Jack Kirby Collector #7 by TwoMorrows Publishing

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$ 95

Fully Authorized By The Kirby Estate

$5.40 Canada $7.40 Foreign

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CELEBRATING THE LIFE & CAREER OF THE KING!

LICATIO

A Special Do uble-Size Theme ISSUE Celebrating Jack’s kid gangs!

Issue #7, Oct. 1995

An Unpublished

1987 Interview With Jack! An overview of

Simon & Kirby’s Kid Gangs In Search Of the

Unpublished Boy Explorers Kirby’s best or worst?

The Newsboy Legion and The Guardian © DC Comics, Inc., Artwork © Jack Kirby

The Dingbats Of Danger Street Unsung kid gang

The Boy Heroes Boys’ Ranch Unused pencils

Newsboy Legion Old & New

Unpublished Art From X-Men, Jimmy O lsen and others, including Pencils Befo re They Were Inked, And Much Mo re!!

Enter The BIG KIRBY CONTEST & Win Prizes! (see p age 34 fo r details)

Kirby News Our Apologies To Joe Sinnott n page two of TJKC #6, we inaccurately printed that Joe Sinnott had once offered to ink one of the Fourth World books, but DC turned him down. In a letter we received from Joe, he stated, “I never sought work at DC – I had no reason to. In fact, over the years DC often contacted me about leaving Marvel to work for them, but I turned them down.” Our published comments were based on a rumor we’d heard, and we carelessly neglected to contact Joe to confirm it. Joe, being the kind gentleman that he is, graciously accepted our apology, but it bears repeating in print. We humbly ask his forgiveness for our carelessness, and promise that we’ll be more diligent in the future in checking our facts. Joe, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this caused you, both professionally and personally.

O Jack at the 1971 San Diego Comic Con (photo by James Henry Klein)

The Golden Boys hroughout the Golden Age of Comics, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby gave “birth” to a score of young characters through their “kid gang” comics. They pioneered a hugely popular genre, and their adventures were read by thousands of readers over the years. They were the Golden Boys of comic’s first era, and their kid gang comics helped catapult them to the forefront as one of the premier teams in comics history. Though kid gang comics aren’t as prevalent today, we felt a closer examination of them was important. If you’re unfamiliar with the Simon & Kirby kid gang strips, you’re in for a treat. If you think you already know everything about them, I think you may find a few surprises waiting for you in this issue! And though we’re finally giving some much-deserved space to Jack’s Golden Age work, fans of his later work shouldn’t be disappointed, thanks to our Jimmy Olsen and Dingbats Of Danger Street articles. Finally, we wrap it all up with a short piece on “Street Code,” Jack’s autobiographical story about growing up in the real-life kid gangs. And Ken Viola’s unpublished interview with Jack is a treasure. After weeks of promoting TJKC at comic conventions in Charlotte, San Diego, and Dallas, we’re happy to bring you this kid gang issue. Thanks for your patience in waiting an extra month for it; we hope you’ll feel it was worth the wait.

About DC’s Reprints... ecently, we had a very pleasant and informative phone conversation with DC Comics Reprint Editor Bob Kahan (not ‘Kahn’ as we erroneously spelled his name in an earlier issue - our apologies, Bob!). First of all, it seems a number of you have sent some rather nasty letters to Bob complaining about the possible cancellation of the proposed Kirby Sandman, Challengers of the Unknown, and Jimmy Olsen reprint projects. For the record, none of these volumes were ever definite, just in the early thinking stages. Bob is a big Kirby fan, and wants to see these volumes published as much as you do, so let’s show him a little support! He’s working hard to get at least one Kirby volume on the 1996 schedule, and he should be commended for his efforts. Positive, constructive letters can be sent to Bob at his new address: DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Secondly, the only way these volumes will happen is if retailers think they can sell them. Bob is well aware of your interest in them (he’s gotten many letters), but if the retailers don’t think they’ll sell, the distributors won’t order them, and DC won’t publish them. So

Long live the King! The Jack Kirby Co llecto r #7

Copyrights: Orion, Dr. Bedlam, Mr. Miracle, Kalibak, Darkseid, Oberon, Big Barda, Boy Commandos, Newsboy Legion, The Guardian, Batman, Robin, Jimmy Olsen, Superman, and Dingbats Of Danger Street are © DC Comics, Inc.

John Morrow, Editor 502 Saint Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605 (919)833-8092 • FAX (919)833-8023 Email: twomorrow@aol.com (This issue’s cover is a drawing of The Newsboy Legion and The Guardian inked by Dave Stevens. The original pencil drawing is in the Kirby Unleashed portfolio.)

Edited by: John Morrow Design & Pro duction: John & Pamela Morrow Pro o freading: Richard howell

Captain America, Agent 13, Galactus, Hulk, Young Allies, X-Men, Angel, and Sentinels are © Marvel Entertainment Group.

Special thanks to : D. Hambone, Mark Evanier, Chris Harper, Richard Howell, Steve Sherman, Greg Theakston, Mike Thibodeaux, Jon Warren, & of course, Roz Kirby.

Boy Heroes, Boy Explorers, & Boys’ Ranch are © Joe Simon & Jack Kirby.

Argosy is a trademark of Richard Kyle. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted.

This Issue’s Contributo rs: Jeff Clem, Paul Doolittle, David Hamilton, Chris Harper, Richard Howell, Frank Johnson, Estate of Carol Kalish, James Henry Klein, Peter Koch, Richard Kyle, Andrew Mackler, Rich Morrissey, Leo Pando, Francis St. Martin, Daniel Serafin, Greg Theakston, Ken Viola, R.J. Vitone, and Curtis Wong. (Each Receives one free issue fo r their effo rts!)

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 2, No. 7, Oct. 1995. Published bi-monthly by TwoMorrows Advertising, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Single issues and back issues: $2.50 each U.S., $2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside N. America. 6-issue subscriptions: $12.00 US, $13.20 Canada, and $19.20 outside North America. First printing (dated 9/25/95). The initial printing of this issue was mailed the week of Oct. 2, 1995. All characters are © their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective authors.

instead of continuing to bombard Bob with letters, it’s time to let all our local retailers know that we want to see these books. Only with a groundswell of support on the retail level will these books ever get published. Lastly, just what Kirby work is likely to be reprinted soon? Probably a hardcover New Gods collection. The reason for this is economics. For anything DC published before 1950, no negatives exist at all. So DC has to pay to have the original comics scanned, the color bleached out on a computer, and the entire book recolored for good reproduction. This costs almost as much as creating new art today, which means they have to sell lots of copies to just break even. And only the black negatives exist for books published between 19501980, so those must still be recolored. Since all the negatives exist from the 1984 New Gods baxter reprints, expenses are lower and the book can make a profit with fewer copies sold.

Mob #2 Story Published! n unpublished Kirby story from In The Days Of The Mob #2 was printed in the June 1995 (Vol. 6, No. 6) issue of Robin Snyder’s fantastic publication The Comics. Order a copy for $2, or subscribe for 12 issues for $22. Send to: Robin Snyder, The Comics, 255 N. Forest #405, Bellingham, WA 98225-5833. Highly recommended!

New Tribute Book Upcoming! im Steranko is currently working on a Kirby tribute book in conjunction with Mike Thibodeaux of Genesis West. It promises to contain a large assortment of previously unseen Kirby artwork, including many pieces from the Kirby family’s private collection. But to fill the book out, Jim needs more unpublished Kirby art. If you have any obscure Kirby art in your collection, including rejected covers and pages or nice convention pin-ups, please send photocopies of it to Jim at Supergraphics, Box 4489, Reading, PA 19606. (And while you’re at it, make an extra copy and send it to us at TJKC!)

