.

[Editor’s note: This interview, conducted over twenty years ago, was first published last year (in French)

by Sémic in the comic book DC Spécial #7 (March 2000). We’d like to thank Thierry Mornet and his Sémic staff, particularly Jean-Marc Lainé and Jean-Francois Porcherot, for the authorization to publish it in TJKC. Thanks a lot, guys! By the way, the Sémic publications are great!]

(As a French student in American Civilization in the late Seventies, I chose to work on the evolution of the American super-heroes for my Ph.D. thesis. I was a friend of the late Bob Brown, artist of Daredevil. I told him that I would love to meet Jack Kirby one day, and Bob gave me Jack’s phone number! I could only meet him a year-and-a-half after Bob’s death. It was in November 1978; I was then living in the States. It was shortly before Thanksgiving when I phoned and asked if I could visit him in Thousands Oaks, CA (not far from Los Angeles).

We met on the afternoon of November 8th, 1978 at his house. With me that day came Danny, a sixteen-year-old enthusiastic comic book fan who happened to be my then-boyfriend’s kid brother and occasional chauffeur. Roz prepared tea, we discussed a lot, then conducted the interview. Then we visited his studio, filled with his material, where his drawing table stood. I asked him to draw a Captain America (which I later used for the cover of my thesis), and he nicely did it for me. I still keep the original as one of my most precious treasures. Unfortunately I can’t find the picture which was made of me standing next to Jack while he was drawing it. He autographed it to Isabelle, my real first name being Anne-Isabelle (I used only “Isabelle” for many years). He was really impressed that it was for a Ph.D.! He couldn’t understand I was studying comics and that his art could be so well-known in France: “Okay, sounds like you’re crazy, but if it makes you happy, why not?” It seemed to me that American comics were not as recognized in the States as they were in France. He was really happy during this session. You can even hear him laugh a few times on the tape. The questions dealt with sociology and civilization oriented for my research on super-heroes, and must be placed in the context of the late ’70s.

This interview has been known by a few French fans for a long time. I was often asked for it but always declined the offer. I wanted to keep it to myself until recently. My friend Jean-Marc Lainé had been telling me for years that I should publish it; when he started working with Sémic (French publisher specializing in the translation of American comics), I finally agreed to give it away. I didn’t sell it to make money, but it took me quite some time to rework and translate it into French. This interview had been my secret treasure for many years; but today, Jack and Roz are gone. In retrospect, it was a real privilege meeting Jack, whom I consider my favorite American artist. This interview is the only testimony of that magical November afternoon I so fondly remember. I am very happy now to have it published in The Jack Kirby Collector for a wider American audience, 23 years after it happened.)

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rview JACK KIRBY: I began reading sciencefiction, and that was happening all over the country, and I’m quite sure that Superman coming from another planet was part of that imaginative concept which Siegel and Shuster were engrossed in.

ANNIE BARON-CARVAIS: In 1940—I’m not sure, I can’t remember his name—someone else drew Superman and changed Superman a lot; the way he looked. What was his name?

JACK: Wayne Boring?

ANNIE: Yes. JACK: Yeah, he had his own particular style. It was a good style. There were quite a few artists who drew Superman.

ANNIE: Why did he make the big muscles and...?

JACK: Because that’s how he saw him. Each man has his own version of things. I drew Superman, too, and, of course, I drew him in my version. He looked quite different from Wayne Boring’s.

ANNIE: There are so many drawings of Superman and Batman. They are very different.

JACK: Somehow, the company feels it’s incumbent to retain that one energy. There’s a point to that. You’re selling a certain product, you want the product to look the same. If somebody does too much of a departure from that product, they feel it might be harmful, so they’ll give it to an artist who will draw it as closely as possible to the image that the company wants.

ANNIE: He has no brains; he doesn’t look like a man, and he has big muscles. That’s the only thing you see.

JACK: That was demanded by the company at the time when Superman came on the scene. As the years passed, in order to keep Superman sustained, they had to find new ways of doing it.

You have to find new ways of sustaining a character. You say, “What can I really do to bring some interest to the strip this week?” and you say, “Well, Superman must live somewhere.

Maybe he’s got a little room somewhere”, and they put this in New York or something like that. Of course, nobody ever thought of that.

ANNIE: They wrote a new 17-page story about how Superman came to Earth, because they started to think about how Superman came to Earth.

ANNIE: Something interesting: If your heroes are normal and get married, you know what they are made of.

But Superman or Batman—if you look at Superman, he has no sex. It’s just big muscles.

JACK: He’s an angel.

JACK: Oh, sure. I think when it becomes necessary to explore a product, that’s when it begins to grow. When Superman began there was nothing more involved than him stopping trains or breaking chains or lifting cars. That’s all he had to do and people would buy it on the stands. That’s all the company had to do. Why do more? And then, of course, the public got used to him lifting cars and performing these miracles. They said, “We know Superman can perform miracles.

So what?” There comes a time when the public says “so what?”

We can’t allow that; and you say, “Maybe they’d be interested if they knew where Superman lived, or if Spider-Man lives next door.”

(this page) Some samples of Kirby’s 1930s comic strip work under various pseudonyms. From top to bottom: Abdul Jones, Detective Riley, The Lone Rider, and Socko the Seadog. All were scanned from proofs that have been in Kirby’s files for over 60 years.

ANNIE: Is it because of a sense of...?

JACK: Well, at that time it wasn’t necessary, in order to sell a comic, to make a complex character.

ANNIE: How about Spider-Man? Something that’s interesting— most super-heroes are always winning; Spider-Man wasn’t always winning. He loses sometimes.

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JACK: That makes him interesting. That particular variation makes him interesting.

ANNIE: What about the fascist aspect of the superhero? That is to say, to make people respect the law, they have to use a kind of.... A Superman places himself above everybody. Do you see any fascist aspects?

JACK: No. There’s no fascist aspect there concerning a Superman, unless it’s deliberately done by whoever produces him. For instance, if it was a fascist source that was producing a Superman, you’d see a fascist Superman. If it was a religious source that was producing a Superman, you would see another type of Superman.

interesting to me. There isn’t one character I draw I’m not fond of, and that goes for the villains, too.

They’re all people to me, even the villains; and of course, that’s why the villains have dimension; that’s why the villains become people, because I see them as people.

comic book that was published in 1954, you’re going to see 1954. You’re going to see the people, the fashion, the automobiles, the houses. Everything is going to be 1954, except when we would do something that would take us in a far future, and that would only be a vision of the far future.

ANNIE: Do you think the evolution of the superhero is related to the evolution of our society? We’re going further and further with atomic radiations and things we can’t control.

ANNIE: I think the comic strip that’s the biggest aberration—the way it looks and the gadgets—is Batman. Batman is adding many gadgets other people can use.

JACK: Yes, because the superhero, like any other person— ANNIE: You don’t see this with Superman.

JACK: You’ll see with the other super-heroes most of our advanced technology is represented in comic books; possibly not in Superman because his own natural characteristics are on an equal par with our technology. He can hear in the next room where we would have to use some kind of a gadget. He can see into the next room where we would have to use an X-ray. Superman doesn’t need that technology; he already has it. It’s part of him.

ANNIE: About religion: In Europe, we have mythology, but America was a new country and you didn’t have mythology. Do you think the super-hero replaced American mythology?

JACK: The American mythology was growing. We had mythology all along.

We had Paul Bunyan; we had Wild Bill Cody; we had Paul Revere.

ANNIE: Do you think that the advances of the comic book will grow or decrease?

JACK: I think they might change in shape; they might change in outlook, but they’re still going to reflect what we see all around us.

ANNIE: Do you think Superman is under those same rules?

JACK: Yes, he’s part of Americana.

Superman is as American as Wyatt Earp. He’s a new form of Americana.

In time, we’ll acquire other symbols of what we are; other symbols of Americana.

America will change in some ways and she’ll need new symbols. The fascist societies initiated a change in their societies. All their products began to look fascist. Their paintings began to look fascist. The way they dressed; all the products are a reflection of a society and what we produce is American. Everything is going to look American and be accepted as American. I like that kind of thing. I think that our own particular music and our own particular type of dance and our own particular type of expressions unify us in a way.

ANNIE: What are your favorite super-heroes?

JACK: My favorite super-heroes? Every character is 14

ANNIE: And do you plan to create some new super-heroes?

JACK: If I’m asked to do it, I always do my best.

ANNIE: Okay, you’ll do it if you’re asked to do it. Will you do it without anyone asking you?

JACK: I can do it; I’m capable of doing it.

DANNY: Did you just create Machine Man and Devil Dinosaur because you wanted to or because Stan Lee came up to you—?

JACK: Yes, we’re headed for that.

ANNIE: Like Spider-Man was bitten by a radioactive spider, and the Fantastic Four is the same, and the Hulk is the same.

JACK: Now remember, they were created in a period when the atom bomb was very visible. They reflect our fears; they reflect our tastes; they reflect our thinking; they reflect our dress. If you look in a

JACK: They needed two other books, and of course, that’s part of a job. Here I was looking into a dinosaur and, of course, that was great because I had an interesting premise—it was man in the present during the same age as the dinosaur—and I began to think about that and it began to shape up into a very, very interesting situation. It was a good book. I came out with a good book. I got good characters, I began to see the dinosaur as a person. [laughter] I got a good situation out of that, and I found that the reader had an empathy with the dinosaur, just like I had

with Jaws. Of course, they’re afraid of Jaws, but they loved that dinosaur. Why? Because they could see him as a human being.

JACK: Well, Stan Lee is in New York. In fact, he’s all over the place.

I rarely see Stan. His position is quite different than mine.

Naturally, his duties are quite different.

you’re feeling great you can come up with maybe a humorous character. You can do characters on water—I’ve done them on water. Create this type of character; create this type of environment. The Silver Surfer has a surfboard; and at the time I created him, everybody was surfing, and I felt, why not have a cosmic creature who, you know, instead of the sea he uses the entire universe to surf around?

ANNIE: There are some people at Marvel who are busy, but they can find time; but Stan Lee, you have to go—

ANNIE: Do you think that the super-hero is following our society or that our society is following the changes in the super-hero?

JACK: [laughs] You know, I can’t account for whatever duties he has.

JACK: Only in dress. They’re following the costumes. If you take a look at the disco people, you’ll see that. Characters are created by

ANNIE: Do you still see Stan Lee?

ANNIE: Are you still working together?

(left) The unused Hulk Marvelmania poster, circa 1969 (Herb Trimpe was tapped to do the published version, so there wouldn’t be too many Kirby ones). (below) Pencils from Devil Dinosaur #7 (Oct. 1978), page 2.

JACK: So far we’ve done the Silver Surfer [graphic novel] which has turned out to be an extremely good book, I think. I understand it’s doing very well. The Silver Surfer was done— ANNIE: How do you plan the ideas? Does Stan Lee come to you and say, “I’d like to...”? Does he say to you what he wants?

JACK: Yes. ANNIE: Does he tell you what to draw? What does he say to you, for instance?

JACK: Well, he says, “Let’s do a book with the Silver Surfer,” and I say, “Okay, great.”

ANNIE: How do you create a new super-hero? When you created the Hulk and the Silver Surfer, how did it come to your mind?

JACK: It came to all our minds. All the ideas are born from lots of people. Lots of people discuss them.

Ideas are born and refined by a lot of people. Now for instance, you take Iron Man: We work on Iron Man and we give him one costume.

Then we begin to change that costume into another costume.

You have to modify it continuously.

People are continuously changing the super-hero. I know at Marvel, an artist would get an idea to change a super-hero or somebody else would get an idea for a change in costume or a change in address or a change in lifestyle for the superhero. Ideas are born among lots of people, lots of people. I know I created the Silver Surfer and Galactus; in that particular instance it came out of a Biblical feeling. I couldn’t get gangsters to compete with all these super-heroes, so I had to look for more omnipotent characters, you know, super-villains. I came up with what I thought was God in Galactus; a God-like character. Still thinking about it in the Biblical sense, I began to think of a fallen angel, and the fallen angel was the Silver Surfer. In the story, Galactus confines him to the Earth, just like the fallen angel. So you can get characters from Biblical feelings. If 15

everybody for various different reasons. That’s how they emerge.

DANNY: Do you feel that—right now there’s a comics boom, it’s incredible. We’re getting into dollar comics.

Do you think there’ll be a crash?

JACK: Dollar comics? I think comics are still the cheapest item on the market.

DANNY: Do you think there will be a decline when creator/artists like you, Adams, and Buscema and all the others stop working?

JACK: I can’t really say. I really can’t say. Comics have their cycles; they have their declining cycles and their rising cycles. Of course, they might come again.

all becoming whatever we want to be, and I think that’s being a super-hero when you consider the fact that people couldn’t become what they wanted to be in an earlier time. The Common Man is beginning to produce good art. The Common Man is beginning to produce work in various types of media. You’ll find people producing films who aren’t big movie moguls. You’ll find that they’re young men just like you are. It’s the Common Age. People at any age are accomplishing things that they couldn’t do many, many years ago. I see people in various types of media that are no older than you, with very responsible jobs. There are young people deciding that age is not a barrier, my position is not a barrier. “I can go in there and sell a commercial product,” and they do. Comics is a place for that.

DANNY: Can you classify the period we’re in now?

There’s the Golden Age and the Silver Age, can you classify this one?

ANNIE: Do you think there are a lot of young rising artists?

JACK: Oh, I think it’s the Common Age. I think we’re

JACK: Their art is going to be different, unless they

cannibalize everybody else. I think good comic art—I think they’re turning more to illustration, which I think is wrong.

ANNIE: Do you receive any fan mail?

JACK: Yes, I get loads of it.

ANNIE: What do they say?

JACK: All sorts of things. They give their own views.

ANNIE: Do they give you ideas? Do they criticize?

What do they say?

JACK: A lot of them praise you; a lot of them criticize you; a lot of them offer suggestions.

ANNIE: Do you take any of the suggestions?

JACK: Yes, if they’re constructive and they have something of interest in them. Why not?

ANNIE: The current writer of Superman was a fan, and he wrote to the magazine to give suggestions, because he could write, (below) Splash page pencils from Machine Man #3 (June 1978). too; and one day they called him and (next page) Avengers #152 (Oct. 1976) cover pencils. talked to him and they hired him, but (two pages following) Kirby pencils and Terry Austin inks to the pin-up in Superman #400 (Oct. 1984). he started out....

JACK: That’s like being persistent in any endeavor. You go into where you want to work, you find out what it’s like, and you begin to get experience.

You begin to meet the people who are in that particular field and you get to work. You begin to know the job and you’re ready for them. People are doing that at a very early age, which is admirable. [laughs] I get calls and letters from people 14, 15 who are ready to do comics. That’s admirable. At 14 or 15, I wouldn’t have dared to say anything to anybody. I think that’s what’s happening now. It’s the age of the common man, which I think is very hopeful. It’s the age of the supermarket; it’s going to solve the whole world’s problems. I think, maybe, the world is going to find out it can just live well with all the things that it has without fighting about it. I think that’s good. I think people are less frustrated—if they want to do something, they can do it. There are ways of getting it done. Technology has smoothed that out. I’ve seen young people able to get hold of television cameras and movie cameras and do their own movies their own way. There was no way of doing that when I was younger.

ANNIE: When did you start being famous?

JACK: Right away. I was about 22.

ANNIE: With Captain America it started?

JACK: Yes. I remember I was dating my wife and [laughs] I was a very young man and we had a great time.

ANNIE: Yesterday my class was studying comic books and we talked about you; you are very famous in France.

My teacher said it was very strange, but people are talking about using

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comic books to teach. We have a book in France about philosophy that is translated in comic strips.

It’s not just writing, it’s comic strips to teach philosophy.

JACK: Like I say, comic books are a very accessible medium—anybody can do it.

cartoon, which was sort of a satire of the relationship between him and this man, and the editorial cartoon expanded into the four-panel comic strip by the 1900s; and, of course, that began the evolution of the comic strip and

ANNIE: They say it used to be for lazy people; people who were too lazy to read.

that supermen are human beings. In fact, I worked on Superman himself when I worked for DC, and I had Superman talking with the [boxing] champion of the world; and, of course, I began this phase to illustrate that we are frustrated with Superman; we are envious of him. When we become envious, we become angry; and when we become angry, we become hateful; and when we become hateful, we

JACK: Oh, no. I don’t have to be Leonardo Di Vinci to produce a good work of art. I don’t have to use the elaborate style of Leonardo—I haven’t the time or I’m certain you haven’t the time to spend 12 years on one painting. Are you going to do that? Nobody’s going to do that today. Comics as a medium saves you that time. Still, you can’t turn out anything bad in a comic and have it acceptable. You still have to turn out a good comic and it has to be a good piece of art, despite the fact that it isn’t hanging in the Sistine Chapel.

ANNIE: I was surprised to see that many people, when I was a kid, thought it was a waste of time to read comics.

When I was in school, none of my friends read comic books.

They were not allowed by their parents to read comic books. I did because my father loved them, and now it doesn’t matter; people are reading comic books.

JACK: Like I say, people are doing what they want to do.

When I read science-fiction—if they’d caught me reading science-fiction, I’d be the village idiot, you know? Naturally, I hid the books, because at that time I didn’t have the courage to walk on the street and read that comic book. [gap in tape] I personally, would not like to be a Superman, because if I were a Superman—first of all, I believe people are very angry at Superman.

ANNIE: Do you think to be a Superman is an American dream?

JACK: The comic strip is the American Dream. The comic strip is the American way of expressing itself very forthrightly. That’s why, I think, it was created here. I understand that Benjamin Franklin, in order to get back at a businessman, did the first editorial

caused the coming of the comic book.

The comic book is a longer way of telling a story. The comic strip has to tell a story in six weeks. We can tell a story in one issue in 17 pages.

Of course, it depends on the writer and the artist who can tell a good story. If you have a good storyteller, you’ll have a good book just as you’ll have a good comic strip.

ANNIE: I read something about Stan Lee; that he didn’t like Superman, he didn’t like the [old] superheroes. That’s the reason why he wanted to make something new in the ’60s. Is this your opinion, too?

JACK: I agree with Stan Lee on that, because I feel

can’t stand a superior being, and we have to get him out of the way somehow.

ANNIE: Was that the reason you created some super-heroes to be more human?

JACK: Yes. You have to, because people won’t take a caricature for long. A caricature is not a human being, and people will only relate to human beings.

That’s why in the picture Jaws, the shark becomes a human being. He’s waiting for you, see. He’s no longer a hungry fish, he’s a demon, he thinks along 17

human lines. He’s waiting for you like an enemy, and when he becomes an enemy, he becomes interesting.

You become interested in him, because then you become aware of him. He’s human, and so we became aware of super-heroes, because they turned human; and when super-heroes turn human, and various facets of their character begin to emerge, then they obtain new interest. I see many statues of George Washington. I know very little about George Washington. George Washington was the father of the country and the most important name as far as America is concerned. I know a lot of people know very little about him as a man, as a husband, as a father, as a farmer, as a General, really.

treat him as a Robin Hood-type of character.

ANNIE: Is that a way to see Superman?

JACK: Yes, I think a Robin Hood-type of Superman is a good variation. I think Superman should come in all types of sizes. I think they should be varied.

explainable. Captain America is really an update on Uncle Sam, and that’s what he was for. Captain America was a kind of symbol of the spirit that was going around the country. Patriotism was talked about all over the place.

ANNIE: I’m thinking of the Fantastic Four, which was the beginning: You wanted them to have a life that is everybody’s life when you get married. Is it for this purpose?

JACK: Sure. They’re human beings, too, except they have exceptional characteristics.

Of course, these exceptional characteristics set them apart from us and, I think, alienate them from us. That makes them interesting, too. How do they gain our friendship? Why would they want to gain our friendship in time if they feel that we’re ungrateful in some way for their services? There are various connotations to a relationship between an ordinary man and a superman. Always to be considered is the fact you have to find a supervillain for him. If a superman fights an ordinary gangster, see, it’s not a match; and that outrages the American conception of fairness [laughs].

ANNIE: And what do you think of the super-heroes like Superman and Batman?

JACK: I think they’re our own images. We create these images, because we want to aspire to them.

We’d love to be Superman, every one of us; and despite the frustration, there’s always the hope that somehow we can obtain a level where we can see and do things as a superman.

ANNIE: Do you think that the kids now need Superman like they used to?

JACK: Kids, as well as adults, love Superman. They love Superman because they’re security blankets.

They protect you like a big brother, right? If you’re in trouble, Superman is going to come and get you out of it.

ANNIE: I read something interesting about the role of Superman during the War. [tape is garbled here] JACK: Well, that involves a social issue; and you can involve Superman in social issues if you want to.

The social issues are there and, of course, Superman’s position is there. You treat Superman as a real person.

ANNIE: And make him alive.

JACK: Yeah. If the superman has a sense of justice, how is going to deal with this social issue?

Especially as his sense of justice is almost black-&white. He’s very virtuous, how’s a very virtuous person like him going to face a problem of that kind?

ANNIE: In my opinion, the super-heroes like Superman or Batman are like Robin Hood: They’re outlaws, in a way.

JACK: You can treat the superman that way. You can 18

If you have to rely on one or two characters, they become static. You’ll know already that they’re there, and you begin to forget them; you accept them, and you begin to look around for something new. Human beings are like that.

ANNIE: Do you think you can use the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and these new heroes the same way they used Superman during WWII? JACK: Not exactly. They’re a little more complex now. During the war, supermen were thoroughly

ANNIE: When you made Captain America, why did you make him? Was it something you had to do, somebody ordered you to do it, or did you do it because you wanted to do it?

JACK: No, it was Superman that sparked it. Superman was put out by one publishing house and was very successful. The other publishing houses said, “Well let’s produce supermen.”

ANNIE: Another publisher had Captain Marvel.

JACK: Yes, they had Captain Marvel.

ANNIE: There was a trial.

JACK: Yeah, there was a trial. In fact, I was one of the witnesses. [laughs]

JACK: He felt that’s as far as he wanted to go, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

ANNIE: Why do you think they did not fight [over] Captain America?

ANNIE: It just surprised me, and I wondered if you felt the same way.

JACK: They fought Captain Marvel because Captain Marvel had the closest characteristics to Superman.

Superman could fly, Captain Marvel could fly.

Superman had a cape, Captain Marvel had a cape, and, of course, the only difference between Captain Marvel and Superman was that Captain Marvel was the alter ego of a little boy. The little boy would say “Shazam” and he’d become Captain Marvel, whereas Superman was Superman. He was just naturally himself, but the difference was small and that case went on quite a long time. As for Captain America, Captain America was a superman in a sense that he had terrific reflexes. He didn’t have to fly, he didn’t have to be that extraordinary, but he was exceptional in the fact that he was a good fighter. He could fight with 25, 30 guys and get away with it. He could do a lot of things I couldn’t do. I had a lot of fun drawing it, because my fights were more of a ballet than a fight. I choreographed the whole thing.

JACK: No, to me drawing is a compulsion.

ANNIE: You said you had fun drawing it. Do you do your job just like any job, or do you really enjoy it?

JACK: Oh, I enjoy it. I do the job as best as I can.

ANNIE: It surprised me; I talked with Bob Brown and he said to me that it was a job for him.

JACK: I understand that.

ANNIE: He was not really interested in what he was doing. He did not care that much about comic books. He was doing it like a job.

JACK: Believe me, I don’t immerse my entire life in it. In other words, I don’t take it to bed with me; I go bowling once in a while, or I’ll go see a picture. I’m a human being; while I was drawing comic books, I was dating girls.

ANNIE: Yeah, but the main thing for Bob was never the comic books; he was a tap dancer. He was a dancer before, and he was a wonderful organ player, but about comic books, drawing for him was just a job.

Do you feel the same?

JACK: No, I think it’s not only a job, it’s an obligation to do the best job you can. I can only speak for myself; the only reason I tell a good story is to entertain myself as well as the reader.

ANNIE: He didn’t create heroes, he was only drawing other people’s heroes.

ANNIE: Do you read a lot of comic books? Not your comic books but other comic books.

JACK: I like to read a wide variety of comic books. I like to do a wide variety of anything. I seem to be the type of person that likes every facet of the medium.

In other words, if I go to a ballet, I’ll also see modern dance. I love anything that entertains me. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a certain type of entertainment. I love comics because they entertain me. I try to do continuous variations on comics. Variations on heroes, variations on girls, putting different types of characters together.

ANNIE: How do you work? Bob said to me when he was drawing a

story, he was given a scenario. “The vampire was at 57th Street and 3rd Avenue,” for instance. He would go down in the streets, watching the buildings and taking some drawings in order to draw this picture.

JACK: I’d never do that. To me, that’s not entertaining.

ANNIE: How do you draw?

JACK: If they ask me to draw a knight, I’d say, “Everybody’s seen a knight. Everybody knows what the armor looks like. That’s no fun.” The fun is creating a new type of armor, a new type of knight. A lot of my stuff was successful for that very reason, by the fact that I did give the people variety. For instance, I drew war stories, I drew tanks. They looked like the real thing, they looked like tanks, but they weren’t.

They were not functional tanks. There were little things to identify them, but if you diagnose those things, you couldn’t identify any of them.

ANNIE: You are not trying to reproduce reality.

JACK: No, I’m trying for fantasy. It’s what I feel sells comics or anything else. I mean, we live with reality every day, and man has to have his portion of fantasy.

That’s why we go to the movies, and that’s why we tell each other fanciful stories.

That’s why we glamorize each other.

ANNIE: So you think people really need comics?

JACK: They need it very sorely. [gap in tape] We begin to show signs of stress of some kind. You cannot have continual reality any more than you can have continual fantasy.

You can absorb fantasy to a degree, but you can get just as lost in it and show signs of stress. The human being has to have a balance to keep him going.

I think we’re just walking through life and, like they used to say, doing our own thing. Of course we’re all doing our own thing, we can’t do anybody else’s, but you’ve gotta have relief on that walk. We gotta stop and look in the store at things.

19

We’ve got to talk to people. We’ve got to look up and see what’s playing at the movies or go dancing. We’ve got to have that little relief from our daily realities, and comics do that. They do it, even if it’s for a half hour, I think it does you a world of good.

ANNIE: Like they say in Hollywood: “That’s entertainment.” (below) Page from the unpublished Dingbats of Danger Street #3, circa 1974. (next page) Pencils from the splash page to Black Panther #4 (July 1977).

JACK: Religion is entertaining, and that’s why we love ritual. We live with this ritual all our lives because it entertains us. We try to embroider this ritual and sometimes it gets out of hand and we burn people at the stakes.

ANNIE: Do you feel that comic books have replaced fairy tales?

JACK: Yes. It’s an update on a fairy tale, just as a superman is an update on Tarzan; just as Tarzan is an update on Samson; and just as Samson was a companion to Thor. People have their fantasies at that time just as we have to have them now. Of course, we have to have them in our own recognizable image. Thor I gave a futuristic costume. He hasn’t got a Norseman’s costume—it’s reminiscent of a Norseman’s costume, but he can wear that costume in 2085 if he wants to and get away with it.

ANNIE: Another thing about super-heroes is they all belong to the same class: WASP. You don’t see any— JACK: I agree with you. They still reflect the attitude of the ’30s and the ’40s. In the ’40s, the best thing to be was an Anglo-Saxon Protestant, and, of course, that image is changing, too. You’ve got the Black Panther and the Falcon. You’ve got your Chicano heroes.

ANNIE: If we study the Marvel super-heroes, they’re all really WASP. JACK: Not necessarily. Comics have to reflect the society in general and society in general on the level that we admired was AngloSaxon. Everybody else was an immigrant.

ANNIE: They could be Spanish or any nation, and still [they were drawn with] hook noses and small upper-cut eyes.

JACK: Yes, you had your caricatures, because the immigrants at that time were a struggling part of society. They were struggling for existence then. They had to build their own foundations here, and the foundations for the Anglo-Saxons were already built. The Anglo-Saxons were in control, of course, and admired on all respectable levels of society, so the comics reflected that. If you take the heroes of the pulps during the ’30s—take a look at Doc Savage. If you can get a better image of the Anglo-Saxon Protestant—the WASP—you show it to me. That was the admired image. Now we’ve learned more about people. We’ve learned about a variety of people. Not only that, but we’ve learned about ourselves. We see a lot to be admired in everybody really. I think the common man is coming into his own, and it’s going to reflect more in comics than on the other mediums.

ANNIE: In the Fantastic Four, your man was intelligent, the lady was pretty, the man with the big muscles was very strong, and there was the little kid; but you don’t put in the Negro....

JACK: No, not in the ’30s.

ANNIE: But this was the ’60s, 1961.

JACK: Oh, yes, I had Wyatt Wingfoot, who was an Indian.

ANNIE: But he came in later, in 1966.

JACK: What? Like I say, being human, I have to grow, too. The artist has to grow, and believe me, I can only speak for myself.

ANNIE: Why did you have an Indian?

JACK: I had an Indian because I felt that Indians are a part of us like everything else around us.

ANNIE: Until 1954, the Indian always had a bad part in the movies. In 1954—I don’t remember the name— but this movie showed them like human beings. Most of the time they were shown as wild and killing....

JACK: Listen, we were never really allowed to see them as people. The only trouble with that was that it sold.

People bought it anyway. So you said, “Why do anything that could be considered radical?” I did radical things, but I did them with machinery. I had an atomic cannon in 1941. I had jet planes. I had anti-gravity ships in the 1940s, and, of course, that was so extreme that I would be subject to letters of people calling me fool or idiot. I was a young man then; I was 22 years old.

ANNIE: Why did you start it? Was it something you wanted to do?

JACK: No, I wanted to act. I was going to go to Hollywood and be an actor. I was very, very close to my family and somehow, when I began to draw, I just took the easiest path to making a living, and the easiest path at that time seemed to be drawing. I was doing well at it.

20

ANNIE: Yes, but they’re not sure it’s going to make money. Superman has been used a lot.

JACK: It’s like the same thing I stated before about doing variations on familiar images. It’s a good point.

Will people accept this version of Superman as something new and fresh for the fact that it’s going to be a live motion picture?

That may freshen the image, because they’ve got so much latitude in which to rework the image.

ANNIE: And what do you think of the super-heroes on TV? I watched Superman, I watched Wonder Woman....

JACK: They come over well. Of course, they don’t present them in the same manner that they’ve done in books, but TV has its own version of presenting the product.

ANNIE: When I saw Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman, it seems so childish. It’s very hard for me to watch it.

JACK: It was hard for me, too.

ANNIE: I think I’m too old to watch it. I’m watching and it’s for kids, but when I read a comic book, I don’t think it’s for kids.

ANNIE: Did you want to draw? You were gifted? I mean some people can draw and some people can’t.

JACK: I think everybody is gifted, but if you get the compulsion to do it—for instance, if I got the compulsion to play the harmonica. Oh, I love to play the harmonica, but I’m never going to play it well, because I’m not going to practice it. Now if I had the compulsion to play the harmonica, you probably couldn’t get one out of my mouth; I’d be with one all day, right? I would become a concert artist with a harmonica.

ANNIE: What do you think of the commercial uses of the super-heroes? Like, they use Superman a lot to sell things to kids.

JACK: Super-heroes are popular images. Why do you decorate things with stars? Why do you decorate objects with halfmoons? They’re popular images; people like to look at them. People like to see super-heroes on a movie screen, because it’s a very powerful image if you make it large. The larger you make a comic, the more powerful it gets.

ANNIE: About the movies—do you know about the Superman movie they are doing?

JACK: Yes. ANNIE: Some people don’t understand why they are doing it.

JACK: Now remember, the industry itself has been working along those lines for years and years. They experiment with comics in more adult areas. Their main market was still a large juvenile market, although they knew that there were adults reading it. I, myself, was involved with the young romance concept. I was one of the first to work on a romance comic book, and they went well; they went very well. There were other people who worked on crime books. The crime books went very well for a time; they might go well again for all I know. Crime is like Western, like science-fiction, like romance, they are continuous staples for the entertainment industry. You’ll rarely find a picture without that kind of element that'll make money. In other words, you can make a very arty picture, but it’ll be for a select audience, but the universal audience has its own staple; everything from the love story to the fairy tale to the war story, the Western.★

JACK: For money. [laughs] 21

Credit Check

Kirby Checklist Update

by Kirby Checklist compiler Richard Kolkman hen the Jack Kirby Checklist was published in December 1998, there were bound to be some omissions and errors in a compilation of its size. Despite Jack Kirby’s modesty, he had a pretty big career! In the last three years, we have been steadily compiling submissions from Kirby fans around the world in an effort to update and clarify the Checklist. The updated information is presented here, in a format designed to be removed, folded and added to the ’98 Checklist (but you might want to photocopy it if you don’t have the strength of will to mar this beautiful treasury-sized mag).

W Copies of the 100-page Kirby Checklist are still available (see the inside back cover of this issue for ordering info). It lists every Kirby comic in the level of detail you see here, plus books, portfolios, unpublished work, it crossreferences reprints, and more—a must-have item for eBayTM shoppers!

This Checklist Update was compiled by Richard Kolkman, with contributions since 1998 from: Ger Apeldoorn Blake Bell Derrick Bostrum Jerry Boyd Nicholas Caputo Daryl Coats Jean Depelley Jean-Pierre Dupont Shane Foley William Gee Paul Gravett Chris Green Christopher Harder Ed Hatton Bob Heer Frank R. Johnson Axel Kahlstorff Gene Kehoe Ted Krasniewski John Libertine Geoffrey H. Mahfuz Clifton Marley Rich Mayone Harry Mendryk Tom Morehouse John Morrow Rick Norwood Andrew Smith Fred Smith Dr. Thomas Sodano Jim Steranko Greg Stomberg Carl Taylor Stan Taylor Daniel Tesmoingt Greg Theakston Joel Thingvall R.J. Vitone Jamie Wilson Bruce Younger 22

First, the five Checklist deletions: 1) Journey into Mystery #55 “I Found The Giant In The Sky” turns out to be by Ditko.

2) Spidey Super Stories #24 cover is by Romita, not Kirby (this was my very own error in judgment).

3) Adventures of the Fly #4 is sans Kirby according to reputable sources.

4) X-Men #31 cover is decidedly a pure Adkins cover (regardless of swipes), and lastly— 5) X-Men #79—no cover on #31 means no full page reprint of that cover in this issue.

A meticulous item-by-item comparison with the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide turns up over a hundred Kirby comics listed in the Checklist but not in Overstreet. While we’re not concerned with that disparity, we did take notice of the 59 comics listed in Overstreet which purportedly contain Kirby art, but were not in the Checklist. Upon solicited inspection by die-hard Kirby collectors, virtually all were confirmed to not contain Kirby art. Notorious examples included: Daredevil #136 cover, Journey into Mystery #50, 51, Iron Man #13 cover, Thor #178 cover, and more of the usual suspects. Super Rabbit #1 (Atlas) was added to the Checklist

at one point, until vetoed by a collector’s first-hand viewing (the art in question is probably by Syd Shores).

Among the Overstreet queries which produced positive hits were: Archie Comics Digest #32, Crazy #85, and Real Clue Crime Stories V.2#4. The jury may always be out on the cover of Mystic Comics #6—is it Kirby/Schomburg, or just Schomburg? Who other than these two gentlemen could’ve solved this mystery?

Well-meaning fans are still submitting comic cover house ads (such as Marvel’s), which if included, would open too many avenues to list. Likewise, any cover smaller than full page is not listed (ex: early Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics covers). Exceptions include alternate cover art, or art specifically drawn for a particular house ad, such as in Captain America #192. Also, we’ve listed individual panel repros from older issues such as those in Avengers Special #1 and Fantastic Four #124, just because fans need to know these things. The confusing cover to Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics #12 has finally been traced to its multiple sources. Anyone who can find the source material to “Ben Doing The Twist” in Marvel’s Greatest Comics #29 deserves a gold-plated No-Prize!

Among the fantastic finds from Kirby Collector readers are: Complete Detective Cases #1 “Mystery (Of The Bashful BrideButcher)”, Fantastic Four #35 cover inker (confirmed by Dick Ayers), Golden Record Comic Set #SLP-188 (correction), In Love #4 cover, dozens of 1970s Marvel Western cover reprints (unearthed

by Nick Caputo), and Showcase #15 “Space Ships Of The Past” (2 pages). We’ve also re-listed Marvel Mystery Comics #12-27 story synopses featuring The Vision, to clarify these otherwise untitled stories.

There are plenty of new items added to the periodicals, animation, miscellaneous, and unpublished sections to keep Kirby collectors everywhere busy reading for years, and the key to abbreviations and notations is at the end of it. Enjoy! ★

Kirby Sets New Record!

by Mark Alexander ven after his death King Kirby keeps setting all-time records in the annals of comic history. A new study shows the King has topped the previously assumed record for the most prolific month of published work by a comics artist. Dig this: Having received my mail-order copy of FF Annual #1 the other day, I noticed the ads in it cross-reference with the ads in Avengers #1. Knowing that X-Men #1 came out the same month as Avengers #1 (actually July 1963, but postdated Sept. ’63), I started thinking what a banner month that had been for Marvel, and how prodigiously hard Kirby must have worked during that period.

However, when I checked the Sept. ’63 “publication timeline” in The Art of Jack Kirby, there was no mention of FF Annual #1. The book gives it no definite publication date other than “Summer 1963.” (Note: This is not to fault author Ray Wyman Jr., because nowhere on the cover or indicia of FF Annual #1 is any month mentioned.)

In any event, it was fairly simple to nail down a release date for this book. Besides the aforementioned cross reference of the ads (i.e. Avengers #1 advertises FF Annual #1 and vice-versa), The Official Index to the Fantastic Four and The Official Index to the Avengers both confirm that FF Annual #1 was indeed released the same month as Avengers #1, X-Men #1, and all other Marvel comics dated Sept. 1963. Here’s why that’s important: There are a whopping 57 pages of original material in FF

E

Annual #1. Add that to the rest of Kirby’s 9/63 canon and here’s what you get: BOOK PAGE COUNT Avengers #1 22 Fantastic Four #18 21 FF Annual #1 57 Sgt. Fury #3 23 (22 pages & 1 pg. special feature) X-Men #1 23 TOTAL 146 PAGES In addition, that same month Kirby drew the covers for Journey Into Mystery #96, Kid Colt #112, Strange Tales #112, Tales of Suspense #45, Tales to Astonish #47, and Two-Gun Kid #65—six covers in all.

Most books list Kirby’s all-time monthly output as 142 pages and 5 covers, published in Sept. 1947. This assumption, although staggering, is incorrect. Kirby’s all-time blitzkrieg month was actually Sept. 1963. The Count: 146 pages and 6 covers! Also, during the month Kirby did his biggest page count, no fewer than three of the books (FF Annual #1, Avengers #1, and X-Men #1) rank among the greatest comics of all time. In other words, even under the most staggering workload imaginable, the man was producing books of the highest quality. This, to my mind, is what makes the accomplishment so dazzling.★

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE

CHAMBER OF CHILLS

Marvel Comics Group See Essential Spider-Man, Marvel Tales 35 Apr 1966: Kirby/Ditko - c (Spider-Man figure is Kirby pencils?) (R: ESM 2, MT 174)

Marvel Comics Group See Tales to Astonish 25 Nov 1976: (r: TTA 23, retitled from “The Unbelievable Menace Of Moomba”) “Moomba” 13p

ARCHIE COMICS DIGEST

CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED

Archie Publications See Adventures of the Fly Digest-sized format 33 date?: (r: AOTF 1) “Come Into My Parlor” 7p

Gilberton Publications Continued from Classics Comics 35 Mar 1961: (2nd edition: HRN 161); “The Last Days Of Pompeii” 45p Kirby/Ayers - a // Edward Bulwer-Lytton (text feature spot illustration) Kirby/Ayers - a 35 Jan 1964: (3rd edition: HRN 167); “The Last Days Of Pompeii” 45p // Edward Bulwer-Lytton (text feature spot illustration) 35 Jul 1966: (4th edition: HRN 167); “The Last Days Of Pompeii” 45p // Edward Bulwer-Lytton (text feature spot illustration) 35 Spr 1970: (5th edition: HRN 169); “The Last Days Of Pompeii” 45p // Edward Bulwer-Lytton (text feature spot illustration) 160 Jan 1961: (The Food of the Gods: HRN 159); Advertisement (unpublished Classics Illustrated 161 cover: “Cleopatra”) 1/4p Kirby/Ayers - a (See TJKC 19) 160 Jan 1961: (The Food of the Gods: HRN 160); Advertisement (unpublished Classics Illustrated 161 cover: “Cleopatra”) 1/4p Kirby/Ayers - a (See TJKC 19)

AVENGERS, THE

Hey Kids! Photocopy these pages, trim on the dotted lines, and fold them in half—they’ll fit perfectly in your Kirby Checklist!

Marvel Comics Group See Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, Tales of Suspense, Tales to Astonish 1 1/2 Dec 1999: (r: FF 14, SF 1) Advertisement 1p 9 Oct 1964: Kirby/Stone - c // (“The Coming Of The Wonder Man” features Kirby art corrections) 10 Nov 1964: Kirby/Stone - c // (“The Avengers Break Up” features Kirby art corrections) // Captain America 1p Kirby/Brodsky - a (R: MARM 14) 11 Dec 1964: Kirby/Stone - c (Spider-Man, Giant-Man figures penciled by Ditko) // (“The Mighty Avengers Meet Spider-Man” features Kirby art corrections) 13 Feb 1965: Kirby/Stone - c // (“The Castle Of Count Nefaria” features Kirby art corrections) 17 Jun 1965: Kirby/Giacoia - c (“Four Against The Minotaur” features Kirby art corrections; 3 panels repro from: TTA 69) 22 Nov 1965: Kirby/Wood - c (Heck, Ayers/Giacoia vignettes repro from: ST 138, pg. 3 and TOS 57, pg. 5) 35 Dec 1966: (note: Captain America figure on cover repro from: TOS 84, pg. 9, panel 1) Special 1 Sep 1967: (“The Monstrous Master Plan Of The Mandarin” features Kirby repro figures: pg. 35, panel 2 (from: JIM 120, pg. 15, panel 1); pg. 48, panel 3 (from: AV 25 cover)

BIRTH OF THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE Applewood Books (Marvel Comics Group) See Amazing Fantasy HC deluxe edition nn 2000: (HC reprints entire issue of AF 15; includes Stan Lee interview CD, gold-plated ring and certificate of authenticity; edition of 2,500 issued in flock-lined, folded box)

BLACK MAGIC Crestwood Publications V.2#11 Oct 1952: Kirby/Simon - c (R: BM 7) // “Freak” 8p Kirby/Meskin - a (R: BM 7)

BLACK MAGIC National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) 7 Dec 1974: (r: c BM V.2#11) // (r: BM V.1#2) “The Cloak” 7p // (r: BM V.2#11) “Freak” 8p

BRAVE AND THE BOLD, THE National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) See Demon, Detective Comics 113 Jun 1974: (Demon pastiche reprint from: Demon 1 (splash), 9 cover) 1/2p Annual 1 (“1969”) 2001: (r: DC 76) “The Invasion Of America” 12p

COMICS REVUE Manuscript Press See Complete Sky Masters Magazine format; newspaper strip reprints 151 1998: Sky Masters of the Space Force Kirby/Ayers - a (dailies: December 28, 1960 - January 13, 1961) 152 1998: Sky Masters of the Space Force Kirby/Ayers - a (dailies: January 14, 1961 - January 31, 1961) 153 1998: Sky Masters of the Space Force Kirby/Ayers - a (dailies: February 1, 1961 - February 25, 1961)

COMPLETE DETECTIVE CASES Postal Publications, Inc. (Timely) / (Marvel Comics Group) See Marvel Stories, National Detective Cases, Uncanny Stories Kirby pulp format illustration 4 Jul 1941: Devil Kirby - a (ink and wash) // “Mystery (Of The Bashful Bride-Butcher)” 1p Kirby - a (ink and wash)

COMPLETE SKY MASTERS, THE Pure Imagination See Comic Art Showcase, Comics Revue, Sky Masters of the Space Force HC and SC editions; newspaper strip reprints nn 1999: SC (c: Kirby/Wood) // “King Of The Comic Strips” 10p (article features comic strips: K’s Konceptions // Abdul Jones // Lone Rider // Our Puzzle Corner, // Laughs From The Day’s News // Political Cartoon // Your Health Comes First // Diary Of Dr. Hayward // Wilton Of The West) // Sky Masters of the Space Force 1958: (2 samples) Kirby/Stein - a (See JKT 2) // Sky Masters of the Space Force September 8, 1958 - January 1961: (dailies) Kirby/Wood - a (9/58 - 5/59); Kirby/Ayers - a (5/59 - 2/61) // February 8, 1959 - February 1961: (Sundays) Kirby/Wood - a (2/59 - 5/59); Kirby/Ayers - a (5/59 - 2/61) (note: some Rosalind Kirby inks) (See AOJK, Comics Revue, Comic Art Showcase, JKT 2, KU, Sky Masters of the Space Force, TJKC 15) nn 1999: (HC edition: same contents and adds 16 additional pages of unsold comic strip samples, and “The Sky Masters Curse” (article)

CRAZY BRING BACK THE BAD GUYS Marvel Comics Group See Avengers, Strange Tales, Thor, X-Men nn 1998: (r: XM 4) “The Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants” 23p // (r: AV 8) “Kang, The Conqueror” 21p // (partial r: ST 89; omits splash) “Fin Fang Foom” 12p // (r: Thor 169) “The Awesome Answer” 20p

Marvel Comics Group See Amazing Spider-Man, Journey into Mystery Magazine format 65 Aug 1980: (r: JIM 51 with new parody script) “The Creatures In The Volcano” 5p (note: mis-numbered as #66 on cover) 82 Jan 1982: (r: ASM 8 with new parody script) “Spider-Man Tackles The Torch” 6p 85 Apr 1982: (r: JIM 99 retitled from “Surtur, The Fire Demon” with new parody script) “Surtur The Tenant” 5p

BULLS-EYE

CRYPT OF SHADOWS

Mainline 2 date?:

(reprint giveaway for Great Scott Shoe Stores; new cover)

CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS

DAREDEVIL

Timely Comics (Marvel Comics Group) See Microcolour 4 Jun 1941: bc: Captain America / Bucky 1p Kirby - a (R: MC)

Marvel Comics Group See Marvel Super-Heroes, 2 Jun 1964: Kirby/Colletta - c // “The Evil Menace Of Electro” 2p Kirby - a(p) (Thing figures only) (R: MSH 22)

CAPTAIN AMERICA

DC ALL-STAR ARCHIVES

Marvel Comics Group 192 Dec 1975: Advertisement (CA 193) 1/3p Kirby/Giacoia - a

DC Comics See All-Star Comics 4 1998: (r: ASC 15) Untitled (Sandman) 6p // (r: ASC 16) Untitled (Sandman) 6p // (r: ASC 17) “The Tree That Grew Money” 6p

CAPTAIN AMERICA ASHCAN EDITION

DC GRAPHIC NOVEL

Marvel Comics Group See Captain America, Tales of Suspense 1 1995: (reprints various Kirby art on 9 of 16 pages?)

DC Comics See New Gods, Super Powers Graphic novel format; Kirby writing on entire issue 4 1985: Kirby/Theakston - c // Credits 1p Kirby/Theakston - a // Self Portrait 1/2p Kirby/Theakston - a // “Hunger Dogs” 62p Kirby/Berry/Royer/Theakston - a (2 collage pages)

CAPTAIN VICTORY AND THE GALACTIC RANGERS

23 1U

Marvel Comics Group See Strange Tales 19 Sep 1975: (r: ST 72) “I Fought The Colossus” 5p

Jack Kirby Comics b/w format 1 Jul. 2000: (r: CV 12) c,bc (wraparound) // (reconfigured artwork repro from: CV 1-6,8,9,11,13 and re-written by Jeremy Kirby) 28p (note: pg. 18-19 top panel previously unpublished) // Raam 1p Kirby - art(p) // Super Troopers 1p Kirby - a(p) 2 Sep 2000: (r:bc CV 7) c (pastiche, vignette r: CV 3) // (r: bc CV 4) bc // (reconfigured artwork repro from: CV1-4,13 and re-written by Jeremy Kirby) 26p // Damid 1p Kirby - a(p) // Goozlebobber 1p Kirby - a(p) // Mandisaurus 1p Kirby - a(p) // Multi-Man 1p Kirby - a(p) // (r: bc CV 9) Director Chusang 1p

DC UNIVERSE CHRISTMAS, A DC Comics See Adventure Comics nn 2000: (r: ADV 82) “Santa Fronts For The Mob” 10p 2U

24

DEAD OF NIGHT

GOLDEN RECORD COMIC SET

Marvel Comics Group See Tales of Suspense 9 Apr 1975: (r: TOS 32) “Sazzik, The Sorcerer” 6p

Golden Records See Journey into Mystery SLP-188 1966: (r: c JIM 83) // (r: JIM 83) “Thor The Mighty, And The Stone Men From Saturn” 13p // (r: JIM 97) “The Mighty thor Battles The Lava Man” 13p (LP record with comic book reprint; omits ads and price)

ESSENTIAL AVENGERS, THE Marvel Comics Group See original sources for details nn (#1) 1998: (b/w SC reprints: Avengers #1-24; includes covers)

GREEN HORNET COMICS

ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE

Family Comics (Harvey Publications) See Stuntman Comics 10 Dec 1942: Kirby - c(p) 39 May 1947: (r: SMC 3) “Rest Camp For Criminals” 12p

Marvel Comics Group See original sources for details 1 2000: (b/w SC reprints: Tales of Suspense #59-99 (Captain America); Captain America #100-104; includes covers)

GUNSLINGERS

ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR, THE

Marvel Comics Group See Rawhide kid, Two-Gun Kid nn 1999: (r: TGK 60) “I Hate The Two-Gun Kid” 5p // (r: RK 22) “Beware, The Terrible Totem” 19p

Marvel Comics Group See original sources for details 2 1999: (b/w SC reprints: Fantastic Four #21-40, Fantastic Four Annual 2, Strange Tales Annual 2; includes covers; omits back-up features) 3 2001: (b/w SC reprints: Fantastic Four #41-62, Fantastic Four Annual 3,4; includes covers; omits back-up features)

HEADLINE COMICS Prize Publications 45 Jan 1952: Kirby/Simon - c // Advertisement (Justice Traps the Guilty 22) 1/3p Kirby/Simon - a

ESSENTIAL HULK, THE

HUNGER DOGS, THE

Marvel Comics Group See original sources for details 1 1998: (b/w SC reprints: Incredible Hulk #1-6, Tales to Astonish #60-91 (Hulk); includes covers)

See DC Graphic Novel

INCREDIBLE HULK: TRANSFORMATIONS, THE ESSENTIAL IRON MAN, THE Marvel Comics Group See original sources for details nn (#1) Nov. 2000: (b/w SC reprints Tales of Suspense #39-72 (Iron Man); includes covers)

Marvel Comics Group See Incredible Hulk 1 1996: (r: IH 3) “The Origin Of The Hulk” 3p

IN LOVE ESSENTIAL THOR, THE Marvel Comics Group See Journey into Mystery 1 2001: (b/w SC reprints Journey into Mystery #83-112; includes covers)

Mainline #1-3 / Charlton Comics #5 Continued as I Love You 4 Feb 1955: Kirby - c(p)

JACK KIRBY’S FOREVER PEOPLE ESSENTIAL X-MEN, THE Marvel Comics Group See original sources for details nn (#1) 1999: (b/w SC reprints: X-Men #1-24; includes covers)

DC Comics See Forever People nn 1999: (SC reprints Forever People #1-11; b/w with new grey tones) // (cover gallery)

JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD FANTASTIC FOUR Marvel Comics Group 35 Feb 1965: Kirby/Ayers - c 62 May 1967: Kirby/Giacoia - c 124 Jul 1972: (“The Return Of The Monster” pg. 19, panel 1 features Kirby Thing repro from: FF 49, pg. 1)

DC Comics See Mister Miracle nn 2001: (SC reprints Mister Miracle #11-18; b/w with new grey tones) // (cover gallery)

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY Atlas Comics (Marvel Comics Group) 55 Nov 1959: Kirby - c(p) // “My Neighbor’s Secret” 4p Kirby - a(p)

FANTASTIC FOUR Simon and Schuster (Marvel Comics Group) HC and SC editions nn 1979: (r: c, FF 4) “The Coming Of The Sub-Mariner” 23p // (r: c, FF 48) “The Coming Of Galactus” 20p // (r: c, FF 49) “If This Be Doomsday” 20p // (r: c, FF 50) “The Startling Saga Of The Silver Surfer” 20p // (r: c FF 86) 1p // (r: FF 87) “The Power And The Pride” 20p

JUMBO COMICS

FANTASTIC FOUR ASHCAN EDITION

KID COLT OUTLAW

Marvel Comics Group See Fantastic Four 1 date?: (reprints various Kirby art from Fantastic Four?)

Marvel Comics Group See Gunsmoke Western 100 Sep 1961: Kirby/Ayers - c (R: KCO 178) 122 May 1965: Kirby/Giacoia - c 123 Jul 1965: Kirby/Ayers - c 173 Aug 1973: (r: c KCO 99 with added material) 174 Sep 1973: (r: c GW 60) 178 Jan 1974: (r: c KCO 100) 179 Feb 1974: (r: c KCO 106) 180 Mar 1974: (r: c KCO 107 with added material) 181 Apr 1974: (r: c KCO 111) 182 May 1974: (r: c KCO 95) 184 Jul 1974: (r: c KCO 94) 190 Jan 1975: (r: c KCO 116) 192 Mar 1975: (r: c KCO 117) // (r: c KCO 95) Kid Colt 1p (pastiche) 193 Apr 1975: (r: c KCO 115) 203 Feb 1976: (r: c KCO 96 with added material by Romita) 212 Nov 1976: (r: c KCO 114 with added material) 215 Feb 1977: (r: c KCO 121)

FLASHBACK Special Edition Reprints (Alan L. Light) See All Winners Comics, Captain America Comics, World’s Finest Comics, Young Allies Comics 8 1974: Young Allies Comics 1; (reprints entire issue in b/w; color cover; See original source for details) 23 1975: All Winners Comics 1; (reprints entire issue in b/w; color cover; See original source for details) 29 1975: Captain America Comics 1; (reprints entire issue in b/w; color cover; See original source for details) 38 1976: World’s Finest Comics 8; (reprints entire issue in b/w; color cover; See original source for details)

FOXHOLE Mainline #1-4 / Charlton Comics #5,6 See Foxhole Super Reprints 2 Nov 1954: Kirby - c (R: FHSR 12) // “Booby Trap” 6p Kirby - a (R: FHSR 12) // “Hot Box” 2p Kirby - a (R: FHSR 12) // “The Replacement” 4p Kirby (script)

FRANKENSTEIN COMICS Prize Publications (Crestwood / Feature) 9 Sep 1947: Advertisement (Justice Traps the Guilty 1; vignette heads) Kirby/Simon - a 3U

A-List Comics See Wags Newspaper strip reprints 1 1998: (r: Wags 64-67) The Count of Monte Cristo 4p // 2 1998: (r: JC 1) The Diary of Dr. Hayward 4p

4U

LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE

MARVEL SUPER-HEROES

DC Comics See Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 14 Mar 1999: “The American Evolution” 56p Kirby - plot (script: Evanier, art: Rude/Reinhold)

Marvel Comics Group See Daredevil, X-Men Continued from Fantasy Masterpieces 22 Sep 1969: Kirby/Verpoorten - c // (r: DD 2) “The Evil Menace Of Electro” 2p // (r: c DD 1,2; XM 1-3) 5p // (r: XM 3) “Beware, The Blob” 24p

LITTLE ARCHIE COMICS DIGEST ANNUAL Archie Publications See Adventures of the Fly Digest-sized format 3 Nov 1978: (r: AOTF #?) Kirby/Simon - a(r)?

LOVE PROBLEMS AND ADVICE ILLUSTRATED

MARVEL TALES Marvel Comics Group See Fantastic Four Annual 213 Jul 1988: (r: FFA 5) “The Peerless Power Of The Silver Surfer” 12p

See True Love Problems and Advice Illustrated

MARVEL TREASURY EDITION

MADMAN COMICS

Marvel Comics Group See Amazing Spider-Man Over-sized format 1 1974: (limited numbered edition of 1,000 signed by Stan Lee & John Romita; sold thru mail order; Spider-Man); (r: ASM 8) “Spider-Man Tackles The Torch” 6p

Dark Horse Comics / Legend Yearbook ‘95 1996: Madman 1p Kirby/Theakston - a

MAXIMUM SECURITY: THOR VS. EGO MAGNETO ASCENDANT Marvel Comics Group See X-Men nn date?: (r: XM 11) “The Triumph Of Magneto” 20p

Marvel Comics Group See Thor 1 2000: (r: Thor 133) “Behold, The Living Planet” 16p // (r: Thor 160) “And Now, Galactus” 20p // (r: Thor 161) “Shall A God Prevail?” 20p

MARVEL COLLECTIBLE CLASSICS: X-MEN

MICROCOLOUR

Marvel Comics Group See original sources for details 1 1998: (reprints X-Men 1,2)

MARVEL COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS Marvel Comics Group See Fantastic Four 12 Dec 1967: c (r: pastiche from misc. sources: FF 17 (pg. 19), FF 57 (pg. 8), FF 58 (pg. 18), FF 64 (pg. 9) // (r: FF 17) “Defeated By Doctor Doom” 22p

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS SPIDER-MAN Marvel Comics Group (4 1/4" x 6 1/4" giveaway) See Amazing Spider-Man 1 1988: (r: c ASM 1) // (r: ASM 8) “Spider-Man Tackles The Torch” 6p

MARVEL DOUBLE FEATURE Marvel Comics Group See Tales of Suspense 17 Aug 1976: Kirby/Giacoia - c // (r: TOS 93) “Into The Jaws Of A.I.M.” 9p

MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS Timely Comics (Marvel Comics Group) See Complete Jack Kirby, Golden-Age of Marvel Comics, Marvel Super-Heroes, Microcolour 12 Oct 1940: Kirby/Simon - c (Angel) (R: CJK 2, MC) 13 Nov 1940: “The Vision” (first app. of The Vision; dimensional barrier, gangsters) 8p Kirby/Simon - a (R: GAMC 2, MC) 14 Dec 1940: “The Vision” (werewolf) 7p Kirby/Simon - a (R: MC) 15 Jan 1941: “The Vision” (fortune teller)7p Kirby - a (R: MC) 16 Feb 1941: “The Vision” (dinosaurs) 7p Kirby - a (R: MC) 17 Mar 1941: “The Vision” (gangsters, national trucking) 7p Kirby/Simon - a (R: MC) 18 Apr 1941: “The Vision” (politicians, hoods) 6p Kirby/Simon - a (R: MC) 19 May 1941: “The Vision” (Nazi concentration camp) 6p Kirby/Simon - a (R: MC) 20 Jun 1941: “The Vision” (Experiment 36-B, the Killer Weed) 6p Kirby/Simon - a (R: MC) 21 Jul 1941: “The Vision” (political corruption, crooked contractor) 7p Kirby/Simon - a (assist: Avison/Shores) (R: MC) 22 Aug 1941: “The Vision” (Khor, the Black Sorcerer) 6p Kirby/Simon - a (assist: Shores)(R: MC, MMC 1) 23 Sep 1941: “The Vision” (Kai-Mak, Shark God) 7p Kirby/Simon - a (R: GAMC 2, MC) 24 Oct 1941: “The Vision” (Grosso, dust dimension invader) 7p Kirby/Simon - a (R: MC) 25 Nov 1941: “The Vision” (Professor Zagnar) 7p Kirby/Simon - a (R: GAMC 1, MC, MSH 13) 26 Dec 1941: “The Vision” (return of the Weeds) 7p Kirby/Simon - a (assist: Avison) (R: MC) 27 Jan 1942: “The Vision” (Devil) 7p Kirby/Simon - a (assist: Avison) (R: MC)

MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS Marvel Comics Group See Captain America Comics 1 Dec 1999: (r: MMC 22) “The Vision” 6p // (r: CAC 2) “Hurricane, Master Of Speed” 10p // (r: CAC 9) “The White Death” 11p

Microcolour Microfiche reprints contain Kirby art See original sources for details nn date?: Adventure Comics 72-100 nn date?: All-Star Comics 14-17,19 nn date?: All Winners Comics 1,2 nn date?: Captain America Comics 1-10 nn date?: Captain Marvel Adventures nn (1) nn date?: Daring Mystery Comics 6-8 nn date?: Detective Comics 64-83,85,95 nn date?: Marvel Mystery Comics 12-27 nn date?: Red Raven Comics 1 nn date?: Showcase 6,7 nn date?: Star Spangled Comics 7-10 nn date?: USA Comics 1 nn date?: World’s Finest Comics 6-13,15,21,22 nn date?: Yellow Claw 2-4 nn date?: Young Allies Comics 1,2

MIGHTY MARVEL WESTERN, THE Marvel Comics Group See Rawhide Kid, Two-Gun Kid 6 Nov 1969: (r: RK 28) “Doom In The Desert” 7p // (r: RK 31) “Shoot-Out With Rock Rorick” 7p // (r: c TGK 75; pastiche) Two-Gun Kid 1p 39 Jun 1975: (r: RK 26) “Shoot-Out In Scragg’s Saloon” 6p 42 Nov 1975: (r: RK 27) “When Six-Guns Roar” 7p

MILLENNIUM EDITION DC Comics (color reprint editions) See original sources for details 1 Apr 2000: Young Romance Comics 1 1 Jun 2000: New Gods 1

MONSTERS ON THE PROWL Marvel Comics Group See Journey into Mystery, Tales of Suspense Continued from Chamber of Darkness 19 Oct 1972: (r: TOS 30) “The Ghost Rode A Rollercoaster” 7p // (r: TOS 23) “The Changeling” 5p 20 Dec 1972: (r: TOS 27) “Oog Lives Again” 7p // (r: JIM 63) “The Dangerous Doll” 5p

MY LOVE Marvel Comics Group See Teen-Age Romance 15 Jan 1972: (r: TAR 86 with added material) “For The Love Of Ricky Wilson” 6p 27 Feb 1974: (r: TAR 86 with added material) “For The Love Of Ricky Wilson” 6p

NATIONAL DETECTIVE CASES MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS Marvel Comics Group See Fantastic Four 29 Dec 1970: (r: c, FF 12) “The Incredible Hulk” 23p // (r: FF 31) “The Mad Menace Of The Macabre Mole Man” 21p // “Fantastic Four Family Album” (6 page compilation of reprint panels from: FF 15,29,31,47,52,56,77,80 (with added material), 78,96-98,101; note: “Ben Doing Twist” panel on pg. 3 not from any known source)

25 5U

Universal Crime Stories (Timely Comics) / (Marvel Comics Group) See Complete Detective Stories, Marvel Stories, Uncanny Stories Kirby pulp format illustration 1 Mar 1941: Untitled (cartoon) Kirby - a

NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Marvel Comics Group See Sgt. Fury, SHIELD, Strange Tales nn Sep 2000: (SC reprints Strange Tales #151-168; includes covers; omits Dr. Strange features) // “The Greatest Comics Never Seen: File 100621” 2p Kirby/Steranko - a (note: unpublished inking try-out)

6U

26

ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS

STRANGE TALES OF THE UNUSUAL

Simon and Schuster (Marvel Comics Group) nn 1976: (slipcased edition; combined with Son of Origins of Marvel Comics)

Atlas Comics (Marvel Comics Group) 7 Dec 1956: “Pokerface” 4p Kirby/Simon - a

OUR FIGHTING FORCES

STREETWISE

National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) Kirby writing on issues #151-162 155 May 1975: Kirby/Berry - c // “The Partisans” (Losers) 18p Kirby/Berry - a // “Artillery” 2p Kirby/Berry - a

TwoMorrows See Argosy Trade paperback format anthology nn 2000: (r: Argosy V.3#2) “Street Code” 10p

OUR LOVE STORY

STUNTMAN COMICS

Marvel Comics Group See Teen-Age Romance 27 Feb 1974: (r: TAR 86) “For The Love Of Ricky Wilson” 6p

Harvey Publications See Black Cat Comics, Comic Book Makers, Complete Jack Kirby, Green Hornet Comics, Simon & Kirby Classics 3 Oct 1946: Kirby/Simon - c // “Rest Camp For Criminals” 12p Kirby/Simon - a (R: CJK 3, GHC 39, SKC 1) // “In This Corner, Kid Adonis” 12p Kirby/Simon - a (R: GHC 37) (See BCC 2, Comic Book Makers, JKT 1, TJKC 20,25) (note: 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" 32 page b/w book; distributed to subscribers only)

POLICE TRAP Mainline (Prize) 1 Sep 1954: Kirby/Simon - c // “The Capture” 4p Kirby (script) 4 Feb 1955: Kirby/Simon - c // “Fly Cop” (splash panel) Kirby/Simon - a

PULP FICTION LIBRARY: MYSTERY IN SPACE DC Comics See My Greatest Adventure, Real Fact Comics nn 1999: (r: RF 1) “The Rocket Lanes Of Tomorrow” 2p // (r: MGA 15) “I Found A City Under The Sea” 8p

RAWHIDE KID Marvel Comics Group 116 Oct 1973: (r: c RK 47) // (r: TGK 61) “Two Lives Has He” 2p 117 Nov 1973: (r: c RK 44) 129 Oct 1975: (r: RK 43) Pin-Up 1p 134 Jul 1976: (r: c RK 30) // (r: RK 30) “When The Kid Went Wild” 7p // (r: RK 27) “The Man Who Caught The Kid” 5p // (r: RK 27) “The Girl, The Gunmen, And The Apaches” 6p 136 Nov 1976: (r: c RK 20) // (r: RK 20) “Shoot-Out With Blackjack Borden” 13p // (r: RK 20) “The Defeat Of The Rawhide Kid” 5p 137 Jan 1977: (r: c RK 23 with added material by Romita) // (r: RK 17) “Stagecoach To Shotgun Gap” 6p // (r: RK 23) “No Place To Hide” 11p // (r: RK 43) Pin-Up 1p

SGT. FURY (and his Howling Commandos) Marvel Comics Group See Avengers, Marvel Limited: Fantastic Firsts, Marvel Tales Annual, Strange Tales 1 May 1963: Kirby/Ayers - c // “Sgt. Fury And His Howling Commandos” (first app. of Sgt. Nick Fury) 21p Kirby/Ayers - a (R: MLFF, MTA 1 (partial), SF 167) // “Meet The Howling Commandos” 2p Kirby/Ayers - a (R: MLFF, SFA 1) // “Weapons Of War” 1p Kirby/Ayers - a 2 Jul 1963: Kirby/Ayers - c // “Seven Doomed Men” 23p Kirby/Ayers - a (R: SF 95) // “The Enemy That Was” 1p Kirby/Ayers - a // “Weapons Of War” 1p Kirby/Ayers - a 4 Nov 1963: Kirby/Roussos - c // “Lord Ha-Ha’s Last Laugh” 22p Kirby/Roussos (Bell) (R: SFA 1) // “Weapons Of War” 1p Kirby - a(p) // Advertisement (Avengers 3) 1p Kirby/Reinman - a

SUPERMAN IN THE SEVENTIES DC Comics See Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen nn 2000: (r: SPJO 133) “The Newsboy Legion” 22p // “Kirby’s Coming” 1/2p (article)

TALES OF SUSPENSE Atlas Comics #2-18 / Marvel Comics Group #19-99 Continued as Captain America 5 Sep 1959: Kirby/Ayers - c 8 Mar 1960: Kirby - c(p) // “Monstro, The Menace From The Murky Depths” 6p Kirby/Ayers - a (note: first Ayers inking Kirby) 37 Jan 1963: Kirby/Ditko - c 58 Oct 1964: Kirby/Stone - c // (“In Mortal Combat With Captain America” (Iron Man) story features Kirby/Ayers art corrections)

TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) 18 Oct 1957: Kirby - c // “The Man Who Collected Planets” 6p Kirby - a 22 Feb 1958: Kirby - c // “Invasion Of The Volcano Men” 6p Kirby - a

TALES TO ASTONISH Marvel Comics Group 57 Jul 1964: Kirby/Stone - c

THRILLS OF TOMORROW Harvey Publications See Hyper-Classics, Stuntman Comics 20 Apr 1955: (r: c SMC 2 pastiche) // (r: SMC 2 retitled from “Curtain Call For Death”) “Curtain Call For Fear” 12p // (r: SMC 2) “The Rescue Of Robin Hood” 12p // (r: SMC 2) “Triumph For The Boy Explorers” 2p (text feature) // (r: ?) “Guns On The Chisholm Trail” 1p (text feature) // (r: ?) “Jack McGregor’s Bluff’ 1p (text feature) (note: issue features Kirby spot illustration)

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS SHAZAM ARCHIVES DC Comics See Captain Marvel Adventures 2 1998: (r: CMA 1) “Capt. Marvel” 15p // (r: CMA 1) “Capt. Marvel Out West” 16p // (r: CMA 1) Untitled (Captain Marvel) 15p // (r: CMA 1) “Capt. Marvel Battles The Vampire” 16p

SHOWCASE National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) 15 Aug 1958: “Space Ships Of The Past” 2p Kirby - a(p)

TREASURE COMICS Prize Publications? See Prize Comics 1 1943?: (rebinding of Prize Comics #7-11 from 1942; no publisher listed; no date; 324 pages, cardboard cover, blank bc)

TRUE LOVE PROBLEMS AND ADVICE ILLUSTRATED

Crestwood See Fighting American Magazine format 42 (V.6#2) Feb 1966: Kirby/Simon - c (revised FA 1 cover (version one) with added material; cover features Alfred E. Neuman)

Harvey Publications 38 Mar 1956: Kirby - c 41 Sep 1956: Kirby - c(p) // Contents 1p Kirby - a(p) 42 Nov 1956: Kirby - c(p)

SON OF ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS

TWO-GUN KID

Simon and Schuster (Marvel Comics Group) nn 1976: (slipcased edition; combined with Origins of Marvel Comics)

Marvel Comics Group See Gunsmoke Western 65 Sep 1963: Kirby/Ayers - c (R: TGK 112) 68 Mar 1964: Kirby/Stone - c 69 Jun 1964: Kirby/Stone - c 100 Sep 1971: (r: TGK 61) “Two Lives Has He” 2p 112 Sep 1973: (r: c TGK 65) 116 Feb 1974: (r: c, TGK 61) “How Matt Hawk Becomes The Two-Gun Kid” 1p // (r: c TGK 75) Two-Gun Kid 1p (pastiche) 117 Apr 1974: (r: GW 47) “Trouble In Leadville” 4p // 127 Dec 1975: (r: c TGK 72) 128 Feb 1976: (r; c TGK 75) Two-Gun Kid 1p (pastiche) 134 Dec 1976: (r: c TGK 75 with added material)

SICK

STAR SPANGLED COMICS National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) 30 Mar 1944: Kirby/Simon - c // “The Lady Of Linden Lane” (Newsboy Legion) 1p (splash) Kirby - a(p)

STRANGE FANTASY Ajax-Farrell? See Boys’ Ranch 9 1953: (rebinding of Harvey Comics interiors; not published by Ajax; with Boys’ Ranch by S&K) 7U

JC Comics Group (Archie Publications) See Double Life of Private Strong Magazine format 1 Feb 1981: (r: DLPS 1) “The Hide-Out” 2p

8U

VILLAINY OF DOCTOR DOOM, THE

NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS

Marvel Comics Group See Fantastic Four nn 1999: (Kirby/Janson - c) // (r: c, FFA2) “The Origin Of Doctor Doom” 12p // (r: c, FF 39) “A Blind Man Shall Lead Them” 20p // (r: c, FF 40) “The Battle Of The Baxter Building” 20p // (r: c, FF 84) “The Name Is Doom” 20p // (r: c, FF 85) “Within This Tortured Land” 20p // (r: c, FF 86) “The Victims” 20p // (r: c, FF 87) “The Power And The Pride” 20p

WHERE MONSTERS DWELL Marvel Comics Group See Tales to Astonish 28 May 1974: (r: c TTA 9)

WYATT EARP

PERIODICALS

Atlas Comics / Marvel Comics Group 29 Jun 1960: Kirby/Ayers - c 33 Apr 1973: (r: c WE 25 with added material)

X-MEN, THE Marvel Comics Group 74 Feb 1974: (r: XM t-shirt) X-Men 1p

YOUNG LOVE Prize Publications 7 (V.2#1) Feb 1950: 8 (V.2#2) Apr 1950: 10 (V.2#4) Jun 1950: 16 (V.2#10) Dec 1950: 20 (V.3#2) Apr 1951: 25 (V.3#7) Sep 1951:

“Give Me Your Kisses” 9p Kirby - a(p) // “Love Him Or Leave Him” 6p Kirby - a(p) // “Pride And Passion” (text illustrations) Kirby/Simon - a “Danger, Soft Shoulders” 8p Kirby - a(l) // “The Man In My Dreams” 1p Kirby/Simon - a?

“The Girl I Picked From The Phone Directory” 4p Kirby/Meskin - a // “Unwanted” 7p Kirby - a(p) (misnumbered as V.4#4) Kirby - c(p) // “The Reformer” 8p Kirby - a(p) // “Problem Clinic” 2p Kirby - a(p) // “The Girl I Left Behind” 1p (splash) Kirby - a(p) Kirby/Simon - c // “Problem Clinic” 3p Kirby - a(p) // “My Old Flame” 5 1/2p Kirby/Simon - a “Off Limits To Love” 10p Kirby - a(p)

YOUNG ROMANCE COMICS Prize / Headline (Feature Publications) See Millennium Edition, Real Love First romance comic 1 Sep 1947: Kirby/Simon - c // “I Was A Pick-Up” 13p Kirby/Simon - a (R: ME 1) // “Misguided Heart” 7p Kirby/Simon - a (R: ME 1) // “Young Hearts Sing A Summer Song” 8p Kirby/Simon - a (R: ME 1) 3 Jan 1948: Kirby/Simon - c // “Marriage Contract” 13p Kirby/Simon - a // “Her Best Friend’s Sweetheart” 8p Kirby/Simon - a // “Man-Hater” 7p Kirby/Simon - a 10 (V.2#4) Mar 1949: Kirby/Simon - c // “Mama’s Boy” 13p Kirby/Simon - a (R: RL) // “Unwanted” 7p Kirby/Simon - a 18 (V.3#6) Feb 1950: “Just No Good” 14p Kirby/Simon - a // “Flight From Love” (text illustrations) Kirby/Simon - a 37 (V.5#1) Sep 1951: “I’ll Never Set You Free” 10p Kirby/Simon - a // “These Foolish Things” 5 1/2p Kirby/Simon - a 47 (V.5#11) Jul 1952: “A Man For My Birthday” 8p Kirby/Draut - a // “Drop The Handkerchief” 6p Kirby/Simon - a 52 (V.6#4) Dec 1952: “Soldier On The Train” 8p Kirby/Draut - a

KIRBY-RELATED WEB SITES

E-MAIL

Jack Kirby Collector: Superman Kirby Tribute:

Jack Kirby Collector: Kirby Mailing List: Kirby Newsgroup:

Int’l. Museum of Cartoon Art: Pure Imagination: Lord Of Light: Joe Simon Home Page: Microcolour:

27 9U

http://www.twomorrows.com/kirby http://members.supermen.am/nightwing/ sm-jackkirby.htm http://cartoon.org/artists/kirby.htm http://www.pureimages.com/kirby.html http://www.infoprovider.com/101 http://www.simoncomics.com http://www.microcolour.com

Sky Masters of the Space Force 1958: (2 samples) Kirby/Stein - a (See CSM, JKT 2) Sky Masters of the Space Force September 8, 1958 - February 25, 1961: (dailies) Kirby/Wood - a (9-8-58—7-11-59); Kirby/Rosalind Kirby - a (7-13-59—10-59); Kirby/Ayers - a (10-59—1-13-61); Kirby/Rosalind Kirby - a (1-14-61—2-25-61) February 8, 1959 - February 7, 1960: (Sundays) Kirby/Wood - a (2-8-59—5-3-59; 5-17-59—7-5-59; 7-19-59—7-26-59); Kirby/Rosalind Kirby - a (5-10-59; 8-2-59—8-16-59); Kirby/Ayers - a (7-12-59; 8-23-59—1-24-60); Kirby/Wood - a (pastiche: 1-13-60—2-7-60) (George Matthew Adams Syndicate) (See AOJK, Comic Art Showcase, CSM, JKT 2, KU, Sky Masters of the Space Force, TJKC 15) Untitled date?: (samples of panel cartoons) Kirby - a(p) (See TJKC 25)

twomorrow@aol.com fantasty.com/kirby.1 alt.comics.jack-kirby

Akuma-She See Grub Girl & Akuma-She Illustrations Alter Ego V.2#3 Win 1999: “Jack Kirby’s Spider-Man” 4p (article by Ditko with Ditko illustration of Kirby’s Spider-Man; reprinted from Robin Snyder’s History of the Comics V.1#5) (TwoMorrows) (combined with CBA 3) Alter Ego V.3#6 Fall 2000: (FCA: Fawcett Collectors of America #65); Joe Simon interview 1p (TwoMorrows) Amazing Heroes 100 Aug 1986: Kirby/Rude - c (Kirby Issue) // “Kirby” 2p (article) // “Paying Tribute To The King” 17p (tributes) // “Jack Kirby’s Gods And Heroes” 10p (article) // “The King And I” 8p (article by Evanier) // “10 Great Jack Kirby Stories” 8p (article) // “That Old Jack Magic” 5p (article) // “A Look At Technique” 1p (article) // “Royal Review” 9p (article) (Fantagraphics) Atlanta Journal-Constitution Aug 16, 1990: “Jack Kirby’s Heroic Career In Comics” (article) ( Atlanta, GA, USA) Champion 8 1970: (Kirby’s women’s liberation analysis, article) (Gosgrove/Griem) Children’s Digest V.12#116 Mar. 1962: (r: The World Around Us 31) “An End To Slaughter” 5p Comic Art Convention Program Book 1964: Thor 1p Kirby - a(p) Comic Book Artist Special Edition 1 Dec. 1999: “The Unknown Kirby” 13p (article with unpublished art) cover concepts: New Gods 1, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 133, Big Barda 1, Mister Miracle 5, Kamandi 1 // unpublished art from: True Divorce Cases, Soul Love, Fourth World, Galaxy Green // “Jack Kirby’s Superworld” 3p (article with unpublished art) cover concept: Superworld Of Everything 2p, unpublished art: Galaxy Green 1p // “Timm Of The New Gods” 7p (Bruce Timm interview) // “Dateline @!!Z★” 1p (Hembeck parodies Omac 1) (TwoMorrows) Comic Book Marketplace 64 Nov 1998: “The X-Men” 9p (article) (Gemstone) Comic Book Marketplace 65 Dec 1998: “World Of Glass” 4p (S&K pre-code crime comics article) (Gemstone) Comic Book Marketplace 71 Sep 1999: “Absolutely Amazing DC Ashcans” 13p (article/checklist) (Gemstone) Comic Book Marketplace 82 Oct 2000: (r: c TGK 60 pastiche) // “Mighty Marvel’s Fantasy Frontier” 9p (article with chronology) // “Who’s Who in...Mighty Marvel Westerns” 8p (article) // (7 page Marvel Western comic cover gallery) // “Rolling, Rolling, Rolling Rawhide Kid” 4p (article with index) (Gemstone) Comic Crusader 16 1974: Sultin The Mighty (“Read this issue! Snap to it!”) 1p Kirby - a(p) // “New Gods: A Fourth World Perspective” 10p (article) // Orion Vs. Darkseid 1p Kirby/Sinnott - a (Martin Griem) (See TJKC 6) Comic Reader, The 127 Feb 1976: (preview: Return of the Gods cover before being retitled The Eternals)(TCR) Comics Buyers’ Guide 1185 Aug 2, 1995: “Jack Kirby’s First Comic Book” (article) (Krause) Comics Buyers’ Guide 1234 Jul 11, 1997: “Point Of View” 1p (Evanier article on New Gods) (Krause) Comics Buyers’ Guide 1316 Feb 5, 1999: Kirby - c (Interpretation Of God) // “Point Of View” 3p (article features 1975 photo of Kirby & Chuck Norris with sketch: “Karate Chops”) // “Rants & Raves” 1p (S&K article) // “Not The Fantastic Four: Jack Kirby’s Other Silver-Age Teams” 1p (article) // “Tony’s Tips” 1p (article) // “But I Digress” 1p (article) (Krause) Comics Buyers’ Guide 1401 Sep 22, 2000: “Kirby On Kirby 1974: An Interview With The King Of Comics” 4p (Kirby interview: Sep 18, 1974 broadcast on KNJO Radio, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) (Krause) Comics Buyers’ Guide 1407 Nov 3, 2000: “The Amazing World Of Carmine Infantino” (Chapter 8: The Bronze Age) 1p (book excerpt discusses Kirby at DC) // “Jack Kirby On Infantino” 1/4p (Kirby text reprinted from Comic and Crypt #5) (Krause) Comics Buyers’ Guide 1418 Jan 19, 2001: “American Revolution: 60 Years Of Captain America” 6 1/2p (article) // “Joe Simon: On Creating Icons” 1 1/2p (article) // “Fighting For Captain America’s Rights - Or Rights To Captain America” 1p (article) (Krause) Comics Buyers’ Guide 1423 (“1971”) Feb 23, 2000: “How I Came To Work For Mr. Kirby” 2p (article by Evanier) (Krause) Comics Collector 3 Spr 1984: “I Remember Vandoom” 8p (article; Marvel’s pre-hero monsters) (Krause) Comics Feature 3 Jun 1980: “The Silver Age Of Comics: Part 2” 6p (article; includes 1 page on The Fly) (New Media) Comics Feature 4 Jul/Aug 1980: “Silver Age Of Comics: Part 3” 6p (article; includes 1 page on The Fantastic Four) (New Media) Comics Feature 5 Sep 1980: “Silver Age Of Comics: Part 4” 4p (article) (New Media) Comics Feature 6 Oct 1980: “The Silver Age Of Comics: Part 5” 9p (article; includes 2 pages on The X-Men) // “Death Of Romantic Interest” 8p (article includes Sgt. Fury and Pamela Hawley) // “Sleaze And The Married Super-Hero” 3 1/2p (article includes Reed & Sue, Mister Miracle & Barda) (New Media) Comics Feature 7 Nov 1980: “The Silver Age Of Comics: Part 6” 8p (article; includes 2 pages on Strange Tales) // “Band That Time Forgot” 11p (article; Marvel Westerns) (New Media) Comics Journal, The 224 May 2000: “Meet The Comics Press: Jack Kirby Collector, Jack Kirby Quarterly” 2p (review) (Fantagraphics) Dallas Convention Program 1979: Kirby - a (Hulk as cowboy; printed reversed; left to right) Excelsior 1 1968: (Kirby Interview) 2p (fanzine) Fantastic Films 16 May 1980: (Lords of Light article with Kirby art) (Blake Publications) Fantastic Films 20 Dec 1980: (Thundarr article) 4p (Blake Publications) Fantastic Four: The Legend 1 Oct 1996: (tribute one-shot reprints Kirby art and covers) (Marvel) Fantasy Advertiser 48 Mar 1978: Kirby - c // (r: Comic and Crypt 5) Interview (Kirby/Infantino) 7p (UK fanzine) Fantasy Crossroads 1 Nov 1974: (Kirby article) (Graceland, Iowa College Comics Club) Fantasy Frontiers 2 1987: (appraisal of Kirby’s Silver Star) Fawcett Collectors of America (See Alter Ego)