Jack Kirby: A Celebration ark Evanier reports that most of the legal hurdles are over on Jack Kirby: A Celebration, the tribute book he and Frank Miller are co-producing. The format may have to change a bit to accommodate the staggering list of artists and writers who wish to participate. Stay tuned for more details next issue. Also, Mark’s new mailing address is: 133 S. Fairfax Ave., #303, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Kirby Portfolio Preview

Golden Age Kirby Comics Online reg Theakston reports that he is supplying scans of public domain Kirby comics to the CompuServe online computer service, which will make them available for downloading in their Comics and Animation Forum. All you need is a modem, a computer, and access to CompuServe (call 800-848-8990 for information on CompuServe membership). This service should be available by the end of the year, and will feature such Golden Age classics as Jack’s Solar Legion story from Crash Comics #1, his last issue of Blue Bolt (#10), the Black Owl, and more. As for Greg’s Complete Kirby reprint series, he still needs Blue Bolt #4 & #9, Daring Mystery #7, Famous Funnies #80, and Justice Traps The Guilty #2. If you know where Greg can acquire these in any condition, call him at (404) 424-5151.

heck out Dark Horse Presents #103 (November issue) for a twopage preview of an upcoming Kirby portfolio from Dark Horse, featuring Jack’s Biblical imagery. It’s $2.95, and on sale soon.

We Need A Volunteer!

e’re working on compiling an up-to-date checklist of everything Jack ever had published (including reprints and interviews). Compiling and cross-checking all this information is a timeconsuming task, and we need a volunteer to take on the bulk of it. Qualifications should include a thorough knowledge of Jack’s work (although you’ll have interaction with many knowledgeable Kirby fans to help you out), access to a computer, good organizational skills, and a detail-oriented mind. We can’t pay for your services, but we can offer a LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION to TJKC in return! If you’re interested in volunteering, drop us a letter detailing why you feel you’re the one for the job. We look forward to hearing from you! As a starting point for the checklist, we’re using the existing one from Blue Rose Press’ The Art Of Jack Kirby. So keep sending those lists of errors and omissions from the AOJK checklist, or if you’ve got an accurate list of your own to contribute, write us!

Petitions Sent To Marvel hile attending the Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC, the San Diego Comic Con, and the Dallas Fantasy Fair this summer, we collected 773 signatures on a petition to get Marvel Comics to give Jack co-credit on his many creations. Our petition was done in conjunction with Mark Miller’s ongoing letter-writing campaign. If you didn’t get a chance to sign, send a letter to: Mr. Terry Stewart, Marvel Comics Co., 387 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10016.

Corrections From Previous Issues esides the error we made in #6 about Joe Sinnott (detailed above), there are a few other errors and omissions from past issues which need reporting: • We neglected to mention that Chic Stone inked the Esquire Magazine story about Jack Ruby from TJKC #2. • In #3, Joe Simon mistakenly mentioned that he created the Red Skull. He was actually created by Ed Herron. • In #6, we neglected to mention that Captain Victory is © Jack Kirby.

Help Get TJKC In Comics Stores e’ve got TJKC in a number of comics shops nationwide. This has increased our print run, which allows us to add extra pages from time to time, like in this issue. If your local shop doesn’t carry TJKC, show them a copy and ask them to contact us regarding quantity discounts. The more copies we print, the more we can expand TJKC - starting with color covers on each issue!

Happy Birthday, Rosalind Kirby!

Don’t forget that you can still make donations to the educational fund that was set up in Jack’s name shortly after his death. Send to: The Jack Kirby Educational Fund, Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. 3

Jack Kirby - The Master Of Comic Book Art Interviewed February 1987 by Ken Viola Introduction and interview © 1987, 1995 by Ken Viola. All rights reserved. This interview, excerpt or otherwise, cannot be reprinted nor quoted from without the express written consent of Ken Viola.

I thank God that in February 1987, before he passed through that portal to the Positive Zone and the cosmos beyond, I got to meet and interview Jack Kirby. Like a lot of you, I was fortunate enough to come of age and grow up with Jack Kirby. Over 25 years had passed since my seeking and fertile mind had first encountered and embraced Jack’s art as it leaped off the racks right into my hands. There were a lot of comic books to choose from in those days, or so it seemed, and not much money to buy with, even at 10¢ each... but Jack’s work never let you down. I can still, if I close my eyes and let myself fall back, feel that thrill of excitement and anticipation that came from the discovery of a new Kirby book. I firmly believe that the best part of us all, the finality that gives meaning, purpose and satisfaction to our lives, is the ability to communicate and share with each other what is special about being human; to feel down to the very fiber of our being that tingle, that spark deep in our soul; The Essence Of Life. When I first began the journey to make my 1987 film The Masters Of Comic Book Art, I had no idea it would end up being about The Storyteller—artists who both drew and wrote. It is the supreme challenge of the artist and their ability to tell the story —to break it down visually, in terms of content, time, space, action, emotion, reflection... et al. The accomplishment of that goal is to take the personal and private experience of the artist and give it to the reader. To then be able to communicate that same spark of life to the masses is the rarest of gifts. That achievement is Jack Kirby’s life’s work. In a medium which is comprised of a singular expression, uniquely composed of a combination of words and pictures, with Kirby’s work you almost didn’t need the words. He came from a humble and oppressed beginning. Instilled with a strong work ethic and an overwhelming thirst for survival, he self-intellectualized with his own hand, heart, and mind his means of escape. When I visited him in his home in Thousand Oaks, California, he had made it to the top of his mountain. Jack had the support and love of his wife, Roz. His children were grown. He was happy, fulfilled. The legacy of his life’s work lived on; a true triumph of the real Cap slugs it out with several baddies - uninked pencils to Captain America #103, page 17. American Dream. Close-up and in-person, Jack was bursting with energy, crackling, KEN VIOLA: When you approach the blank comic book page, how do glowing, and awe-inspiring; rough-hewn on the outside, kind and pure you service it in terms of the storytelling? inside. JACK KIRBY: I see that story first. I feel that story first. I know those Jack told me that behind Dr. Doom’s mask was a flawless, unmarked people first, and I put them down as I’d like them to live on those face that Doom could not bring himself to look upon. He told me how much pages. My stories are very sincere. My stories are people stories and he loved young people, among them kids who grew up in the 1960s, my genthere are elements that are very, very real. It doesn’t matter what the eration. On the wall in his studio was a photo of Jack with Frank Zappa. subject is, and I’ve done stories on a wide range of subjects. How well he’d come to understand human nature. I feel that no matter what kind of a story you’re going to write, if “Comic book people are the nicest people in the world,” he confided to you’re sincere in telling that story and not contriving it, you will find me. whatever you feel will have a pungent element of that story. The reader I miss him. will feel it because he’s (or she’s) no different than you. I’ve always felt 4

if I could communicate with myself, I can do it with the next guy. I never wanted a typical audience, I wanted a universal audience. I was talking to everybody. When I began with Captain America, I was saying, “Listen world, this is how I feel!” But I didn’t know it then, I wasn’t that sophisticated. Whatever I recorded in Captain America was part of my own experience. If there was a fight, it was a real fight, and I’d make it entertaining. I would choreograph it. When I was a very young boy, I used to wait for three guys to pass and figure out how to beat them up. How does one guy fight three? I would do it in Captain America. How does one guy fight ten guys? And that’s how it came out in the story. That was an element in Captain America I felt everyone would connect with. They’d seen it in movies, felt it in their own bodies and in their own brains. Many entertained those thoughts and of course never have done anything about them. But if you come from a restricted and unsophisticated area, you will entertain those thoughts in a confrontational way and endanger yourself just to see if they’ll work! (laughter) And that’s what I did. I unconsciously drew upon my own