10U

28 11U

FCA (See Alter Ego) Fun Comics 2 1981: (Special Salute to Simon & Kirby; Stuntman, Boys’ Ranch) (Paragon) G.A.S. Lite V.2#10 1973: Interview (Jack Kirby) (Cleveland Graphic Arts Society) Golden-Age Men of Mystery 15 1999: Kirby - c (unpublished Captain 3-D 2 cover) // Simon & Kirby issue: (r: C FA 1) // “Captain 3-D And Me” 7p (article) // (r: C3D 1) “The Menace Of The Living Dolls” 10p // “Creating & Re-Creating Captain 3-D” 5p (article) // “Challenge Of The Speed Demon” 1p (splash) Kirby - a(p) (note: uninked 9 page story by Meskin from unpublished Captain 3-D 2) // “The Legacy Of Captain 3-D” 4 1/2p (article) // “Bulls-Eye” 5p (article; note: features art recreated by Black from BE 1) // “Fighting American” 6p (article) // “Whatta Ya Know, Joe?” (Joe Simon interview) 3p // “Boys’ Ranch” 4p (article) // (r: PC 8) “The Black Owl” 9p (AC Comics) Golden-Age Men of Mystery 17 1999: Kirby/Simon - c (r: Stuntman pastiche) // (r: SC 2) “Curtain Call For Death” 12p // “The New Champ Of Split-Second Action” 8p (article) // “Simon - Before Simon And kirby” (Joe Simon interview) 3p // (r: SC 1) “House Of Madness” 2p (spread) (AC Comics) Gold & Silver, Overstreet’s Comic Book Quarterly 3 Jan 1994: “The Incredible Hulk Explained” 4p (article) (Overstreet) Gold & Silver, Overstreet’s Comic Book Quarterly 4 Apr 1994: “Jack Kirby, 1948-1960” 22p (article) // “Thanks, Jack...You Were The Best” 4p (article with Kirby photo) // (Stan Lee interview)8p // “The Golden-Age Covers Of Jack Kirby” 5p (article with index) (Overstreet) Gold & Silver, Overstreet’s Comic Book Quarterly 6 Oct 1994: (Joe Simon interview) (Overstreet) Gold & Silver, Overstreet’s Comic Book Quarterly 8 Apr 1995: “I Charted The Marvel Monsters” (article) // (Theakston article on Golden-Age Kirby cover identification) (Overstreet) Graphic Story World V.2#2 Jul 1972: Untitled (unpublished SPJO 133 cover) Kirby - a(p) (Richard Kyle) Grub Girl & Akuma-She Illustrations #? 1999: (alternate cover adapted from SPJO 142: “Hairie Secrets Revealed” page 2 original pencils and other unknown sources and attributed to Kirby) (Verotik) (See TJKC 23) It’s A Fanzine 48 date?: “When The World Vanished” (story reprinted from Atlas’ Mystery Tales 50 features Jack and Rosalind Kirby as “Jack and Ruth Colley”) Jack Kirby Collector, The 22 Dec 1998: Kirby/Stevens - c (Doctor Doom / Silver Surfer); Kirby - bc (Darkseid) // 68-page Villains issue.

Unpublished Kirby Interview, Fascism in the Fourth World, Top 10 S&K Golden-Age Villains, Atlas Monsters, Yellow Claw, Doctor Doom, Madame Medusa, interviews with Mike Mignola and Steve Rude, Dark Domain, Galactus, “A Failure To Communicate” Part 2: Kirby and Lee’s writing compared, Arnim Zola, Darkseid, The Others, original King Kobra concept, unpublished pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 23 Feb 1999: Kirby/Horley - c (Demon); Kirby - bc (Metron) // 68-page Anything Goes issue.

Kirby interview, tracy Kirby, Checklist Oddities, Captain Nice, Kirby fan art, “A Failure To Communicate” Part 3: Kirby and Lee’s writing compared, original Thor 141 cover, original pencils: FF 49, Demon 1 cover, Kirby memories, Denny O’Neil interview, Soul Love unpublished art; cover and complete story: “The Teacher”, Atlas concept art, unpublished pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 24 Apr 1999: Kirby/Mignola - c (wraparound) // 68-page Greatest Battles issue.

Kirby interview, New Gods, The Odyssey, Marvel’s Greatest Battles, “A Failure To Communicate” Part 4: Kirby and Lee’s writing compared, Sgt. Fury, War, Westerns, Kirby’s Marvel Art Battle, original FF 94 cover, “The Glory Boat” New Gods story examined in detail, unpublished pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 25 Aug 1999: Kirby/Adkins - c (Captain America); Kirby/J. Severin - bc (Bullseye) // 100-page Simon & Kirby issue. // Kirby interview, 1930s art, Golden Age, Sandman, Jon Henri revealed, Captain America, Kirby text illustrations, humor art, S&K swipe file, interviews with John Severin, Sid Jacobson (Harvey), Joe Simon speaks, kid gangs, Boy Explorers, Mainline Comics, Charlton, unpublished pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 26 Nov 1999: Kirby/Colletta - c (Galactus); Kirby/Giacoia - bc (Mantis)// 68-page Gods issue. color New Gods concept art = Orion / Lightray / Mister Miracle / Robot Defender / Ramses (aka: The Black Sphinx) / Space Guardian / Mantis // Kirby interview, Judaism, God Trilogy, Hercules, “A Failure To Communicate” Part 5: Kirby and Lee’s writing compared, Golden-Age Gods, Kirby’s Mythology, New Gods Theology, Marvel Fourth World, Walt Simonson interview, The Bible: Marvel style, Kirby’s Devils, Galactus, The Watcher, Highfather, unpublished Eternals 5 cover, unpublished pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 27 Feb 2000: Kirby/Timm - c (Spider-Man, thor, Ikaris, Iron Man); Kirby/Thibodeaux - c (Genesis West Heroes) // 72-page Influence issue. // “The 2000 Virtual Kirby Panel” 26p (features: Busiek, Englehart, Gaiman, Gale, Garney, Gibbons, Isabella, Jurgens, Kaluta, Larsen, Nicieza, Ostrander, Pulido, Quesada, Sim, J. Smith, Stern, Totleben, Valentino, Veitch, Vess, Waid, Windsor-Smith, Wolfman; includes published and unpublished art) // “Kirby Family Roundtable” 13p (features: Lisa Kirby, Thibodeaux, French, Robertson; includes published and unpublished art: Disciples of the Dragon / Whitestar Knight / The Descendants of Atlantis / Thunder Hunter / Rincon / Last of The Viking Heroes / Night and Day / Bruce Lee (Phantom Force) / Phobos, Wonder Warriors / Kublak, Malibu Maniacs // Portrait Studies (1930s) Kirby - a(p) // “World War II Influences” 8p (Kirby essay) // Alex Ross interview, fine art, “Comicollages” by Morehouse, and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 28 Apr 2000: Kirby/Allred - c (Fantastic Four; wraparound) // 80-page Influence issue.// Interviews with Jeremy and Tracy Kirby, Andréas, John Kricfalusi, Karl Kesel, Vince Colletta’s inking, Kirby swipes, TV influences, Kirby quotes from: Mark Hamill, Moebius, Mike Allred, Gary Gianni and Geof Darrow, Kirby monsters, Cavity Creeps, Agatha Harkness, Captain America’s shield, Kirby homage gallery, rare development art, photos, unpublished pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 29 Aug 2000: Kirby/Janson - c (Avengers); Kirby/Rubinstein - bc (Thena) // 68-page 1970s Marvel issue.

Interview with Jack and Rosalind Kirby (includes May 23, 1942 wedding photo), interviews with Keith Giffen and Rich Buckler, Kirby’s writing and concepts remembrance include Captain America, ‘60s and ‘70s Marvel, Kirby as a genre, Kirby’s art corrections and layout art for Marvel, Devil Dinosaur, many ‘70s original cover pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 30 Nov 2000: Kirby/P. Smith - c (Spider-Man/Ditko) // Kirby/Gordon - bc (Thing/Dr. Doom) // 66-page Twilight Years (1978-1994) issue. // Interviews with Alan Moore, Robert Katz (Kirby’s nephew), Kirby’s animation art, Captain Victory, Pacific Comics, Destroyer Duck, Silver Star, New Gods, Super Powers, 1980s inkers, Valley Girl, Devil Dinosaur, Kirby as a genre, Fantastic Four storyboards, Street Code, unpublished pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Collector, The 31 Mar 2001: Kirby/Adams - c (Superman; wraparound; collage) // 84-page Big Treasury-Sized issue.

Kirby’s Big Ideas, Interviews with Kurt Busiek and José Ladronn, Kirby F.A.Q.s, Kirby travelogue, Giant-Man, DC vs. Marvel 1970-1972, Fourth World, Fantastic Four Annuals, Kirby gallery, Kirby as a genre, 2001: Kirby vs. Kubrick, Kirby’s Gods, 2000

Kirby Tribute Panel: Mark Evanier, Jeremy Kirby, Tracy Kirby, Gene Colan, Marie Severin and Roy Thomas, Big Jim, unpublished pencils and more. (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby Quarterly, The 11 Fall/Win 1998: Kirby/Theakston - c (Dr. Doom) // Kirby/Lewis - bc (Angel) // Simon & Kirby, Doctor Doom, Our Fighting Forces 152, Origins of Captain America, Boy Commandos, Thor, Atlas, Thundarr, Kamandi concept art, Thunderfoot, Midnight Men, Boys’ Ranch, Ray 3-D Zone interview, “A Monarch Abused” (2001: A Space Odyssey), Mister Miracle, Captain America 1p Kirby/Stringer - a, unpublished pencils and more. (Pure Imagination) Jack Kirby Quarterly, The 12 Spr 1999: Kirby/Stone - c (unpublished X-Men 10 cover) // Kirby/M. Severin/Rivard - bc (Marvel Superheroes) // Kirby’s War, Simon & Kirby, Kirby Marvel art corrections, Boy Commandos, In The Days Of The Mob 2p (unpublished cover concepts), Kirby art lesson, The Messiah, Fourth World politics, Flying Fool, Oberon, unpublished pencils and more. (Pure Imagination) Justice Machine Sourcebook date?: Untitled 1p Kirby/Reinhold - a (See TJKC 22) K.I.N.G. (Kirby Is Not Gone) 1994: (Dallas Convention booklet) Kirby 1 Jun 1988: Kirby - c(p) (self portrait) // Presentation: Kirby // (r: ?) (1950s sci-fi story by Kirby) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 2 date?: Kirby - c(p) (Thundarr); Kirby/Theakston - bc (Stuntman) // (r: MM #?) “Young Scott Free” // Kirby & Pacific Comics: Captain Victory & Silver Star (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 3 date?: Kirby - c; Kirby - bc (Fighting American) // Kirby & Censorship: Part One (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 4 date?: Kirby - c(p) (Stuntman); Kirby - bc(p) (Sandman) // Kirby & Censorship: Part Two // (r: SMC 1) “Killer In The Big Top” (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 5 date?: Kirby - bc(p) (Destroyer Duck) // Kirby’s Destroyer Duck (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 6 date?: Kirby - c(p) (Ikarus); Kirby - bc(p) (Hercules) // Kirby’s Eternals // (r: AOTF #?) (Fly story by S&K) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 7 date?: Kirby - c(p) (New Gods); Kirby - bc(p) (Thor) // Kirby’s New Gods: Part One // (r: PC #?) “The Black Owl” // “Jack Kirby, Fritz Lang And Balance: Part One” (article) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 8 date:? Kirby - bc(p) (Kamandi #13) // Kirby’s New Gods: Part Two // “Jack Kirby, Fritz Lang And Balance: Part Two” (article) // (r: TTA 10) “I Was Trapped By Titano, The Monster That Time Forgot” (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 9 date?: Kirby - bc(p) (Strange Tales #105) // Kirby’s New Gods: Part Three // (r: TTA 10) “What Was The Strange Power Of Simon Drudd?” // Silver Surfer 1p Kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 10 date?: Kirby - c(p) (Super Powers); Kirby - bc(p) (Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 138) // Kirby’s New Gods: Part Four (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 11 date?: Kirby - bc (color painting) // Kirby’s Captain America: Part One // (r: Blue Beetle comic strips) Kirby - a (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 12 date?: Kirby - bc(p) (Captain America 212) // Kirby’s Captain America:Part Two // Captain America Masterworks // (r: unpublished Soul Love 1) “Old Fires” Kirby/Colletta - a (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 13 date?: Kirby - bc (color painting) // Kirby’s Captain America: Part Three (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 14 date?: Kirby - bc(p) (Black Panther) // Kirby’s Black Panther // Captain America 1p Kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 15 date?: Kirby/Royer - bc (Demon 9) // Kirby’s Demon // Thor / Silver Surfer / Watcher / Space Facts 4p Kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 16 date?: Kirby - bc(p) (Devil Dinosaur) // Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur // Hulk 2p Kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 17 date?: Kirby’s Machine Man // Thor / Mister Miracle / Guardian 3p Kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 18 date?: Kirby’s Kamandi (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 19 date?: Kirby’s OMAC (One Man Army Corps.) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 20 date?: Kirby’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 21 1994: (Kirby photo cover); Kirby - bc(p) (self portrait) // Kirby Tribute Issue (Feb 12, 1994) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 22 date?: Kirby - bc(p) (Phantom Force) // Kirby’s Phantom Force // Darkseid 1p Kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 23 date?: Kirby/Ayers - bc (Fantastic Four 1) // Kirby’s Fantastic Four // Fantastic Four 4p kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 24 date?: Kirby’s X-Men // Thor 1p Kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 25 date?: Kirby/Sinnott - bc (Thor 249) // Kirby’s Mighty Thor (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 26 date?: Kirby - bc(p) (Super Powers) // Kirby’s Super Powers 5p Kirby - a(p) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 27 date?: bc (2 Rosalind Kirby photos) // (unpublished 1977 Marvel: “The Prisoner” Part One (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 28 date?: (unpublished 1977 Marvel: “The Prisoner” Part Two (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 29 date?: Kirby - bc (Mickey Mouse) // (unpublished 1977 Marvel: “The Prisoner” Part Three // (8 pages from different comics with Jack Kirby appearances) (Belgian fanzine) Kirby 30 Oct 1996: Kirby - bc(p) (Super Powers) // (unpublished 1977 Marvel: “The Prisoner” Part Four // Kirby’s Silver Surfer // (Belgian fanzine) Kirby Special 1 date?: Kirby - c(p) (self portrait) // Self Portraits 4p Kirby - a (Belgian fanzine) L’Inédit 2 1996: (Kirby tributes) (France) L’Inédit 3 1996: (Kirby tributes) (France) L’Inédit 5 1996: (Kirby tributes) (France) Los Angeles Weekly Feb 18-24, 1994: (Kirby eulogy / tribute)) Marvel Collector’s Handbook 1973: (Fantastic Four Checklist: #1-132, Annuals 1-9) // Fantastic Four 1p Kirby - a (Kirby inks; reprints 1970 Marvelmania poster) // Interview (Kirby) 2p (fanzine) Marvel Times, The 3 1973: “King Of The Fantastic Four” 5p (article) Model and Toy Collector 30 Win 1995: “The Horror Of It All” (Atlas/Marvel article) // “Celebrating The Silver Surfer” (article) (Pangolin Publications) Mystery Tales 50 Feb 1957: “When The Worlds Vanished” (Jack and Rosalind Kirby as “Jack and Ruth Colley”) 3p (Atlas / Marvel) (See It’s A Fanzine 48) Official Marvel Index to the Avengers, The 1-7 Jun 1987-Aug 1988: (history, synopses and covers) (Marvel) Official Marvel Index to the X-Men 1-7 May 1987-Jul 1988: (history, synopses and covers) (Marvel) Official Marvel Index to the X-Men V.2#1 Apr 1994: (covers X-Men #1-51; history, synopses and covers) (Marvel) Overstreet’s Advanced Collector 1 1993: “An Unexpected Tale” (TU 22 article) (Overstreet) Overstreet’s Golden Age Quarterly 2 Oct 1993: “Prime Pre-Hero Marvel” 5p (article on Kirby/Ditko collaborations) // “Transformations: The Myths Of Marvel...And The New Gods Of DC” 16p (article) (Overstreet) Phanzine #? 1960s: (c r: FF 71, pg. 10, panel 4) // (Kirby/Adkins - a) San Diego Comic Con Program 1981: Captain Victory 1p Kirby - a

12U

Smash V.2#5 date?: “Fantastic Foes: A Look At The Arch-Villains Of History This Month: Thor Vs. Loki” 3p (Kahn) Spécial DC 7 Mar 2000: (unpublished Kirby Interview with 1 photo) 6p Thor: The Legend 1 Sep 1996: (tribute one-shot reprints Kirby art and covers) (Marvel) Time Feb 21, 1994: (Kirby obituary) Wonderful World of Comix, The 7 1982: Thing (as Western “Ringo Thing” 1p Kirby/Sinnott - a

BOOKS All-Star Companion 2000: edited by Roy Thomas; (Invaders 5 cover) Kirby - a(p) (TwoMorrows) Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection 2001: edited by Roy Thomas; (Invaders 4,5,8, Marvel Premiere 29) Kirby - a(p) (TwoMorrows) Amazing 3-D 1982: by Hal Morgan and Dan Symmes; (r: c C3D 1) 1p // (partial r: C3D 1) “The Man From The World Of D” 2p (Little,Brown & Co.) Collected Jack Kirby Collector Vol. 3, The 1999: edited by John Morrow; (SC reprints TJKC 13-15 with additional material) unpublished pencils: Captain America (4p), Demon (1p), Eternals (2p), Machine Man (2p), New Gods (2p), Our Fighting Forces (2p), The Prisoner (2p), Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter (2p), Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (2p), Thor (1p), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1p) // Kobra Kirby/Amash - a // “Diary Of The Disappointed Doll” (pages 2-5) Kirby/DeZuniga - a (See Soul Love) // Future Mom Kirby - a(p) // Leader Kirby - a(p) // Thundarr (newspaper comic strip samples) Kirby - a(p) (TwoMorrows) Comic Art Price Guide, The 2000: (2nd edition; HC and SC editions) by Jerry Weist; (Kirby original art listed and priced) (Arcturian Books) (See Original Comic Art) Comic Book Artist Collection, Vol. 1 2000: edited by Jon B. Cooke; (SC reprints CBA 1-3 with additional material: “Dedicated Nurse” 6p Kirby/Colletta - a (note: pages 2-7 from unpublished Soul Love 1) (TwoMorrows) Jack Kirby: The Comics Journal Interviews 2001: edited by Eric Evans; (SC reprints interviews with Jack Kirby and critical essays; with artwork) (Fantagraphics) Kirby “Un Maître et Son Oeuvre” Vol 1 1990: (“A Master and his Work”; 120 page Kirby art book with USA/France checklist) (France) Kirby “Un Maître et Son Oeuvre” Vol 2 1994: (“A Master and his Work”; 120 page Kirby art book with USA/France checklist) (France) Le Justicier Des Reves Veille 1984: (reprints Sandman, Manhunter stories by Simon & Kirby; also features S&K article, and Stuntman / Stuntboy / Stuntgirl illustration) (Xanadu, France) Origins of Marvel Comics 1976: by Stan Lee (Simon & Schuster); (slipcased edition; combined with Son of Origins of Marvel Comics) Over 50 Years of American Comic Books date?: by Ron Goulart Son of Origins of Marvel Comics 1976: by Stan Lee (Simon & Schuster); (slipcased edition; combined with Origins of Marvel Comics) Superhero Women, The 1977: by Stan Lee (Simon & Schuster); (HC and SC editions) Start Collecting Comic Books 1990: by Harold Schecter; “Jack Kirby” 1p (bio) // (note: book includes 4 1/4" x 6 1/4" comic book reprint of Amazing Spider-Man 1; reprinting cover by Kirby/Ditko) (Running Press) Will Eisner’s Shop Talk 2001: (Eisner interview compilation reprints Kirby interview and Self Portrait (jam drawing) Kirby/Eisner - a; both from Spirit 39) (Dark Horse)

PORTFOLIOS • POSTERS Captain America 1967: (12" x 16" poster; repro from cover FM 3 with added material) Kirby/Giacoia - a (Marvel) Captain America 1971: (2' x 3' blacklight poster; repros TOS 86, pg. 2) Kirby - a(r) (Third Eye) Captain Victory and The Galactic Rangers 2000: (11" x 17" posters; set of 4) (r: c CV 1) Captain Victory // (r: bc CV 7) Captain Victory, Major Klavus, Tarin, Aliens // (r: bc CV 9) Director Chusang // (r: bc CV 4) Major Klavus (Jack Kirby Comics) F.O.O.G. (Friends of ol’ Gerber) 1982: (Front cover art by Kirby on various artist portfolio to benefit Steve Gerber) 1p Kirby - a(p) (See Destroyer Duck) Hulk 1966: (12" x 16" poster; repro from cover TTA 67) Kirby/Stone - a (Marvel) Hulk 1967: (2 1/2’ x 3 1/2’ poster; repro from cover TTA 67) Kirby/Stone - a (Marvel) Human Torch 1967: (12" x 16" poster; repro from cover FF 52) Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) Hunger Dogs, The 1985: (17"’ x 22") Kirby/Theakston - a (note: issued folded) (DC Comics) Magnificent Medusa 1971: (2' x 3' blacklight poster) Kirby - a(p) (Third Eye) Silver Surfer 1971: (2' x 3' blacklight poster) (r: FFS 5, pg. 5: Silver Surfer story) (Third Eye) Space Collage 2000: (20" x 18" poster of 1979 collage) Kirby - a (Jack Kirby Comics) Superman 400 Portfolio Dec 1984: (r: Superman 400) 1p Kirby/Austin - a (DC Comics) Thor 1967: (12" x 16" poster; repro from JIM 110) Kirby/Stone - a (Marvel)

CARDS

29 13U

Captain Action 1967: (card game in mailing box) (Captain America card repros art from: cover FM 5 with added material // Sg. Fury card repros art from: ?) (Kool-Pops) Comic Art Tribute to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, The Oct 1994: (subset of 10 cards; published and unpublished art retrospective) (Homage subset) K1: (Steacy - a), K2: (Dorman - a), K3: (Rude - a), K4: (Barr - a), K5: (Duerr - a) // Machines subset) M1: Dream Machine Kirby - a, M2: Machine Kirby - a, M3: Warrior Kirby - a, M4: Incan Visitation Kirby - a, M5: The Visitor On Highway 6 Kirby - a, DC Cosmic Cards 1992: #173: (r: c NG 1) (Impel) Golden Age of Comics 1995: #16: (r: Clue Comics V.2#3) (Comic Images) Jack Kirby The Unpublished Archives Oct 1994: (uncut strip edition; set of 6 cards; unpublished Ruby-Spears animation concepts) Kirby - a(p) 1: Submobile, 2: Warriors Of Illusion Vehicles, 3: Camoflage Corps. Vehicle #1, 4: Earth Blasters, 5: Supervehicle,

6: Camoflage Corps. Vehicle #2 (Comic Images) Marvel Greeting Cards 1971: (Set of 24 6" x 9 1/4" blacklight cards) Kirby - a(r) TE-145-M-50 Silver Surfer (r: FF 76,pg. 6) // TE-146-M-50 Thor (r: Thor 159,pg. 3) // TE-152-M-50 Galactus (r: ?) // TE-153-M-50 Thor / Odin (r: ?) // TE-154-M-50 unknown (“I love you because you’re different”) // TE-163-M-50 Thor (r: ?) (Third Eye) Marvel Masterpieces 1992: #13,40,46 (r: c XM 1) (Skybox) Marvel Masterpieces 1992: 1: (r: c IH 1), 2: (r: FF 1) Human Torch, 3: (r: JIM 83) Thor, 7: (r: XM 1) Cyclops, 11: (r: FF 48) Silver Surfer, 14: (r: ff 1) Thing, 15: (r: c CAC 1), 16: (r: XM 5) Angel, 17: (r: XM 1) Beast, 21: (r; FF 5) Doctor Doom, 37: (r: FF 67) Him (Warlock), 47: (r: FFS 6) Annihilus, 58: (r: JIM 114) Absorbing Man, 62: (r: TTA 44) Wasp, 75: (r: XM 1) Marvel Girl, 79: (r: CAC 7) Red Skull, 82: (r: JIMA 1) Hercules, 86: (r: FF 45) Crystal (Skybox) Marvel Superhero Card Game 1978: (set of 39 giant cards; many with unspecified Kirby art (reprint) (Milton-Bradley) Marvel Superheros 1966: (Set of 66 cards; wrapper/box repro Kirby art) // Kirby repro art on cards: 1-3,6,10: Captain America, 46-48,50: Hulk, 56-66: Thor // (back of each card contains piece of larger super-hero puzzle); cards 1-4,12-16,23-26,29,30,32,430-44, 47-55,58-66 required to complete: Thor / Captain America / Iron Man / Hulk; Kirby - a(r) (Donruss) Marvel Universe 1 1990: (set of 162 cards) // 125: (r: c XM 1), 126: (r: c AF 15), 128: (r: c JIM 83), 130: (r; c AV 1), 131: (r: c ASM 1), 135: (r: c TOS 39), 136: (r: c AV 4) (Impel) Marvel Universe 3 1992: (set of 162 cards) // 161: (r: c IH 1), 162: (r; c AF 15), 166: (r; c CAC 1), 169: (r; c FF 1), 170: (r: c JIM 83), 196: (r: c ff 48) (Impel) Phantom Force 1993: (set of 5 cards; packaged with Phantom Force comics) Kirby - a(p) 1: Sensi, 2: Gin Seng, 3: Professor Kublak, 4: Apocalypse, 5: Probe (Image) Spider-Man 30th Anniversary 1992: 1: (r: c AF 15) Super Hero Stickers 1967: (set of 55 stickers; wrapper/box repro Kirby art) // Kirby art repro on stickers: 1,2,9,16,55: Human Torch, 7,8,17,20,25,32,36: Thing, 44: Iron Man, 4,13,19,41,52: Thor, 35,50,53,54: Captain America, 22,30,31,45,47,48: Hulk, 6,51: Fantastic Four (Philadelphia Gum Corp.)

ANIMATION • RADIO • TELEVISION Animal Hospital 1980s: (animation character development) Nora Swiney / Chevy Chaser / Chickonetta Van Stuffing / Leonard Sheepdogger / Dr. Leo Lionetti / Shorty Hippadip / Lydia Neckworthy / Bulldog Drumhead / Funky Freddy & The Frogs / Marsha Mutate / Long John Stork / P.R. Hotbucks / Pamela Poodle / Manly Drake Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA, TJKC 30) Astro and the Space Mutts (See Space Stars) Camouflage Corps. 1980s: (freelance development art) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA) Captain Nice Jan 1967: (promotional TV art) Kirby/Stone - a (NBC) (See TJKC 11,21,23) Cary Becomes a Car (See Turbo Teen) Disguisers, The (See Camouflage Corps.)

Earth Blasters 1980s: (freelance development art) Rocket Tunnel Digger Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA) Gargoids, The 1980s: (freelance development art) Octogoid / Ghoulize / Monigore / Glopp / Gyroid / Dr. Chill / Monsteroids Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA) Heartbreak High 1980s: (freelance development art) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 30) Herculoids (See Space Stars) Micromites 1980s: (freelance development art) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA) Misfits, The Mighty 1980s: (freelance development art) Rackets McGee / Double Dinah / Rotten Harry / Count of Cool / Squeaker Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 30) Planet of The Apes, The 1980s: (freelance development art) Urko / Galen / Zyra / Zaius / Jheena Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 30) Power Planet 1980s: (freelance development art) Lava Man / Metallum / Tiger Shark / Crusher / Captain Lightning / Four Arms Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA) Prince Valiant 1980s: (freelance development art; villain concepts: Distortion Mirrors / Morgan Le Fey / Gork / Puppet / Vortex / Mutant Queen Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 30) Radio Sep 18, 1974: 60 min. Interview with Kirby on KNJO Radio, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA by Jerry Connelly) Raven, The 1980s: (freelance development art) Demon Hunter Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 30) Rogue Force 1980s: (freelance development art) Kreep / Beautiful Benji (aka Dirty Harald) / Roger Ramrod / Caroline Cupcake / Number One / Time Looter / Alexander the Greatest / Myro Moneymad / Smasher Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA) Roxie’s Raiders 1981: (animation character development) Roxie / Buster / Tommy / Toad / Big Hands / Chameleon / Bad Guys / Catfish / Giraffe Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKQ 10, JKUA, TJKC 30) Skanner 1980s: (freelance development art) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA, TJKC 30) Space Ghost (See Space Stars) Street Angels 1980s: (freelance development art) Plowboy / Rosita / Short Stuff / Mustafa Murvat / Officer Dyson / Officer Terwilliger Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA) Teen Agents 1986: (freelance development art) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 31) Teen Force (See Space Stars) Turbo Teen 1984-85: (13 episodes; animation character development) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears/ABC) (See TJKC 30) Untitled 1980s: (animation character development for futuristic rock band: Ferple / Rip / Gabriel “Body Glows” / Omar / Fenderella / Allusion / Ego) Kirby - a(p) (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 16) Untitled 1980s: (animation character development) Stand Glider / Schizoid Helmet / Bazooka Boots / Freeze Pellets & Exploder / Rahmis The Invader / Indestructible Jayne Davidson (note: recycled in Silver Star, Phantom Force) Kirby - a(p) (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 21) Video Rangers, The 1980s: (freelance development art) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA) Warriors of Illusion, The 1980s: (freelance development art) Malacar / Abax / Magicmobile / Breakout / Mystikor Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA)

14U

30

Wonder Boys, The 1980s: (freelance development art) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See TJKC 30) Wonder Woman 1987: (freelance development art) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKQ 10, TJKC 30) World’s Greatest Super Friends, The 1979-80: (8 episodes; animation character development) Super Monster (amalgam of Superman / Batman / Wonder Woman) / Superman (Knight) / Superman (King) / Tar Monster / Mr. Mxyzptlk Kirby - a (Hanna-Barbera/ABC) (See JKQ 11, TJKC 28,30) Worm Stompers See Earth Blasters Zone Show, The 1980s: (30 minute Kirby Interview on Ray Zone’s public access Television show in California, USA) Misc. Concepts 1980s: (freelance development art) Cassette Man / Space Blaster / Computo Bots / Multi-Car / Amazoids / Gripper Tank / Flying Knight / Hidden Harry (aka Harry the Head) Kirby - a (Ruby-Spears) (See JKUA)

MISCELLANEOUS Action Figures (See Big Jim, Captain Action, Super Powers) Action Flasher Rings 1966: (display card) (Marvel Superheroes; same art repro in Esquire 394) Kirby - a (signed; assist: Romita) (Vari-Vue) Avengers 1965: (t-shirt) Kirby/Giacoia - a (Captain America) (note: Hawkeye vignette reprinted from: TOS 57, pg. 5; Scarlet Witch / Quicksilver vignettes reprinted from: ST 128, pg. 3) (Marvel) Avengers 1966: (button; repro from AV ?)

Battle for a Three Dimensional World 1983: (promo header card; 8 1/4" x 14" cardboard) (3D Cosmic Publications) Beast, The 1975: (Big Jim vehicle toy box art) Kirby/Royer - a (Mattel) (See TJKC 31) Big Jim See Beast, Dr. Steel, Warpath, Whip Big Jim Blue Commander 1975: (action figure window box art on front, back) Kirby/Royer - a (Mattel) (See TJKC 31) Big Jim Gold Commander 1975: (action figure thin box art with non-Kirby comic book inside) Kirby/Royer - a (Mattel) Boy Commandos 1945-46: (tattoo package; 5" x 7 1/2" illustrated envelope contains two 4" x 7" full color reversed tattoo transfer sheets; with instructions and promo “Follow the Adventures of the Boy Commandos in Detective Comics Boy Commandos World’s Finest Comics”) Kirby/Nicholas - a (See TJKC 7) Bumper Stickers 1966: (Captain America - from c FM 3) // (Hulk - from c TTA 77) // (Iron Man - from c TOS 60) // (Thor - from JIM 105) Bumper Sticker 1996: (Kirby commemorative by Jeremy Kirby) (Jack Kirby Estate) Captain America / Bucky 1941: (mailing envelope; 3 versions) (Timely / Marvel) Captain Action 1966: (Captain America uniform and equipment set; package art repro from Avengers t-shirt) (Ideal Toy Corp.)

Captain Action 1966: (Sgt. Fury uniform and equipment set; package art repro from cover Sgt. Fury 12) (Ideal Toy Corp.)

Captain America 1973: (iron-on transfer; altered repro from FM 3 cover) (ProMark) Captain America (See Captain Action) Dr. Steel 1975: (Big Jim action figure window box art on front, back) Kirby/Royer - a (Mattel) (See TJKC 31) Hulk 1973: (iron-on transfer; repro from 1970 Marvelmania poster) (ProMark) Human Torch 1973: (iron-on transfer; repro from ?) (ProMark) Iron Man 1965: (t-shirt) Kirby/Giacoia - a (R: MGC 23, IMS 2) (Marvel) Iron Man 1966: (button repro from TOS 82) M.M.M.S. (Merry Marvel Marching Society) Nov 1964: Membership Kit (version one: advertised in Feb 1965 comics; mailed to M.M.M.S. members) “The Voices of Marvel” (flexi record with sleeve features Kirby spoken vocal) (note: flexi also features: Stan Lee, Dick Ayers and Wally Wood) // “I Belong” (3" diameter badge ) Kirby - a(p) // “The M.M.M.S. Wants You” (dry gum stickers) Kirby - a(p) // membership card // certificate (Marvel) M.M.M.S. (Merry Marvel Marching Society) Mar 1967: Membership Kit (version two: advertised in Jun 1967comics; mailed to M.M.M.S. members) // “Make Mine Marvel” (badge) Kirby - a(p) // Sticker Sheet (dry gum sheet features some Kirby - a(r) // Note Pad Kirby/Stone - a // “Scream Along With Marvel” (flexi-record in sleeve) // mini-books // pencil // membership card // certificate (Marvel) Marvelmania International Aug 1969: Membership Kit (version one: advertised in Nov 1969 comics; mailed to Marvelmania members) // Captain America #206 (2' x 3' poster) Kirby/Giacoia - a // Catalog Kirby - a(p)? // Decal Sheets (set of 4: 12" x 12") Kirby - a(r) // Hulk Decal (8" high) Kirby - a (r) (note: from Esquire 394) (Marvelmania) Marvelmania International Dec 1969: Membership Kit (version two: advertised in Mar 1970comics; mailed to Marvelmania members) // Membership Card Kirby - a(p) (note: new art) // Catalog // Marvelmania Monthly Magazine (Marvelmania) Marvelmania Superhero Decal Sheets 1969: (12" x 12"; set of 4) (Marvelmania) Marvelmania Stationery Set 1969: (letterhead, envelopes, 2 scratch pads) Kirby - a(p) (Marvelmania) No-Prize Envelope Apr 1967-early 1970s: Hulk (2-color vignette on white #10 envelope) Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) Nova 1977: (Slurpee cup); Kirby/Giacoia - a (excerpted from: Nova 5 cover) (7-11) Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos 1965s: (t-shirt; repro from cover Sgt. Fury 12) Kirby/Stone - a Sgt. Fury (See Captain Action) Silver Surfer 1971: (puzzle; repro from FF 76, pg. 6) (Third Eye) Stationery Set Sep 1965: (advertised in Dec 1965 comics) // (letterhead; with Ditko Spider-Man) // envelopes in large portfolio-sized illustrated envelope) Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) Super Powers 1985-87: (action figures) Darkseid / DeSaad / Kalibak / Mantis / Mister Miracle / Parademon / Steppenwolf Kirby - redesign (Kenner) Thor 1965: (t-shirt; repro from cover JIM 89 with added material) Kirby/Ayers - a (Marvel) Thor 1971: (6" x 9"; greeting card; repro from Thor 159, pg. 3) Kirby/Colletta - a (Third Eye) Thor 1973: (iron-on transfer; repro from ?) (ProMark) Warpath 1975: (Big Jim action figure window box art on front, back) Kirby/Royer - a (Mattel) (See TJKC 31) Whip, The 1975: (Big Jim action figure window box art on front, back) Kirby/Royer - a (Mattel) (See TJKC 31) X-Men 1965: (t-shirt) Kirby/Stone - a (R: XM 74) (Marvel) 15U

UNPUBLISHED (A list of Kirby's work that remained unpublished on the date of intended publication, or is otherwise significant)

Amazing Fantasy #15 Aug 1962: (Spider-Man; unused origin story pages) 5p Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) Animal Antics #1 Feb 1946: (b/w ashcan edition - r: c Star-Spangled 49 // interior r: BC 12) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Atlas 1974: (concept art) 2p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 23,26) Battle For A Three-Dimensional World #1 1982: (page unused in story) 1/2p Kirby - a(p) (3D Cosmic Publications) Battle For A Three-Dimensional World #2 1982: (concept art) 1p Kirby - a(p) (3D Cosmic Publications) (See JKQ 11) Black Cat Comics #? 1947: “Trapped On Wax” (Vagabond Prince) 11p Kirby/Simon - a (Harvey) (See SKC, TJKC 25) Boy Commandos Comics #1 Sep 1942: (b/w ashcan edition - c r: DC 68 (splash) // interior r: DC 68) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Boy Commandos #? date?: (page unused in story) Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 16, 25) Boy Explorers, The #3 1946: Kirby/Simon - c // “Centropolis” 13p Kirby/Simon - a (script re-used in BC 29 as “City At The Center Of The Earth”) (Harvey) (See Comic Art Tribute to S&K card set #13, TJKC 7, 25) Boy Explorers, The #4 1947: “Gulliver” 13p Kirby/Simon - a (Harvey) (See TJKC 7, 25) Bruce Lee 1978: (concept pages recycled in: Disciples of the Dragon, Phantom Force) 8p Kirby - a(p) (See TJKC 27) Captain America Comics #7 Oct 1941: Kirby/Shores - c (original version from Timely house ads; features Red Skull) (Timely) (See TJKC 22) Captain America #103 Jul 1968: (splash page original version) 1p Kirby/Shores - a (Marvel) (See TJKC 23) Captain Nice 1966: (concept art) 1p Kirby/Stone - a // 1p Kirby/Giacoia - a (NBC) (See TJKC 23) Captain 3-D #2 1953: Kirby/Meskin/Ditko - c // (pages) ?p Kirby/Meskin/Ditko - a (Harvey) (See Adventures in 3-D 2, GAMM 15) Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers 1978: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) // (pages unused in story) 2p Kirby/Thibodeaux - a (concept art) Captain Victory / Wonder Warriors Kirby - a(p) (note: recycled for Pacific Comics; Wonder Warriors recycled in Phobos and his Galactic Bounty Hunters) (Jack Kirby Comics) (See TJKC 15,19,27) Commandos #1 Oct 1942: (b/w ashcan edition - r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Copycat 1971: (proposed feature for Superworld of Everything) exists? Kirby - a(p) (signed: O.G. Bibbs) (DC Comics) (See CBASE 1) Dark Domain 1986: (concept art) Zan The Unliving / Colonel Kleber / Castle Keeper / Morganna / Doctor Death / Salimandar / Para-Psychologist Kirby - a(p) (note: recycled from unused Demon concept art) (Jack Kirby) (See TJKC 22) Demon, The 1972: (concept art) Jason Blood (Demonologist) / Zan The Unliving / Inspector Frantz / The Ancient Castle-Keeper And The Sorceror’s Book / Morgan Lefey / Doctor Death / Salimandar, The Fire Master Kirby - a(p) (note: recycled as Dark Domain) (DC Comics) (See JKQ 11, TJKC 22) Demon, The #1 Aug 1972: (pages unused in story) 2p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 13) Descendants of Atlantis, The 1990s: (concept art) Yeti / Carla / Doctor Stern / Medea / Antimon / Atlanteans Kirby - a(p) (note: originally titled: The Others; Yeti recycled from Thunder Foot) (Genesis West) (See TJKC 27) Destroyer Duck #2 Jan 1983: (original version of page unused in story) Kirby - a(p) (Eclipse) (See TJKC 30) Devil Dinosaur May 20, 1977: (concept art) “Devil Dinosaur of The Phantom Continent” (featuring: Rokki / Krayg)1p Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) (See TJKC 30) Disciples of the Dragon 1990s: Kirby/Thibodeaux - c (note: recycled from Bruce Lee, Phantom Force) (Genesis West) (See TJKC 27) Eternals, The #5 Nov 1976: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) (See TJKC 26) Eyes of March, The Oct 1983: (concept art; “Clayton March” recycled from: Bombast) Kirby - a(p) (See Bombast, Secret City, TJKC 21) Fantastic Four #37 Apr 1965: Kirby/Stone - c (original version) (Marvel) (See Apr 1965 Marvel house ad) Fantastic Four #38 May 1965: Kirby/Stone - c (original version) (Marvel) (See May 1965 Marvel house ad) Fantastic Four #60 Mar 1967: Kirby/Sinnott - c (original version) (Marvel) (See FF Index 4) Fantastic Four #70 Jan 1968: Kirby/Sinnott - c (original version) (Marvel) (See FF Index 5) Fantastic Four #78 Sep 1968: Kirby/Sinnott - c (original version) (Marvel) (See FF Index 5, MGC 60) Fantastic Four #94 Jan 1970: Kirby - c(p) (version one; subsequentially inked by Shooter) // (page unused in story; Agatha Harkness resembles Rosalind Kirby) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) (See TJKC 24) Fantastic Four Special #5 Nov 1967: (page unused in story) 1p Kirby - a(p) // (original version: Crystal included in story) 1p Kirby - a(p) // (exists?: “Black Panther vs. Cat-Beast” art) ?p Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) (See Marvelmania Portfolio, TJKC 2,21,22) Fighting American #1 Apr 1954: Kirby/Simon - c (version one; published as FA 1, pg. 7, panel 3) (Headline) (See JKT 2, Sick) Fighting American #8 Jun 1955: Kirby/Simon - c // “Round Robin” 5p Kirby/Simon - a // “Roman Scoundrels” 8p Kirby/Simon - a // “Yafata's Moustache” 7p Kirby/Simon - a (Headline) (See FA 1: Harvey, 1966, TJKC 25) Flesh Crawl 1972: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) Forever People 1970: “Super City” concept art becomes cover to FP 1) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 31) Forever People, The #8 Apr 1972: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) // (page unused in story) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 6) Forever People, The #9 Jun 1972: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See JKQ 12) Front Page Comic Book #1 1945: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Harvey) (See TJKC 25) Goozlebobber 1982: (toy development concepts) Kirby/Lasick - a (See TJKC 10,28) Journey into Mystery #111 Dec 1964: (original splash version) 1p Kirby/Stone - a (Marvel) (See TJKC 26) Journey into Mystery Annual #1 1965: Kirby/Esposito - c (original version) (Marvel) (See TJKC 21) Justice Traps the Guilty #1 Oct 1947: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Prize / Headline) (See TJKC 25) Kamandi 1972: (concept art) 3p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See JKQ 11, TJKC 17) Kamandi #1 Oct 1972: (cover concepts) 2p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See CBASE 1, TJKC 17) Kamandi #29 May 1975: (pages unused instory) 2p (spread) Kirby/Berry - a (DC Comics) (See JKMW) Killer Bee 1980s: (t-shirt art) Kirby - a(p) (See TJKC 30) Knight and Day 1990s: (concept art) Knight / Day Kirby - a(p) // Kirby/Thibodeaux - a (Genesis West) (See TJKC 27) Kobra #1 Feb 1976: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) // (pages unused in story) ?p Kirby/Berry - a (DC Comics) (See TJKC 5,22,25) Kublak Chronicles 1990s: (cover concept) 1p Kirby/Thibodeaux - a // (pages) 2p Kirby - a(p) // (pin-up) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Genesis West) (See TJKC 27) Last of The Viking Heroes Special, The 1 May 1988: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (note: was originally intended to team art with Frazetta) (Genesis West) (See TJKC 27) Lisa Kirby Birthday Card 1970s: “Things To Come” 2p Kirby - a (note: mentions David Bowie) (See TJKC 27)

16U

31 17U

Lisa Kirby Great Gatsby Report 1970s: Untitled (gravesite) / Untitled (party) Kirby - a (See TJKC 27) Malibu Maniacs 1990: Kirby - c(p) 6p // (concept pages: 6 spreads) 12p Kirby - a(p) // (concept pages) ?p Kirby - a(p) // (concept art) Mystiko / Whitestar Knight / Thrasher / Andre / Helen Wheels / Windom Kirby - a(p) (note: originally titled: Rush and The Malibu Maniacs) (recycled as: Star Slavers, Rincon) (Genesis West) (See Phantom Force 1,2, TJKC 27) Midnight Man 1986: (concept art) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Jack Kirby) (See JKQ 11) Mister Miracle 1970: (unused cover corner ornament) Kirby/Colletta - a (DC Comics) (See CBASE 1, TJKC 6,31) Mister Miracle #3 Jul 1971: (unfinished page unused in story) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 23) Mister Miracle #5 Nov 1971:Kirby/Royer - c (original version; prior to Adams additions) (DC Comics) (See CBASE 1) Movie Cartoons (nn) Dec 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only; r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Movie Fables (nn) Dec 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only; r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Movie Gems (nn) Dec 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only; r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) New Gods 1966-67: (concept art) Rameses (aka: The Black Sphinx) Kirby/Heck - a // Darkseid (collage) / Orion / Lightray / Mantis / Mister Miracle / Metron (collage) / Robot Defender / Space Guardian 8p Kirby/Giacoia - a (See AOJK, CBASE 1, New Gods Portfolio, TJKC 22,23,26) New Gods 1970: (unused cover corner ornament; published on Apr 1972 “Direct Currents” page; ex: FP 8) Kirby/Colletta - a (DC Comics) (See CBASE 1,TJKC 6,31) New Gods #1 Feb 1971: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) // (uncropped splash page) 1p Kirby/Colletta - a (DC Comics) (See CBASE 1, TJKC 6,26) New Gods #7 Feb 1972: (page unused in story; Izaya confronts Darkseid) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See JKQ 11) New Gods #? 1984: (cover concept?) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 26) Odyssey, The 1977: Cyclops / Ulysses / Circe / Untitled 2p Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) (See TJKC 24) Others, The 1990s: (concept art) Antimon / Cybele / Karion Kirby - a(p) (recycled as: “The Descendants of Atlantis”) (Genesis West) (See TJKC 22) Phantom Force 1990s: (concept art) Darkfire / Rudolph Ludwig / Kublak Kirby - a(p) // (note: recycled from Bruce Lee, recycled in Disciples of the Dragon) (Genesis West, Image) (See Kublak Chronicles, Malibu Maniacs, TJKC 27) Phobos and his Galactic Bounty Hunters 1990s: (concept art) Heebie / Jeebie / Slug Kirby - a(p) (recycled from Wonder Warriors, Captain Victory and The Galactic Rangers) (Genesis West) (See TJKC 27) Real Fact Comics (nn) Feb 1946: (b/w ashcan edition cover only - r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Return of the Gods #1 Jul 1976: (original concept cover for The Eternals) 1p Kirby/Giacoia - a (Marvel (See The Comic Reader 127, Radion 6) Rincon 1993: (5 covers) Kirby - a(p) // (pages) 2p (spread) Kirby/Lasick - a (note: recycled from: Forever Amoré, Rush and the Malibu Maniacs; originally titled: Rincon Raiders) (Genesis West) (See TJKC 15, 27) Rincon Raiders (See Rincon) Roxie's Raiders #1 1981: (proposed comic book written by Steve Gerber) 12p Kirby - a(p) (See JKQ 10, TJKC 30) Rush and the Malibu Maniacs (See Malibu Maniacs) Sandman, The #1 Win 1974: Kirby/Simon - c (variant version) (DC Comics) Satan’s Six 1978: (concept art) Brian Bluedragon / Hard Luck Harrigan / Doctor Mordicus / Kuga, The Lion Killer / Dezira / Frightful / Inspector / Pristine / Groovy Ghoul / Hellicopter Kirby/Royer - a (Jack Kirby Comics) (See TJKC 28) Screen Cartoons (nn) Dec 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only - r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Screen Comics (nn) Dec 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only - r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Screen Fables (nn) Dec 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only - r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Screen Funnies (nn) Dec 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only - r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Screen Gems (nn) Dec 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only - r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Ship, The early 1970s: (concept: ordinary people discover spaceship and use advanced weaponry to fight evil) // (sample art exists?)

Silver Star 1980s: (concept art) Silver Star / Jayne Davidson (note: recycled in Phantom Force) / Colonel Walter Hammer Kirby - a(p) (Pacific) (See JKQ 10, TJKC 28 photo pg. 8) Silver Star 1987: “It’s Never As Bad As It Seems” (sketch) Kirby - a(p) (See JKQ 10) Silver Surfer May 10, 1977: (concept art) Devil’s Advocate Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) (See TJKC 22) Star Baby early 1970s: (“female robot” fumetti comic concept) // (front cover photo concept by Sherman) // (sample art exists?)

Strange Tales 1966: (pages unused in story; inking try-out) 2p Kirby/Steranko - a (Marvel) (See NFB) Stuntman Comics #3 Oct 1946: “Terror Island” ?p Kirby/Simon - a // “The Evil Sons Of M. LeBlanc” ?p Kirby/Simon - a // “Jungle Lord” ?p Kirby/Simon - a (Harvey) (See Comic Book Makers, TJKC 20,25) Supergirl #1 Feb 1944: (b/w ashcan edition cover only - r: c BC 1) (DC Comics) (See CBM 71) Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 1970: (concept art) Kirby - a(p) (Jack Kirby) (See TJKC 17) Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 1970: (unused cover corner ornament) Kirby/Colletta - a (DC Comics) (See CBASE 1, TJKC 7,31) Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 Oct 1970: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See CBASE 1, CI 108, JKMW, SG) Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #138 Jun 1971: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) // (cover production guide) 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See JKMW, TJKC 27) Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #142 Oct 1971: Kirby/Royer - c (original versions) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 27) Super Powers 1984-85: (toy development concepts) Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See CJ 134, pg. 98; JKT 2, TJKC 22,26,28) Super Powers 1980s: (toy development concept) Darkseid’s Lethal Air Yacht 1p Kirby - a(p) (DC Comics) (See TJKC 27) Super World of Everything #1 1971: (tabloid concept: front / back cover mock-ups) 2p Kirby (writer) Kirby - a (Galactic Head) // (note: mock-ups refer to feature articles and art of unconfirmed existence: “Screened” (a provocative look at movies by Ellison) // “Kynin the Finn” // “The Phone” (a new twist to the bizarre) // “The Uncensored Exploits Of Helen Damnation” // “Emile Fadeout” (antique movie star) // “Judge Duffy” // “The New Social Behavior” // “The Clowns” // “World Of Monsters” // (tv, records & movies) // (controversial interviews) // (a visual look at everything) // “Galaxy Green” 2p Kirby (script) Kirby/Royer - a // “I Am Gemini” 2p (by Ditko) // “Copycat” Kirby - a(p) (signed: O.G. Bibbs) (Jack Kirby) (See CBASE 1, TJKC 4,20, Uncle Carmine’s Fat City Comix) Thor #141 Jun 1967: Kirby/Colletta - c (version one) (Marvel) (See TJKC 23)

Thor #144 Sep 1967: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) (See KU, TJKC 28) Thor #? date?: (page unused in story: Odin and Asgardian) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Marvel) (See Marvelmania Portfolio, TJKC 2) Thunder Foot 1978: (cover concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (recycled in Descendants of Atlantis) (Jack Kirby Comics) (See JKQ 11, TJKC 21) Thunder Hunter 1990s: (concept art) Thunder Hunter / Slaykaria / Nilrem Kirby/Thibodeaux - a // Kirby/Lasick - a (Genesis West) (See TJKC 22,27) Toys for Tots 1968: (poster development art) Kirby - a(p) (U.S. Marine Corps.) (See JKMW, TJKC 18,27) Tracy Kirby Drawings 1980s: Cat / Horse Kirby - a (note: others exist) Tracy Kirby U.F.O. Report May 16, 1985: Alien 1 / Alien 2 / U.F.O. Kirby - a(p) (Mrs. McLelan) (See TJKC 23) 2001: A Space Odyssey 1975: (collage source, assembly instructions) 2p Kirby - a (Marvel) (See TJKC 31) Uncle Carmine’s Fat City Comix #1 1971: (alternate title for tabloid concept: Superworld Of Everything) // Carmine (logo caricature) Kirby - a(p) // (logo concept by Sherman / Evanier) // (DC Comics) (See Superworld Of Everything) Whitestar Knight 1993: Kirby/Lasick - c (recycled in Malibu Maniacs) (Genesis West) (See TJKC 27) Wonder Warriors 1986: (concept art) Kirby - a(p) (recycled from: Captain Victory and The Galactic Rangers; recycled as: Phobos and his Galactic Bounty Hunters) (See TJKC 27) World War II portraits, sketches, letters 1943-45: (various) Kirby - writing, art (France) (See AOJK, KU, TJKC 25,27) X-Men #1 Sep 1963: Kirby/Brodsky - c (original version) (Marvel) X-Men #10 Mar 1965: Kirby/Stone - c (version one) (Marvel) (See JKQ 12) untitled portrait studies late 1930s: (various) Kirby - a(p) (See TJKC 27) unknown 1950s: (crime cover concept) 1p Kirby/Simon - a // “Gang Funeral” ?p Kirby - a (exists?) (See KU, TJKC 25) unknown 1981: (horror concept) 1p Kirby - a(p) (See TJKC 28) untitled 1985: (concept art) 1p Kirby - a(p) (Jack Kirby) (See TJKC 26)

COVER RE-CREATION (This is a re-creation drawn by Kirby in 1993 as commissioned by a fan.)

1993: Fantastic Four #39 Kirby - a(p)

KEY Page Count

Series Title

Cross Reference Notation

New Story Title indicated by bold type

Note of Interest

Story Artist/Inker Notation

Publisher NEW GODS, THE

Issue #and Date

National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) See Adventure Comics, Forever People, Hunger Dogs, Jack Kirby’s New Gods, Mister Miracle, Real Fact Comics, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, Super Powers Kirby writing on issues #1-11 4 Aug 1971: Kirby/Colletta - c // “The O’Ryan Gang And The Deep Six” 23p Kirby/Colletta - a (R: NG 2, JKNG) // Pin-ups 2p Kirby/Colletta - a // (r: ADV 73) “The Secret Of The Buzzard’s Revenge” 10p // (r: RFC ?) “Coast Guard Reconnaissance” 3p

“Reprinted From...” Notation designated by a lower case (r:) which falls before the story title

Cover Artist/Inker Notation

Reprint Story Title indicated by non-bold type

? indicates missing information

// separates multiple story entries

“Reprinted In...” Notation designated by an UPPER CASE (R:) which falls after the story title

UPDATE ABBREVIATIONS AE BASM BBA BBTBG C3D CBM CJ CSM CV DCUC EAV ECA EH EIM EThor EXM GAMM GHC

Alter Ego Birth of The Amazing Spider-Man Brave and the Bold Annual Bring Back the Bad Guys Captain 3-D Comic Book Marketplace Comics Journal Complete Sky Masters Captain Victory and The Galactic Raiders DC Universe Christmas Essential Avengers Essential Captain America Essential Hulk Essential Iron Man Essential Thor Essential X-Men Golden Age Men of Mystery Green Hornet Comics

IHT JKFW JKQ JKUA MAGA MC MCPSM MCCX ME MSTvE NFB PFLMIS SITS STW TA VODD WE

Incredible Hulk: Transformations Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Jack Kirby Quarterly Jack Kirby Unpublished Archives (card set) Magneto Ascendant Microcolour Marvel Comics Presents Spider-Man Marvel Collectible Classics: X-Men Millennium Edition Maximum Security: Thor vs. Ego Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (book) Pulp Fiction Library: Mystery in Space Superman in the Seventies Streetwise T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Villainy of Doctor Doom Wyatt Earp 18U

Gallery

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On the next five pages, we present art from Kirby’s still unpublished In The Days Of The Mob #2, with inks and letters by Mike Royer.

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34

35

36

Kirby’s pencils to the splash page of his never-published adaptation of The Prisoner. Other Prisoner pages are in TJKC #18, 21, and our first three Collected Kirby Collector volumes.

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(these pages) No, you’re not seeing double; presented here are a “pair” of pages from the unpublished story “The Twin” from True Divorce Cases.

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Notice how Kirby could imbue his “zoftig” female characters with sensuality. We won’t spoil the ending for you, but we will say Harry was quite the prognosticator in the final panel.

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(this spread and next) An interesting comparison of Kirby’s pencils to his first Black Hole Sunday strip, vs. Mike Royer’s inked version. Royer was working for Disney at the time, and his job was to modify Jack’s pencils to keep the faces, robots, and settings consistent with the look of the movie on which the strip was based.

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Adam M c Govern Know of some Kirby-inspired work that should be covered here? Send to:

As A Genre

Adam McGovern PO Box 257 Mt. Tabor, NJ 07878

A regular feature examining Kirby-inspired work, by Adam McGovern

IN SEARCH OF... (this page, top) Rick Veitch’s Horus pin-up from 1963: Book Five. © Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and Rick Veitch. (this page, bottom) Dangerworld packed a short-lived, but very Kirbyinspired punch. © Bill Harvey. (next page, top) Bruce Timm makes the Hulk mad in Avengers #11⁄2. © Marvel Characters, Inc. (next page, center) Artist David Mazzucchelli spills the beans on the Anti-Life Equation in Evan Dorkin’s Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest. © DC Comics. (next page, bottom) Leo Ortolani puts Rat-Man through his paces in this hilarious spoof of the Galactus Trilogy—finally translated into English so our US readers can see what we’ve been raving about! Whatcha say, readers: wanna see TwoMorrows publish a Rat-Man one-shot? © Leo Ortolani.

he Kirby influence is everywhere, but not all of its traces are so easy to find. In this segment, we travel time and cross great distances for some of post-Kirby work’s greatest mysteries and most rewarding discoveries.

T

didn’t realize it’s a joke), is Alan Moore’s Image mini-series 1963.

Recombined from the Lee-Kirby-Ditko canon in a Doom Patrol-ish, almost-better-than-the-original way (and indelibly influential on better-

Signs of Danger?

Perhaps the most elusive of Kirby-inspired comics is also the most endearingly innocent. Dangerworld was an oversized black-&white from the late 1980s, self-published by writer/artist Bill Harvey. A thriller in the obstacle-course mold of Kirby’s Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth or Erik Larsen’s revamped Savage Dragon, Dangerworld pitted a mysterious drifter against a treacherous landscape of forbidding geography, mythic monsters, and barbarian enclaves contrasted with the odd technologically-advanced tyrant. An issue #2 has been unearthed by Kirby Checklist guardian Randy Hoppe, and an issue #3 by creator of the Kirbyesque 8-Opus Tom Scioli (who was profiled in this column in TJKC #29), and though the narrative leaves as many unanswered questions as have sometimes surrounded Harvey’s identity and whereabouts, the book exudes a likable, unselfconscious exuberance. Kirby’s breakneck, no-beginning/no-end/all-middle pacing is well emulated, and his intuitive (if thus sometimes contradictory) pacifism and gender-neutrality is faithfully applied. The larger-thanlife Kirby visual style is adopted with a fluidity and naturalism which rises above pastiche while moving toward perfecting it. With Harvey (as with Scioli) we see how a generation of Kirby tribute-payers who cut their teeth on the master’s languidly-plotted late-’70s/ early-’80s work have brought forth archetypal characters and elliptical storylines which straddle the sketchy and the profound in ways that can surpass Kirby’s own standards of the period for ponderable pop. Toiled on in obscurity but not insignificance, Dangerworld’s three-issue odyssey merits a minor quest of its own.

NOTE: At presstime the mysterious Mr. Harvey had somehow tracked down yours truly, to let me know that, after a sojourn in one-panel gag cartooning, he was seeking to round up other latter-day Kirbys for a new group comics project. We encourage any pencil-pushin’ King-successors —pro, am, mainstream or indie—to contact Bill at: 21752 Eleven Mile, St. Clair Shores, MI 48081 or e-mail him at: bharvey10@hotmail.com

Marvels Worth a remainders-bin dig (and, in my experience, available for less than cover-price due to the disinterest of a mass audience which perhaps, like the early focus groups for This is Spinal Tap,

known revisitations like Mark Waid and company’s delightful Silver Age limitedrunner for DC), 1963 includes the trés-Kirby Thor replica, Horus, Lord of Light. The best early-Marvel homage remains available from, believe it or not, the toy-company subsidiary itself, in Tom DeFalco and friends’ irreverent and underrated line of second-generation pastiches under the MC-2 imprint (themselves mostly in the backissue zone, as the salable but substantive Spider-Girl soldiers on as the line’s only regularly-published title). 1963, like Marvel’s alsoexcellent recent retro-special Avengers 1 1⁄2, is a trickier kind of tribute.

In much the way that Bruce Timm’s art for Avengers 1 1⁄2 recreated the promising but quirky pre-heyday Kirby of the early ’60s in what can only be called an act of bravura restraint, 1963 could easily be beamed back to its title decade as a more perfect Marvel wannabe than the ones which indeed proliferated (though none of them for very long) during Marvel’s early-’60s to mid-’70s boom (a much betterproduced Atlas Comics particularly comes to mind). This makes pencilers Rick Veitch, Steve Bissette and Jim Valentino’s achievement all the more impressive for the knowing notch of cartoony haste they bring to their Kirby and Ditko models; you might say they’re right off target.

King of the World The above artifacts may take a search, but at least they don’t require leaving the country; that extra measure of superfan sacrifice 44

is suggested by Italian correspondent Stefano Priarone, who introduced TJKC readers to Kirby-inspired creator Leo Ortolani in issue #28. Since then, Priarone has come up with more attempts to influence your vacation plans.

“Ortolani in his stories keeps on saying ‘Hail to the King,’” reports Priarone, going on to quote Ortolani: “‘After discovering Jack Kirby in the pages of the Italian edition of his Fantastic Four [published by Editoriale Corno], everything changed for me,’ declared Ortolani in a recent interview. ‘I’m looking for every comic by the King: Recently I bought the entire Kamandi series and many Eternals issues, and every time I’m surprised by the energy of the shots. I’m studying Kirby to improve my storytelling.’”

It’s always gratifying to get a positive perspective on Our Spandex Heritage from one of the lands where comics are respectable; but as Priarone explains, Ortolani isn’t just a fan, he’s an heir: “And Leo keeps on paying homage to the King.

Recently Marvel Italia (which publishes Ortolani’s Rat-Man under the Cult Comics imprint) published a short story where Ortolani goes in the [realm] of the dead to interview the King himself, who tells him he’s very pleased by a young artist. Ortolani thinks he’s referring to him; instead, Kirby is speaking about José Ladronn!”

This encounter provides an interesting

point of comparison for those who have seen the specific way the lasting Kirby presence is portrayed in Alan Moore and Rick Veitch’s “New Jack City” from Supreme issue #7 (discussed in our previous installment); but Ortolani isn’t through: “Even more important is a deep homage to Kirby’s Fantastic Four (who in 2001 turn 40). In a three-part Rat-Man story, the Ortolani hero journeys through parallel worlds with two characters who look like Reed Richards and Susan Storm (drawn by Ortolani in perfect Kirby style). They are looking for their missing mates: one looks like the Thing; the other (Johnny Storm?) grew old in another world, and became a comics publisher (he’s a sort of Stan Lee clone). ‘Susan Storm’ tells RatMan they aren’t the heroes of his childhood (they should be 60 or more), but perhaps...” .

Fans of the old Marvel realism will feel a kinship with Ortolani’s arithmetic, and if there’s no basis for Priarone’s hopes that we’re seeing the “real” FF with an expertise in bridging time-warps and dodging copyright lawsuits, maybe Ortolani will try his hand at a sexagenarian version of the genuine article sometime. Until then, we can supplement this issue’s Vault of Euphemisms— our compendium of nose-tweaks to Marvel and other companies that deny Kirby his full credit—by suggesting a badgering of Marvel to publish Ortolani stateside. Though we balance the nose-tweak by encouraging you to dig for the very satisfying realistically-aged FF portrayals in Marvel’s own (sadly canceled) MC-2 title Fantastic Five and its recently compiled Earth X (with bonus props to Erik Larsen and friends’ loving flashback series The World’s Greatest Comics Magazine, still in progress and set to be profiled here— with a bonus interview of Officer Dragon himself— next issue).

Off the Subject, and Yet, So On...

Happily not hard to find at all (unless it flew off the shelves everywhere as it did in my area) is the recent

Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest, a romp through DC Comics history by a cast of thousands of artists, convened and scripted by alterna-comics diarist Evan Dorkin. A new pinnacle in affectionate multi-stylistic mimicry, the all-fun, no-plot scenario involves the interdimensional pests Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite in a space-time feud that allows them to rampage across every era of the industry leader, with dead-on parodies of each one’s look by talents from Dave Gibbons to Jaime Hernandez, who get a few pages apiece. Of special note to readers of this column is a short sequence on the New Gods’ Apokolips, with David Mazzucchelli uncannily evoking Kirby’s imagery and Dorkin showing an eerie command of the master’s infamous quotationmark abuse. Even in jest, this handful of pages brings the classic Kirby era back to life better than some entire revival series have. (BTW, mergers and acquisitions make it possible for the star troublemakers to rampage through the Captain Marvel and Quality Comics universes too, leaving the reader to wistfully realize that the pair technically could’ve made life miserable for Tom Strong,

the Spirit and Alfred E. Neuman too; but there’s always a chance for sequels...)

Speaking of DC, check out the nice Kirbyesque work on Paul Rivoche’s covers for the recent “Superman: Return to Krypton” cycle running through that character’s four books—it’s funny to see that, a few decades after Kirby’s Superman faces were redrawn by house-style journeymen on his unlikely Jimmy Olsen run, Superman’s history is relaunched with a Kirby gloss. Certainly a form of progress...

Life Imitates Smartasses In last issue’s Vault of Euphemisms we applauded the identification of Jack Kirby as “creator of Captain America and the Incredible Hulk” in a September New York Times Book Review piece profiling comics-friendly novelist Michael Chabon. Accepting the over-credit in a spirit of turnabout-is-fair-play (Kirby was a co-creator usually not even acknowledged as that), we waggishly predicted a downside for the article’s author when Cap co-creator and courtroom crusader Joe Simon got wind of the comment. A month later in the supplement’s 10/22/00 issue, two lawyers for Mr. Simon did indeed appear on its letters-page to set the record straight as their current copyright-termination action has it. In the process, two great new holdings for the Vault were minted: Captain America is the “brainchild” of Joe Simon, and Kirby “did invaluable work on the series.”

No known comment from the Kirby estate as Marvel twists in the wind.

Confidential To Everyone: Response to our call for Kirby-inspired work has been robust and is appreciated. I usually work way ahead, and our recent transition to a quarterly schedule has stretched my stockpile even further for a while; but rest assured that all submissions will be carefully considered and replied to as soon as possible. Thanks! ★ 45

Internationalities

He Who Pays His De

Jean-Marie Arnon Interviewed by Jean Depelley

(below) A page for Arnon’s Dinosaur Bop series, showing Eddy Bochran, who was inspired by Lux Interior, lead singer for The Cramps (see inset).

(Jean Marie Arnon was born on July 28th, 1956 in Argentat, France. After working as a woodcutter between 1979 and 1984, and a technician in a Parisian theater for five years, he finally became a comic book artist for Zenda Publishing in 1989 with his first graphic novel L’odeur des Filles from the Dinosaur Bop series. Five graphic albums and a one-shot comic book Exobiologie have since completed the series. Two more contemporary-situated graphic novels, Les furies (1999) and L’invasion (2000) were also published by Albin Michel. Arnon is currently working on a new and still untitled series dealing with witchcraft which will hit the stands next Fall in the French monthly L’Ècho des Savanes. Jean-Marie Arnon’s art style can be defined as a mixture of Kirby’s powerful idiosyncrasy, eroticism, and cartoony elements.

This interview was conducted by phone on July 11, 2000 and was copy-edited by Jean-Marie Arnon who provided the final title. We wish to thank Mona Fatoui and especially Jean-Marie Arnon for their time and kindness. The art was really appreciated, Jean-Marie. Thanks!)

THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR: How were you first exposed to US comics?

JEAN-MARIE ARNON: I think I was with the French publication Fantask, which then [circa 1969] published the Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer and Spider-Man! I used to read Prince Valiant before but it was Fantask, as far as comics are concerned!

TJKC: So it was a direct exposure to Kirby’s work?

ARNON: Well, as a matter of fact, the first Fantastic Fours were not my favorites! I was more into Buscema’s Silver Surfer. I started to pay attention to Kirby’s work later on and he eventually became the essential artist for me without my noticing it! At that time, Buscema’s pencils seemed at first sight easier to me, with their obvious elegance, while the first Fantastic Four published in Fantask were not Kirby’s graphic masterpieces! Now that I remember, my first exposure to US comics might have occurred earlier. When I was a five- or six-yearold kid, my father bought me pocket comics now and then, titles like Aventures Fiction and Sidral that were published by Artima. There were short stories from DC with the occasional Kirby work [episodes from the Challengers of the Unknown series, ’50s sci-fi shorts from Tales of the Unexpected, House of Secrets, House of Mystery]. So I was already a Kirby fan even if I didn’t know it myself! I’ve only realized that fact recently. As a child, I didn’t pay close attention to the artist!

TJKC: You were not interested in the credit boxes?

ARNON: Not at all! (Laughs) TJKC: Can you explain what you like in Kirby’s art?

ARNON: Oh, there are so many things I like! At first, I think his graphic art was the most modern in the comic field this end of the century. I naturally like the energy and creativity. I think Kirby never lingered too long on aesthetics. I happen to realize that fact as an artist myself. Aesthetics were not his goal: The energy and the pace of the story always came first! I can’t remember one of his pencil works on which you can say, “He did that line here to have a pretty composition.” There is a kind of primitive and unsurpassable strength in his art, something really vital! It is very modern and incredibly efficient. I think he opened a new way to draw that had been unexplored before. As a matter of fact, I owe Kirby so much that giving him tribute is too small a word!

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ebt Becomes Richer TJKC: Could you introduce your Dinosaur Bop series to American readers?

ARNON: The original idea came to me at a time when I was not a comic book artist. I was then a woodcutter and I used to draw in the evening in my spare time. At that time, I was more into Rock music: I was a big Cramps fan! You’ll find many references to the band in my books! The French comics dedicated to Rock ’n Roll that were published then were not to my tastes because too many things were missing inside, and it came to me one day. I thought to myself that only one art could express the energy that I liked in that somewhat prehistoric music, and it was Kirby’s! That was not something artificial, but the two major influences I had that helped in the creation of the Dinosaur Bop universe. I also wanted to blend the sensations I had as a woodcutter working in forests with the music I listened to and the comics I read. Therefore, Dinosaur Bop is a sort of osmosis that grew by itself: One idea anchored all my influences and everything could amalgamate!

Concerning the series’ characters, you’ve got Eddy Bochrane (a play on the words Eddy Cochrane and the French equivalent for “nice skull”) who’s a real double of the Cramps’ singer, Lux Interior. I remember it gave me quite a turn when I saw the band on stage! Lux Interior has that sort of funny and frightening attitude at the same time. That’s what I wanted to do with Eddy! As for Wanda, she is a kind of remembrance of Shalla Bal, the Surfer’s girlfriend.

TJKC: Those characters live in a prehistoric but post-atomic world!

ARNON: To tell the truth, I’m not

sure of that myself! (laughs) The original idea was to create a more realistic prehistoric background—where no dinosaurs would have lived [at the time of man]—with funny parameters. In fact, my editor suggested that I put in dinosaurs just for the fun of it! It has ruined the prehistoric angle somewhat, so I decided to add those sci-fi aspects and it has finally become completely timeless.

(above) The classic cover to Kamandi #1 (Oct. 1972).

TJKC: A Russian colony on Mars has survived our planet’s cataclysm. Planet of the Apes and Kamandi are not far!

ARNON: In fact, when the series stopped, I was thinking of possible developments for the 47

(this page) Is Arnon’s Eddy Bochrane a grown-up version of Kirby’s Moonboy?

Either way, we sure do love this excuse to show these cover pencils from Devil Dinosaur #4 (July 1978).

script. I have never achieved the whys and wherefores! Besides, I’m not sure that’s so important. I like the mysterious look the series has somewhat kept. I don’t think knowing what happened is the essential element—the goal of the game!

TJKC: Is Eddy Bochrane the adult version of young Moonboy from Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur?

ARNON: Yes, perhaps! I’ve never figured that! (laughs) At the time I was trying to develop this universe, I really believe

Devil Dinosaur was what clicked for me—I positively loved that series; in fact, that’s my favorite Kirby series—but I was rather surprised because I was the only fan around! Anyway, Devil Dinosaur was my ticket back to the dinosaurs of my childhood. I was really caught from the beginning by the series’ shattered representation of nature. Kirby’s way to handle materials is strongly unusual in comics because it’s more a matter of sculpting than drawing.

There is so much energy, even in the smallest tree, the smallest blade of grass. I was immediately hooked! I couldn’t resist!

TJKC: Each of the five albums from the Dinosaur Bop series has a specific mood. Do you first consider the mood you want to achieve or are the stories just a consequence of a more character-aimed situation?

ARNON: I think both aspects mature at the same time in my mind. I walk a lot. It’s the only way for me to figure the things out. I write a framework, I draw the first page. At this time, other ideas have come to my mind. I have to finish with a long period of rewriting dialogue. The final product is a delicate balance between structured and loose composition with graphic pleasure. It gives smooth, angular or twisted stories at the end. That’s the way I see it!

For the Dinosaur Bop series, musical references were important, too. There were also ideas that I had wanted to tell for a long time. As I told you, I intended to respect the prehistoric background in the beginning— but with all the documentation, the weird ideas I had accumulated, it finally became an infinite universe, a real gold mine that I haven’t completely worked out, anyway. I still have sketchbooks full of pencils, costumes! What I really enjoyed was the possible addition of sci-fi—like Kirby’s in Devil Dinosaur, anyway!

TJKC: Did you want to follow your characters all along?

ARNON: Yes. That’s something I hadn’t expected when I began doing comics. You develop kinds of secondary identities with your characters and it’s funny to evolve at the same time as they are!

TJKC: In the Dinosaur Bop series, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe are present as giant gods. What did you want to do with these American icons?

ARNON: In fact, it happened when I was into the ’70s-’80s Rock culture. An odd fact occurred after Elvis’s untimely death. He was

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TJKC: Why this erotic constant in your books?

ARNON: I grew up reading underground comix and especially Crumb, who I consider the absolute genius.

As a consequence, doing “adult” comics is a way to be honest with myself. As long as I’ll manage to professionally survive, I’ll keep doing it!

Concerning the books published

by Albin Michel, it’s something they constantly ask me. I have to insist on sex much more than during the Dinosaur Bop days. On the other hand, it’s evident that I like drawing beautiful women, love scenes; I can’t deny that!

TJKC: Is it a cocktail of sex, rock ’n’ roll, and comics?

(this page) Arnon’s trial pages for a proposed Silver Surfer story. Looks good to us!

ARNON: Yes, that’s it!

gradually becoming a kind of god in the USA. I just pushed the idea a little further: Why not use him as a true god of an absurd world? This is more what Philip K. Dick would have done than anything else!

TJKC: Is Tura, Eddy’s second wife in the “Neanderthal Bikini” graphic novel, another reference to motion pictures—to Tura Satana from the “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” fame?

ARNON: Yes, she is. It’s that Rock culture again. We used to watch trash movies, like those Russ Meyer films, all that B-culture that came back then. It was like a cultural bath, a sort of attic where we had plenty of toys to play with. I have left that culture behind a bit now!

TJKC: The comic book one-shot Exobiologie is a logical follow-up to the Dinosaur Bop saga. Do you want to build a coherent Marvel-type universe with your series?

ARNON: I would be delighted to have that opportunity.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. My publisher tries my hand at writing different types of material to see what series will sell better. Exobiologie features small strips that were previously published in the magazine Reptile I was doing with friends. I think coherence eventually emerges! You only have your own imagination to put into your art, but it’s funny to use it as a force that can drive you at random, anywhere. The possibilities are so numerous, it would be a pity to do without. Coherence is not really wanted but it may come when you play with your own references. On the other hand, I was rather influenced by sci-fi authors from the “beat generation” like Dick or Burroughs and I like to play with reality, to break temporal references!

TJKC: What kind of drawing equipment do you use?

ARNON: I usually use 3-B pencils on 654 cardboard sheets of paper. I ink with a #6 long stick Marten paintbrush!

TJKC: In your last book, L’invasion, your Kirby influence seems to be less visible.

ARNON: That’s possible. It’s something I do naturally; I try to make my own mark! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that story takes place on present time!

TJKC: Do you have a US series you’d long to work on?