feelings, which were very real... and they came off the page. That helped me in my job, which was to sell comic books. I never felt I was going to be a Rembrandt. I never wanted to be. I sold those books, I was making a salary, and was bringing that money home. KV: Legends, myths and classics have been revitalized and redefined by you. Why were you drawn to them? JK: Legends are real. They’re real because they have been fossilized by real people. In my estimation, it doesn’t matter that they might have an unreal foundation. I felt that legends were born from the urge to soften someone’s suffering. If you were a Viking, and you just got back from a raid, looking like hell, covered with blood... and you looked down at yourself and felt miserable... there was always Thor hammering away heroically at the top of the mountain. The lightning would flash and great Odin was there smiling at ya. In those days, all these glamorous figures couldn’t come off a movie screen. They had to originate all by themselves to, I think, eliminate the personal suffering of the kind of life those people led. And it was suffering. Fighting is suffering, being fought with is suffering. There has to be an alleviation; a lighter moment from that kind of thing. I think that we’re just emerging from the middle ages. You can see yourself in heroic proportions and yet look in the mirror and see how miserable you look. All that fabric has been torn by use. You’re not the cleanest-looking guy in the world. You don’t look like the hero you imagine. So you’ve got to dredge up some heroic figures. They’ve done that throughout the ages. Zeus became Jupiter, who became Odin. I guess Odin became Wotan. Because these tribesmen (savages) had to have that kind of figure to glamorize their own existence, to entertain their own souls. They had to tell themselves that whatever they did was in superhuman terms, or else they couldn’t survive. There are people to this day who are trying to survive previous wars. It’s hard. And that’s why they have to become legendary. Today they make movies, and the movies become the myths, the entertainment. A Vietnam vet can look at a film and say, “That was me. It’s horrible stuff, but I had the guts to do it, to live through that. Yes, it may be savagery, but it takes a man to do it, and that man was me.” All history is like that. People creating myths to survive. Just as they want to survive in battle, they have to survive their entire life experience. I don’t know how long that was for the early people, but it must’ve been very extreme and very hard to survive, and I believe that’s why we have these dramatic myths. KV: Similarly, after World War I and then the Depression, came super-heroes. Do you think that’s why they evolved? JK: Oh, yes! The super-heroes were created by two ordinary young fellas from the Midwest. They gave us these tremendous myths that are now internationally known. Super-heroes are very American. I say that because I love America. I think Americans are honest and forthright, dreamers and doers. Here were young people who gave us a myth A rare drawing both penciled and that I think rivals the inked by Jack. classics we have like Moby Dick, Treasure Island. It may even be greater than that. I think that’s a tremendous achievement. The young people that came after them and did the same thing were giving you not only their life experience, but their willingness and gutsiness 5

to do something beyond their own way of life, for which they had no method. They were willing to put themselves in that position, to create new myths, which is not a small job, and did it! I think it’s not only laudable, but natural. I think every one of us has the potential and the urge to do it. Some of us do it with music, a lot of us with pencils, some with machines. The best car I ever drove was worked on by a young man who loved to work with automobile engines. This fella was an artist, he gave me a myth-making car. If I had Pegasus, I’d have felt the same as I did about that car, because it ran so smoothly that only an artist could’ve done that. And I feel that in his way this young mechanic did what I had done all my life. KV: You’ve said that the intellectual approach to your work was based on growing up in New York. JK: It had to be. Whatever way of life I projected was fashioned by what I was. Whether I wrote about Europeans, or people from other regions, it was my limited impressions that were put on those pages. They were involving impressions and somehow they made their way to the reader because he felt like I did. I’m a people writer. I know the next guy. I know what he’s thinking, what he’s capable of. The age of the writer is immaterial. I’m no wiser now than I was at that time. I knew people well, I was brought up among throngs of them. I remember doing an editorial cartoon in which Neville Chamberlain was patting the head of a boa constrictor — who was Hitler. In the center of the snake was a bulge which I labeled Czechoslovakia. Neville Chamberlain had just given Czechoslovakia to Hitler. The boss of the syndicate called me in. He sez, “You’re only a young squirt. How dare you draw a political cartoon like that?!” During that day it was really important. These things were really happening. We either satirized or projected them in many ways. And he sez, “How would you know about these things?” I said, “It’s not a matter of politics to me. I know a gangster when I see one! If you give a gangster one thing, he’s gonna ask for more!” That was the way of things. It’s something you just know and when you put it down the other guy understands. All my stories have been that way, they’ve never been contrived. If I wrote Peter Pan, you would like it. Peter Pan would be a real great kid, and the characters would be the kind of people you liked, or disliked... and whatever I wrote would be positive, because ahead I feel there’s a happy ending for us all. That may be from my love of the movies. I can’t interpret it any other way. I feel it’s real, and no matter what happens, the ending is correct. The ending is dramatic and we can understand it. And I hope everyone can interpret their own script. KV: What are your basic concepts for the hero and the villain? JK: The hero to me is an extreme, an ordinary guy in an extreme position. The villain is the same except the results of his actions can be very harmful and drastic. The hero’s actions can resolve the situation in positive terms. He would do it for the villain’s own good and welfare. The hero isn’t a cardboard figure, and neither is the villain or the victim. I feel that all three have to

correct a very extreme situation in some hopeful manner, and that reflects in every story that I write. The hero isn’t free from the same things that plague the villain. They are both human beings with problems. The villain has the problem of greed, vengeance or whatever plagues him and it must be resolved. One villain I had was a likable fellow, and he’d give you a pretty good meal before he’d finish you off. He’d be nice and that was a realistic part of his make-up. He just had style but his intentions were very evil and destructive. He had the kind of problems that made him destructive, and therefore these problems not only had to be altered, but analyzed in some way, so they could be resolved. And the hero was the form of analysis. KV: There was an incredible run of issues of the Fantastic Four, in which you created Galactus, the Silver Surfer, the Inhumans, and the Black Panther. JK: Yes, that’s true. KV: Do you recall that period of creative breakthrough, and your inspirations? JK: My inspirations were the fact that I had to make sales and come up with characters that were no longer stereotypes. In other words, I couldn’t depend on gangsters, I had to get something new. For some reason I went to the Bible, and I came up with Galactus. And there I was in front of this tremendous figure, who I knew very well because I’ve always felt him. I certainly couldn’t treat him in the same way I could any ordinary mortal. And I remember in my first story, I had to back away from him to resolve that story. The Silver Surfer is, of course, the fallen angel. When Galactus relegated him to Earth, he stayed on Earth, and that was the beginning of his adventures. They were figures that had never been used before in comics. They were above mythic figures. And of course they were the first gods. I began thinking along those lines, and The New Gods evolved. I began to ask myself, “Everybody else had their gods. What are ours? What is the shape of our society in the form of myths and legends? Who are our gods? Who are our evil ones, and our good ones?” I tried to resolve this in the New Gods, and I came up with some very interesting characters, and very good sales, which satisfied me immensely. Now, I didn’t resolve the questions. I’m a guy who lives with a lot of questions, and I find that very interesting. I say, “What’s out there?” and I try to resolve that, and I never can. I don’t think anybody can. Who’s got the answers? I’d sure like to hear the ultimate one. But I haven’t yet, and so I live with a lot of questions. I find that entertaining. If my life were to end tomorA Galactus row, it would be fulfilled in that manner. I drawing would say the questions have been terrific! done for I’ve had a good time. MarvelMania. So I felt these new characters I’d come up with were very valid and very real. They asked the question which is rarely asked in our society. It’s felt and seen but rarely asked. Who are our gods? I’m sure you and I will never see 6

Darkseid, and yet I know he’s there. You and I will never see Highfather yet I know he’s there. You and I will never tread on New Genesis... maybe on part of Apokolips —but we know those planets exist, at least I think so. Metron, to my mind, is an advance in mythology. We’ve never had a character like that before. He’s our will to know, our will to find out. If you look at high tech anywhere, you’ll see the reflection of Metron, and you know it’ll never stop, that curiosity will never stop. They’re working with computer chips and organic cells at this very moment. And where that will stop—I don’t know—but it’s an interesting question. What will the product be? Metron would like to know! KV: Metron wasn’t just an observer... JK: Oh, he participated. He compromised. Show me where that’s an inhuman quality. KV: He played both sides of the fence. JK: Yes. KV: How did you approach the development of your art? JK: I approached it by dramatizing my drawing. I’m an inveterate moviegoer. I think as a kind of human camera. I am the camera and I know if you come close to me you’ll distort in some way, foreshorten in some way. And of course, to me that’s a dramatic happening. I experimented with that and it worked. I gave myself the toughest perspective there was, just to see if it would work. I’m just that kind of person. I would take perspectives which I felt were impossible, and made them possible. I experiment all the time, and with drawing the results were good. I think I have a highly unique and unusual style, and that’s the reason I never sign my drawings. Everybody could tell any of my covers a mile away on the newsstand, and that satisfied me. I had no wishes beyond doing the kind of drawing that would attract attention — and I did that. KV: If you look at the drawing you did from the ’40s to mid-’60s, and then The original pencils to the self-portrait used in Jack’s 1984 Hunger Dogs Graphic Novel. after that, there’s a discernible difference. JK: It’s true in the sense that I was doing a different kind of thing after there – that was what the ’60s looked like, and I felt that the timely the ’60s. I began to go deeper into subjects I’d done before. touch was what was necessary. If you see my drawings in the ’50s, you’ll see the ’50s reflected Even in my legends, you will find that many of the questions there—and that goes for all the objects in the illustrations, from asked in the ’50s and ’60s were also asked and pondered upon in my automobiles to clothes to buildings. later work. I felt those were important questions. If you see my drawings in the ’60s, you’ll see the ’60s reflected My greatest joy was just speaking to young people of those times, 7

and I spoke to many of them and had a wonderful time. People would send me their term papers and ask me to analyze my own characters. They’d ask, “Who is Orion? Who is the Black Racer?” I’d never really asked myself that before. I just drew what I felt. In analyzing Orion, who is a murderer caught up among people who love him (laughter), on a planet where everyone was friends, he couldn’t give way to his own instincts. He was frustrated. He used to sit and commiserate with his own thoughts in some kind of cave on New Genesis. Here was a man who wanted to love and hate at the same time, and couldn’t do either. I knew who that kind of man was. I was asked, “Why do you put a black man in a colorful costume on skis?” I knew who the Black Racer was. Maybe that was the only way he could fly. And of course I feel there is a problem there... people everywhere want to say, “Here I am—this is what I do...” That’s what I was saying with those people —with everybody in that particular strip. Orion was saying, “Relieve me of this frustration!” and Darkseid was saying, “What am I doing? I’ve got everything... but not everything; I want it all!” And of course that was his frustration. There are people like that, who want it all; come damn close to getting it. There are people like Highfather who A 1970s drawing are playing of the Hulk. everybody else’s game and suddenly realize that they haven’t been playing theirs. He solved his problem by saying, “This is what I am. I’m always going to be this way.” In that particular vein I’ve written and drawn all my characters. I respect people and feel I owe it to them to reflect their own existence, which I feel is what people want. All the next guy wants to say is, “Here I am. You don’t have to tell me what to do, I’ll do it my own way. But how about you and I? What should we do together on this world?” I think we’ve always been trying to say that through the ages, even through all that isolation from each other. We all live together on the same planet. It’s not a map to me, it’s a world. People believe

that the world is marked by borders, but to me, it’s not. Because if we don’t take a direction different from that, we’re in trouble. KV: You’re famous for dynamic action bursting right out of panels. JK: Because I felt that’s what happens. If you’re at the business end of a fist, that’s what you’d see, or if you’re involved with a blast, that would be your impression. I felt it would be my own, so I drew it that way. KV: To quote you: “A man can simply do his job and use this mystic connection to put out his work.” What drove you to create so many incredible concepts and prolifically produce so many pages at the same time? JK: To sustain my magazines, I had to continually entertain. Therefore, I had to seek new angles, new subjects, new developments, new ways of keeping that entertainment alive, and that’s what I did. KV: But out of all the people in the comic book field, I can’t think of anyone more prolific. JK: Well, I think it’s one of the reasons for my own longevity in the field. I wanted to do that, do my job well. I wanted to sell magazines and it became part of my life. It was my own way of fulfilling myself, and I did that. I’m still doing it. It’s the kind of guy I developed into and I doubt I’d be able to change. KV: When you created such great heroes and villains, how did you approach their costumes... like, say, Dr. Doom? JK: I tried to develop the costumes along classic lines. Dr. Doom was the classic conception of Death, of approaching Death. I saw Dr. Doom as The Man In The Iron Mask, who symbolized approaching Death. It was the reason for the armor and the hood. Death is connected with armor and inhuman-like steel. Death is something without mercy and human flesh contains that element of mercy. Therefore I had to erase it, and I did it with a mask. 8

KV: The collages you designed to visually depict universes, how did you come up with that? JK: I felt that magazine reproduction could handle that kind of change and it added an extra dimension to comics. I wanted to see if it could materialize and it did. I loved doing collages. I made a lot of good ones, still can. I feel that everybody should. It would amaze you what the ordinary fellow could do with materials other than bristol board and apply them in the field of publishing. Collages are a game we can all play, and have a great time with.

product of the times and if they’re sincere, you’ll see the times reflected in the attitudes of their heroes and villains. If they’re good writers and good artists, you’ll see human beings of these times in the characters that these people create. I see a lot of talent, and I hope it materializes in ways that are constructive, that we can all learn from, muse over, and think about. There has to be hope there. A positive element. A good time. KV: Could you sum up what is so special about the comic book medium? JK: The comic book medium itself is special, the result of evolvement. From what I understand the editorial comic was first, and they added a few panels to that, and you had a comic strip. They added a few pages to that and you had a comic book... and what we can add to the comic book—we may have to think about that. That’s what I think is the interesting part of the field—to say, ‘What is it? Where is it going? How will it evolve?’ and we experiment with that every day.

KV: As someone who’s been in the field from the beginning, how have comic books changed, to you? JK: I believe they’ve changed in attitude. They’ve softened a bit, the attitudes are not as extreme. They’ve gone into areas where I’ve never trod... perhaps having never judged men, I’m not going to judge comic books. I don’t know how well they do or don’t do, but I’ve seen the change. I feel that age is never the problem, I only believe that the person himself is the problem. I know what I know, what I think. It’s all there in my mind. And if I can interpret the times correctly, I know I’m in perfect tune with them.

KV: You’ve been quoted as calling yourself “a showman and a performer.” Why? JK: Because we all are. I believe that’s what life is. We all do our own performance, and then the curtain comes down, and the act is over.

KV: Were you influenced by certain movies, pulps, science-fiction? JK: Of course, of course. The pulps were the written word, and the movies were the visual world. I learned them both. I learned to write dramatically from the pulps. My heroes were the writers of the pulps and the actors of the movies. I merged them both. I read all I could and saw all I could, and when that became limited, I went further. There are more dimensions to everything then we can imagine. I live by the fact that this is a dimensional world, nothing is cut and dry. I won’t accept it that way, and that’s how I work within it.