ARNON: I’d really like to do the Silver Surfer, if I were able to work the US way. I don’t know if I could adapt to such a system with a writer, an inker, a letterer, as I do everything myself except coloring. Anyway, I’d really like to try my hand on the Surfer. ★

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Trivia

The “You Don’t Know Jack”Quiz

(Editor’s Note: On Saturday, July 22, 2000, the San Diego Comicon held its annual Fan vs. Pro Trivia Quiz, but this time the entire quiz was about all things Kirby. The organizers called on me to come up with the questions, and since they wanted five categories, I decided to break it up by the five main decades of Jack’s career. I put out an appeal for questions to a few Kirby buddies, and contributions were received from Mike Gartland, Jean Depelley, Steve Robertson, and John Simpson, while quiz moderator James Hay added some of his own to complete the following Kirby Kwiz.

Frankly, I don’t remember who won, but I—and the rest of the audience—was laughing so hard, it didn’t really matter. It was a rollicking good time, made even more so by many of the incorrect answers both sides came up with!

For the record, the best quote of the quiz occurred when Mark Waid, a perennial contestant for the Pro team, decided to sit this year out. From the audience, Waid cried out, “I’ve never been so relaxed in my life during this quiz,” to which the ever-quick Kurt Busiek responded, “And Mark, we’ve never been this far ahead.”)

1940s: 1. What was Kirby’s first Timely (Marvel) work?

2. What was Kirby’s first National (DC) work?

3. What’s the name of Blue Bolt’s feminine enemy?

4. When Mercury (from Red Raven Comics #1) was published in Captain America Comics, what was his name changed to?

5. What is the common link between the Golden Age Captain America’s and the Hulk’s supporting casts?

6. Who was Stuntman’s love interest?

7. How many issues of Stuntman were published?

8. Name the five lead characters from the Boy Explorers.

9. How many tasks did the Boy Explorers set out to complete?

10. How many complete stories did Kirby do for the Charlie Chan comic book?

11. What is Manhunter’s secret identity?

12. What were the nationalities of the Boy Commandos?

13. What was the first-name of Boy Commandos’ French member?

14. In the Boy Commandoes Story in World’s Finest #15 “Iss Ve Not Der Supermen?”, the Nazi’s ran a competition to find a Nazi Superman. Who won?

1950s: 1. How many issues of Bullseye were published by Charlton Comics?

2. Who massacred Bulleye’s family?

3. What are the gang from Boys’ Ranch doing in the last panel of their last story?

4. Who are the two secret identities of Fighting American?

5. What was the true identity of Fighting American’s partner Speedboy?

6. Who were “The Crestwood Five” who appeared in a line-up on the cover of Justice Traps the Guilty #56?

7. How many Woods worked on Sky Masters? Name them.

8. Name the newspaper syndicate that bought Kirby’s Sky Masters strip.

9. Other than Kirby, who inked Sky Masters after Wally Wood’s departure?

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10. Just as Sky Masters was ending, what was Jack beginning to draw?

11. Jack laid out a newspaper strip for an artist friend in the Fifties; name the strip and the artist.

12. In which 1960s title did the 3 Rocketeers make their comeback?

13. What is the title of the book Captain 3-D jumped out of in Captain 3-D #1?

14. Give the 3 Romance titles produced for Prize by Simon & Kirby in order of their debut.

15. What is Private Strong’s other identity?

16. Name Jack’s first silver-age super-hero team.

17. Name the four Challengers of the Unknown.

18. What was the title of the first Challengers of the Unknown story?

1960s: 1. What was Kirby’s first series produced when he came back to Atlas/Marvel?

2. In which title and issue did Thor and Loki first clash?

3. What is Two-Gun Kid’s real name?

4. In what issues did Kirby produce his two battles between the Torch and Spider-Man? 5. What happened to Ant-Man in Tales to Astonish #49?

6. What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for?

7. When did the Thing first revert back to Ben Grimm?

8. Which Golden Age hero came back in X-Men #10?

9. In a Fantastic Four Special #5 pin-up, Galactus is really absent-minded. What did he forget?

10. Which Kirby series appeared as a back-up in Thor after Tales of Asgard?

11. What was the last Kirby-penciled story inked by Ditko?

12. What was the only major hero series in Silver Age Marvel for which Jack drew no stories?

13. Name 10 of Kirby’s “Atlas” monsters.

14. Where did The Leader steal the Asorbatron from?

15. Which of the following was not a Kirby collaboration from Tales to Astonish?: “I Found Monstrum”, “I Discovered Gorgilla”, “I Challenged Groot”, “I Created Krang”, “I Fought Throng”.

16. Who was the Human Torch’s first girlfriend?

17. What are the words inscribed on the top of Thor’s hammer?

18. Nick Fury started life as a Dead-End kid. Whose guidance turned his life around?

19. Sgt. Fury #18 was titled “Killed in Action”. Who was killed?

20. In what organization did Reed Richards serve in WWII? 21. Who sent The Thing a Beatle wig for a present?

22. Bull Brogan, Handsome Harry Philips, and Yogi Dakor were enhanced by Doctor Doom using what invention?

23. Charles Xavier debated Dr. Bolivar Trask on what network?

24. In the first appearance of the Super Skrull, The Thing is about to be featured on the evening news but is preempted by a commercial for what product?

1970s: 1. What was the secret identity of Kirby’s 1970s Manhunter?

2. Give the magic spell transforming Jason Blood into Etrigan.

3. Which famous person is on the In the Days of the Mob #1 poster?

4. What’s the name of Darkseid’s mother?

5. What is the identity used by Orion on Earth?

6. Where did Kamandi get his name?

7. What was the first species of talking animal Kamandi encountered?

8. What’s the name of OMAC’s organization?

9. Where did Machine Man/X-51 first appear, and what was his original name?

10. Kirby only drew one piece of art for Marvel’s Conan series; what was the piece and what other important character is in it?

11. Name the two humans who possessed and used the Anti-Life Equation during Kirby’s original run on the Fourth World?

12. What was the name of Lonar’s horse?

13. Who invented the Boom Tube?

14. The first story published in Spirit World revolved around what tragedy?

1980s: 1. On what series did Kirby finally get to draw Batman?

2. Who caused a breakout of cosmic diarrhea?

3. How many episodes of Thundarr were produced during Kirby’s tenure at Ruby Spears?

4. Name the four inkers (not counting Kirby) who were involved on Jack’s 1980s return to New Gods.

5. What was the name of the Fighting Fetus?

6. Who was Captain Victory’s arch nemesis?

7. What characters made up the Fantastic Four when Jack was doing storyboards for their cartoon series?

8. Who was the furriest member of Thundarr the Barbarian’s cast?

9. When Darkseid made a guest appearance in Captain Victory, what was he called?

10. What was Captain Victory’s motto?

11. Name the dirtiest member of the Wonder Warriors.

12. Who was Silver Star’s arch enemy?

13. This two-faced wizard was the only one to return in a second episode to plague Thundarr the Barbarian.

BONUS QUESTION: Name 10 Kirby inkers.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 73!

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(this page) Pages 2 and 3 of Kirby’s three-page story “46 Hours and 36 Minutes In The Life of Jack Ruby” from Esquire Magazine #402 (May 1967), with inks by Chic Stone. (previous page) Another of several very strange “Killer Bee” drawings Kirby did for an entrepreneur in the 1980s.

Mighty Marvel

Retrospective (right) A very Kirbyesque Rawhide Kid by Larry Lieber.

by Keith Hammond

(below) Some of the singing cowboys of Kirby’s day: Roy Rogers (with wife Dale Evans) and Gene Autry. (next page) The Black Rider’s origin, from The Black Rider Rides Again! #1 (Sept.

1957).

(center) Splash panel from Quick Trigger Western #16 (Feb. 1957), and (below) Two-Gun Western #12 (Sept. 1957), featuring a headline that definitely applied to Jack.

nce upon a time, before the obsession with the final frontier, there was a deep and abiding interest in the Western frontier. Horses, sixguns, ghost towns, stagecoaches, etc. were a popular way to be entertained for many a generation. The genre was popular in music with Western Swing like Bob Wills and the Sons of the Pioneers. The Silver Screen showed rugged, he-man cowboys like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and later on, John Wayne. Comic books, never to be left behind in a trend, had Western titles like a fistful of dollars. In today’s market of super-heroes, Buffy, and Star Wars, it’s hard to imagine, but in the 1950s, some comic companies devoted over half their lines to Westerns.

Media cowboys like Tim Holt and Lash Larue had comics devoted to their adventures. Fictional cowpokes like Johnny Thunder and the Ghost Rider were regulars at the newsstands.

At one point, the Lone Ranger had his own book, as did his partner Tonto, and even Silver the horse had his own comic!

Martin Goodman and Stan Lee at Atlas Comics in the 1950s did not begin trying to duplicate the success of others with Fantastic Four #1. Nay, they were at it long before that, and, when in the

O

1950s, it became apparent that Westerns sold, Atlas published Westerns, Westerns, and more Westerns. As Stan Lee himself put it in Origins of Marvel Comics, “if cowboy films were the rage, we produced a lot of Westerns.” (Lee, p.13)—and he wasn’t kidding!

Fans have remarked on the large number of X-Men related series in modern times, but at one point, Stan Lee published a line of Westerns that dwarfed and outnumbered the X-books. There was: Kid Colt, Outlaw; Outlaw Kid; Two-Gun Western; Quick Trigger Western; Wild Western; Gunsmoke Western; Rawhide Kid; Two-Gun Kid; Black Rider; Kid Slade; Apache Kid; and Western Outlaws, to merely name a few bullets in the Atlas gun. With so many, it’s not surprising to find that Jack Kirby had the opportunity to draw six-shooters and horses. Jack Kirby, of course, was far from a stranger to the genre. Bulls-Eye and Boys’ Ranch are just a couple of the Western

comics to which Kirby lent his peerless pencil to. The goal of this article will be to examine Jack Kirby’s astounding, little-known, and underappreciated Western works for the Atlas/ Marvel company.

Driftin’ Along With The Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds In 1957, Jack Kirby was involved in a number of ventures. This was, of course, before the period of time where the King went back to Marvel to start a super-hero revolution. Kirby was doing a lot of work with DC, and DC editor Jack Schiff, in particular. There was My Greatest Adventure, House of Secrets, and the Challengers of the Unknown were just getting underway. The Sky Masters syndicated strip had been launched. Still, Kirby had time to draw some stories for Stan Lee and Atlas. Kirby did two Western stories of five pages each, which ended up being published in Quick Trigger Western and Two-Gun Western.

Perhaps on the basis of those two, Stan Lee gave Jack Kirby the job of reviving the Black Rider.

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Western Gunfighters

Stan Lee became the only employee and some twenty Western titles bit the dust. By the time everything settled, the only remaining titles from the glory days of Atlas were Kid Colt, Outlaw; Wyatt Earp; Gunsmoke Western; and the Two-Gun Kid. Dick Ayers remarked that during that stressful period Stan continued to supply him with war and Western stories, but not enough that he could work exclusively for Lee. With less work to go around, many artists of the time sought assignments elsewhere. Kirby, not lacking for work, continued on to the Sky Masters syndicated strip and moved on to Green Arrow backups in Adventure Comics and World’s Finest Comics at DC. Also, right at this time, the Challengers of the Unknown were undergoing a second trial run in Showcase #11 (Nov./Dec. 1957) and #12 (Jan./Feb. 1958), and the start of a title for the “men living on borrowed time” was not far away.

Incidentally, all the contents of The Black Rider Rides Again! #1 are featured in Western Gunfighters #10-12, the 1970s reprint title. I’m speculating that there would be a second issue, but I believe it’s likely, because companies didn’t spend the money needed to launch a first issue to meet postal requirements back then, unless they were quite certain there would be a second issue. Also, there are indeed three Kirby Black Rider stories that would likely fit a second issue. The contents of the intended second issue were not lost, but appeared as filler strips in Kid Colt, Outlaw #86, and Gunsmoke Western #47 and #64. See the accompanying index for details. It’s interesting fare, but better things were to come.

Oh, What A Difference A Year Can Make

The Black Rider was a Western character published by Atlas for many a moon, and a favorite of Stan Lee’s (Stan once posed as the Black Rider on a photo cover). He wore an all black outfit, including cape, hat, and full-length mask. He rode a horse named Satan, and was really mild-mannered town physician Doc Masters. The Black Rider had been published in his own comic until issue #27. With #28, the book was retitled to Western Tales of the Black Rider (one wonders that maybe Stan thought kids weren’t able to figure out the Black Rider was a Western, what with the super-hero fighting togs he wore).

Finally, with issue #32, the book was re-christened Gunsmoke Western, and began to cover-feature the more popular Kid Colt (and the much less popular Billy Buckskin—for a whole issue or three). In mid-

1957, a revival of the Black Rider was attempted. Jack Kirby did art on the three Black Rider stories in The Black Rider Rides Again! #1, published in September, 1957 (though John Severin did the cover). There’s no nice way to put this, but the new Black Rider wore a blue-gray outfit, with white hat and domino mask, and, had he an Indian companion, would have been a dead ringer for the Lone Ranger! Had there been further issues, the owners of the Lone Ranger might have sued—these are the same folks who litigated Clayton Moore (TV’s Lone Ranger) from wearing a mask in his public appearances!

A second issue was likely planned, and Kirby would’ve drawn at least three stories for it. Sadly, it went to Boot Hill, as in Summer of 1957, Atlas imploded due to a bad deal by Martin Goodman.

This may be a bit tedious, but the explanation helps one to understand later parts of this article. I cobbled much of this story together from a Stan Lee interview in Comic Book Artist #2 (published by those wonderful folks at TwoMorrows—buy everything they publish!). For those who don’t know, in 1957 Martin Goodman, Atlas publisher, cut a deal for a different distributor of the Atlas line, American News Company. It looked like a good deal, until that distributor folded. Atlas Comics was left with no way to get its product to the newsstands. The bridges were apparently terribly burned with the old distributor, so going back was not an option. Scrambling like a quarterback down in the last two minutes of the Super Bowl, Goodman found a new distributor. The deal was cut with National Periodicals (a.k.a. DC Comics), to use their distributor, Independent News Distributors. DC allowed Atlas to publish again, but limited them to a small number of titles per month.

Atlas went from 40-60 comic books per month to 812 per month. With this limit, if Stan Lee wanted to publish a new comic he had to cancel an established title to make room for it. Doing the math, when you lose 80% of your line, you suddenly need a lot less writers and artists.

Why would DC allow the company to be known as Marvel back in the game? I’ve read articles where Roy Thomas speculated it was to get a financial cut of Martin Goodman’s “men’s sweat” magazines, non-comic magazines published by Goodman that made a tidy profit. Second, as J.R. Ewing said on Dallas, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” This deal allowed DC to limit the virtual flood of comic magazines that Goodman and Lee inundated the newsstands with in the decade of the 53

1950s. Profit for DC, and more shelf space for DC comic books—not a bad deal!

Lee and Kirby created Marvel Girl in 1963, who later became the Phoenix (I know later creators have done things to complicate that statement, but let’s keep it simple!).

Appropriately enough, like a phoenix, Stan Lee managed to bring Marvel Comics back from the dead.

Books like Patsy Walker, Millie the Model, Strange Tales, Journey Into Mystery, Two-Gun Kid, Wyatt Earp, and others managed to reappear on the racks, and, after a time, become profitable again. As such, Lee could begin to employ more artists again (though Stan and his brother Larry Lieber did the bulk of the writing until the mid-1960s). Work was available for Jack Kirby again!

If timing is everything, this situation could be an example of it. By the end of 1958, when Marvel work was available, Jack Kirby was having a fallingout with Jack Schiff, even to the point of lawsuits. In the midst of this bitter dispute, Kirby quit working for Jack Schiff, and left DC. Suddenly, Jack Kirby had some time on his hands.

From a more tragic timing standpoint, Joe Maneely was the cover artist for the bulk of the Atlas Westerns. John Severin did some of these duties, but his availability was limited due to his work on Cracked. Joe Maneely was killed in a train accident, leaving a big void in the Atlas bullpen, and Stan Lee in need of a versatile cover artist who could adeptly handle different genres in an exciting fashion.

Back in the Saddle Again Jack Kirby came back to the comics company soon to be known as Marvel Comics as his primary job, probably the first time that had happened since he and Joe Simon were working on Captain America in the early days of World War II. Kirby did some covers for Kid Colt in late 1958, that saw print in early 1959. Dick Ayers stated that he first became aware of Kirby’s return when he was assigned to ink a Wyatt Earp cover intended for the October, 1959 issue (#25). Working from home, though, Ayers was not always aware of what was happening in the Marvel offices; but it was crystal clear, Jack Kirby was back with a vengeance! Stan Lee primarily assigned Kirby the Western covers; and, why not?

Ayers mentioned how much he enjoyed inking Kirby’s covers, as they were very “dramatic.” Indeed, check the cover to Kid Colt, Outlaw #95 (12/60)—Kid Colt is running and shooting, people are climbing buildings, running away, trying to get a shot at the Kid—it’s action galore!

Jack Kirby was more than just a cover artist, too.

With his speed and proficiency, Kirby had time to work on two Western series, plus various short stories.

Kirby got the task of reviving and updating the Rawhide Kid and Two-Gun Kid, setting up those series so well that they would run for years afterwards. By mid-1965, though, super-heroes were the hot ticket at 54

Marvel, and Jack Kirby dropped all his Western work, covers included. For this article, I will examine Kirby’s work per comic (there are only five of them). Hopefully, this and the accompanying index will inspire a closer look at Kirby’s vital Western work at Marvel.

Wyatt Earp Jack Kirby did five covers for the Wyatt Earp comic book. The earliest I can find is #22 (4/59), and the last was #29 (6/60), the last issue. This is where the Kirby and Ayers team first started, and that became key later on in the Marvel super-hero work. Wyatt Earp interiors were excellent stories drawn by Dick Ayers and written by Stan Lee. The

book likely came about to try and cash in on a national interest in the historical Wyatt Earp brought on by a popular TV show, in which Hugh O’Brian portrayed the well-known lawman. The Wyatt Earp character was popular enough to sustain that book, plus be the cover feature on several issues of Gunsmoke Western (some of those covers drawn by Kirby).

The Atlas Wyatt Earp was an uncompromising law and order man, resembling a kinder Judge Dredd, more than his roughneck, brawling historical inspiration. He had a deputy named Grizzly Grant, a giant of a man, who was handy in a fistfight.

Grizzly, perhaps due to being created by Lee and Ayers, resembled a greying Dum-Dum Dugan (from Sgt. Fury comics) in physical size, not to mention attitude and language. They faced the average group of owlhoots populating the Old West, triumphing on each occasion.

All good things come to an end. Wyatt Earp was no exception. Sales were declining, which was likely aided by there being not one, not two, but three Wyatt Earp books on the stands, one by Charlton, the other published by Dell. In addition, Dell had the rights to use Hugh O’Brian photos on the covers, likely a huge advantage (as a digression, though, the Charlton version lasted the longest, being cancelled in 1967). Nonetheless, Jack Kirby’s Earp covers were exciting pieces of work, and a prelude of great things to come.

The Rawhide Kid Atlas had published a Rawhide Kid title previously beginning in March, 1955. That title was one of the casualties of the Summer of 1957; but in 1959, a new television show called Rawhide premiered.

Dell Comics began publishing a comic book based on the show with a Sept.-Nov. 1959 issue. On the covers were photos of Clint Eastwood, one of the stars of the new show (and soon to become extremely important to the Western movie genre). With Wyatt Earp sales declining, Stan Lee made the decision to cancel the book in June 1960. Two months later, the Rawhide Kid #17 came out (remember, a limited number of titles could be published, so one had to be cancelled to make room for another).

Those who have read the original Rawhide Kid from #1-16 know that the character changed upon the revival of the series with #17 in August, 1960. Dick Ayers worked on the first Kid, designing his chaps to go with his Rawhide nickname. The first Kid was a ranch owner, wearing rawhide jackets, jeans, and a white hat (this is, of course, the traditional symbol of the Western good guy). He looked slightly close to the Alex Toth version of Johnny Thunder from DC, though the Kid had fiery red hair. This Rawhide Kid also had a kid sidekick named Randy who, like Lois Lane, needed frequent rescues from bad guys (who wore black hats; more symbolism). Read Mighty Marvel Western #17-19 for reprint examples of these adventures.

It’s unknown why the Rawhide Kid was changed in his 1960 relaunch. Some have speculated that Jack Kirby preferred doing original characters, and so changed the Kid, perhaps even modeling him after himself (the Rawhide Kid was described in one issue as 5'3" and 130 lbs.).

Jack Kirby was physically small in stature, and had known what it was like to be bullied and picked on in life. The Rawhide Kid also encountered toughs and roughnecks looking to bully him around a little.

In an interview with Dick Ayers, Ayers stated he was originally assigned the Rawhide Kid revival (which makes sense; Ayers had just concluded his awesome run on Wyatt Earp, was free for a new assignment, and the Rawhide Kid was taking Earp’s place on the publishing schedule). Ayers related that he was asked by Stan Lee to redesign the Kid for the new book in February 1960. Lee never

explained why the redesign was needed. One theory may be that the roving outlaw angle worked so well for the steady-selling Kid Colt that Stan wanted to adopt it for the Rawhide Kid, clearly breaking ties to the past character. Nonetheless, the next day, Ayers met Jack Kirby at Grand Central Station to deliver some Sky Masters strips that he had inked for Kirby, informing Kirby of his new Marvel venture, and how happy he was to be doing his own book penciling and inking again. Kirby wished him well and went into New York to deliver the Sky Masters strips to the syndicate, and drop some penciled pages off with Stan. Ayers’ joy was short-lived, as Stan called that very evening stating that he had decided to have Dick ink the Rawhide Kid, and have Jack Kirby pencil the book. Read into that what you will, but it’s possible some lobbying was going on.

Creative team in place, the end product was a character clad in black leather, with buttons like Thor’s on his shirt. He wore a symbolic white hat, pulled tight and low to the eyes, that couldn’t hide the intense glare of the Kid. In a nod to the original, this new character had fiery red hair, also. He was Johnny Bart, a young man living with his Uncle Ben (no Aunt May, though), a retired Texas Ranger (years before Ivan Rodriguez joined the team). They lived in Rawhide, Texas, on a ranch where Ben Bart taught his adopted son all the necessary Western skills—riding, roping, shooting, and the quick draw. A couple of owlhoots decided to make their reputations by beating Ben Bart in a duel. While his partner Spade distracted Bart during a crucial moment in the showdown, Hawk Brown shot the ex-Ranger down in cold blood.

Rawhide Kid #17 showed how Johnny Bart swore vengeance in the name of Ben Bart. He traveled to the saloon in Rawhide to confront the duo. He let Hawk

(far left) Photo of Martin Goodman. (previous page) Cover to Wyatt Earp #25. (left) Hugh O’Brian, TV’s Wyatt Earp. (below) A gripping scene from Rawhide Kid #28 (June 1962), and the cover of the new Kid’s debut in issue #17 (Aug. 1960).

draw first, a seemingly crazy tactic; but it was only to demonstrate his superior speed with a gun, as Johnny drew, aimed and fired before Brown could squeeze the triggers of his drawn pistols. The next panel showed Johnny simultaneously twirling his guns and firing behind his back to shoot Spade’s guns clean out of his hands before he could 55

(right) Some of Kirby’s Kid Colt, Outlaw covers. First row: #85, 92, 93, and 96.

Second row: #104, 106, 110, and 122.

(center) Atlas monsters meet cowboys in “Beware, The Terrible Totem” from Rawhide Kid #22 (June 1961).

(below) Detail of Kid Colt.

(next page) Original art from Gunsmoke Western #67 (Nov. 1961).

bushwhack the youngster! Like the good guy he was, the Kid turned the not-so-dynamic duo over to the law, and decided to roam the West fighting for justice and the underdog. In the last story in #17, Johnny Bart becomes an outlaw when a sheriff misinterprets a gunfight the Kid gets into with an owlhoot named Barker. It looked like Bart was firing illegally on the rancher (not the case—it was self-defense). Rather than stay and clear his name, the Rawhide Kid took it on the lam and became a wanted man. He was named after the town in which he had his first gunfight (I guess he’s lucky he wasn’t in Walla Walla.).

The new Rawhide Kid was a Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers masterpiece. The new Kid was a short but feisty whirlwind who existed to put bullies in their place, aid widows and children, and generally right wrongs with fists of steel and guns like lightning.

The series was like riding a wild bronco!

The Kid would face rannies and owlhoots, the likes of which most Westerns had never seen! These villains included Dead-Eye Dawson, Blackjack Borden, Jasker Jelko, the Barker Brothers, the Bounty Hunter, and Wolf Waco (a villain who originally fought the Two-Gun Kid in TGK #59, also a Lee, Kirby, and Ayers collaboration). Usually, the first few stories in the book were rip-snortin’ action yarns, with a non-Kirby, non-Rawhide Kid 5-page story as a back-up. The last Rawhide Kid story in the book was usually a little lighter in tone. Case in point is the story “Riot in Railtown” where the Rawhide Kid literally kicks some ass of three bruisers who find they’ve bit off more than they can chew.

This creative team also introduced “supervillains” into the Rawhide Kid. In RK #25, the Kid faces “The Bat,” a man dressed all in black (much like the original Black Rider). In #26, the Bullet-Proof Man faces Johnny Bart (though he turns out to merely be a clever pickpocket; he empties the bullets of guns before they can shoot him). The wildest of all, though, was the Living Totem, from Rawhide Kid #22. He was an alien from space, bent on conquering the Earth. He resembled a Native American totem pole (hence the apropos 56

name). The Kid beat him by blinding him with gunsmoke (bad eyes, I guess), and then pushing him off a cliff. It was wild!

Dick Ayers merely said about the Totem that “I always tried to make them [monsters] as believable as I could.” He also referred to this story as one of his favorites, and anyone who reads it can understand why. Roy Rogers and Gene Autry never faced menaces like that!

Kirby likely left Rawhide Kid because he got busy with super-hero assignments. After all, Fantastic Four was now monthly and Johnny Storm now had his own series in Strange Tales; but these sixteen issues of Rawhide Kid are staggeringly good! More, it’s an obvious forerunner; when Lee, Kirby and Ayers started the Kid in August 1960, the team was beginning to gel. It’s like the first Beatles album; you can see the magic beginning! This was the dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics, and well worth the effort to seek out. If any series is deserving of a Masterworks volume, here it is! Fortunately, many of these classics have been reprinted, so you won’t have to mortgage your house to get them off eBay—see the accompanying index (Mighty Marvel Western was a godsend!).

Jack Kirby continued doing covers after #32, his last regular issue. One last gem comes from his pencil in the pages of Rawhide Kid #34 (6/63), titled “Man of the West.” It’s a story of a pioneer settling the Old West, from his younger days to the twilight of his life; and, what does a pioneer do when he has finally tamed the West? I won’t ruin this for you; read it for yourself. It’s been reprinted often, because it’s just that good! Lee and Kirby do more here in five pages than some creative teams accomplish in five years. Find this story and enjoy!

Kid Colt, Outlaw It’s appropriate the Jack “King” Kirby got involved with Kid Colt, the King of the Comic Book Cowboys! This is debatable to

some, but the facts are that Kid Colt ran 229 issues, longer than any Western I’ve seen in Overstreet’s volume! Kid Colt was published from 1948 to 1979.

That’s a long run and a lot of shootouts! As early as 1955, Kid Colt was featured in three different comics (Kid Colt, Outlaw; Wild Western; and Gunsmoke Western). As late as 1975, Kid Colt was featured in three different comics (Kid Colt, Outlaw; Western Gunfighters; and Giant-Size Kid Colt). This also is debatable, but I believe one of the keys to Kid Colt’s success was Jack Keller, who drew the Kid from Kid Colt, Outlaw #25 to #133. That’s a run that few artists ever attain! It’s very comparable to what Jack Kirby did on Fantastic Four (I had to bring this back to Kirby since this isn’t the Jack Keller Collector).

Kid Colt, for those not in the know, was Blaine Colt, a young man with a terrible temper, so much so that he refused to carry guns, as he was afraid of accidentally killing someone. He practiced to pass the time, and learned a draw quick as any man’s. When Blaine’s father was killed (all these cowboys got started when their fatherfigure was murdered), he strapped on his Colt .45s and went to town. He avenged his father, but in so doing ran afoul of the law. Rather than face up to the mistake, he ran, and he kept running through three decades of comic books as the West’s most heroic outlaw.

Now that we’ve established Kid Colt’s pedigree, Jack Kirby was chiefly the cover artist for Kid Colt, Outlaw from 1959-1965. As I mentioned, Jack Keller was as steady as could be, so Stan Lee didn’t need Kirby for the interiors.

The covers, however, were another story. Jack Keller, while a solid storyteller, was not the flashiest artist in the world, and a great, actionpacked cover could attract readers. Kid Colt, Outlaw #82 (1/59) is not only Kirby’s first Kid Colt cover, but it appears to be his first Marvel Western work upon his return to working for Lee. Excepting a John Severin cover on #84 and #86, Kirby drew covers for Kid Colt, Outlaw from #82 (1/59) through #112 (9/63).

He left the 11/63 cover to what looks like Don Heck (understandably, this was a busy time for Kirby, as Avengers #1 and X-Men #1 had just launched in September, 1963). Kirby still did all but one cover to Kid Colt, Outlaw in 1964, and even managed a few in 1965.

In a previous section of the article, the cover to Kid Colt, Outlaw #95 was mentioned as an example of an exciting and dramatic cover.

All of the Kirby covers are dramatic and exciting, though! As Kid Colt got into facing more super-villains, Kirby really seemed to shine. The covers to Kid Colt, Outlaw #100 (Witch Doctor), #102 (a ghost), #106 (The Circus of Crime), #107 (The Monster of Midnight Valley), #110 and #114 (Iron Mask in both), #111 (Marshall Sam Hawk executing a powerful punch that sent Kid Colt flying off a cliff ), #115 (The Scorpion), #116 (Dr. Danger and the Invisible Gunman), and #117 (The Fat Man) all stand out, and make Kid Colt an appealing book to glance at!

This was an excellent opportunity for Kirby’s vivid imagination to go for broke! These are lovely, engaging covers, all worth framing!

A word of warning: In the accompanying index, I list where many of these covers are reprinted. However, on some of these, the Marvel bullpen saw fit to touch up the figures. The cover to Kid Colt, Outlaw #180, as an example,

reprints the cover for Kid Colt #107, and a comparison shows that on #180, the Kid Colt figure and the alien’s head have been altered. It’s not unlike when Kirby drew Superman in the 1970s and a new face was drawn on each figure, though in this case it’s obvious no one as talented as Murphy Anderson worked on these Kid Colt covers.

One last word on Kid Colt—look for short, non-Kid Colt stories in Kid Colt, Outlaw #86, 93, 95, 96, and #119 by Kirby. The story in #86 is a Black Rider feature and the rest are short, O-Henry type anthology stories (with a wild Western flavor, naturally), which I’ll discuss further in the section on Gunsmoke Western.

Gunsmoke Western Speaking of Gunsmoke Western, this is a wonderful Western anthology book. It inherited the numbering

of Western Tales of the Black Rider, starting with #32, December 1955. Why the change? Likely, two things: One, the Black Rider probably wasn’t selling all that well; and two, a long-running radio show called Gunsmoke had just become a TV show called Gunsmoke (you remember; Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty—the show ran like 20 years!). Likely this was yet another attempt to cash in on a popular show and trend— and once again, Dell Comics got the rights to do a book based on the TV show. Despite its dubious reason for coming into being, this series is an art lover’s dream come true. If you have a complete run of Gunsmoke Western, you have art by John Severin, Mort Drucker, Matt Baker (yes, the Phantom Lady artist!), Jerry Robinson (of Batman fame), Jack Davis, Doug Wildey, Steve Ditko, Al Williamson, Angelo Torres, and many other greats! With a roster like that, Jack Kirby still managed to climb to the top of an impressive heap!

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(right) This John Severin-drawn panel is a good example of the art changes made when Marvel reprinted Westerns in the early 1970s. (below) More monsters, from Two-Gun Kid #58 (Feb. 1961). (bottom left) The original Clay Harder Two-Gun Kid. (center) The masked Matt Hawk version of Two-Gun Kid dukes it out in issue #60.

Kirby primarily did the covers to Gunsmoke Western from #51 (3/59) to #77 (7/63), barring issue #54 and #55.

This was done for the same reasons Jack Kirby was the cover artist to Kid Colt, Outlaw. Each issue headlined Kid Colt, as drawn by Jack Keller, dependable as always, but not flashy. Kirby, of course, was flashy squared! The cover to Gunsmoke Western #66 shows an angry Kid Colt that almost jumps off the page! Many of these covers are phenomenal action scenes of Kid Colt that have little to do with the interior story (perhaps because Kirby didn’t know what the story was about when he drew the cover?). They make a striking cover galley and it’s a tragedy that these covers were excluded from Gerber’s Photo-Journal projects. It may be a cliché, but they really are worth buying for the covers alone!

Kirby, however, did not stop at the covers. He was a frequent contributor to the stories inside GW. There are two previously mentioned Black Rider stories in GW #47 and #51, plus a pair of Two-Gun Kid yarns in GW #62 and #63. Other than that, there are some thirteen short stories spread out from Gunsmoke Western #59-77.

When asked to comment on these stories, Dick Ayers remarked “Stan assigned them, probably to keep us busy.” It’s a good strategy—keep Kirby and Ayers busy, so they don’t go seeking work elsewhere, especially since Kirby’s speed in completing pages was already well-known by that time. They are well-told, exciting stories of brave sheriffs, desperate outlaws, and gunslingers that aren’t quite what they appear to be at first glance. Kirby’s stories stand out from other artists as fast-paced, action-packed, with very expressive participants. They are exciting, fun-to-read, and well worth the effort to track down, especially since so few are reprinted anywhere.

Incidentally, Kirby did stay with this book as cover artist to the end. He needed freedom from this assignment for two new series Stan Lee had worked up. Yes, Gunsmoke Western was cancelled with #77 (7/63) to make way for either Avengers #1 or X-Men #1 (both dated 9/63). That really ended up being a good decision for Marvel! After all, a Gunsmoke Western movie starring Patrick Stewart and Halle Berry might not have fared as well at the box office!

Two-Gun Kid Here’s a little ditty for you: “I ride alone throughout the West, from Dodge to Alamo, I’m on the trail of outlaws, that’s why my colts hang low!” No, it’s not lyrics from Slim Whitman’s greatest hits. That is the tune sung by Clay Harder, the Two-Gun Kid, after at least one story in each issue of his book. For those of you who only know Western movies from what Clint Eastwood did, it may surprise you to know that once upon a time, a good bigscreen cowboy needed to be able to ride, rope, and sing a powerful good Western ballad. Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were examples of cowboy idols who could always take time out from chasing the owlhoots to sing a few lines of “Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds.” The Two-Gun Kid was in that tradition of gunfighter.

Clay Harder was the son of a man (Seth Harder) injured in a gunfight. He made his son Clay vow never to draw on any man 58

while he was alive. Clay, however, practiced in secret, and got fast and deadly accurate with a pistol. When Bull Yaeger and his gang shot Seth Harder to get his ranch, they forced Clay to dig his father’s grave; but with the senior Harder’s death, Clay was released from his vow. Upon beating Bull and his boys, the sheriff remarked that the boy was “a regular two-gun kid.” Taking that name, Clay Harder roamed the West to thwart the deeds of men like Bull Yaeger, and prevent more deaths (at one point, it seemed like this origin was retold every other issue).

Some theories have said that Kirby got the new Two-Gun Kid assignment to revitalize the book, and because the Rawhide Kid with Kirby was selling so well. Dick Ayers could not remember how they got the assignment, nor how well the Westerns sold. The sales angle is possible, but I believe there could be another reason.

John Severin had been the TGK artist from #49-57, producing, with Stan Lee, one of the most exciting runs of Westerns ever, all well worth seeking out; but Severin was more involved with Cracked Magazine which payed substantially better than Stan Lee on his best day. As such, it’s rare to see a lot of Severin’s work consecutively on a Marvel Western, as he had other commitments. My guess is his other work picked up and what gave in his schedule was the TwoGun Kid. Jack Kirby first started out on the Two-Gun Kid doing an exciting cover to #48 (with interiors by Patsy Walker artist Al Hartley). Before long, Kirby was regular cover artist with issue #54, also contributing back-up stories for the book in #54, #55, and #57.

Kirby and Ayers got the artistic reins of the TwoGun Kid, with their first story “Six-Gun Showdown” premiering in the

January, 1961 issue of Gunsmoke Western (#62). The next month they tackled “The Monster of Hidden Valley” in Two-Gun Kid #58, another monster-in-aWestern story. Of the trio of monster stories (Rawhide Kid #22, Kid Colt, Outlaw #107, and Two-Gun Kid #58), this is the first, and easily the worst. Here’s a spoiler warning for those of you who want to read this turkey—the monster is a giant bison in a lizard suit, that the bad guy is using to scare people away from his property. It resembles a bad Scooby-Doo story, with the lizard outfit being taken off the buffalo at the end of the tale, and the villain muttering about that meddling cowboy! I have several problems with this story: First, a giant bison? Wouldn’t that scare people away even without the costume? Second, it’s only in the last few years that Hollywood has been able to make rubber monster suits where you can’t see a zipper—how could they make anything that sophisticated in the late 1800s? Third, exactly how do you persuade a giant bison to put on a giant lizard suit? Nice art, ba-a-a-ad story.

The Clay Harder version of Two-Gun Kid had one more Lee-Kirby-Ayers issue (#59) wherein they used the villain from Rawhide Kid #18, Wolf Waco. Dick Ayers did not remember this as being intentional, but it looks like the first Marvel Western villain-crossover. There was also “The Hands of the Hulk!” printed in Gunsmoke Western #63, not featuring the jolly green giant

also known as Bruce Banner, but instead showcasing a big brute of a bully named Hulk Hogan (there’s a prototype issue for you!). Hogan and Harder duked it out, with the Two-Gun Kid winning, and Hogan complaining the Kid cheated (and if you read the story, I think ol’ Hulk had a valid point!). The Clay Harder Two-Gun Kid was cancelled with #59 (4/61), likely to launch Amazing Adventures #1 (6/61), as Kirby’s monsters were the rage at the time.

One more word of warning: If you seek out reprints of the Clay Harder stories, beware! To avoid confusion with the later Matt Hawk version of the Two-Gun Kid, some of the reprints are touched up to put a vest, mask, and hat on the Kid! It looks very unnatural, and often tends to interrupt the story (you wonder why when this masked gunslinger rides into a new town that no one comments on his wearing a mask!).

After about 1973, the Marvel bullpen leaves the art as it was, explaining Matt Hawk rode on these adventures prior to setting up his law practice in Tombstone. It contradicts the origin in TGK #60, but at least they leave the art alone!

If you’re not up on Marvel history, the aforementioned Amazing Adventures became Amazing Adult Fantasy with #7 (featuring Stan Lee and Steve Ditko SF/fantasy stories—not porn, like the title suggests). With issue #15 (9/62), the book became Amazing Fantasy, wherein something important in comics history happened (but since it doesn’t have to do with Westerns, how important could it be?). It then looks like the void left by the cancelling of Amazing Fantasy was filled by Two-Gun Kid #60 (11/62). This was not the same old Clay Harder Two-Gun Kid, though.

The feature got the Lee-Kirby-Ayers update, and how! If that theory is true, isn’t it ironic that Spider-Man was cancelled to launch a new Two-Gun Kid series?

Dick Ayers did not remember changing the Two-Gun Kid, but he did remember designing Matt Hawk, his secret identity. Ayers said, “I liked the lawyer alter-ego and patterned him after Abe Lincoln, dressing him like Lincoln.” That means Kirby likely designed the Two-Gun Kid, and, perhaps, did so in a hurry. Look at the cover to Two-Gun Kid #60—the Kid’s hat and mask look like they were added at the last minute over another drawing.

Did they originally plan a maskless TGK? We may never know.

My theory as to why the Kid was revamped is as follows. Comics do not occur in a vacuum; they are subject to the times and the trends of the day. From 1940 to 1962, the movie Western hero had changed from Roy Rogers to John Wayne.

Wayne was a rougher, tougher Hollywood cowboy—and he didn’t sing to the bad guys!

The popular culture had changed that much in a few years. Clay Harder was out of date, and the Two-Gun Kid was updated to reflect a more

contemporary picture of a cowboy. In a like fashion, Clint Eastwood’s “Man With No Name” cowboy became the rage by the 1970s, which DC’s Jonah Hex (created in 1972) reflected. This could be why the Rawhide Kid was changed as he was, becoming a feisty, young outlaw (Kid Colt needed no changing, as due to his outlaw status, he was always closer to John Wayne than he was Roy Rogers). Indeed the “Matt Savage” feature in DC’s Western Comics series is drawn to look dead-on John Wayne (check the covers of #78-85; they could pass for John Wayne Comics). I believe this could be why John Ostrander’s 1999 series Blaze of Glory was problematic for some fans—Kid Colt and the others were portrayed more as Eastwood cowboys than Wayne cowboys, and it didn’t ring true for many fans. Anyway, this long-winded theory may explain why Kirby updated the Two-Gun Kid! The new Two-Gun Kid was Matt Hawk, a slick lawyer who was easy prey for the bullies of the Wild West. As for his alter-ego, Stan Lee describes the TwoGun Kid in #61 as “Two-Fisted! Cold!

Ruthless!” In other words, this cowpoke didn’t sing or yodel! His origin seems quite similar to that of the Golden-Age Atom. As Al Pratt assisted Joe Morgan who helped the Atom become a miniature powerhouse, Matt Hawk befriended a man, Ben Dancer, who trained him to be stronger, ride better, and shoot straighter and faster. Matt Hawk, after finishing his education, donned a black costume, buckskin vest, mask, and hat, and named himself the Two-Gun Kid (after a hero he used to read about in the periodicals of the day; an early attempt at a retcon!). Lee, Kirby, and Ayers did a fine three issues from #60-62, setting the strip up like a super-hero book.

The love interest, Nancy, loved Matt Hawk, but hated the Two-Gun Kid (which I figured out from the second story in #60, “I Hate the Two-Gun Kid!”— just call me Sherlock!). Nancy’s hatred of the Kid was due to her brother Clem’s passing in one of the Kid’s first adventures (Clem was a bad sort who brought it on himself ).

Two-Gun Kid #60-62 was classic Kirby—actionpacked and moving at breakneck speed! He fought swarms of bank robbers, Apache tribes, and other sorts, all with just his two guns and his iron fists.

The Kid didn’t just tangle with bad men—he fought over-the-top brutes with names like Moose Morgan (actually, Moose was another crossover character, first fighting you-know-who in Kid Colt, Outlaw #86 59

(below) Detail from a nonlead story in Rawhide Kid #34 (June 1963). Even stories that didn’t feature the stars of these comics had memorable moments.

Courtesy of the Howell/Kalish Collection.

(next page) An incredible Kirby/Ayers splash page from Two-Gun Kid #62 (March 1963), reproduced from the original art.

Courtesy of the Howell/Kalish Collection.

from 1959—Kirby was not the artist). Matt Hawk was stuck finding new ways to quickly and dramatically change identities to solve problems in Tombstone, often while court was in session. Those lawyers are tricky! It’s all the larger-than-life stuff Kirby is known for—highly recommended!

Sadly, Kirby left Two-Gun Kid interiors with #62 (3/63).

Dick Ayers remembered Stan Lee as having something else for Kirby to work on (likely Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1 which debuted in May 1963), and passing the penciling chores on to Ayers. The book was in good hands. Ayers responded that issue #64 had a “story called ‘Trapped by Grizzly Grogan’ that was a super-favorite of Stan’s and mine.” Kirby drew Grizzly Grogan on the cover to #64 and continued to do covers through TGK #76 (7/65), with a few exceptions. That cover would be one of his last Marvel Western works, as the day of the super-heroes had arrived!

Happy Trails!

That brings us to the end of Jack Kirby’s wild, wild Westerns at Marvel. It may have been short, but Kirby made his mark.

Hopefully, this article gave an idea of the importance of Kirby’s contributions to Marvel Westerns, as well as explain why he took these assignments, and why he may have left them. More importantly, maybe someone will be moved to give these classics a read that may not have done so before! My local comics retailer, Paul Mullins of Comic Book World once told me that for years those Marvel Westerns were “treated like junk, slapped in every quarter box at every comic shop.” As high sales on eBay show, these comics are not junk, especially the ones drawn by Jack Kirby. They show the same energy, effort, and professionalism that Kirby brought to all his projects. These stories show the development of the Lee and Kirby (and, in many cases, Ayers) team that changed the world of comics forever! It’s that Marvel magic that sadly today’s comic books rarely exude. The Western stories are no less entertaining and vital because the heroes wear Stetsons and ride cayuses! Saddle up and seek them out and see what the fuss is all about—you’ll be right glad ya’ did!

(My special thanks and gratitude to legendary artist Richard Ayers for granting the interview for this article, as well as copy-editing it. If you’ve ever desired to own an original page from one of your favorite comics, or having a living legend draw a character for you, Dick Ayers is the man you need to get in touch with! He has original artwork available and does commission work at reasonable rates! He’ll sign up to two of your items free, but ONLY if you include a self-addressed stamped envelope. He has no photos for fans, but if you include $5.00 (plus a self-addressed, stamped envelope large enough for the requested print or original to be mailed unfolded), he’ll send a signed 8.5 x 11 color print of one of his characters. Write for more information to: Dick Ayers • 64 Beech St. West • White Plains, NY 10604-2230)

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Bibliography Hammond, Keith. “Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rawhide Kid!” Comic Book Marketplace #82, Gemstone Publishing, Inc., Coronado, CA, October 2000.

Lee, Stan. Origins of Marvel Comics. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1974.

Murray, Will. “Mighty Marvel’s Fantasy Frontier!” Comic Book Marketplace #82, Gemstone Publishing, Inc., Coronado, CA, October 2000.

Overstreet, Robert. The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (30th edition), Gemstone Publishing, Inc., New York, 2000.

Simon, Joe with Jim Simon. The Comic Book Makers. Crestwood/II Publications, New York, 1990.

“Stan the Man and Roy the Boy” Comic Book Artist #2, edited by Jon B. Cooke, TwoMorrows , Raleigh, NC, Summer 1998.

This article, “Mighty Marvel Western Gunfighters” and the accompanying Jack Kirby Marvel Western Index are copyrighted by Keith Hammond, 9146 Hawksridge Dr., Covington, KY 41017.

On the following pages is a Kirby Marvel Western Index; I should explain how this index came about. Anything signed by Kirby is included. The not-signed work is the trouble. First, I made my own visual judgment of the issues. Second, I checked the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #30 (2000) for Kirby credits. Next, I checked the credits on these books at www.comics.org, a website with a database of creator credits. Lastly, I checked the judgment of Steve Carey, a Marvel Western expert. I, thus, feel these credits are correct as possible.

First, I disagree with the Overstreet book on several things.

First, they credit the cover to Gunsmoke Western #34 to Kirby, when it is clearly by John Severin (he even signed it!). They do not credit the covers to Gunsmoke Western #51-53, 59, 64, 65, 67, and 70 to Kirby, and I do. Gunsmoke Western #70 is very clearly signed

by Kirby & Ayers, despite no listing in Overstreet.

Steve Carey brings up a good point on Gunsmoke Western #51, 52, 53, and 59—these are split covers, usually half of the cover devoted to Kid Colt and the other half featuring Wyatt Earp.

Carey suggested it’s possible Kirby penciled half the cover with another artist doing the other half. As an example, on GW #51, the Wyatt Earp half of the cover definitely looks like Kirby, whereas the Kid Colt half looks different—maybe another artist, maybe another inker, but we are at least sure Kirby did part of these covers.

Second, on Kid Colt, Outlaw, Overstreet does not credit covers to #82, 83, 85, 88, 90, 91, 96, and 98 to Kirby, but I believe they are

by Kirby. They do credit the cover to #121 to Kirby, but I think it could be the work of Larry Lieber. Lieber early on in doing the Westerns really worked hard at his covers resembling Kirby. As time went one, Larry’s own style comes more to the fore (and he does some great Westerns!). I’m outvoted, so I’m listing #121 as by Kirby.

Third, Rawhide Kid #36 and #39 are not credited to Kirby, but I believe they are by him, especially #36. I’m not certain, but the covers to RK #44 and #46 are credited to Kirby, but I believe that both might be

by Lieber doing one heck of a Kirby imitation.

Generally, you can tell Kirby and Lieber apart by the gunbelt (Kirby draws more cartridges, and Lieber draws an arrow-like design protruding from both ends of the buckle) and the hat (Kirby has a solid hatband, whereas Lieber draws a broken line hatband). Issue #44 was easily the most troublesome—no one but Overstreet seems confident to credit this to Kirby, but since it’s possible, and I’m not sure, it gets credited to Kirby.

Fourth, the cover to Two-Gun Kid #48 is not credited to Kirby, but I strongly believe it is Kirby.

I’m not sure about the cover to #52; possibly, if Ditko is the inker. The folks at www.comics.org believe Lieber is the artist. I’m not sure about TGK #76, but I believe it could be Kirby.

Fifth, Kirby is only credited as cover artist to Wyatt Earp #25 and #29, but he clearly did the covers to WE #22, 24, and 26 also.

I only list inkers when they sign the work, or it’s extremely

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obvious. I listed Dick Ayers on some work that wasn’t signed by him, but he confirmed that he did the work from his own meticulous records.

If you want pure Kirby, beware of the Kid Colt cover reprints from the early 1970s, as the figures are redone. Also, the first 20 or so issues of Mighty Marvel Western and issues of Two-Gun Kid from #93110 alter the Clay Harder Two-Gun Kid by adding a mask, hat and new outfit.

As an odd note, the Kirby Black Rider story reprinted in Western Gunfighters #5 (6/71) changes the lead character’s name throughout the story to “Black Mask.” By Western Gunfighters #10 (7/72), the name is changed back to “Black Rider.” My theory on this is that someone at Marvel was planning to reuse the Black Rider name on a new character, likely the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider who debuted in Marvel Spotlight #5 (8/72). So, they renamed the Black Rider to avoid any confusion. Upon deciding to call the Blaze character Ghost Rider, they let the Black Rider name stand on the Western character. Can anyone from Marvel at that time help clarify this oddity?

Both Gunsmoke Western #64 and Two-Gun Kid #57 have Kirby stories titled “He Wore A Tin Star,” as the more astute among you may have noticed. One is not a reprint of the other. I have both and can verify that they are two very different stories with the same title. It is an odd coincidence, though.

Rawhide Kid #38 has a cover by Kirby showing the Red Raven. For those who know about Kirby’s Golden Age work, he did a character called Red Raven, who flopped after one issue. Kirby has in past interviews referred to that as his biggest failure, maybe seriously or maybe as a gag. One wonders if Stan Lee didn’t cook up the Red Raven as a joke to make Kirby draw the guy again! I asked Dick Ayers, but he reported no knowledge of anything like that (Ayers drew the interior story of Red Raven).

Hopefully, this will help serious Kirby collectors get Kirby’s work. If anyone disagrees, I’m open to discussion and dialogue. I think just getting folks talking about Jack Kirby’s Western work is a long overdue step in the right direction. Enjoy finding these and reading—that’s where the magic is!

Jack Kirby Marvel Western Index THE BLACK RIDER RIDES AGAIN! • (9/57) Not a Kirby cover (Severin) “The Legend of the Black Rider” (Kirby, 7 pgs.)

(Rep. Western Gunfighters #10, 7/72) “Duel at Dawn!” (Kirby, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Western Gunfighters #11, 9/72) “Treachery at Hangman’s Bridge!” (Kirby, 6 pgs.)

(Rep. Western Gunfighters #12, 11/72) GUNSMOKE WESTERN • #47 (7/58) Not a Kirby cover (Maneely) “Trouble in Leadville” (Black Rider story by Kirby, 4 pgs.) (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #117, 4/74) • #51 (3/59) Cover by Kirby “The Raiders Strike!” (Black Rider story by Kirby, 6 pgs.)

• #52 (5/59) Cover by Kirby • #53 (7/59) Cover by Kirby • #56 (1/60) Cover by Kirby & Ditko • #57 (3/60) Cover by Kirby • #58 (5/60) Cover by Kirby • #59 (7/60) Cover by Kirby “The Stallion’s Revenge” (Lee, Kirby, 3 pgs.)

“Only One May Live!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 4 pgs.)

• #60 (9/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #174, 9/73) 62

• #61 (11/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers • #62 (1/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “Six-Gun Showdown” (Two-Gun Kid/Clay Harder story by Lee & Kirby, 6 pgs.)

“The Perfect Crime!” (Lee, Kirby, 5 pgs.)

“The Gunman” (Lee, Kirby, 5pgs.)

• #63 (3/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Hands of the Hulk!” (The Clay Harder/Two-Gun Kid fights Hulk Hogan—no joke!—by Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.)

• #64 (5/61) Cover by Kirby “He Wore A Tin Star!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

(Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #197, 8/75) • #65 (7/61) Cover by Kirby “The Vengeance of Sam Turner!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.)

• #66 (9/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Enemies” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.)

• #67 (11/61) Cover by Kirby “Montana Brown, Gunslinger Without Fear” (Lee, Kirby, 7 pgs.)

• #68 (1/62) Cover by Kirby • #69 (3/62) Cover by Kirby “The Betrayer!” (Lee, Kirby, 6 pgs.)

• #70 (5/62) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Return of Darrow, the Gunfighter!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.)

• #71 (7/62) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Life & Death of Ape Cantrell” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.)

• #72 (9/62) Cover by Kirby • #73 (11/62) Cover by Kirby “Red-Beard’s Raiders” (Lee, Kirby, 6 pgs.)

• #74 (1/63) Cover by Kirby • #75 (3/63) Cover by Kirby • #76 (5/63) Cover by Kirby • #77 (7/63) Cover by Kirby “They Call Him Dude!” (Lee, Kirby, Paul Reinman, 5 pgs.)

KID COLT, OUTLAW • #82 (1/59) Cover by Kirby • #83 (3/59) Cover by Kirby • #85 (7/59) Cover by Kirby • #86 (9/59) (Not a Kirby cover—Severin) “Meeting at Midnight!” (Black Rider story by Kirby, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Western Gunfighters #5, 6/71) • #87 (11/59) Cover by Kirby • #88 (1/60) Cover by Kirby • #89 (3/60) Cover by Kirby & Ditko • #90 (5/60) Cover by Kirby • #91 (7/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers • #92 (9/60) Cover by Kirby • #93 (10/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Ghost of Midnight Mt.” (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #176, 11/73) “The Man Who Wouldn’t Fight!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

• #94 (11/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #184, 7/74) • #95 (12/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #182, 5/74) “A Man & His Gun!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #76, 7/65) • #96 (1/61) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Western Gunfighters #19, 11/73, & Kid Colt, Outlaw #203, 2/76) “Return of the Bad Man!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

(Rep. Two-Gun Kid #77, 9/65, & #119, 8/74) • #97 (3/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #198, 9/75) • #98 (5/61) Cover by Kirby • #99 (7/61) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #173, 8/73) • #100 (9/61) Cover by Kirby (Witch Doctor cover) (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #178, 1/74) • #101 (11/61) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #188, 11/74)

• #102 (1/62) Cover by Kirby (Ghost cover) • #103 (3/62) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Western Gunfighters #21, 3/74) • #104 (5/62) Cover by Kirby • #105 (7/62) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #163, 10/72) • #106 (9/62) Cover by Kirby (Circus of Crime cover) (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #179, 2/74) • #107 (11/62) Cover by Kirby & Ayers (Monster of Midnight Valley Cover) (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #180, 3/74) • #108 (1/63) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #185, 8/74) • #109 (3/63) Cover by Kirby (Captain Barracuda cover) • #110 (5/63) Cover by Kirby (Iron Mask cover) • #111 (7/63) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #181, 4/74) • #112 (9/63) Cover by Kirby • #114 (1/64) Cover by Kirby (Iron Mask cover) (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #212, 11/76) • #115 (3/64) Cover by Kirby (Scorpion cover) (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #193, 4/75) • #116 (5/64) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #190, 1/75) • #117 (7/64) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #192, 3/75) • #119 (11/64) (Not a Kirby cover—Ayers) “Unarmed!” (Lee, Kirby, Paul Reinman, 5 pgs.)

• #121 (3/65) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #215, 2/77) • #122 (5/65) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Kid Colt, Outlaw #187, 10/74) • #123 (7/65) Cover by Kirby QUICK-TRIGGER WESTERN • #16 (2/57) “The Vengeance of Growling Bear” (Kirby, 5 pgs.)

RAWHIDE KID • #17 (8/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “Beware! The Rawhide Kid!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 7 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid #86, 4/71, Mighty Marvel Western #46, 9/76 ) “Stagecoach to Shotgun Gap!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid #86, 4/71) “When the Rawhide Kid Turned Outlaw!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid #86, 4/71) • #18 (10/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers Ch.1 “At the Mercy of Wolf Waco!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 7 pgs.)

Ch.2 “The Rawhide Kid Strikes Back!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.)

“A Legend is Born!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (All stories in this issue were reprinted in Rawhide Kid #92, 10/71) • #19 (12/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers Ch 1 “Gun Duel in Trigger Gap!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 7 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid Special #1, 9/71) Ch 2 “Revenge of the Rawhide Kid!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid Special #1, 9/71) “Fight or Crawl, Kid!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

(Rep. Rawhide Kid Special #1, 9/71 & Mighty Marvel Western #38, 4/75) • #20 (2/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers Ch.1 “Shootout with Blackjack Borden” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 7 pgs.)

Ch.2 “The Rawhide Kid Strikes Back!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.) (Both Ch. 1 & 2 rep. Mighty Marvel Western #12, 1/71) “The Defeat of the Rawhide Kid!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #12, 1/71) • #21 (4/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers (Rep Rawhide Kid #135, 9/76) Ch.1 “The Gunmen of Sundown City” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 1-6) Ch.2 “The Kid Fights For His Life!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 7-11)

Ch.3 “The Rawhide Kid—Outlaw!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 12-14) Ch.4 “Showdown with Grizzly Younger” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 15-18) (All chapters rep. Mighty Marvel Western #13, 5/71 Rawhide Kid #135, 9/76) • #22 (6/61) Cover by Kirby Ch.1 “Beware!The Terrible Totem!!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 1-6) Ch.2 “The Totem Strikes!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 711) Ch.3 “Trapped by the Totem!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 12-14) Ch.4 “The End of the Totem” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs.

15-19) (All chapters rep. Mighty Marvel Western #3, 2/69, & 1999 Gunslingers) • #23 (8/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Origin of the Rawhide Kid!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 7 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #32, 6/74) Ch.1 “A Place to Hide!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 1-6) Ch.2 Untitled (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 7-11) (Both chapters rep. Mighty Marvel Western #1, 10/68, & #29, 1/74) • #24 (10/61) Cover by Kirby Ch.1 “Showdown in Silver City!” (Lee, Kirby, pgs.

1-7) Ch.2 Untitled (Lee, Kirby, pgs. 8-13) “Gunman’s Gamble!” (Lee, Kirby, 5 pgs.)

• #25 (12/61) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #27, 10/73) “The Bat Strikes” (Lee, Kirby, 7 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #27, 10/73) “The Twister!” (Lee, Kirby, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #35, 10/74) “Those Who Live By the Gun” (Lee, Kirby, 5 pgs.)

(Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #33/ 8/74) • #26 (2/62) Cover by Kirby “Trapped by the Bounty Hunter” (Lee, Kirby, 7 pgs.)

(Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #25, 7/73) “Shoot-out in Scragg’s Saloon” (Lee, Kirby, 6 pgs.)

(Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #2, 12/68, & #39, 6/75) “The Bullet-Proof Man!” (Lee, Kirby, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #28, 11/73) • #27 (4/62) Cover by Kirby “When Six-Guns Roar!” (Lee, Kirby, 7 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #42, 10/75, & Rawhide Kid #84, 2/71) “The Girl, the Gunman, & the Apaches!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid #84, 2/71 & #134, 7/76) “The Man Who Caught the Kid!” (Lee, Kirby, 5 pgs.)

(Rep. Rawhide Kid #84, 2/71 & #134, 7/76) • #28 (6/62) Cover by Kirby “Doom in the Desert!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 7 pgs.)

(Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #6, 11/69, & #44, 3/76) “The Guns of Jasker Jelko!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid Special #1, 9/71, & Mighty Marvel Western #41, 9/75) “When A Gunfighter Gets Mad!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid Special #1, 9/71, & Mighty Marvel Western #40, 8/75) • #29 (8/62) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Trial of Apache Joe!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 7 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid Special #1, 9/71, & Mighty Marvel Western #36, 12/74) “The Little Man Laughs Last!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid Special #1, 9/71, & Mighty Marvel Western #34, 9/74) “The Fallen Hero!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Rawhide Kid Special #1, 9/71, & Mighty Marvel Western #37, 2/75) • #30 (10/62) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Rawhide Kid #134, 7/76) “When the Kid Went Wild!” (Lee, Kirby, 7 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #14, 9/71 & #134, 7/76) “Showdown with the Crow Magnum Gang!” (Lee, Kirby, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #14,

9/71, & #43, 12/75) “Riot in Railtown!” (Lee, Kirby, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #14, 9/71, & #45, 6/76) • #31 (12/62) Cover by Kirby “Shoot-Out With Rock Rorrick!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 7 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #6, 11/69) “Trapped by Dead-Eye Dawson!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 6 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #26, 9/73) “No Law in Lost Mesa!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

• #32 (2/63) Cover by Kirby “Beware of the Barker Brothers!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 13 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #2, 12/68) “No Guns for a Gunman!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

• #33 (4/63) Cover by Kirby • #34 (6/63) Cover by Kirby “Man of the West!” (not Rawhide Kid) (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #75, 5/65, #95, 11/70, & Rawhide Kid #109, 3/73) • #35 (8/63) Cover by Kirby • #36 (10/63) Cover by Kirby • #37 (12/63) Cover by Kirby • #38 (2/64) Cover by Kirby (Red Raven cover) • #39 (4/64) Cover by Kirby • #40 (6/64) Cover by Kirby • #41 (8/64) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Rawhide Kid #111, 5/73) • #43 (12/64) Cover by Kirby “Brass Buttons!” 3 (not Rawhide Kid) (Lee, Kirby, 4 pgs.)

1-page Kirby pin-up of Rawhide Kid included (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #34, 9/74) • #44 (2/65) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Rawhide Kid #117, 11/73) • #45 (4/65) Cover by Kirby • #46 (6/65) Cover by Kirby • #47 (8/65) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Rawhide Kid #116, 10/73) TWO-GUN KID • #48 (6/59) Cover by Kirby • #52 (2/60) Cover by Kirby & Ditko • #54 (6/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “Dance or Draw, Tenderfoot!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 4 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #14, 9/71) • #55 (8/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Outlaw” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Western Gunfighters #1, 8/70) • #56 (10/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers • #57 (12/60) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “He Wore A Tin Star” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

• #58 (2/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “The Monster of Hidden Valley!” (Both chapters rep.

Mighty Marvel Western #16, 3/72, with artwork altered to make the old Two-Gun kid resemble the newer one) Chapter 1 “The Thing Behind the Fence” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 1-7) Chapter 2 “Face to Face With The Monster!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 8-13) “The Legend of the Two-Gun Kid!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #101, 11/71, lead character’s appearance altered) • #59 (4/61) Cover by Kirby & Ayers “At the Mercy of Wolf Waco” (Both chapters rep. In Two-Gun Kid #101, 11/71) Chapter 1 “At the Mercy of Wolf Waco” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 1-7) Chapter 2 “Wolf Waco Takes Over!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, pgs. 8-13) “Guns Blaze on the Tombstone Trail” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #103, 3/72) • #60 (11/62) Cover by Kirby “The Beginning of the Two-Gun Kid” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 13 pgs.) (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #120, 10/74) “I Hate The Two-Gun Kid!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

(Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #3, 2/69, & #35, 10/74) • #61 (1/63) Cover by Kirby “The Killer & the Kid” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 10 pgs.)

(Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #1, 10/68, & Two-Gun Kid #129, 4/76) “Two Lives Has He!” (Lee, Kirby, 2 pgs.) (Rep. TwoGun Kid #100, 9/71 & Rawhide Kid #116, 10/73) “When the Apaches Strike!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #2, 12/68, & #45, 6/76) • #62 (3/63) Cover by Kirby “Moose Morgan, Gunman at Large!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 13 pgs.) (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #9, 7/70, Two-Gun Kid #90, 11/67, & Two-Gun Kid #130, 6/76) “The Man Who Changed!” (Lee, Kirby, Ayers, 5 pgs.)

(Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #1, 10/68, Two-Gun Kid #130, 6/76) • #63 (5/63) Cover by Kirby • #64 (7/63) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #123, 1/75) • #65 (9/63) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #112, 9/73) • #67 (1/64) Cover by Kirby & Ayers (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #116, 2/74) • #68 (3/64) Cover by Kirby • #69 (5/64) Cover by Kirby • #70 (7/64) Cover by Kirby • #71 (9/64) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #125, 8/75) • #72 (11/64) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #127, 12/75) • #74 (3/65) Cover by Kirby • #75 (5/65) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Mighty Marvel Western #12, 1/71, Two-Gun Kid #134, 12/76) Reprint of “Man of the West!” originally from Rawhide Kid #34 • #76 (7/65) Cover by Kirby (Rep. Two-Gun Kid #110, 5/73) Reprint of “A Man & His Gun!” originally from Kid Colt, Outlaw #95 • #77 (9/65) Reprint of “Return of the Bad Man!” originally from Kid Colt, Outlaw #96 TWO-GUN WESTERN • #12 (9/57) “No Man Can Outdraw Him” (Kirby, 5 pgs.)

WYATT EARP • #22 (4/59) Cover by Kirby • #24 (8/59) Cover by Kirby • #25 (10/59) Cover by Kirby & Ayers (reprinted on Wyatt Earp #33 from 4/73, obviously re-inked with word balloons added, & one figure dropped from the cover) • #26 (12/59) Cover by Kirby • #29 (6/60) Cover by Kirby

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The Original TeenAgent

Unearthed

by John Morrow

(this page and next) Unused Teen Agent cover concepts. It’s doomsville, baby! (next page, lower left) Captain America #199 pencils, showing the “Big Daddy” madbomb.

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fter finding the two collage covers shown here in a batch of art loaned to me by the Kirby family last Summer, I was amazed to discover the name “Teen-Agent” on one of them.

Just what were these covers for? My first guess was that they had something to do with the Uncle Carmine’s Fat City Comix proposal that Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman helped Jack with in the early 1970s. Queries to both these gents proved my hunch to be wrong, and led me instead to e-mail Jack’s son Neal Kirby, who confirmed they were from even earlier than that: The mid-1960s!

Neal responded: “Haven’t heard the

A

words “Teen Agent” since I was 16 (36 years ago—you do the math).

This idea was based on the early James Bond movies with Sean Connery which were immensely popular at the time. Obviously the storyline was based on your average high school kid (me) who doubled as a secret agent for some super-secret government agency which would actually let a teenager use a gun (go figure).

“The original part of the concept was that the entire story or book, whichever it might pan out to be, would be done in photo collage, not pencil art. We shot two covers in the basement of our house in East Williston, NY on a Saturday afternoon. Now that I think about it, I can’t believe my father actually figured out how to use a camera! He wasn’t very mechanical.

“I don’t know if the concept was ever presented to Marvel or not, but I never heard anything about it again.”

Another curiosity associated with these unused covers is the title “Big Daddy of Death” on the second Teen Agent cover. That phrase was scribbled in Jack’s handwriting on the back of a stat of an Avengers #13 Don Heck page (which Marvel probably sent Jack so he could do the layouts for Heck on #14).

Also on the back of that stat were other scribbles, and a bunch of warm-up brush strokes done as Jack was preparing to watercolor something. Apparently as ideas came to Jack’s mind while he was working, he would jot them down on whatever paper he had handy— in this case, the Avengers stat.

This would seem to date the idea of “Big Daddy of Death” sometime around late 1964, so it was probably sparked by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, who was well known in the late 1950s and ’60s for his hot rod cartoons, and made a mark on popular culture with his “Rat Fink” character. Roth, who passed away last April, inspired many of the underground comix artists of the 1960s, and it appears he was an inspiration to Kirby as well.

Although these Teen Agent covers were never published, Jack used the “Big Daddy” concept in his 1970s “Madbomb” storyline in Captain America #193-200.

Jack finally found a use for the Teen Agent title for the characters that became Jack Kirby’s TeenAgents, the 1990s Topps Comics series—but the superheroics therein must’ve been a far cry from what he had planned nearly 30 years earlier.

Though we’ll never know what a story for the original Teen Agent series would’ve been like, with imagery of mummies, hieroglyphics, and Eastern European soldiers on the covers, it’s a safe bet it would’ve been an interesting book. ★

(below) Okay, trivia buffs, here’s a challenge for you! Can you figure out in which issues (circa 1965-66)—if any—Kirby used these jotted-down ideas from the back of his Avengers #13 stat? The scribbles say: “Hulk falls in fountain of youth”, “Maximus Roman Emperor”, “Long room FF”, and “Millennium People”. Have at it, Kirbyites! (bottom) Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, and one of his hotrod cartoons.

These and “Rat Fink” © Estate of Ed Roth.

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(these pages) Another couple of pages from True Divorce Cases, this time from the story “The Maid”, about the temptations and consequences of extramarital affairs.

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While Jack’s male characters were sometimes visually interchangeable—particularly the ones with long blond hair—this shows the variation and care he took rendering the opposite sex.

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NOVELTY

“The Horde Is Coming,

FOREWORD: “The Last Time You’ll See Paris.”

DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 21, Three Years From Today A Telecast On All Channels, Transmitted To North And South America And Facilities Existing Elsewhere... he large home-screen does not glow brightly in the spacious, suburban family room. The “reception” is good and the picture is well-defined, but it’s bathed in colors of stress, colors drained of their true pigment by the corrosive ingestion of anxiety and fear.

What can be seen of the sky is a filthy, gray blend of soot and rain cloud. Endless rows of structures rush by like speeding trains. They tilt.

They reel drunkenly. The viewers wonder if the camera projecting these mad images is perched on the shoulder of some ungainly animal. But most disconcerting and almost unnerving to the viewers is the constant presence, on ground level, of human mass in a state of severe agitation. It fills the picture’s background and courses steadily down each side of the screen, darting, jerking, palpitating with the movement of dark and blurry marionettes, deprived of their strings.

Pitifully disoriented, cut adrift by a sudden loss of purpose, they stare frantically in all directions, unable to comprehend the reason for their plight.

The very sight of them is a poignant but explicit message to the viewers that makes them crawl with uncertainty and ponder the dimensions of their own safety.

“This is Harry Whitfield!” shouts the large man at center screen, “Reporting to you, live, by satellite from Paris—no longer a fun town, but a city about to die!” His voice forces itself into the handheld microphone in a struggle to overcome a harsh winter wind and the unquenchable intrusion of human sound. “My God! I can’t believe I’ve said it! But that’s the truth of the matter; the bottom line of a worldwide agony is finally being felt here, the last free territory in the path of the Horde. Every sovereign state, north, east and south of France is gone! The hope that Britain could stem the human tide vanished with the passing of this week.” Whitfield’s voice seems to go off track at that moment. He quickly clears his throat in a professional manner and resumes talking. “This generation may never know if that mighty lion will ever roar again—he stopped last night—facing the sea that failed

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him, a fallen gateway which once held firm against the threat of conquest.”

Whitfield pauses once again, this time in retrospect. His mouth curls slightly upward at the edges and he allows himself a soft, hollow laugh. “Please, remember me for that. Remember that Harry Whitfield could still be eloquent while the plug was being pulled.

“My father stood here once, taping a broadcast before the Nazis showed up. He described the empty streets and the tense silence in a city waiting for the sound of stamping jackboots. Well, as you can see, it’s a different ballgame, now.

Paris is veritably sinking beneath the weight of people! You can’t tell a resident from a refugee.

Life, here, has become a battle for space, and I’ve seen men die, here, in desperate attempts to find shelter for their families. Any structure that will shield people from this brutal weather is solidly packed. ‘Standing room only’ is as valid for the garage, warehouse and department store as it is for the theater. Vehicles no longer move. Their passengers have become tenants.

Pitched battles are being fought to possess them and at this very moment they are burning by the thousands in every part of town.”

A series of tremors shake the television picture, splitting it into multiple images which flip disturbingly until stability returns and they unify into proper focus. The wind has driven Harry Whitfield’s face deep into his flapping coat collar, his hands fumble wildly with his hat which tears from their grasp and is whipped away. As his blond hair flutters like a ragged flag, the picture blanches a dull gray, flashes white and returns to its initial focus. It is marred by waves and streaks and then tilts unexpectedly. The viewers erupt in anxious whispers.

“I’ve only revealed the tip of the iceberg.”

Whitfield is now seen with reasonable clarity.

“The rest of it is uglier and made of the blood and tissue of despair! Emotion is winning over reason! Humanity is fading in favor of the barest essentials! I won’t recount the sights I’ve seen, they’re part of a scenario that’s terribly old—and always terribly new.” The pinched features struggle to form additional words, the pale eyes glisten and water; Whitfield, at the mercy of the bitter cold and projecting the debilitating effects of lost hope, still braces himself against adversity to retain the presence that has won him rapport with an audience.

“My crew and I are stranded, here. And we’ll never catch that plane at Orly Field. From

what we understand, the scene there is a replay of what you see on your screen. People, in countless thousands, have made the terminal inoperable and the runways impassable. We hear that there are ships at the coast, but we’ll never get there by railroad. The system ceased to function weeks ago. King Richard the Third still couldn’t trade his kingdom for a horse in these parts. Transportation is a forgotten word.”

The viewers now see what Whitfield does not. The crowd in the background has subtly but perceptibly thickened. It not only presses in upon the newscaster but completely encircles the sound truck behind him. There is a flurry of activity at the door of the cab and a few of the spectators have climbed to its roof. They can be seen prying at the cab door with makeshift crowbars. Whitfield turns about in startled apprehension and shouts to companions offscreen. “Tony, Jake, Carl! Do something about that! Fire some shots if you have to!” There is a rush of movement and signs of struggle within the human mass. To Whitfield’s right, the crash of metal can be heard. “Look out for that equipment!” he shouts. Several people dash by, momentarily cutting him off from view. One of them is a girl in her teens who frenziedly protects some sort of package from being seized by her pursuers. Then they are gone. Whitfield speaks against the backdrop of a swaying human sea.

Sensing the urgency to sum up his feelings, he shouts, “Don’t you see? We’ve played the devil’s game too often! It’s time to cash in our chips!”

More people rush by the camera. Whitfield is jostled and almost pushed to his knees. He quickly regains his balance. “The Horde is coming and it can’t be stopped! We’ve lit the fuse to mankind and that flame is racing ’round the world! God help us all if it can’t be stopped!” At that moment, the dam breaks, the screen is filled with a continuous flow of people. As the picture tilts violently in all directions, Whitfield can still be seen making a monumental try for a final word. “The Horde!—It’ll wipe out everything we’ve ever said and done!—Nothing left— Nothing—!”

The television screen goes blank with a slight pop. The set emits a steady electronic drone.

Ever so slowly, the hand of a viewer approaches one of the dials like the drifting object of a dream, then, ever so slowly, it withdraws without making contact, leaving the weird sound of “picture cut-off” as the sole measure of reality in a room grown dark. ★

And It Can’t Be Stopped!”

A look at Kirby’s novel The Horde, by John Morrow

ack Kirby first started work on his unfinished novel The Horde—perhaps the least-known artifact of his career—in 1969. To some, the idea of Kirby writing a novel might seem anathema. Many fans, while agreeing that Kirby could draw and plot as well (or better) than anyone in comics, subscribe to the notion that “Jack couldn’t write.” But write he did, over the course of many years, continually revising and editing his novel, enlisting the help of others, but having only minimal success getting it before the public. This novel is not languishing, however; even today, work is being done to give new life to a project that, as you’ll see, left Kirby feeling immensely satisfied, frustrated, and even at times, afraid.

I had the opportunity to read the entire 1979 version of his 224-page manuscript, edited by Janet Berliner (from which the preceding Foreword was excerpted). As stated in the biography that accompanied it, to Jack it seemed that “great calamities are generated in left field, in places far removed from our thoughts, where unwatched pots are permitted to simmer and boil with the seeds of grievance until their contents explode in our midst.”

Inspired by the Vietnam War and his own experiences in World War II, he set out to tell the story of civilization’s next big conflict.

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The Story As We Know It Having seen for himself the rise and fall of Hitler in WWII and studied many of the would-be world conquerors before him, Jack approached the novel with two questions in mind: Who will be the next catalyst for war, and where is the place his ideas and aggressions will bear fruit?

For Jack, that place ended up being Red China—and the person, a Mongol warrior named Tegujai Batir.

In the 1979 Berliner-edited manuscript, Tegujai is driven by a mystical dream to spend his life creating a vast series of underground tunnels throughout Europe and Asia, from which he’ll end the white man’s domination of the world structure. We glimpse the early upbringing that shaped him, and see over time as he amasses an army that includes other Mongols (known as the Feathers of the Falcon) and forced laborers taken as prisoners of war from his battles. The “horde” refers to the mass exodus of people that starts the day Tegujai’s troops erupt from their underground tunnels, and grows as each new territory is overrun.

Of course, it would take more than a single army to create the human tidal wave that engulfs anything in its path as described in the Foreword, and early chapters alternate between Tegujai and the two other main characters who play important roles in making that happen. Hardy Jackman is an African-American who finds himself trapped in Tegujai’s army (and enjoying it), and Kirby puts him to good use in exploring some of the racial tensions that

took place during the time period he was writing this book.

Matthieu Maret, a French Union soldier in Vietnam who is taken prisoner by Tegujai’s forces, will eventually be forced into a pivotal role in the conflict (and serves as the focus for some thoughtprovoking commentary on Christianity).

If none of this sounds like a typical Kirby comic book, there’s a reason. The Horde is not a book for 12-year-old kids. The plot is well-crafted and frighteningly believable. Jack appears to have approached this novel with a considerable amount of historical background information, as the settings seem totally real; perhaps too real. Roz Kirby told me in 1995 (in an interview published in TJKC #10) that Jack stopped writing The Horde because certain events in it were happening in real life, and it frightened him to write the ending. “He got scared, because he said every time he was writing something, it was coming true in the newspapers,” Roz said, “and he was so sure that he was going to end the world!”

While I was unable to pinpoint particular events in the edited manuscript that might’ve caused this sense of reverse deja vu, the version I read does remain unfinished (and it isn’t the original manuscript), and in fact stops at a pivotal moment in the story; but thanks to a simple five-page outline that was included, there is a record of how Jack—at least at the time of this 1979 manuscript— would’ve ended it. I won’t divulge the ending, since ongoing work is being done to finally bring The Horde to publication, but I’ll just say that, were it to happen in real life, you wouldn’t want to be around to see it.

(left) Kirby at his drawing board in the early 1980s. Photo by James Van Hise.

(below) Photo of Horde collaborator Janet Berliner, courtesy of the writer.

Enter: Janet Berliner “Everything Jack created was larger than life,” said Janet Berliner, editor and collaborator on the 1979 manuscript. “His unfinished novel The Horde was no exception. I was fascinated by its energy, its color, its characters. It should come as absolutely no surprise that he created new sets of super-heroes and super-villains, and that beneath the dynamic of a novel that set out to depict the end of the world as we knew it, lay a complex philosophy.”

Berliner first became involved with Jack and The Horde in the late 1970s. “I was agenting, ghosting, editing, and writing my first novel. At some point, I went to LA for a weekend. Ed Bryant and I were staying at Harlan [Ellison] ’s house. Somehow, Ed and I ended up visiting Roz and Jack. We saw his private collection and watched him at work in his studio—an awesome experience.” Jack had written several versions of the manuscript at that point (dated 1970, 1972, 1976, and 1977), and not long after their first meeting, he contacted Berliner and asked if she would agent his unfinished novel. “I felt that the work needed discipline and crafting, that it was more like notes (or verbal sketches) for a novel, but I agreed to send it out to a few editors to get initial responses.” Those responses confirmed Janet’s reaction to the novel, and Jack agreed to have her do major editing and rewriting.