Masters of Comic Book Art (1987) Video with Eisner, Kurtzman, Kirby, Ditko, Adams, Wrightson, Moebius, Miller, Sim, Spiegelman. Host: Harlan Ellison. Available VHS for $23.00 postpaid from: Ken Viola 17 Kensington Terrace Maplewood, NJ 07040-1354 Please allow 4 weeks for delivery and handling.

KV: What do you see in the future for comic books? JK: Whatever the artists and writers want to see. What they feel is a

produced specifically for this company. The work appears to be inked by Charles Nicholas, the principal inker on the strip at that time (behind Simon, and Kirby himself ). The decals each have a copyright date of 1945 on them, but the package notes a 1946 copyright date. It appears that the set was issued after the war was over. A patriotic set without a purpose. Neither page has any Nazis on them, strictly Japanese, so the work must have been prepared during the summer of 1945. There is no copyright other than that of Detective Comics, Inc. I tried to steam them apart, but without any luck. I soaked them in water for two days, but the shellac that the tattoos are printed on had bonded to the paper, and I was forced to peel the two pages apart, tearing the tattoos. I will eventually fix the damaged page on my computer, but in the meantime, here is the top page, scanned, reversed, and photo enhanced for your inspection.

Rare Kirby Item Discovered! by Greg Theakston Let me brag. I’ve been collecting and recording Jack Kirby’s work since I was 14 years old. I’m in my 27th year of tracking down those elusive items for the master collection. I’m attempting to file an example of every known drawing that Jack ever did (a huge task, but not undoable). My most recent addition, Boy Commandos Decal Transfers, may be the most elusive Kirby item in the entire output of his career. I’ve only seen one, and I snatched it up. Let me tell you more. Over a year ago I was shopping for comics in my hometown of Detroit. I was visiting Dave’s Comics in Royal Oak, and was checking out the additions to the ever-flowing stock. I almost missed them at first, but there they were, hanging above the high-priced specialty comics. There were two sealed plastic bags that said “Ultra Rare Tattoos!” One was The Boy Commandos and the other was The Blue Beetle. Each had a 10 cent price tag printed on them. I reached up and pulled the BC tattoos down, snapped the tape back and pulled out the treasure. Oh, no, the two pieces stuck together! That accounted for why the BC tattoos were selling for $50 as compared to the BB for $75. Both pages of Beetle tattoos were in perfect shape, but nowhere near as interesting as the Kirby items. Even in a damaged condition, I gladly paid the fare. If somebody had offered me a previouslyunknown Kirby comic with 2 pages, I’d have paid $50 just as quickly. The package had gotten wet over the years and the bottom sheet became attached to the top. I could see the backs of beautiful drawings of the Boy Commandos as well as the neat logo! Peeling the page back where I could, I could see more great images. Best of all, these are NOT pick-up art from published stories, but custom artwork 9

Simon & Kirby’s Kids Go To War! by R. J. Vitone readers the chance to contribute directly to that success? The response was terrific. The badge went back to press at least three times before war-time metal restrictions forced cancellation of the promotion. But the groundwork was laid. Bucky became de facto head of hundreds of thousands of Sentinels, usually speaking to them right from special bulletin pages in the comics. Simon and Kirby followed the logical progression of the situation. It was clearly time to create a new feature using kids as central characters. And so Young Allies #1 was born.

ne of the trademarks of Simon and Kirby was a seemingly endless volume of sheer inventiveness. During the early 1940s, the team re-shaped tired (for even then) clichés and made them look fresh. Finding inspiration in old dime novels, radio dramas, feature films, and news reports of the day, they created entire new fields of comic book genres that exist even now. One of the most enduring and best remembered was the kid gang motif, and nobody did it better.

The Young Allies - Sidekicks Go Solo Kid sidekicks were hardly a new idea. The Shield at MLJ had one. So did The Human Torch. Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Robin for Batman at DC because, “Batman didn’t have anyone to talk to, and it got a little tiresome always having him thinking.” Simon and Kirby had introduced Bucky in the very first Cap story, but the basic idea of the Young Allies strip was very different. Here was a cross-section of American kids caught up in fantastic situations fighting frightening villains, all against a background of the World War—and almost no adults around to spoil the fun! That first issue introduced all of what would be standard in the field for years to come—a small group of pals, inner rivalries, playful (often deadly) antics, and terrific adventures. The Young Allies were led by Bucky (even though Toro argued that point), and included some soon-to-be familiar stereotypes: Percival Aloysius “Knuckles” O’Toole, the Brooklyn Dead-End Kid; Jefferson Worthington Sandervilt, rich boy inventor; Henry “Tubby” Tinkle, the fat kid; and “Whitewash” Jones, the Harlem black kid with a harmonica. Where their parents were or how this group could ever strike terror into an enemy’s heart never concerned S&K. The team did some minor work on the first issues (cover and splash for each chapter of number one, plus issue two’s cover), and then suddenly left Timely. Ironically, one of the reasons they left was the success of the Sentinels of Liberty club. Joe Simon said years later that of all the dimes that rolled in for those membership kits, Jack and Joe never got even one of them. So it was over to DC Comics, then king-of-the-hill in the comics field, and time to re-invent the kid gang.

Could any red-blooded kid resist Cap’s call? The art looks to be more Simon than Kirby.

The Sentinels Of Liberty - Comics’ First Kid Gang During the early success of Captain America Comics at Timely, a hugely popular promotion was run featuring the Sentinels of Liberty badge. Just about every Timely title ran colorful ads for the kit. By sending in a dime, hero-worshiping readers could possess not only the bronze shield with Cap’s likeness on it, but would also become full-fledged members of the nationwide Sentinels of Liberty club. The gimmick was simple and brilliant. Since most of Cap’s readers were young boys, and since the title was a runaway hit, why not offer those

(left and middle) Splash pages from Young Allies #1. (right) Splash page from Star Spangled #9, June 1942. 10

Needless to say, it became a long period. The basic strength of the Simon and Kirby Newsboy Legion run lay in one simple area: storytelling. Each issue of Star Spangled wove a new tale around some facet of life in “Suicide Slum.” In fact, Kirby knew those streets well. In his early twenties by the time he moved over to DC, Jack had grown up in that area of New York known as “Hell’s Kitchen.” When he transferred the images of his youth to the pages of the Newsboy Legion, he drew on those childhood memories, mixed them with a touch of Hollywood romanticism, and produced a striking backdrop for each new story. From the kids who played in the streets to the cops who chased them, right on through the immigrant shopkeepers and gossiping housewives, they all sprang from Kirby’s own unique vision. Except for a stray Nazi agent who wandered into the area, almost every threat came from home-grown thugs. A Kirby stock company of hoods became interchangeable plot devices, and the simple honesty of the gang sometimes was all it took to help them see the light and go straight. Will Eisner occasionally used the same formula, but usually it came across with a touch of tongue-in-cheek. The gentle humor that shines out of the Newsboy Legion run was another trademark of S&K. Corny? Maybe. But very well-done corn. From that first story in April ’42, Kirby drew the covers and a thirteen-page story for almost every issue of Star Spangled until number 30. Long after the team had left the strip, the title sported covers with the distinctive S&K signatures. Where did they go? Off to war, that’s where! Not literally. Not yet. That reality was just ahead. But another chapter in comics history came first.

A DC house ad shows S&K turning out stories. They look happy, don’t they?

Enter The Newsboy Legion & The Guardian! When Simon and Kirby switched over to DC, they hit the ground at full gallop. The Newsboy Legion was the third strip they introduced, and the first featuring characters wholly created by the team for their new publisher. (The revamped Sandman and Sandy came first, then the re-designed Manhunter. Both strips ran in Adventure Comics.) Dated April 1942, Star Spangled # 7 cover-featured S&K’s latest effort. That the gang elbowed the incumbent star of the comic (Star Spangled Kid) to back-up status showed just how highly the powers-that-be at DC thought of their new artist/writer team. Expanding on the concepts introduced in Young Allies, the first Newsboy Legion tale spun fresh twists into a formula epic: Jim Harper, resolute, square-jawed rookie policeman, assumes the persona of The Guardian. His quest: Stamp out crime in Suicide Slum... and have a helluva good time doing it!