The changes she made were extensive. “Artistic genius though he was, Jack was not a writer. He had no idea of how to structure a novel, so I restructured heavily. He also tended to write in undisciplined bursts of language which had to be properly structured and toned down. In addition, I provided heavy doses of transitions.

Remember, this was a rough, unfinished novel by a man of genius.

I did everything with a view to maintaining his unique voice.”

Berliner wrote a lengthy outline, redid the first few chapters, and put together a pitch package to try to sell it to potential publishers. However, this was Jack Kirby, who, for better or worse, had repeatedly refused to work with an editor or co-writer on his 69

Kirby On “The Horde” An outtake from Ray Wyman’s interviews for The Art of Jack Kirby, wherein Jack discusses his unfinished novel. © Ray Wyman RAY WYMAN: I really look at The Horde as Jack Kirby’s social statement. It’s a political statement. Here he is talking about a climate that affects the world system. We were talking about that book earlier off-tape. Can we go over a few things again? When did you start writing it?

ROZ KIRBY: He talked about it for years—even when we were living back in New York—but he never sat down to do it until we moved out here. So he started back in the other house. It was 1969 when he started to write it.

RAY: You told me that when you started writing it, you said that you noticed some parallels... some things started happening as you predicted in the manuscript. You started getting superstitious about your own writing, that your writing was somehow linked to real events.

JACK KIRBY: Yes, I felt I was. I have never doubted that. Whatever I have put down with pencil and paper has always come true. Maybe it has always been true. I don’t deal in actual speculations, but I play with ideas like invisible building blocks. There they are—right in front of me. All I do is put them together, and they take their own form. Sometimes I know what that form is, but I’ve got to put the blocks together to find out. The Horde is like that; it is already there. It has always been there.

RAY: Jack, tell me, what does this have to do with your concept of humanity.

JACK: Humanity is like water; it always meets its own level. If you push down on people, they rise up someplace else. Pressure is a mechanism that politicians can use very effectively, but if they mess up, then everybody pays like hell. Indochina, the whole area, comes under that scenario.

RAY: Why, because of the population of China?

JACK: It’s the whole situation over there. They have it very bad and things are getting worse.

RAY: Well, 2 billion Chinese and counting.

JACK: I think it is important for you to know that I have written about a basis in life—a speculation that is serious and not trifling. I am not just kind of horsing around or trying to be humorous here. The human spirit to me is very valuable. I have seen it crushed too many times. I have actually seen it crushed. I don’t like that sort of thing, so I automatically look for it—and when I came home from the war, my first thoughts were, “Where is the next place?” And it began with that; because I was looking around for the enemy—always looking for the enemy—and that was my job: Always looking around for trouble. Not only looking around for trouble, but trouble was always looking for me. It’s not only getting shot it. I told you about this little old guy in a concentration camp. He came looking for me and he found me, and I beat it to that concentration camp. There were all the Germans hightailing it out. They didn’t even stop to shoot me; they were just going right over the wall, and I was too astounded to do anything about it. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing except watching them— there were hundreds, literally, and try to think of something like that happening to you—and then opening up that stockade door and seeing what was inside; it was another sight of mishandling the spirit. So I have had that almost all my life, really. If you go down to New York’s lower east side, yes, you can have a happy moment here and there, but life itself is a continuous battle to stay normal and human and live your life through. My life has been a continuous procession of very dramatic situations and it’s incredible to me that I lived through all that. I remember, personally, when I was over there in the war, I never counted on getting back. I thought I would be killed and that I would never get back. I told [Roz] and she wouldn’t believe it, but I would get her letters over there and they would seem so incongruous in that place. It is an experience that makes me glad that I was young, because if I had been an older guy, I could never have lived through it.

RAY: You had a pretty good thing going there about the enemy—you said, “Where is the next place?” You were looking around for the enemy. Who is the enemy now?

JACK: The enemy is a common everyday peasant—just a man with no more than his bare hands and his arms, sticks really, but used in a fashion they can be very effective and deadly weapons.

RAY: And when you’re up against 2 billion of them...

JACK: Not even Patton could beat them. ★ 70

comics work after parting ways with Stan Lee in 1970. As a collaborator, Berliner did have to tread lightly: “I had to constantly reassure him that The Horde was, always and ever, his baby. It was not initially my role to rewrite the book; Jack wasn’t yet ready for anyone to do that, which has a lot to do with why I could not find a publisher at the time.” How did they physically work together on the project? “I reorganized Jack’s original manuscript, then started over at the beginning. I edited, rewrote, sent the product to him, then we (often interminably) discussed the changes.”

Many Kirby fans are aware of Horde excerpts that appeared in Galaxy Magazine #4 (July/Aug. 1994) and the anthology book David Copperfield’s Tales of the Impossible (HarperPrism, November 1995). Both came about through Berliner’s efforts. A highly-regarded writer and editor, with numerous published short stories already to her credit, Janet knew the ins and outs of getting work into print.

“Those were not so much excerpts as extrapolations. I used his work as a base, used his characters, but I had to provide stand-alone storylines. In 1993, Kurt Busiek and Lawrence Watt-Evans asked me to contribute a story to an anthology they were editing for Bantam titled Behind The Mask. I contacted Jack to ask if he’d like me to edit a piece from The Horde as a coauthorship in hopes of awakening interest in the book.” The story that resulted, “Eye of the Falcon,” never saw print because of an editorial change that caused the cancellation of the Bantam anthology, but from that first sale, more extrapolations followed. “Jack and Roz both loved what I was doing. He was so excited by the prospect of some part of The Horde finally seeing print that he encouraged me to cull another story, which became “Shadow of the Falcon” [Galaxy #4]. The third story, “The Conversion of Tegujai Batir,” [in David Copperfield’s Tales of the Impossible] came about a year-and-a-half later. I created the Copperfield anthologies and suggested a Berliner-Kirby story to David. Alas, Jack only saw one of them in print. Roz saw both.” (Berliner confirmed that magician David Copperfield was already aware of Kirby’s comics work when Janet approached him. “He knows a lot about art and admires creative genius,” she said.)

Although only Kirby’s name appeared on the Copperfield story, Janet had as much involvement on it as the other two. “Because I had to rewrite so much of the material in order to round out the sections as short stories, I received coauthor credit on the first two stories. For personal reasons, mostly to do with the fact that I was the editor of the anthology and already had one story in it, I took my name off the third story.”

Berliner hoped to get The Horde before the public in other outlets, including a full novel treatment, even film, but although those plans have yet to materialize, her involvement with the work isn’t over. The original story she culled from Jack’s manuscript, “Eye of the Falcon,” is slated to appear in an upcoming charity anthology by Steve Saville, with all proceeds going to the Down’s Syndrome Foundation. “The book is called Dreaming of Angels, published by Prime, a new publisher in the US. The book is their debut title. It will be available in mass-market paperback and deluxe hardcover editions, and includes work from the likes of Michael Moorcock, Peter Crowther, and Ramsey Campbell. The estate and I will each receive a copy in full payment.”

In hindsight, Berliner still feels The Horde has potential commercial appeal. “I’m as crazy about Jack’s concept as I ever was. It was Jack, always larger than life.” On a personal level, Janet has very fond memories of working with both Jack and Roz. She formed a close relationship with the Kirbys, and distinctly recalls her last meeting with the couple.

She had just finished a project with novelist Michael Crichton, and decided to visit them on a very stormy day in December, 1993—less than two months before Jack’s death.

“Jack was very ill by then, but wanted to tell war stories. Roz wanted him to conserve his energy, but there was no stopping him. When she realized that, she produced coffee and homemade cookies. We sat in the kitchen listening to Jack talk against the pounding of the elements on the roof and the windows. I remember that he was particularly funny and that I cried and laughed and fell in love with both of them all over again.”

Enter: Ray Wyman & Peter Burke Writer Ray Wyman is best known to Kirby fans as author of The Art of Jack Kirby, a biography published in the early 1990s. While working on that book, Ray’s conversations took a turn that would lead to his own involvement with The Horde. Wyman recalls, “This particular tangent orbited about China—its history, the population, and the future. I remember the conversation clearly; I have part of it on a tape marked October 16, 1989.

Jack had said some things that reminded me of a book I had read years ago: Revolt of the

Masses. It’s a collection of essays written by José Ortega y Gasset on qualities of governing large populations, the nature of social dissension—social breakdown, the ‘mass-man’ concept, and so on. It’s not exactly a coffee table book; it was compiled in 1932 and is read mostly by people involved in political theory. So, you either learn about it in college (which is where I heard of it) or somebody tells you about it. Jack had never heard of it; nevertheless, some of his thinking for the story coincided Ortega’s. The more that we got into the conversation, the more I appreciated Jack’s version.”

Ray was aware of “The Closet,” familiar to those who frequented the Kirby home. The term actually referred to any of the many closets spread throughout the house, filled to overflowing with memorabilia and art. The original manuscript for The Horde was on the highest shelf in the big closet in Jack’s studio. “Roz had to enlist my help to drag it down. My first question was, ‘Jack wrote a novel?’ My first reaction was, ‘Boy, this is going to be great!’ But then I started thinking, ‘Why wasn’t it ever published?’”

After his first read of the manuscript, Ray saw why, in much the way Janet Berliner did earlier. “Jack was a tremendous storyteller when it came to comics, but a novelist he wasn’t. He had a gifted way of looking at things and describing them. His dialogue and character interaction, at times, was very good, but he failed to link the scenes and the descriptions together in a cohesive way.

That’s the challenge for anybody who has tried to write a novel: Eighty thousand words (at least), and each one of them has to be entertaining while maintaining the reader’s interest in the story.

Jack did a great job of this for a dozen or so pages at a time, but 200 of them....”

Wyman and Kirby went on to talk a great deal about The Horde. “Jack felt that the moment China lost central control of the population, there would be such a terrible revolt that it would trigger the largest mass migration in world history. That’s the basis of the story, the core idea that inspired his story. Can you imagine such a thing? Jack thought about renaming The Horde ‘Epoch’, but I told him that the original title was far better.

‘Epoch’ doesn’t even come close to describing the mess that things would be if his vision ever came to fruition.”

Wyman heard firsthand of Kirby’s nightmares about it coming true—that certain aspects had come into being right before his eyes on the nightly news, and he and Jack shared that point of view for the story. “Humanity is in for a world of hurt; this story lays out only one of the hundreds of possible scenarios,” said Wyman.

Following the release of The Art of Jack Kirby, the Kirbys gave Ray the original unedited manuscripts as thanks for his hard work on the biographical book. There was talk of continuing work with Jack on The Horde, but he died shortly after that. On a subsequent visit to see Roz, Wyman says she made him promise to complete the story. “That got to me,” said Wyman. “I mean, Roz and I had some real heavy talks along the way—stuff about Jack, stuff about her, stuff about this and that—but this one made me feel like God had kicked my shoulder.”

Soon after, he started work by researching Mongolian/Chinese history, Genghis Khan, Mongolian religion, the Chinese political environment, Asian continental ecology, and various scholarly works that deal with Ortega’s “mass-man” concepts. “I completed a new story outline (based upon Jack’s original) about a year later—that was mid1995. I tried to retain the good parts that Jack wrote—some of the characterizations and the action scenes that were very nicely done. Jack had this habit of going on with the story, then bouncing back to a different part of the story in a flashback. Some of it is pretty tedious to read.

Pretty soon I knew that I was going to need some help.”

That help came in the Summer of 1996 as Ray convinced Peter Burke to sign on as a co-writer. Burke was surprised by the

offer, but once work began, he saw he had a part to play in the process. “I see my role in this as a story collaborator and screenwriter, since I came into it after Jack and, later, Ray, had established the main threads of the story. I am proud to think that my contribution story-wise (as collaborator) has added something to the overall project,” added Burke, “but the big strokes really belong to Jack.”

Both men contributed ideas to the overall story, but Burke feels Wyman brought a special creativity to the project—sometimes to his chagrin. “Ray’s creative juices are always flowing—he’s mercurial in that respect—and his ideas were sound and certainly worthy of exploration. Yet, going along invariably meant a re-write—sometimes dumping many hours of work to follow some new string of ideas.

Luckily, they were good ideas.

“To be fair, we discuss everything—then let Jack’s spirit choose our path. We take turns feeling responsible to Jack and Roz, and to the story. This project is like a living being—a final testament to Jack’s creative magic. We feel obligated to see to its completion, the way Jack originally envisioned it.”

This naturally requires rereading the original manuscript for sections they can adapt to new situations. “For instance, there’s a key character that Jack did a great job of characterizing,” said Wyman, “especially when things get intense in the story. We’re using nearly all of the material that Jack wrote for that character.

Then there are the emotional settings, where the scene itself was vague, but the emotion is riveting. So Peter and I took to adapting those areas so they read better. This task is a bit daunting. We have a digital copy of the original, so it’s a bit easier to find things—just scan text for certain words and phrases—but it doesn’t help much when we’re trying to find a specific idea.”

Interestingly, the first product of the pair’s efforts isn’t a finished novel, but a nearly-completed screenplay—something that’s more Burke’s purview as the duo’s lead screenplay writer.

“Blocking out scenes for the screenplay gave the novel direction,” said Burke, “but still left Ray with plenty of room in which to stretch. Mind you, it’s not my intention to trivialize the novel, but the story just works better that way. We’ve created some very cinematic moments in this story and I think they’ll be fantastic on screen.” Still, Wyman plans to see The Horde published as Kirby intended: In novel form. “My job is to keep record of all of the different versions and to, hopefully, stitch together a novel after the screenplay is completed. We didn’t plan it that way, but Peter’s screenplay captures the story beats in a way that none of my outlines did very well. The screenplay has become the outline for the novel.”

Wyman and Burke have hopes to expand The Horde beyond a single book—possibly to a trilogy—which leads to the question: Just how much of Jack’s original manuscript is a part of their newly modified version? Wyman was adamant: “We are trying to save as much of Jack’s work word-for-word as possible. In the screenplay, this is not as critical, but for the novel, it is essential. I have had to change my writing style to match Jack’s to accomplish this task convincingly. Peter keeps me on target—he calls it the ‘manly prose’. He slaps my hand every time I reach out for the Thesaurus. Jack used some pretty terrific words in his original, but it’s more ‘presence’ than word usage. It’s actually a very good exercise, and if I am successful, we could see a complete manuscript that will have all the appearances of Jack having written the whole thing.”

Burke commented, “Ray and I may add another 400 pages or so to the completed novel. Most of the changes we’ve made add believability and drama to the story. In the end, all three of us will be equal collaborators of the finished product. The only thing I worry about is doing the job so convincingly that people won’t recognize our contribution. We were just talking about the writing style a few days ago and I remember thinking how remarkably agile Jack was at describing certain actions and characterizations.

He was very blunt and economic—he didn’t spend a lot of time dressing up the scene. That’s the way the entire story should be.

(above) Jack at home with Peter Burke.

(left) Ray Wyman with Kirby, in a photo taken by Susan Skarr during the Art of Jack Kirby photo shoot.

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(right) All this talk of underground tunnels reminded us that we never ran the Tiger 21 info we promised back in TJKC #23. Shown here is Kirby’s drawing of the character’s underground bunker complex, for a proposed 1960s television show for NBC that never materialized. An agreement dated December 28, 1966 between Jack, John Graham, and Lawrence K. Grossman (shown on next page) stated there was a 2-page presentation prepared, as well as additional artwork by Kirby. If we track it down, we’ll be sure to run it here in TJKC.

(Janet Berliner is an awardwinning author of six novels, including Rite of the Dragon and the forthcoming Flirting With Death, as well as over a hundred short stories and articles. She’s also the editor of six anthologies, including two with David Copperfield, and most recently Snapshots: 20th Century Mother-Daughter Fiction co-edited with Joyce Carol Oates.)

(Ray Wyman, Jr. is the author of The Art of Jack Kirby, a veteran Star Trek storywriter, and is currently compiling a Webbook entitled Conversations with Jack (due this Summer via Jackkirby.com). In his ‘day job’ he is a freelance writer and business development consultant working under the domain moniker Heavypen.com.

Among his clients: CollegeNET, Texas Instruments, Sun Microsystems, and the World Trade Centers Association. He may be reached by e-mail: rwyman@heavypen.com) (Since the early Seventies, Peter Burke has worked in the music business as producer, music publisher, motion picture music supervisor, and lyricist. Beginning in 1987, Peter co-wrote more than twenty-five screenplays and, on his own, a one-hour television documentary about dinosaurs in the movies, which in 1997 was broadcast in over 126 U.S. markets. Peter met Jack Kirby sometime around 1990 and, together with Ray Wyman, collaborated on a number of stories for comics, tv, and movies.)

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Even in the screenplay—the dialogue and the action scenes are all in Jack’s style. Some of the scenes he never wrote, but avid fans will recognize them as Jack’s.”

Ray and Peter hope, by the end of this year, to present the completed manuscript of their version to the Kirby family, with ownership split three ways.

Analysis Of The Horde The Horde has come a long way since Kirby began writing it in 1969, and diverged in very different directions, depending on who the collaborator was at the time. Janet Berliner, with Kirby’s consent, took liberties to make the original manuscript more marketable, and has had some success in getting it into print, with a third story from it soon to be published. Time will tell if Peter Burke and Ray Wyman will be as successful with their own variation on Jack’s original story (the duo has stated they are not attempting to remain faithful to what Berliner has had published, however). Since no part of their version of The Horde is ready for release, my own analysis of the work must be limited to the 1979 Berliner-edited manuscript, and the corresponding extrapolations in Galaxy and Tales of the Impossible.

In analyzing the actual wordsmithing, it’s difficult to make a determination, since this is a heavily edited version of Jack’s original manuscript; but the 1979 manuscript does have the Kirby “voice” to it. Jack’s tendency in comics to write oftimes clunky dialogue for his characters does occasionally rears its head, but it’s only a minor annoyance. The beauty of this manuscript of The Horde is that pure dialogue is either largely among Tegujai and his followers (where Jack’s flair for dramatic dialogue rings true), or is kept to a minimum. But it’s the narration that really sings (as was often the case in Kirby’s comics work). Whether the work of Berliner or Kirby (or both), descriptions of scenes and actions are quite eloquent, and though there are moments when I found myself saying, “Waitaminnit...” and searching back a few pages to make sense of a scene, overall it was an engrossing read. When the manuscript

ended abruptly at a climactic moment, an audible “awwww...” came from my lips. Like the first part of a 1960s Fantastic Four continued story, I truly wanted to see what would happen next.

Comparing the Galaxy and Tales of the Impossible stories to the 1979 manuscript, the editing ranges from minor (occasional word or phrase changes) to more extreme (rearranging sections and minor rewrites to help the excerpts stand alone), but none went far enough to circumvent the original intent and direction of the manuscript I read. However, the excerpts don’t do the novel justice. Without all the preliminary set-up, and background on the three principal characters, it’s tough to really understand what’s going on.

In approaching this article, I must confess to an initial bias as a Kirby purist, feeling that The Horde should be published in its original manuscript form, as-is, completely unmodified—let’s see what Jack wrote, warts and all, I thought. That’s changed, due to my encounters with Berliner, Wyman, and Burke, whom I think genuinely feel their work will present Kirby’s novel in a more accessible form, while staying true to his intent. All of Jack’s collaborators over the years, from editors and inkers to colorists, have added their own expertise to making Kirby’s work shine on the printed page. While I’ll always probably prefer seeing “raw” Kirby—whether in pencil or typewritten text—I’m ready to afford all parties the respect of presenting their finished versions, and judge them on their own merits. Perhaps later, a behind-the-scenes look at Kirby’s original, unfinished manuscript will be appropriate.

Likewise, we should be glad that, rather than have it collect dust in a closet, The Horde has found new life after Jack’s passing.

Here was a man who almost never erased, never redrew, always putting it down right on the page the first time—but for his novel, he rewrote it at least four times before asking for help with it.

This is a project Kirby cared deeply about, and wanted to see completed. In the same way Kirby had little concern over who would “finish” his pencils in ink, there’s no use worrying over the fact that someone other than Jack is finishing the book.

After all, the Kirby concepts and characters are there, and the blueprint was laid out—and like the antagonists in the Foreword, The Horde is coming, and it can’t be stopped. ★

Trivia Quiz Answers (from Quiz on page 50) 1940s 1. Red Raven #1, 1940.

2. Adventure Comics #72, 1942.

3. The Green Sorceress.

4. Hurricane.

5. Both their girlfriends are named Betty Ross.

6. Sandra Sylvan.

7. Three (Stuntman #3 was a lowcirculation issue sent only to subscribers).

8. Commodore Sindbad, Smiley, Gashouse, Mr. Zero, Gadget.

9. Seven tasks.

10. None; he only did two splash pages and six covers.

11. Paul Kirk.

12. English, French, American, Netherlands.

13. Andre.

14. Captain Rip Carter.

1950s 1. Two (#6 and #7).

2. The Sioux (specifically a party led by Yellow Snake).

3. Riding into the sunset.

4. The brothers Flagg; Nelson & Johnny (one died, and the other’s mind was transferred into his body).

5. It was never revealed.

6. Kirby, Joe Simon, Ben Oda, Mort Meskin and Joe Genalo.

7. Three: Dick, Dave, & Wally.

8. The George Matthew Adams Syndicate.

9. Dick Ayers.

10. Fantastic Four; it came out in Aug. ’61 which means it had to be drawn at least six months prior. Sky Masters ceased publication at the end of Feb. 1961.

11. Johnny Reb & Billy Yank, the artist was Frank Giacoia.

12. Blast-Off #1.

13. The Book of D. 14. Young Romance, Young Love, Young Brides.

15. The Shield.

16. The Challengers of the Unknown.

17. Prof. Haley, Ace Morgan, Rocky Davis, Red Ryan.

18. “Secret of the Sorcerer’s Box.” 1960s 1. Doctor Droom in Amazing Adventures, 2. Journey Into Mystery #85.

3. Matt Hawk.

4. Amazing Spider-Man #8 and Strange Tales Annual #2.

5. He became Giant-Man. 6. Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division.

7. Fantastic Four #2.

8. Ka-zar.

9. He put his boot on the wrong foot!

10. Inhumans.

11. Spider-Man #8, Jan. ’64.

12. Dr. Strange; actually, you could say Daredevil too if you don’t want to count the two issues he laid out. Back up stories like The Wasp & The Watcher aren’t included.

13. Torr, Spragg, Gruto, Grottu, X, Gorgilla, Diablo, Goom, Googam, Rombu, Blip, Bombu, Brutto, Monsteroso, Monsterollo, Dragoom, Grog, Fin Fang Foom, Gomdulla, Rorgg, ZZutak, etc.

14. Astra Isle.

15. “I Fought Throng”.

16. Dorrie Evans.

17. Whosoever hold this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of...

Thorr!

18. Chaplain Lewis Hargrove.

19. Lady Pamela Hawley.

20. The OSS. 21. The Yancy Street Gang.

22. The XZ-12 device.

23. The National Television Network.

24. Tootsies Dog Food.

1970s 1. Mark Shaw.

2. “Gone! Gone! The form of man! Rise the demon Etrigan!” We’d also accept “Leave, leave, the form...”

3. John Dillinger.

4. Heggra.

5. O’Ryan.

6. The bunker he lived in with his grandfather, named “Command D”.

7. Wolves.

8. Global Peace Agency.

9. 2001 #8, where he was called Mister Machine.

10. The cover to Giant-Size Conan #5.

1975, with Elric on it.

11. Sunny Sumo and Billion Dollar Bates.

12. Thunderer.

13. Metron.

14. The assassination of JFK. 1980s 1. Super Powers.

2. The Goozlebobber.

3. Twenty-one.

4. Mike Royer, D. Bruce Berry, Mike Thibodeaux (on covers), and Greg Theakston.

5. Paranex.

6. The Lightning Lady.

7. Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Girl, the Thing, and Herbie the Robot.

8. Ookla, the Mok. 9. Blackmass.

10. “Victory is Sacrifice.”

11. Ursan the Unclean.

12. Darius Drumm.

13. Gemini.

BONUS: Mike Thibodeaux, Joe Sinnott, Joe Simon, Mort Meskin, Marvin Stein, Vince Colletta, Mike Royer, D. Bruce Berry, Wally Wood, Dick Ayers, Steve Ditko, Chic Stone, Bruno Premiani, Chris Rule, Sol Brodsky, Frank Giacoia, etc.

Classifieds (10¢/word, $1 minimum) WANTED: Low-grade reading copies, scans, or color/black-&-white xeroxes of NEWSBOY LEGION covers/stories from STAR SPANGLED COMICS #17, 23, 24, 33, 36, 38-40, 44-48, 51, 61, 62 for article for KIRBY COLLECTOR. Will pay cash or trade TJKC subs. TwoMorrows, 1812 Park Dr., Raleigh, NC 27605. 919-833-8092.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Original Art Wanted! Any page, any issue!

Romita, Ross Andru, Frenz, Ditko, Mooney, etc. Contact: Aaron Sultan, 919-954-7111.

ORIGINAL ART Marvel/DC Wanted! 1960s-80s, Spider-Man, FF, Green Lantern, Iron Man, etc. Contact: Aaron Sultan, 919-9547111.

LOOKING FOR Marvel Masterworks Volumes 6, 13, 14, and 26.

Contact Ted at 303-245-0405.

#

32 Credits:

John Morrow, Editor Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor Eric Nolen-Weathington, Production Assistant TwoMorrows, Design/Layout Richard Howell, Proofreader Tom Ziuko, Colorist Randy Hoppe, Webmaster CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Alexander • Jean-Marie Arnon • Terry Austin • Annie Baron-Carvais • Janet Berliner • Peter Burke • Jon B. Cooke • Stefan Curtz • Glenn Danzig • Jean Depelley • Mark Evanier • Mike Gartland • Russ Garwood • Bruce Graham • George Hagenauer • David Hamilton • Keith Hammond • James Hay • Richard Howell • Frank Johnson • Neal Kirby • Richard Kolkman • Tom Kraft • Ladronn • R. Gary Land • Adam McGovern • Eric Nolen-Weathington • Reedman • David Roach • Steve Robertson • Mike Royer • Steve Rude • John Simpson • Robin Snyder • Mike Thibodeaux • James Van Hise • Ray Wyman • Tom Ziuko • and the Checklist Contributors SPECIAL THANKS TO: Jean-Marie Arnon • Annie Baron-Carvais • Janet Berliner • Peter Burke • Stefan Curtz • Jean Depelley • Mark Evanier • Richard Howell • Frank Johnson • Richard Kolkman • Ladronn • Adam McGovern • Eric NolenWeathington • David Roach • Ray Wyman • and of course The Kirby Estate MAILING CREW: Russ Garwood • Glen Musial Ed Stelli • Patrick Varker Loston & Carolyn Wallace

Contribute & Get Free Issues!

The Jack Kirby Collector is a not-for-profit publication, put together with submissions from Jack’s fans around the world. We don’t pay for submissions, but if we print art or articles you submit, we’ll send you a free copy of that issue or extend your subscription by one issue.

Here’s a list of upcoming themes, to give you ideas of things to write about; but don’t limit yourself to these—we treat these themes very loosely, so anything you write may fit somewhere; and just because we covered a topic once, don’t think we won’t print more about it. So get creative, and get writing; and as always, send us copies of your Kirby art!

FANTASTIC FOUR ISSUE! Celebrating the 40th anniversary of comics’ largest extended family!

GOLDEN OLDIES! Looking at Simon & Kirby (and solo Kirby) work from the 1940s to the late 1950s!

FAN FAVORITES! What are your favorite Kirby stories, and why? Let us know what you think! Plus, a special section on KAMANDI! SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Submit artwork as: 1) Color or B&W photocopies.

2) 300ppi TIFF or JPEG scans 3) Originals (packed and insured).

Submit articles as: 1) Typed or laser printed pages.

2) E-mail to: twomorrow@aol.com 3) ASCII or RTF text files.

We’ll pay return postage and insurance for originals—please write or call first. Please include background information whenever possible.

73

ALL-STAR COMPANION CELEBRATING THE JSA’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY!

STREETWISE

TOP ARTISTS DRAWING STORIES OF THEIR LIVES!

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Learn the behind-the-scenes secrets of ALAN MOORE’S MIRACLEMAN, from his beginnings as Marvelman to why you never saw the final NEIL GAIMAN-scripted issue!

ROY THOMAS has assembled the most thorough look ever taken at All-Star Comics:

An unprecedented assembly of talent drawing NEW autobiographical stories:

• Covers by MURPHY ANDERSON! • Issue-by-issue coverage of ALL–STAR COMICS #1–57, the original JLA–JSA teamups, & the ’70s ALL–STAR REVIVAL! • Art from an unpublished 1945 JSA story!

• Looks at FOUR “LOST” ALL–STAR issues!

• Rare art by BURNLEY, DILLIN, KIRBY, INFANTINO, KANE, KUBERT, ORDWAY, ROSS, WOOD and more!!

• Barry WINDSOR-SMITH • C.C. BECK • Sergio ARAGONÉS • Walter SIMONSON • Brent ANDERSON • Nick CARDY • Roy THOMAS & John SEVERIN • Paul CHADWICK • Rick VEITCH • Murphy ANDERSON • Joe KUBERT • Evan DORKIN • Sam GLANZMAN • Plus Art SPIEGELMAN, Jack KIRBY, more!

Cover by RUDE • Foreword by EISNER

• Special color cover by JOE KUBERT! • All-new rare and previously-unpublished art by JACK KIRBY, GIL KANE, JOE KUBERT, WALLY WOOD, FRANK ROBBINS, NEAL ADAMS, and others!

• STEVE DITKO on the creation of SPIDER-MAN, ROY THOMAS on the birth of THE INVADERS, and more!

• An unpublished story by JACK KIRBY! • An interview with NEAL ADAMS about his SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI book (including unused art)!

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(208-page Trade Paperback, now shipping) $24 POSTPAID (Canada: $26, Elsewhere: $27 Surface, $31 Airmail)

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THE

• New MARK BUCKINGHAM cover!

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• UNPUBLISHED ART, UNINKED PENCILS, SKETCHES, & CONCEPT DRAWINGS (including unseen art from the never-published #25)!

• NEVER-PUBLISHED 8-page Moore/ Totleben story, “Lux Brevis”, and an UNUSED MOORE SCRIPT! A percentage of profits goes to artist John Totleben, who is battling the eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa.

COMPANION

(128-page Trade Paperback in August) $17 POSTPAID (Canada: $19, Elsewhere: $20 Surface, $24 Airmail)

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An ALL-NEW comic-size extravaganza focusing on DC Comics of the 1970s:

Reprints COMIC BOOK ARTIST #4 (totally reformatted), plus nearly 200 new pages:

• All-new BRUCE TIMM cover & interview!

• MARK EVANIER & STEVE SHERMAN on KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD! • NEAL ADAMS on his Superman vs.

Muhammad Ali! • RUSS HEATH on Sgt. Rock!

• ALEX TOTH on his ’70s DC work!

• A BERNIE WRIGHTSON portfolio!

• New painted cover by ALEX HORLEY! • A definitive WARREN CHECKLIST! • Dozens of NEW FEATURES on CORBEN, FRAZETTA, DITKO and others, and interviews with WRIGHTSON, WARREN, EISNER, ADAMS, COLAN & many more!

MR. MONSTER is back with a new book collection featuring TWELVE TWISTED TALES of Forbidden Knowledge, plus special features and surprises galore:

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(Previously only available to subscribers!)

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SIGNED, LIMITED HARDCOVER: $57 POSTPAID (Canada: $59, Elsewhere: $60 Surface, $71 Airmail)

PRIME8: CREATION #1

A NEW COMIC BOOK CREATED BY CBA EDITOR JON B. COOKE!

• NEW wraparound color cover by NEAL ADAMS! • NEW Prime8 pin-ups by SERGIO ARAGONÉS, WALTER SIMONSON, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, and BRUCE TIMM! • Featuring story by JON B. COOKE and ANDREW D. COOKE, and art by CHRIS KNOWLES, GEORGE FREEMAN, and BOB WIACEK! (64-page comic book, shipping in July) $6 POSTPAID ($8 Canada, Elsewhere: $9 Surface, $13 Airmail)

• Over 30 pages of ALL-NEW Mr. Monster art and stories by MICHAEL T. GILBERT! • Collects the hard-to-find MR. MONSTER stories from A-1, CRACK-A-BOOM! and DARK HORSE PRESENTS! • The lost Mr. Monster NEWSPAPER STRIP! • 8-page FULL-COLOR INSERT drawn by KEITH GIFFEN & MICHAEL T. GILBERT! (136-page Trade Paperback, now shipping) $20 POSTPAID (Canada: $22, Elsewhere: $23 Surface, $27 Airmail)

SENSE OF WONDER

A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF EARLY FANDOM, COMING IN OCTOBER! Acclaimed historian Bill Schelly (author of THE GOLDEN AGE OF COMIC FANDOM) gives you AN INSIDER’S TOUR of comics fandom of the 1960s & ’70s. The fans, the comicons, the fanzines—they’re all here!!

• Introduction by ROY THOMAS, and covers by DICK GIORDANO & JACK KIRBY! • Share Bill’s encounters with FREDERIC WERTHAM, STEVE DITKO, BOB KANE, JIM SHOOTER, and more!

• Rare and little-seen art by KIRBY, DITKO, NEWTON, EISNER, C.C. BECK, KALUTA, KRENKEL, COCKRUM, SINNOTT, GIL KANE and others!

(224-page Trade Paperback in October) $20 POSTPAID (Canada: $22, Elsewhere: $23 Surface, $27 Airmail)

THE COLLECTED JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR VOLUME 3

REPRINTING EARLY ISSUES PLUS NEW MATERIAL! Vol. 1 and 2 are SOLD OUT; don’t miss our third great volume, reprinting TJKC #13-15, with a new introduction

by STEVE BISSETTE, plus 30 new pieces of unpublished Kirby art!

(176-page Trade Paperback, now shipping) $21 POSTPAID (Canada: $23, Elsewhere: $24 Surface, $28 Airmail)

FAWCETT COMPANION THE BEST OF FCA, COMING IN AUGUST!

Editor P.C. Hamerlinck has been delighting fans with his new FAWCETT COLLECTORS OF AMERICA (FCA) sections in ALTER EGO, and this volume presents the best of the first 59 issues of the FCA newsletter (founded in 1973)!

• New JERRY ORDWAY cover!

• Index of ALL FAWCETT COMICS published from 1940-1953!

• Behind-the-scenes looks inside the GOLDEN AGE FAWCETT OFFICES! • Interviews and features on C.C. BECK, MARC SWAYZE, KURT SCHAFFENBERGER, OTTO BINDER, PETE COSTANZA, ROSCOE FAWCETT, AL ALLARD, WILL LIEBERSON, ROD REED, GINNY PROVISIERO, cast members of the Captain Marvel serial and Shazam! TV show, and others!

• Rare and previously unpublished artwork by BECK, SWAYZE, SCHAFFENBERGER, MAC RABOY, DAVE BERG, ALEX TOTH, BOB OKSNER, GEORGE EVANS, A.J. HANLEY, ALEX ROSS, a Foreword

by SWAYZE, and more!

(160-page Trade Paperback in August) $20 POSTPAID (Canada: $22, Elsewhere: $23 Surface, $27 Airmail)

TWOMORROWS SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS & UPCOMING ISSUES! COMICOLOGY FEATURING: THE GREATEST

BRIAN BOLLAND SKETCHBOOK All characters TM & © the respective copyright holders.

EVER PUBLISHED!

ALTER EGO #9 IN JULY: JOHN ROMITA, PLUS ROY THOMAS’ DREAM PROJECTS!

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #33 IN NOVEMBER, CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF THE FF!

• Covers by JOHN ROMITA and DICK GIORDANO! • Huge ROMITA INTERVIEW and ART GALLERY! • ROY THOMAS unveils DREAM PROJECTS featuring JSA/ALL-STAR SQUADRON, THE INVADERS, THE AVENGERS, and SHAZAM! that never got published!

• RARE & UNPUBLISHED ART by GIORDANO, KIRBY, BUSCEMA, KANE, TRIMPE, KAYANAN, and others!

• FCA with SWAYZE, BECK, TUSKA and other Fawcett greats, MICHAEL T. GILBERT on WAYNE BORING, BILL SCHELLY on early fandom, and more!

Featuring 40 pages of KIRBY FANTASTIC FOUR PENCILS shown at nearly ACTUAL SIZE, plus:

(Edited by ROY THOMAS • 100 pages) Four-issue subscriptions: $20 Standard, $32 First Class (Canada: $40, Elsewhere: $44 Surface, $60 Airmail).

• KIRBY FF COVERS inked by ERIK LARSEN and BRUCE TIMM! • New interview with STAN LEE! (just confirmed) • Interview with ERIK LARSEN! • NEW REGULAR COLUMN by MARK EVANIER! • We track down nearly EVERY WRITER AND ARTIST who worked on the FF, to find out WHAT THEIR FAVORITE LEE/KIRBY ISSUE WAS and why!

COMICOLOGY #4 IN JULY: THE “ALL-BRIAN” ISSUE! • BRIAN STELFREEZE (Detective Comics, The Batman Chronicles) Starman cover and interview!

• BRIAN BOLLAND (Judge Dredd, Batman: The Killing Joke, Heart Throbs) Sketchbook and interview!

• BRIAN AZZARELLO (100 Bullets, Hellblazer) interview!

• BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (Jinx, Ultimate Spider-Man, Fortune and Glory) interview!

• BRIAN CLOPPER (Rampage, Brainbomb) interview!

(Edited by BRIAN SANER LAMKEN • 100 pages) Four-issue subscriptions: $20 Standard, $32 First Class (Canada: $40, Elsewhere: $44 Surface, $60 Airmail).

(Edited by JOHN MORROW • 84 tabloid pages) Four-issue subscriptions: $36 Standard, $52 First Class (Canada: $60, Elsewhere: $64 Surface, $80 Airmail).

#

2

2ND ISSUE IN AUGUST! THE IN-DEPTH “HOW-TO” MAGAZINE ON COMICS AND CARTOONING, BY WORKING PROFESSIONALS! THE PROFESSIONAL “HOW-TO” MAGAZINE ON COMICS AND CARTOONING

SECOND BIG ISSUE! The professional “how-to” magazine presents more great interviews and demonstrations by top artists in the fields of comics, cartooning, and animation on such skills as layout, storytelling, penciling, inking, lettering, coloring, Photoshop techniques, plus web guides and techniques, tips, tricks, and more! #2 features: • Cover and interview by Cartoon Network’s GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY (DEXTER’S LAB & SAMURAI JACK)!

• Inking tips and tricks with KLAUS JANSON! • PHIL HESTER on creating and self-publishing comics and his mainstream success on THE GREEN ARROW! • Interview and How-To by STEVE CONLEY, the artist behind ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS and the online portal Comicon.com!

• The second installment of “Secrets of Drawing Lovely Women”

by BRET BLEVINS, reviews, links and more!

(Edited by MIKE MANLEY • 88 pages) Four-issues subscriptions: $20 Standard, $32 First Class (Canada: $40, Elsewhere: $44 Surface, $60 Airmail).

COMIC BOOK ARTIST #14 IN JULY: TOWER COMICS! • New DAN ADKINS cover, as we examine WALLY WOOD & Co.’s T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS, DYNAMO, NOMAN, UNDERSEA AGENT and others!

• Interviews with and features on WOOD, ADKINS, LEN BROWN, GIL KANE, TUSKA, CRANDALL, DITKO, ESPOSITO, SKEATES, WHITNEY, SEKOWSKY, & others!

• Definitive TOWER CHECKLIST, new centerspread by fan favorite JERRY ORDWAY, and more!

(Edited by JON B. COOKE • 116 pages) Six-issue subscriptions: $36 Standard, $54 First Class (Canada: $66, Elsewhere: $72 Surface, $96 Airmail).

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Comments

Send letters to: THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR c/o TwoMorrows • 1812 Park Drive • Raleigh, NC 27605 E-mail to: twomorrow@aol.com • See back issue excerpts at: www.twomorrows.com All letters will be considered for publication unless you specify otherwise.

We reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, or any whim that hits us (moo-hoo-haahhh-hah!).

any standard comic box, so where the heck do I store the darn things? Guess I’ll have to put them in bags and keep them on my oversize bookshelf with BICENTENNIAL BATTLES! Bruce Younger, Rochester, NY (First, a quick correction on issue #30. The copyright for the ONE cover art on page 28 should’ve been ©1977 Philip Garris.

Also, we were pleased as punch to discover that TJKC was directly responsible for bringing together two European Kirby fans—and fine artists—who previously had never met. Swiss painter Mark Staff Brandl and French composer Duncan Youngerman each submitted articles for TJKC #27 comparing Jack’s work to their respective areas of expertise in the arts. After reading each other’s articles, each expressed an interest in contacting the other, so we put them in touch. The pair hit it off immediately, and this past April 5-8, the gallery Espace Lhomond in Paris, France featured a joint exhibition of their work, with Mark exhibiting his paintings and Duncan presenting a live concert of saxophone compositions.

The show was a big success, and the duo is considering potential future collaborations.

Now, on to letters on #31, our first tabloid-size issue. To say the response was overwhelming would be an understatement, so we’ve got an extra-long lettercol this issue! Of the mail we received on the format change, around 98% of it was positive:) The King-Size KIRBY COLLECTOR is just magnificent.

I LOVE this format! A stroke of genius!

Bill Black, Longwood, FL HOO-HA! Sometimes bigger is better! I love THE NEW JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR! Thanks for being there!

Tom DeFalco The Big One was worth the wait; applause! That hilarious cover alone was worth ONLY $9.95, and the selection inside was engrossing as usual.

Adam McGovern, Mt. Tabor, NJ Just a quick note to tell you how much I’m enjoying the giant format; ignore any bellyaching of the storage-challenged! I’m putting mine next to KIRBY MASTERWORKS and KIRBY UNLEASHED! Thanks for making a consistently rockin’ mag even better.

Sandy Jarrell, Raleigh, NC Just picked up the new TJKC. It is incredible!!! The dream of every Kirby art lover to see his work up big.

Tom Kraft, Boston, MA I have to admit, I had my doubts when I first read your announcement about the increase in the size of TJKC. I wasn’t convinced that the larger size was necessary, and had concerns about what shape it would arrive in. However, once I got it, all my fears were allayed. In fact, I was totally blown away by the sheer scope of this issue! And of course, that was the point, wasn’t it? The scale of the issue really brought home the amazing scope of Kirby’s work, the sheer magnitude of his ideas and his art. What a pleasure to look at his pencils in close to actual size. I give you and your entire staff a lot of credit for maintaining the high quality of the content and layout while increasing the size of the publication—not an easy thing to do. Bigger isn’t always better, but in this case it sure is! There’s just one problem: It won’t fit into the file drawer I keep my other issues, and it won’t fit into 76

(Then there are those for whom we almost got it right:) Just received the “Big One”, TJKC #31; Fabulous! I’m grateful for the cardboard backing in the mailer!! The larger issue is a winner; just gave it a quick glance but it looks terrific. If you would have positioned all the images square on the pages rather than at odd angles, the issue would have been perfect.

Ralph Simmons, Titusville, FL (Naturally, there were a few dissenters:) This is my vote to return TJKC back to its smaller size. I always hate these overly big-size magazines.

They are not comfortable to hold or try to read. I think the smaller size is big enough to show off Kirby’s art, or anything else in the book.

Martin Lee, Los Angeles, CA (Because of strong initial response to our tabloid size, we’re sticking with it at least through TJKC #34. Your letters and e-mails will be our gauge of whether to stick with it or switch back to our old size, so if you feel strongly one way or the other, be sure to write!)

I have just picked up #31 of THE KIRBY COLLECTOR, the first in the new giant format. What can I say?

AMAZING!!!! I haven’t been this excited since seeing the first issue in my mailbox (I was one of the first subscribers). This is the way Kirby was meant to be seen!! The illustrations take on a new life seen this big, the articles are better than ever, the Evanier column promises to be one of the best features in the magazine... man, I love the new KIRBY COLLECTOR!!

And now a couple of questions: 1) Is there any chance of reprinting all the back issues in this new giant format? That would be wonderful. Yeah, I know it’s a fat chance, but well, one can dream, and I for one would buy them.

2) What has happened to the “Failure to Communicate” special issue that you announced some time ago. Is still scheduled? I hope so, because the “Failure” series of articles has been my favorite feature among all the wonderful articles you have published in TJKC along these 31 issues.

Eduardo Lopez, SPAIN (Sorry Eduardo, it’s doubtful we’d be able to sell enough copies to justify reprinting our back issues at tabloid size, but as the occasion arises, we won’t hesitate to rerun—at giant-size—any particularly good Kirby art that might’ve appeared in an earlier issue. Also, Mike Gartland is hard at work on two— count ’em, two!—articles for next issue: One on the Human Torch back-ups in STRANGE TALES, and the other a new “Failure” installment covering Stan and Jack’s last year on the FF. As for the “all-Failure” special issue, Mike’s been working on it as his time allows, and we hope to have it out late next year.

Speaking of Mike Gartland, his Giant-Man article in #31 certainly brought in its share of comments:) I’ve been buying ALTER EGO and COMIC BOOK ARTIST for some time, but I haven’t picked up TJKC before

now. I couldn’t resist #31 though, and found it an excellent read throughout. I particularly enjoyed Mike Gartland’s essay on Giant-Man. I’m not sure I could explain why to anyone’s satisfaction, but I have always been a big fan of Henry Pym in all his various identities, and as Giant-Man/Goliath especially. I agree with Mike that the stories in ASTONISH were less than compelling, but the character is very much so—which is why I am always annoyed when he drops out of the Avengers. My ASTONISH run is yet far from complete, and I had no idea that Ditko inked Kirby on Giant-Man. It looks a pleasing combination in the pages you reproduced here.

Of all the artists who took turns on the GiantMan feature in ASTONISH, it is Jack’s that I visualize first. The cover of #59, featuring the Hulk, is my favorite, though I’m not sure who inked Kirby on this one.

Any suggestions?

I will be adding TJKC to my buying list from now on and I just want to add my thanks for giving fandom, such as it is these days, the best line of magazines available.

Dale Coe, via e-mail (The KIRBY CHECKLIST sez Sol Brodsky inked Kirby on the cover of ASTONISH #59. Those of you who don’t own a copy of the CHECKLIST are missing out on a wealth of Kirby information, compiled with the help of some of the most knowledgeable Kirby fans around the world. This issue’s CHECKLIST UPDATE makes the original CHECKLIST all the more invaluable, so be sure to order your copy from us today!)

I bought KIRBY COLLECTOR #31 just because of the Giant-Man article, but was bummed by the way you dissed him. When I was collecting ASTONISH as a kid, I loved Giant-Man and the Wonderful Wasp. For some reason, the concept of a twelve-foot-high guy in a red and blue clown suit with two antennae sticking out of his head and “xylophone stripes” on his cowl enchanted me. It would probably take a psychiatrist to figure out why.

I also thought the fact that he was two different heroes at once was a nice touch (“the master of many sizes” as Thor used to call him). I agree that he was plagued by poor scripts and weak villains, but the character had potential. In ASTONISH #60, “The Beasts of Berlin,” when he sneaks across the Iron Curtain to avenge his murdered wife; AVENGERS #12 where, after being ridiculed by the other Avengers for heeding the warning of his ants, he goes off to fight the Mole Man by himself; and AVENGERS #14, when the Wasp is on death’s door; you can see the character has potential. He just wasn’t used right.

I also liked the Nick and Nora Charles-like banter between Hank and Jan. Although hopelessly chauvinistic by today’s standards, I found it heartening that, in the context of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Daredevil, Thor, and Cyclops’ romantic debacles, that a superhero man-woman romantic relationship could be, for the most part, happy—and remember, the Wasp usually got the last word, putting Hank in his place.

At any rate, I miss Giant-Man (why would any

hero call himself Goliath? Anybody remember what happened to him?). I hope they bring Happy Hank back, suspenders, antennae, xylophones and all.

Vampyre Mike Kassel, via e-mail Mike Gartland’s Giant-Man article made me wonder again how threatening to artists like Ayers and Heck the popularity of Kirby’s special type of creativity was.

Both were wonderfully accomplished comics masters in their own right, but it was Kirby’s unique vision that was thriving at the time. I wonder how different Marvel history would have been if Jack had decided he’d like to take on Giant-Man as a regular feature, rather than Thor. Thor, before JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #101, was as ordinary as Giant-Man. It had begun under Kirby, but had then been pretty mediocre. It was only the return of JK and his extraordinary enthusiasm that elevated it to the level it became. Personally, I don’t think there is anything INHERENTLY weak about the Giant-Man character that Kirby creativity couldn’t have worked miracles with, anymore than there was with the Torch, whose feature also floundered and was discontinued at the same time. As a scientist with a super power, GM had all the raw material Jack would have needed, had he been so inclined. Any weak areas he would simply have ignored and replaced with better ones (a bit like Sub-Mariner’s early fish-powers. Kirby’s philosophy was—I believe—what you don’t like, forget and storm ahead with the stuff you DO like!); but again, it shows that, without Kirby’s input in creating supporting characters and villains with great potential, as well as dynamic locales and scenarios, Stan, for all his virtues, didn’t have anything like Kirby’s creativity. It seems there just wasn’t enough JK time to go around.

Having just read “Making the Connections,” I tried to make my own “family tree,” but I’m convinced it won’t work. The Eternals don’t fit. Sure, the inspiration for the characters is from the Greco-Roman stuff (Zuras = Zeus, etc.), although exactly who Jack had in mind for the Forgotten One is fascinating. (I’ve usually heard Hercules. I used to think he was Samson, but I wonder if Jack had someone more like Beowulf in mind?) In the series itself, Jack seems to give no nod at all to a “Source/God” concept. The Celestials, as far as I can recall, are not written as supernatural or divine in any way. They don’t seem like “angels” to me—just big, mysterious scientist-alien types. There is no Hela or Black Racer amongst them. There is a kind of nobility but not one of divine dimensions. They don’t have the keys to Valhalla or a Mother Box link to the Source (at least as far as we were shown). The series feels very much in line with the materialistic view (that Von Daniken helped bolster) that anything futuristic enough looks miraculous to the uninitiated—hence space travellers are treated as divine beings by the less advanced natives.

All of which is unusual for Kirby, who seems to truly respect and often give acknowledgement to the mystery of a non-materialistic “Source.” So, to my mind, the Eternals characters do not belong on the family tree at all.

Shane Foley, AUSTRALIA Hey! Tell Mike Gartland that Giant-Man was and still is my all-time favorite Marvel character—and I’m not talking Goliath. I’m talking the big red suspenderwearing version. I was deeply offended when the Hulk intruded into ASTONISH and inconsolable when Sub-Mariner made his unannounced coup.

Oh... no offense, but the bigger size just ain’t working for me. As nice as it is to see bigger repros of Kirby art, storage IS a problem. I thought I was done with that kind of problem when RAW went Penguin paperback.

Yeah, yeah... I know I’m being petty, but that’s just the kinda guy I am.

Keith Giffen

HOLY HULK TURDS!! You cats have gone and made the most “important” fan magazine of the last 10 years, easily. God, I can’t believe what a beautiful spectacle the new, oversized TJKC is. I am literally overwhelmed. Never has Kirby been better represented; this is NO gimmick. From the cover, to the newsletter on the inside front cover, to every single article, to the exemplary design, it’s all good. And I LOVE that you folks are open enough to run the article “Kirby vs. Kubrick.” I realize many would consider this absolute sacrilege, but it certainly brought up some interesting points.

Brett Warnock, Portland, OR (For anyone who’s not familiar with Brett, he’s one of the great folks helping to produce so much exemplary comics work at Top Shelf Productions, so the praise is especially appreciated coming from someone whose talents I respect so much.

Brett’s letter also serves as a perfect segué for us to kontinue the Kirby vs. Kubrick kontroversy:) I was rather surprised, and a little disappointed, in the article comparing Kirby with 2001 (TJKC #31).

Obviously a person has to be a fan of both Kirby and 2001 to see and draw comparisons but the conclusions struck me as being rather biased. I have recently reread 2001 and it was still fresh in my memory when I read the article. I must admit that I really enjoyed Kirby’s version (just as I really enjoyed the film) but also recognized the differences in the two mediums (especially having studied film). So Kirby used a photo as reference for a scene that was not in the film? Wow. So there have never been any novel or comic adaptations of films that have not used deleted scenes and characters? Perhaps the fact that the photo showed a real life Kirby Kreation may have tickled Jack? So Kirby did not use the fisheye view, but how many people reading the comic would have been utterly confused if he had and blamed him for bad art? It is far easier to do something like that in film than in comics. Kirby made an artistic decision which was right for comics. So Kirby did not use exact likenesses of the actors? With some films that may be a distinct loss, but was 2001 a character-driven film or a visual spectacle? Given a Treasury-size comic to play with, and given his strengths as an artist, who else could have successfully transferred that visual spectacle to comics?

My point is that, yes, its great to have articles by people who love both, but surely not when it affects objectivity.

Kevin Ainsworth, ENGLAND Let me congratulate you on the new format for the JKC! I’m probably stating the obvious, but the bigger size really does justice to Jack’s work. In terms of the content of the latest issue, it was as enjoyable and informative as ever, with the possible exception of the “Graffiti on the Monolith” article by John P. Alexander. I think we fans are aware that Kirby’s ’70s work for Marvel is probably his weakest point as a creator. Even with this in mind, I found Mr. Alexander’s article unduly hard on the King. Most casual sci-fi and/or comics fans would not care about the nitpicky details that Mr. Alexander obsesses over. He should do well to remember that the name of this mag is the JACK

KIRBY COLLECTOR, not the STANLEY KUBRICK COLLECTOR! Will Broadbent, Kittery, ME

Two words about the new format for TJKC: Awe Some. Do y’all ever sleep? I didn’t recognize the collage on the front cover—is that an unpublished one Jack did for JIMMY OLSEN? (I did recognize the greenish-looking craft at bottom center of that collage—it appears to be one of Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds from the 1960s British TV show, or possibly one of the ships from Anderson’s UFO series.)

A couple of thoughts on the critique of the 2001 TREASURY EDITION: This illustrates what happens when an irresistible force (Jack Kirby) meets an immovable object (Kubrick’s 2001)—nothing at all.

They neutralized each other. The result was a perfunctory, mechanical adaptation that did nothing for the movie or for Kirby. Jack did some good work in the subsequent, standard-size 2001 comics, though, because he was able to tell original stories using only the icons from the movie. As to whether MGM pitched the Treasury Edition as a marketing tie-in: Could be.

It’s for certain there was renewed interest in 2001 that year. In the Spring of 1976, at least one print of 2001 was making its way around the Southeast—I saw it in Florence, SC, and man, it was so battered and scratched it was almost unviewable—and sometime in ’76 or ’77, NBC broadcast 2001 as a Sundaynight movie of the week.

Bobby Bryant, Columbia, SC (The front cover collage was previously published in black-&-white in the 1969 MARVELMANIA PORTFOLIO. Paul Gravett of the Cartoon Art Trust in London wrote to say that he spotted Thunderbird 2 from Gerry Anderson’s THUNDERBIRDS among the background photocollage on #31’s wraparound cover.)

I never had a problem with Jack’s 2001 adaptation. I guess you have to compare it to other movie adaptations of the time. Most were so badly done on every single level, it’s no wonder Jack’s stood out as an “ultimate masterpiece” by comparison! Instead of something knocked out at high speed without proper reference for a quick tie-in buck, here was something done because the artist really loved the project. At least Jack’s art LOOKED like the film it was depicting—he was given enough pages to do it justice—and dig the format: Could anything be closer, on paper, to the “Cinerama” experience, than doing the thing as a TREASURY EDITION? (You have to understand, I SAW the movie on a curved screen with 3 projectors!!) During the “star gate” sequence, Jack had several 2-page-spreads— 77

back-to-back!! I looked it over not long ago, and once again it impressed me that he’d clearly read the novel, as he incorporated certain elements of it into his comic. If Jack can be condemned for having done this, then surely NO movie should EVER be “adapted” into comics, especially in this era of videotape & DVD. (As in—what’s the point?)

Oh—the new format. Yeah. Where the hell am I supposed to STORE this thing???

Henry R. Kujawa, Camden, NJ John P. Alexander’s article (“Kirby vs. Kubrick”) was a pretty good one. Still, I must take issue with a couple of items in the piece: 1. I thought Mr. Alexander was off-base when he suggested that comics were an inferior medium to film. I could point out that film-makers from Orson Welles to Federico Fellini have acknowledged their debt to comics as an influence in their work (or better still, defer all arguments to Scott McCloud who has written two books on the merits of the comics technique in the hands of a true “Master”).

2. As an ardent reader, I am well aware of Hollywood’s contemptuous attitude toward any medium other than “the movies”. Does anyone know what Arthur C. Clarke thought of Kubrick’s efforts? While I do like some of Kubrick’s films, I thought he butchered Stephen King’s THE SHINING, but many feel the flick is a classic! (Harumph!) Maybe Kirby thought he could do a better job in interpreting 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY than Kubrick and used photos as reference material to keep it consistent with the film, and yet, project a vision he probably felt was more in tune with the book. (Anyone who doesn’t think Kirby was more than capable of coming up with his own “mechanix” just don’t know Jack!)

Artists of all media are on safer ground when they come up with their own concepts or use the work of others as merely a starting point, an inspiration if you will, which can lead to successful results such as Wagner’s RING CYCLE or Wolfman and Colan’s TOMB OF DRACULA. Otherwise, you’ll either fall flat on your “gluteus” or worse, begin to lose confidence in your own work.

Rex Ferrell, Boston, Ma I agree with almost nothing in John P. Alexander’s commentary on Jack’s treasury version of 2001. He states that the “oversize format... did not enhance Kirby’s artwork” because it was printed at the same size as the originals and that Jack’s work needed the “tightening” of reduction, “doing to it what a truss does for a hernia”. I can’t agree here; your new magazine shows the opposite clearly. Jack’s drawings would look good blown up on billboards. He also 78

states that Kirby “really didn’t understand the movie”, a movie that is famous for the different interpretations it elicits from its viewers. I submit that Jack understood the movie and a great deal more, judging from his extrapolations of Kubrick’s and Clark’s concepts leading up to the beautifully written “The New Seed” in 2001 #7. Alexander gives no firsthand information about Kubrick, and acknowledges that Kubrick kept strict control over any tie-ins to the point where there WERE none, yet states, “the very existence of a 2001 comic book probably gave Stanley Kubrick angina”. On the contrary, this would indicate that Kubrick did approve this project, and it’s not hard to believe that a film director in the Sixties would be aware of Jack’s work and request the best comic artist in the world to render his film as a comic. The use of reference in such an adaptation is a given, and the “telescoping” of sequences unavoidable. I admire the book from a purely technical standpoint; with a film basis to refer to, you can see clearly what is Jack’s style in the structure of the images and the narrative, plus I think his coloring is gorgeous. One of the few times I met Jack, I complimented him on the 2001 Treasury; it seemed like a weird choice out of all his work, and he looked a little mystified. I said, “It was BIG, Jack. ALL your stuff should be done like that.” He looked at me and nodded. “Yeah, it WAS big, wasn’t it?”

James Romberger, New York, NY Love the giant issue, even more than I expected to.

One thing I want to say, though, is that the article on Jack Kirby’s 2001 adaptation was ridiculous. For one thing, the idea that Jay Matternes’ “early man” painting had ANYTHING to do with Jack’s drawing is too absurd to spend any time on, but the writer’s conclusion that the 2001 book “was something Kirby wanted to do, so he did it” (or words to that effect) is something I really have trouble with. How does he know how the project came to be? Do we believe that every book an artist does is some kind of selfgenerated dream project? Some research would have been nice, but here’s what I think. I’ll bet Marvel told Jack to adapt the movie for whatever reasons they may have had. I seriously doubt it was Jack’s idea, but rather an assignment which he simply handled in a professional manner. So it is unfair to take Jack to task for the existence of the book. I love Kirby and I’m not really a fan of the 2001 book, so I’m not defending it, just raising the question of how it came to be.

For instance, I know that DEVIL DINOSAUR was a “job” Kirby was given. Marvel wanted a book about a dinosaur and it had to take place in the prehistoric world; how Jack dealt with that is the book we know, but it wasn’t something Jack just came up with out of nowhere on his own. I heard Jack talking about this once, so that is my source. I liked seeing the art and photos though.

Pete Von Sholly, Sunland, CA TJKC has run articles about covers that were redrawn (or “corrected”) from their original form, and that the unaltered/unpublished versions could be found in the MARVEL MASTERWORKS. One of the more drastic cover-reconstructions, which has yet to be mentioned, was on X-MEN #5, where Cyclops and Iceman were re-positioned. Some of these changes were as minute as the deletion of a spot-black (AVENGERS #2) while others were glaringly obvious, like the additional (5) “stone-men” to the cover of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #83.

What I found even more interesting was the appearance of two rejected FF covers from ANNUAL #1 and #3 (!) published in the OFFICIAL MARVEL INDEX #1 (12/85) and #2 (1/86). Again, in 1993, Marvel published yet another unused Kirby cover from FF #53. Were any of these printed from Jack’s original art?

My question is not “how many more of these can we find,” but rather, why did Marvel still have them nearly 40 years after the fact? Furthermore, does the fact that the “index” covers appeared at the height of Jack’s legal battle with Marvel have any significance? (Note: COMICS JOURNAL #105 appeared within a month of these covers being published.)

I’d appreciate it if someone could clear this up, and I wonder if Glen Gold has any thoughts on this matter (Mr. Gold wrote a very thought-provoking article for TJKC #19 about the scarcity of pre-1965 Kirby/Marvel covers). Perhaps there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for Marvel having these covers that could be addressed by their reprint editor. In any event, I’d be curious to know if these unused covers were ever returned to Jack.

Mark Alexander, Decatur, IL Love the new format, love the issue, but one minor clarification: Among the “amazing array of characters, concepts and concoctions” to appear in Jack’s JIMMY OLSEN, as listed on page 3 of this issue, the tamest of these was not a Kirby creation. Terry Dean was a rare supporting character carried over from the preKirby days. She was introduced in JIMMY OLSEN #127 in a story called “The Secret Slumlord of Metropolis!” Of course, Don Rickles was the other non-Kirby creation on the list, and I call this a clarification as opposed to a correction, since you never specifically said they were all Kirby-created.

Craig Boldman, Hamilton, OH Being a lifelong Kirby fan and most of all a regular reader of your magazine (having all the issues to date), I am writing this letter concerning the mystery inker of FANTASTIC FOUR #1 and #2.

Very recently I was nosying through my collection of UK Marvels when I came across a copy of STAR WARS/EMPIRE STRIKES BACK WEEKLY #135 containing a Jack Kirby strip called “The Sacrifice.”

Although I cannot say where this story originated, I am undoubtedly certain the inkwork is the same as the mystery inker of the first two issues of FANTASTIC FOUR. I was wondering: Could the identity of the unknown inker be a certain Jack Keller, who I believe worked for Marvel during the late Fifties and early Sixties on mainly Western strips, as his artwork does have certain similarities to the mystery person we are trying to uncover the identity of?

Martin Clegg, Lancanshire, ENGLAND (According to the KIRBY CHECKLIST, “The Sacrifice” was from STRANGE TALES #91 (Dec. 1961), inked by Dick Ayers. Dick has denied that he inked the first two FF issues, so we’ll have to keep searching.)

The last page in TJKC #31 was a perfect ending to the issue! The close-up of Cap is dramatic enough, but the text on that page always gets to me. It’s so heartfelt. Cap’s horrors at injustice flood out of him but won’t see fruition because he’ll soon be transported to another era where things really won’t have changed. This is the kind of dreamlike but weird poignance Jack often strewed his writing with. It’s prime Kirby. Eric Nolen-Weathington’s piece on BICENTENNIAL BATTLES was a fine article about a

seminal book.

Bill Field’s article made me feel like I was there as a kid, trying to meet Neal Adams in person and really meeting Jack Kirby. It’s almost a metaphor for all of us kids who as far as comics went were originally sucked in by the glamour of the “Young Turks” but were ultimately captured for the long haul by a greater artist who spoke to us more personally. Not to slight Adams—I met him as a kid too, and he was nice to me—but Jack’s art was inseparable from his warmth and generosity, a theme the KIRBY COLLECTOR has always conveyed so well.

I’d rather it was in the smaller size, but keep up the GREAT editorial work.

Gene Fama, Los Angeles, CA I especially liked Mark Evanier’s column concerning the inkers that embellished Jack’s work. Knowing the whole story of how Jack chose inkers in the ’70s that stayed close to his pencils still makes me wonder, though. I like Mike Royer’s inks, but he added nothing to the art to make it larger than it already was in the way Joe Sinnott could. But Royer was more loyal to Jack’s pencils than, say, Colletta or Bruce Berry.

Brent Henshaw, via e-mail The article on FANTASTIC FOUR summer annuals reminded me of long ago when I missed FF ANNUAL #2. I sent Marvel a quarter, and they mailed me a copy—WITHOUT ADS. Yep, I may have one of the few Marvel comics in existence with a blank white back cover. It probably was a proof copy that they decided to ship out to some kid. They did nice things like that back then.

Gregory Janicke, Beaufort, NC Congratulations on the first issue of the new KIRBY COLLECTOR! The graphics and layout are something exceptional: Clean, simple, and elegant. As somebody who’s been designing type for some six or seven years now (I do Quark XPress for a living, I’ve art-

Help Us Fill In The Blanks!

French fan Philippe Queveau wrote in to help resolve the Silver Age/Modern Age original artsize question asked last issue, and since then we’ve gotten help from Mike Burkey, Will Gabri-El, and Glenn Musial. Here’s what we’ve learned so far about when the switch in art size took place: COVERS DATED JUNE 1968 Fantastic Four #75 large art Captain America #102 large art Amazing Spider-Man #61 large art Thor #153 large art COVERS DATED JULY 1968 Fantastic Four #76 small art Captain America #103 large art Amazing Spider-Man #62 ?

Thor #154 small art COVERS DATED AUGUST 1968 Fantastic Four #77 ?

Captain America #104 small art Amazing Spider-Man #63 ?

Thor #155 ?

directed magazines and newspapers, the whole shebang), I am deeply impressed by the “look” of the issue. In fact, design-wise, TJKC is something of a spiritual descendant of the first issues of Spiegelman’s RAW—I doubt if you consciously set out to emulate RAW, but the sharp, smart feel of some of RAW’s early contents pages (not the rougher aesthetic of the stories therein), adapted to the specific task of reproducing Kirby, comes through. I even liked the “shrinking” type at the opening of the GiantMan article (it’s a technique that is not as easy to pull off as it looks).

The two-page spreads of the BLACK PANTHER, KAMANDI, and CAPTAIN VICTORY presented the work perfectly; I imagine that Jack himself would be proud that somebody is publishing his material in a vehicle which enables even the most casual of readers to really go nuts appreciating his art. Bear in mind that PANTHER and KAMANDI are books I never read when they were published and never became curious about—until now.

Editorially, you’ve preserved the informal, fannish (if they still use that word) and upbeat feel of the magazine. I have only two sour notes to blow.

First, I don’t agree with the school of thought that dismisses Henry Pym as a minor character who didn’t work out. I always thought of Hank & Jan as two delightful Marvel characters who found their best home in THE AVENGERS. In a lot of ways, Pym WAS the Avengers, both in the original book and when he was reinstated—in an inspired move—in issue #28.

Goliath was the backbone of the group during the great Thomas/Buscema era that built on what Jack and Stan had done before. Shrunken to ant-size, Hank foiled a dishonest gambler in a wonderful sequence in AVENGERS #48 (I think it was #48).

Later, Goliath became even cooler-looking when they changed his costume from blue-and-yellow to redand-blue, harkening back to the colors of the original Giant-Man. (AVENGERS ANNUAL #2, in which Goliath and the newer Avengers fought the old Avengers was a particular treat for me.) The stories from TALES TO ASTONISH had a tremendous charm as a back-up feature when reprinted in MARVEL COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS. And Ant-Man’s re-appearance, exploring the Vision’s innards during the Kree-Skrull war, was perfect; it seemed, at the time, to close the lid on Hank’s whole “Yellowjacket” escapade.

INTERIORS DATED OCTOBER 1967 Fantastic Four #67 large art Tales of Suspense #94 large art Amazing Spider-Man #53 large art Thor #145 ?

INTERIORS DATED NOVEMBER 1967 Fantastic Four #68 ?

Tales of Suspense #95 ?

Amazing Spider-Man #54 ?

Thor #146 small art/large paper INTERIORS DATED DECEMBER 1967 Fantastic Four #69 ?

Tales of Suspense #96 ?

Amazing Spider-Man #55 small art Thor #147 small art So far, it appears interior art moved from large (Silver Age) to small (Modern Age) size with comics dated November 1967, and most covers moved a few months later with comics dated July 1968. Can any readers help us fill in the blanks on the chart above, so we’ll know for certain which issues started the switch to smaller art? If you’ve got originals from any of these issues or can verify sizes from eBay or auction catalogs, let us know!

Second, I wish that contributors to TJKC would stop sniping at Stan Lee. The whole argument over “whether it was Stan or Jack” is silly to begin with— there was a collaboration going on in the ’60s not just between Stan and Jack, but throughout the whole enterprise at Marvel, to which everybody contributed, from Flo Steinberg on up. A serious analysis of Jack’s and Stan’s particular contributions has already been dealt with in your excellent “Failure to Communicate” series. Stan himself has never been shy or duplicitous about discussing Jack’s originality and greatness—he’s never failed to give Kirby credit for the work he did, whether penciling, plotting, or inventing characters. Jack’s bitterness about his relationship with Stan has been well recorded for history.

Time to move on.

These, though, are minor complaints. People talk about a “slump” in comics these days, but as long as we have magazines like TJKC, there will be no such “slump” in fandom.

Mark Lerer, Forest Hills, NY Back in 1977 I had a good friend named Mark Padbury, who had a near-genius intellect and a brilliant imagination. One spring day in ’77 I met Mark in the school library and loaned him my copy of FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL #5, the Manhunter issue. We then went our separate ways. The next morning, as I sat in drafting class, a student came up and told me that Mark had been killed in a horrific car wreck on the way home from school.

I could do nothing for two hours but sit in my chair, numb with shock. It slowly filtered into my mind that Mark was dead. It took a long time for the student body to recover from the tragedy; my friend was that popular.

Years later I realized something. Mark wasn’t driving the car; another friend of mine was. Mark was in the back seat, and since he loved to read, he was most likely reading the comic. In short, Mark Padbury may well have been reading that comic when the driver lost control and the car slammed into a tree easily five feet thick. The near-certainty that my friend may have spent his last moments on Earth reading a Jack Kirby comic makes it easier for me to accept his death. I hope that somehow Jack knows how grateful I am that I chose one of his comics to lend to my friend.

Tom Cron, Riverdale, GA NEXT ISSUE: This is the one you’ve been asking for since TJKC #9; our second ALL-FANTASTIC FOUR issue! To celebrate the FF’s 40th Anniversary, we’re pulling out all the stops, showing 40 PAGES of Kirby’s FF pencils! We’ve got cover inks by ERIK LARSEN (plus a new LARSEN interview), and due to overwhelming demand, BRUCE TIMM makes a return engagement as a TJKC cover inker! PLUS: We’re tracking down nearly EVERY writer and artist who worked on the FF after Lee & Kirby, and asking them what their favorite Kirby issue of FF was, and why! There’s also regular columnists EVANIER, GARTLAND, and McGOVERN, and the usual plethora of unseen Kirby art. And if that’s still not enough for you, how about a new interview with STAN “The Man” LEE (just confirmed)! It’s another issue in our new KING-SIZE FORMAT, so don’t miss next issue in November! (Yeah, I know that’s a long wait, but with the birth of our daughter coming in September, there’s NO WAY I’ll get the issue done until late October; besides, when you see next issue, I think you’ll agree it was worth the wait!) Submission deadline: 8/1/01.

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Parting Shot

80

The final page from one of this magazine’s editor’s guilty pleasures, Kirby’s never-published Dingbats of Danger Street #2; inks by Mike Royer.

Read Back Issue Excerpts At: www.twomorrows.com

DRAW! #1: (104 pages with color section) MIKE MANLEY’s professional “How-To” mag on comics and cartooning, with art demonstrations by GIBBONS, ORDWAY, BLEVINS, VILLAGRAN, color BLEVINS cover & more!

ALTER EGO #2: (100 pages) Allnew THOMAS material! EISNER “SPIRIT” story, KANE, FOX & SCHWARTZ on The Atom, LARRY LIEBER & JACK BURNLEY intvs., KANIGHER, FCA, new color KANE & BURNLEY covers, more!

ALTER EGO #3: (100 pages) More all-new material by ROY THOMAS! ALEX ROSS cover & intv., JERRY ORDWAY, BILL EVERETT, CARL BURGOS, Giant FAWCETT section with C.C. BECK, SWAYZE, & more!

ALTER EGO #4: (100 pages) Allnew salute: 60 years of HAWKMAN & FLASH! ROY THOMAS remembers GIL KANE, intvs. with KUBERT, MOLDOFF, LAMPERT, FOX, FCA with BECK & SWAYZE, KUBERT covers, & more!

ALTER EGO #5: (100 pages) Special JUSTICE SOCIETY issue!

Intvs. with SHELLY MAYER, GIL KANE, MART NODELL, GEORGE ROUSSOS, FCA with BECK & SWAYZE, INFANTINO / ORDWAY wraparound cover, & more!

ALTER EGO #6: (100 pages) GENE COLAN intv., how-to books by STAN LEE and KANIGHER, ALLSTAR SQUADRON, MAC RABOY section, FCA with BECK & SWAYZE, COLAN and RABOY covers, & more!

ALTER EGO #7: (100 pages) A companion issue to the ALL-STAR COMPANION! SCHWARTZ intv., JLA-JSA teamups, more MAC RABOY, FCA with BECK & SWAYZE, BUCKLER and BECK covers, & more!

ALTER EGO #8: (100 pages) WALLY WOOD & JOE KUBERT! Bio of WOOD, ADKINS and PEARSON intvs., KUBERT intv., FCA with BECK, SWAYZE, & ORDWAY, MR. MONSTER, color WOOD & KUBERT covers & more!

COMIC BOOK ARTIST #7: (132 pages) 1970s MARVELMANIA! BYRNE, GULACY, DAN ADKINS, RICH BUCKLER, STEVE GERBER, DOUG MOENCH, JIM MOONEY, DENIS KITCHEN, new GULACY cover & more!

CBA #9: (116 pages) THE CHARLTON COMICS STORY: PART ONE! DICK GIORDANO, PETER MORISI, JIM APARO, JOE GILL, FRANK MCLAUGHLIN, SAM GLANZMAN, new GIORDANO cover, and more!

CBA #10: (116 pages) WALTER SIMONSON: OLD GODS & NEW! Also, WOMEN OF THE COMICS! MARIE SEVERIN, RAMONA FRADON, TRINA ROBBINS, JOHN WORKMAN, new SIMONSON cover, and more!

CBA #11: (116 pages) ALEX TOTH AND SHELDON MAYER! TOTH interviews, art, appreciations, checklist, and more. Also, interviews with SHELLY MAYER’s kids, the real life inspiration for SUGAR & SPIKE!

CBA #12: (116 pages) CHARLTON COMICS OF THE 1970s! Rare art by & interviews with JOE STATON, JOHN BYRNE, DON NEWTON, TOM SUTTON, MIKE ZECK, NICK CUTI, a NEW E-MAN strip, new STATON cover, and more!

CBA #13: (116 pages) MARVEL HORROR COMICS OF THE 1970s!

Rare art by & interviews with COLAN, WOLFMAN, PALMER, THOMAS, ISABELLA, FRIEDRICH, PERLIN, TRIMPE, MARCOS, new COLAN/PALMER cover, and more!

COMICOLOGY #1: (100 pages) The new magazine for MODERN COMICS fans, with a BRUCE TIMM cover, intv. & sketchbook, JEPH LOEB interview, LEA HERNANDEZ, MANYA, USAGI YOJIMBO, 60 years of ROBIN, & more!

COMICOLOGY #2: (100 pages) MIKE ALLRED interview and portfolio, 60 years of THE SPIRIT, 25 years of the X-MEN, PAUL GRIST interview and art, FORTY WINKS, new color ALLRED and GRIST covers, & more!

COMICOLOGY #3: (100 pages) CARLOS PACHECO interview and huge portfolio, ANDI WATSON interview and art, a look at what comics predicted the future would be like, new color PACHECO and WATSON covers, & more!

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #18: MARVEL issue! Intvs. w/ KIRBY, LEE, THOMAS, ROMITA, BUSCEMA, more! 68 pgs, Kirby/Sinnott cover.

KIRBY COLLECTOR #22: VILLAINS! KIRBY, RUDE, MIGNOLA interviews, FF #49 pencils, KOBRA, more! 68 pages, Kirby/Stevens cover.

#20: WOMEN! KIRBY, DAVE STEVENS Interviews, LISA KIRBY, unused 10-page story, CAPT. VICTORY screenplay, more! 68 pages.

#23: Interviews with KIRBY, DENNY O’NEIL, TRACY KIRBY, uninked FF #49 pencils, unused SOUL LOVE story, more! 68 pages.

#21: KIRBY, GIL KANE, BRUCE TIMM intvs., LEE vs. KIRBY, SILVER STAR screenplay, unpublished art, more! 68 pages.

#24: BATTLES! KIRBY’S original art fight, JIM SHOOTER, SGT. FURY, GLORY BOAT pencils, more! 68 pages, Kirby/Mignola cover.

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#29: ’70s MARVEL WORK! Interviews with KIRBY, GIFFEN, BUCKLER, ’70s COVER GALLERY, more! Kirby/Janson cover. 68 pages. #30: ’80s WORK! ALAN MOORE intv., in-depth look at HUNGER DOGS, SUPER POWERS, SILVER STAR, ANIMATION, more! 68 pages.

KIRBY COLLECTOR #31: (84 pages) New TABLOID FORMAT with wraparound KIRBY/ADAMS cover, BUSIEK and LADRONN interviews, new EVANIER column, 2-PAGE SPREADS, COLAN, SEVERIN & THOMAS on Kirby, more!

CBA COLLECTION VOL. 1

❏ #1 • SOLD OUT! ❏ #2 • $8 US ❏ #3 • $8 US ❏ #4 • $8 US ❏ #5 • $8 US ❏ #6 • $8 US ❏ #7 • $8 US ❏ #8 • $8 US

❏ $26 US

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❏ $20 US

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CBA SPECIAL EDITION ❏ $10 US (FREE with sub)

COLLECTED KIRBY VOL. 3 COMIC BOOK ARTIST ❏ $21 US ❏ #7 • $8 US ❏ #9 • $9 US ❏ #10 • $9 US ❏ #11 • $9 US ❏ #12 • $9 US ❏ #13 • $9 US

KIRBY CHECKLIST ❏ $7 US

STREETWISE ❏ $24 US

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MR. MONSTER, VOL. 0 ❏ $20 US

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FAWCETT COMPANION

(4 Tabloid-Size Issues) ❏ $36 STANDARD US ❏ $52 1ST CLASS US ❏ $60 CANADA ❏ $64 SURFACE ❏ $80 AIRMAIL

KIRBY COLLECTOR

❏ $20 US

❏ #18 • $8 US ❏ #20 • $8 US ❏ #21 • $8 US ❏ #22 • $8 US ❏ #23 • $8 US ❏ #24 • $8 US ❏ #25 • $8 US ❏ #26 • $8 US ❏ #27 • $8 US ❏ #28 • $8 US ❏ #29 • $8 US ❏ #30 • $8 US ❏ #31 • $13 US

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DRAW! ❏ #1 • $8 US

SUBSCRIPTION SPEED: KIRBY COLLECTOR #28: KIRBY INFLUENCE Part Two! MARK HAMILL, KRICFALUSI, RUDE, COLLETTA, more! Kirby/Allred cover. 84 pages.

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THESE PRICES INCLUDE US POSTAGE, AND REFLECT NEW 2001 US RATES.

❏ $17 US

WARREN COMPANION ❏ $35 US SOFTCOVER ❏ $57 US HARDCOVER*

OUTSIDE THE US, ADD: $2 Per Item CANADA $3 Per Item SURFACE $7 Per Item AIRMAIL*

PRIME8: CREATION #1 ❏ $6 US

SENSE OF WONDER ❏ $20 US

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