Boy Commandos - Kids Go To War! The United States entered World War II in December 1941. Any casual student of comics history knows that many super-heroes had been fighting fascism long before that date. Superman routinely tossed foreign despots around, Blackhawk blitzed the Axis in Quality’s Military Comics, and the Sub-Mariner sank many a Nazi U-boat long before Pearl Harbor. Simon and Kirby’s Captain America was a direct response to the “Jap-a-Nazi” threat, and the Red Skull remains perhaps the most notorious war-time villain of all. Hitler himself often crossed the lines of disbelief to “guest-star” in many a comic-book story. As exciting as the Newsboy Legion was, their battlefield was restricted mainly to Suicide Slum... but what if they had guns...? Detective Comics # 64 (June ’42) introduced The Boy Commandos starring Rip Carter. Once again, the now-familiar basics were there. A multi-national gang of kids function as mascots and operatives for a British-based elite commando force led by U.S. Army Captain Rip Carter. By design or not, each symbolizes a nation involved in the war: Andre Chavard, hoping to free France; Alfy Twidgett, jovial English subject; Jan Haasen, blond Holland refugee; and (of course) Brooklyn, street-wise wise-guy who actually carried a tommygun in his trusty violin case. The group was led (or refereed) by Captain Carter, who struck a solid, very determined image but had a heart of gold under it all. As is often the case in a series like this, once Splash page from Detective Comics #65.

A sketch Jack did for a fan while stationed at Camp Stewart, GA in WWII. Speed was the key. Jack Kirby produced a staggering amount of high-quality pages during this period. The accelerated output showed through in the pace of the stories. The intro of Jim Harper and his origin as The Guardian takes up only two pages! Kirby’s art flowed with that pace. Pages became pushed-together vignettes as scenes collided at break-neck speed. Dynamic figures stretch with exaggerated power, and when The Guardian throws a punch, hoods fly out of the panel gutters, breaking more than just the Laws of Physics! And just when you think this will turn out to be “just another” super-hero story, along come four ragged street corner newspaper sellers: Tommy, leader of the gang; Gabby, the rambunctious talker; Big Words, the “professor;” and Scrapper, the Flatbush slum kid with an impossible accent. (Maybe he was related to the soon-to-come Brooklyn of the Boy Commandos?) Arrested for petty crimes, the boys are about to be tossed in jail until their twenty-first birthdays. Jim Harper saves the day, taking responsibility for the orphans for a “trial period.” 11

you got past the fact that kids would be allowed to participate in out-and-out wartime adventures, the rest of the ride would be fun—and what fun! Boy Commandos remains one of the most enduring creations of the Simon and Kirby team. The strip was so well received by the readers that it quickly moved from back-up status (in Detective) to all-star feature (in World’s Finest) to its own fullblown title (Boy Commandos #l, Winter Boy Commandos #2 cover—ouch, Adolph! 1942). This at a time when early war-time paper restrictions had forced DC and other publishers to cut back many of their old-line titles to bi-monthly or even quarterly frequency. Not only was this another twist on the kid gang theme, this was new. For the first time, a team of S&K kids would range the world, fighting real battles against well-armed enemies! There were no restrictions: One story would have the boys in France looking for a Nazi agent; the next would have them bound for Russia aboard cargo ships in enemy waters; then the next would put them in

the lost valley of Shangri-La. As global in scope as the war really was, so too was the Boy Commandos strip. What interest it must have caused! These were kids after all, fighting real villains! And if there were no restrictions in the storylines, there were certainly none in the art either. Kirby opened up his pages as never before. With so much scope and ordinance to cram into each story, he had to. Right from the first story, the speed and solid narrative sense of the S&K early years shone through, but there were some new innovations. By 1942, quite a bit of film-influenced layout and design had begun to show up on the pages of the team’s stories. New ways to compress time and enhance action were being experimented with. Round panels to isolate dramatic focal points were used more and more. Close-ups of character’s faces and eyes (a Kirby trademark) began to appear and panel designs took on some jarring new angles. Some panels with no dialogue appeared frequently, emphasizing the stealthy movements of the gang in deadly situations. Many stories were told in newsreeltype documentary fashion, while others were laid out in flashback, told to the reader by a participant. The kids were the stars of the series, but the stories often revolved around them, and were not just concerned with their actions. That Kirby kept any sense of continuity in the strip is amazing, since the locales and supporting characters changed according to the demands of the script. (But that continuity is another truly amazing facet of Jack’s career. Years after leaving Boy Commandos behind, he was called on to pencil the cover for Sgt. Fury #15, showing the Howlers helping a kid in Holland. That kid bears a strong resemblance to Jan. Apparently Jack’s pencil had a long memory.) Out-and-out war-time propaganda was a major part of the series. All of the fascists were vicious stereotypes. Italians were portrayed as fat, dumb, hopeless soldiers. Japanese were always buck-toothed, with

Double-page splash from Boy Commandos #2. A prime example of why the Simon & Kirby signatures sold comics. 12

thick round glasses, no honor, and horrible accents. (This strip was a hot-bed of accents!) The Germans fared best, as their regular soldiers were stout and stupid, while their officers were ratfaced, devious murderers. Kirby’s covers and splash pages for Boy Commandos stand out today as prime examples of war-time symbolism. Every aspect of war appears on those covers, from battlefield attacks to parachuting into enemy areas. This was the only time the Commandos would Explosions, gun-fire, appear on the cover of Detective. Simon & Kirby hand-to-hand combat drew their squad, Jerry Robinson did the rest. and other mayhem filled every story, and bodies flew everywhere. Even if war wasn’t pretty, Kirby’s vision of it had an awesome quality of grandeur punching out of the pages. One story stands out in the war-time run: “ISS VE NOT DER SUPERMEN?”appeared in World’s Finest #15 (Winter 1943). The plot is simple. Hitler’s henchmen dream up a contest to appease their angry fuehrer. The German people need a dose of positive propaganda, so why not give them an ideal? A contest to crown the perfect Aryan Superman! Entries are drawn from all walks of life, civilians and the military (“Congratulations Cpl. Lowtz! You vill make a fit representitive for our brave wehrmacht,” says the Nazi officer. “Ya mein Cheneral! Did I not shoot forty Russian vimmin at vun time in a church?” replies the applicant!). Oh... and the underground “imports” Rip Carter to enter as “Eric Carter.” The boys come along as his trainers. Infighting and treachery reduces the contestants to just Rip and the Gestapo’s man. Since a fair fight is out of the question, the gang has to save Rip from a kidnapping. They arrive at the packed Berlin Sportspalist just in time for the battle. (Hitler arrives fashionably late, wearing his new Zoot uniform. “Adolph! Bleeze! Tell me your tailor’s name!” drools an excited Goering.) The 10-page build-up stops short as Rip plows through the Nazi in seconds, tossing the beaten thug right in Hitler’s lap. All hell breaks loose as the Boy Commandos and the underground seize the podium and take control of the radio communications center. Bullets fly in all directions as Rip Carter calls out to the shocked listeners. In a ringing speech he lays the truth out for a war-weary world: “Listen humanity! Do you hear those guns? It’s the thunder of free men, pouring their defiance and hatred into the lying teeth of Hitler and his Nazi beasts!” Smoke fills a blood-red sky as Rip continues: “Yes, beasts! Only beasts would massacre the helpless, starve the conquered and torture the captured! The Nazis are not supermen but super-beasts! Beasts with minds to conquer and weapons to kill!” The final panel shows soldiers of the allied armies revolving around Rip’s words: “The real supermen are fighting in China and the Pacific,exterminating the Nazis in Russia, smashing at them from England and striking them down in “conquered” territories! They are fighting for an ideal far above beasts... and Nazis!’’ And this “comic-book” story ends right there.

By the time that story saw print, Jack Kirby had been drafted and sent off for basic training. Joe Simon served as well. They had prepared by producing an amazing volume of extra covers and layouts for all of their DC strips. Even while S&K served their country, their creations continued to do so at home. The Boy Commandos remained popular, even after the war that sparked the strip’s creation ended. When the Simon and Kirby team re-formed after their discharges, it seemed obvious they would pick up the strip where they left off. That wasn’t the case. According to Greg Theakston and other historians, DC had continued to pay the team royalties on that backlog material throughout the war. Apparently the DC editors figured S&K would settle back in on an exclusive basis. But Joe Simon had cut a deal with Harvey Publications for a few new series, and DC cut Kirby back to just sporadic duties over the remaining life of the Boy Commandos title. There was a post-war comics boom. Times were changing, tastes were different, and there were exciting new worlds for Simon and Kirby to explore. It wasn’t in Simon and Kirby’s nature to go along with trends—it was their style to make styles. A new wave of inventiveness lay ahead for the team, so the kid gang concept had to be left behind for awhile. The kid gang remains an important part of comics pages even today. Jack Kirby’s art continued to grow and to modify with the times, but the originality and power always remained. His art is the art of impassioned frenzy, fighting through to a satisfying end. The resultant images burn forever into the imagination, and the reader is left with a sense of a narrative progression, not just a story. Who knows? Without the Sentinels of Liberty promotion, would the kid gang ever have been invented? Probably. And you can bet that Kirby would have included a kid from Brooklyn in the first story as well!

We Need Writers!! ere’s a tentative list of upcoming issues, and some ideas you could write about. In some cases, we can supply research materials for you to use, so get creative and get in touch with us today! And don’t limit yourself to these ideas!

#8 (Dec. 1995) - Miscellaneo us Issue

We need articles on any aspect of Jack’s life or career you’re interested in, especially convention stories. #9 (Feb. 1996) - Fantastic Fo ur Issue

Different viewpoints on the Fantastic Four, Inhumans, Silver Surfer, Black Panther, Watcher - if it’s from the FF, we want it! #10 (Apr. 1996) - Humo r Issue

Fighting American, Not Brand Echh!, From Here To Insanity, Destroyer Duck, Lockjaw The Alligator, Earl The Rich Rabbit, Satan’s Six, etc. Or just send us your funniest Kirby story! #11 (June 1996) - Ho llywo o d Issue

The Lord Of Light project, The Black Hole newspaper strip, RubySpears animation work, Marvel cartoons, etc. #12 (Aug. 1996) - Fo reign Issue

Foreign subscribers! We need submissions from outside the US, about discovering Jack’s work in other countries, availability of Kirby work overseas, or anything else you’d care to write about. #13 (O ct. 1996) - Hallo ween Issue

The Demon, Black Magic, Strange World Of Your Dreams, Atlas Monsters, Devil Dinosaur, Chamber of Darkness, Kirby costumes, and other spooky subjects. 13

In Search Of... The Boy Explorers! by Frank Johnson and John Morrow

fter being discharged from the military at the end of World War II, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created a promising new series for Harvey Comics called The Boy Explorers. But the easing of paper rationing at the end of the war brought a flood of post-war titles to the stands, and Boy Explorers was crowded out and cancelled after only one issue. That first issue sent the lads on a quest to complete seven arduous tasks, or face death! But did they ever complete those tasks? We went searching for answers, and compiled this list of their appearances, including ads, text-only stories, and some unpublished stories.

Stuntman #1 (April 1946) This issue contains a 2-page text-only story entitled “The Boy Explorers Meet Commodore Sinbad” (note the misspelling of “Sindbad”). It was later reprinted in Thrills Of Tomorrow #19. According to cover dates, this text story pre-dates Boy Explorers #1.

Boy Explorers #1 (May 1946) Following the formula of their previous successful kid groups, Joe and Jack developed an intrepid group of youngsters to assist crusty old Commodore Sindbad in his quest for adventure: Smiley, the AllAmerican boy; Gadget, boy inventor; Gashouse, streetwise Brooklyn transplant; and Mr. Zero, a pint-sized tot. The premiere 12-page story entitled “Talent For Trouble” served as a prologue to what promised to be an epic adventure that would stretch over several issues. It seems

Splash page from the story in Joe Palooka #5. that in his youth, Commodore Sindbad had promised to marry the Princess Latima, and she had just shown up to collect on that promise. Looking for a way out of the marriage, Sindbad heads to the Bluehills Orphanage, where he finds the four boys getting into mischief. He proceeds to adopt the four from Miss Prunella Axehandle, the proprietress of the orphanage. But the Princess won’t let Sindbad off the hook that easily. She gives him a choice: Marry her or duplicate the seven heroic feats of “Sindu San—the greatest sailor who ever lived!” And the price for failure is death! The kids voice their support, and a fired-up Commodore is ready to take on the first task. The story ends with the Commodore telling the boys they must travel to the “edge of the world” to face the old man of the sea. This issue featured an ad that supposedly showed the cover of Boy Explorers #2. Although the copy in the ad says, “The Boy Explorers Find The Edge Of The World,” the cover depicts an underwater scene that doesn’t take place in the “Edge Of The World” story, and was meant to accompany the unpublished “Centropolis” story which would’ve run in issue #3. So the cover shown in the ad in issue #1 is really issue #3.

Stuntman #2 (June 1946) Splash page to Boy Explorers #1 - the prologue to the Seven Tasks.

This issue contains another 2-page text-only story entitled “Triumph For The Boy Explorers.” Although it runs opposite an ad for 14

some type in the last panel of the story, which probably stated that a story called “The Laughing Lizard” appeared elsewhere in that issue.

sk The Comic Book Makers, by Joe Simon 2nd Ta It wasn’t until 1990 that their second task was finally published. After being lost for years, the 12 pages of art for “The Laughing Lizard” story finally turned up in the Harvey warehouse, and Joe Simon published it in his book The Comic Book Makers. In the story, the Commodore takes the boys to a forgotten prehistoric continent where they must pull a tooth from the mouth of a brontosaurus named Smedley. Joe also included the pencils from the unfinished splash page in his book. The tale ends by telling readers not to miss the next issue, featuring “the thrilling saga of This is the intended cover to Boy Explorers #2, The Isle Where Women as shown in All-New #13. Rule!”

sk Terry & The Pirates #3 & #4 (Apr./June ’47) 3rd Ta Their third task was a 13-page story entitled “The Isle Where Splash page/cover to the subscriber-only Boy Explorers #2. Boy Explorers #1, this text story ends by stating “wait ’til you read of their adventures in ‘A Trip to the Edge of the World’ in this month’s issue of Boy Explorers.” Since this issue appeared between Boy Explorers #1 and #2, Harvey was hedging their bets by plugging both issues.

Joe Palooka #5 (July 1946) This issue contains a 6-page story entitled “A Trip To The Moon.” It was apparently meant as a filler story, and was not one of the Seven Tasks of Sindu-San. It was later reprinted in Joe Palooka #62 (Nov. 1951) and the Giant #116 (1960).

All-New Comics #13 (July 1946) This issue has a different ad for Boy Explorers #2, showing the cover story as being “The Laughing Lizard.” It also says that #2 features “2 Complete Boy Explorers Comic Novelettes.” So the original plan was for #2 to feature both “The Edge Of The World” and “The Laughing Lizard,” using this cover.

Boy Explorers #2 (Sept. 1946) k s a T In Boy Explorers #1, an ad featuring Joe & Jack said they’d 1st award 25 one-year subscriptions to readers who’d send in a card rating the various features in the first issue by preference. When the comic glut kept Harvey from publishing a second issue, they kept their word by mailing a 32-page black-&-white issue to the contest winners, and anyone else who had subscribed. In #2, the boys complete the First Task Of Sindu San in a 14-page adventure entitled “The Edge Of The World.” In it, they travel to the edge of the world, steal an egg from the nest of a Killer Eagle, and rescue an expeditionist who’d been trapped by the Old Man Of The Sea. It ends with the Commodore saying their next task is to take “a journey to the land of the laughing lizard!!” It appears someone removed

Splash page from Terry & The Pirates #3. 15

Women Rule,” originally scheduled for Boy Explorers #3. For Terry And The Pirates, it was split into two parts. With a movie star in tow, the Boy Explorers set out in this story to rescue a man held prisoner on Amazonia Island, a place where warrior women keep men as slaves. Although the text in the last panel of this story was altered when it ran in Terry, the original lettering gives no clue as to what the next issue would be about, so this would’ve been the first of two stories in Boy Explorers #3.

Unpublished Story #1 - “Centropolis” k Greg s a T h Theakston has only the last page of art from this 4t unpublished story, where the Boy Explorers must acquire the key to an underwater city called Centropolis. It’s fully inked, and since there’s no page number on it, we’ll assume it was a 13-page story. This would’ve been the second story in Boy Explorers #3, which would’ve sported the cover shown in the ad in Boy Explorers #1. This would’ve been their fourth task. As shown below, the last panel proclaims that in the next issue, they’ll encounter “a race of people two inches in height!” During this time, Jack was still doing some work for DC. Not one to let a good story go untold, he used the script from this story in the 13-page “Sunken World” story in Boy Commandos #23 (later reprinted in Daisy Handbook #2). It’s unclear whether or not any of the original art was also recycled for Boy Commandos #23.

sk Unpublished Story #2 - “Gulliver” 5th Ta Greg Theakston also has pages 2-10 of an unpublished story slated for Boy Explorers #4, involving an encounter with “little people.” This would’ve been the Explorers’ fifth task. It’s a great example of Jack’s expressive, powerful penciling and layout from this time period. Since Greg doesn’t have the last page, we don’t know the story’s length, or if the last panel gave an indication of what the next story was to be about. So there you have it. For a group whose book was canceled after only one issue, these guys sure got around! Hopefully one day we’ll see a hardcover reprint of these exceptional stories, including the unpublished material and Boy Commandos #23. But do the Sixth and Seventh Tasks of Sindu San exist? It’s remotely possible. Since the “Gulliver” story is only partially inked, you would assume it was the last story completed in the series. But it took years of searching to uncover “The Laughing Lizard,” “Centropolis,” and “Gulliver.” With a little bit more exploring, maybe those last two stories will surface someday.

(Above) Although this cover was advertised as being for Boy Explorers #2, it was intended to be used for #3. (right) The final page from the fourth task, the unpublished “Centropolis” story. (next page) Jack’s pencils from the “Gulliver” story intended for Boy Explorers #4. See the back cover of this issue for another page from this unpublished story. 16

Down On The Ranch Excerpted from “Jack Kirby And The Kid Gang,” by Rich Morrissey* imon and Kirby turned to a more traditional, and then widely popular, genre for their last kid gang at Harvey in 1950. Boys’ Ranch was a Western dealing with three boys who, after helping a misanthropic rancher defend his property, were given ownership of the ranch in his will. Dandy, Wabash and Angel came from Northeast, Southeast and West to their final home, settling at Boys’ Ranch with a more traditional adult mentor. Clay Duncan was a young white frontiersman who had been raised by Indians and was the adoptive brother to the historical Native American leader Geronimo, a frequent antagonist in the series. He settled in as foreman, and as Kirby’s traditional father/big brother figure. The cast was completed by several later arrivals: Wee Willie Weehawken, a former lawyer turned prospector and cook; a young, mute Indian called Happy Boy; and an orphaned rancher’s daughter named Palomino Sue. Simon and Kirby produced all the early stories themselves (in their traditional arrangement of Kirby scripting and penciling, with Simon inking), but some of the later art was finished by DC veteran Mort Meskin, no stranger to Simon and Kirby kid gangs with his past work on Boy Commandos. In Boys’ Ranch, Kirby seemed to be attempting to go beyond his previous limitations. In its relatively short run, no fewer than three of the regulars had relationships with women. The most famous, a story considered by many fans to be one of Kirby’s best stories ever, was the classic “Mother Delilah,” in which a female saloon owner befriended Angel, only to betray him, cut his hair (in a clear parallel with her Biblical namesake), and reduce him to helplessness (eventually she redeems herself ). A warning against allowing women to invade a society free of them in some ways—but also acknowledging their existence and importance. And, as the title indicates, Delilah was less a romantic figure for the prepubescent Angel than a maternal one, aspiring to make the “family” complete with her own unrequited love for Angel’s father figure, Clay Duncan. There may be an understated Oedipal theme here, but, like the friendship of Kirby’s boys with their mentors, it’s very easy to overanalyze and misconstrue. Less successful, however, was Kirby’s attempt to add ethnic variety to the group for the first time since Young Allies. While Happy Boy, the Indian member of the group, was a definite step upward from Whitewash Jones, he still seems to reflect Kirby’s own embarrassment in attempting to correct the inherent racism of a gang of boys. For a reason never explained, Happy Boy is mute—he almost invariably remains in the background as Dandy, Angel, and Wabash bring their distinct personalities to the fore. Also, for the first time, the feisty little warrior of the group isn’t ugly. Indeed, Angel’s almost pretty features are complimented by more than one character, which in its own way often appeared more embarrassing to their owner than an ugly but character-filled face like Brooklyn’s might have been. His name, one of his few legacies from his lost parents, was an equal source of pride and shame for him—although not uncommon among Hispanic boys, it almost invited derision among whites. Angel, of course, developed his own fighting skills as much as Brooklyn or Scrapper ever did—but, this being the Old West, he learned to fight with six-guns rather than fists, no doubt partially explaining his unmarred face. Whatever the time or setting, Kirby always devoted a great deal of time and care to his characters, often figuring out back stories never seen in print. Indeed, the whole format of the S&K kid gang was clearly breaking down by the end of Boys’ Ranch. In many ways, the fourth member of the gang wasn’t so much the selfeffacing Happy Boy as he was Wee Willie Weehawken, the grizzled prospector who earned his place by pointing out that the will never gave an age limit for a “boy.” The self-styled “oldest boy at Boys’ Ranch” was closer to the traditional short, ugly and feisty boy than either the feisty Angel or the ugly Wabash. He may have originated from the idea of giving boys an older mentor, but maybe he also was an indication that Kirby saw himself and his characters to be growing up. Boys’ Ranch was the last of Simon and Kirby’s traditional kid gangs. More and more, the team was abandoning adolescent adventure for more adult concerns, as they plunged into the romance genre they had created after the war. While they returned to adventure in the late ’50s and early ’60s and ultimately separated, more than one observer has noted the similarities between the kid gangs of the ’40s and early ’50s with the adult teams of the late ’50s and early ’60s. * Editor’s note: Special thanks to Rich for his article. Although we didn’t have room to run it in its entirety, it served as a valuable source of research and inspiration for this issue of TJKC.

Shown here are unpublished pencils from what would have been Boys’ Ranch #7. 19

The Unsung Heroes by Frank Johnson and John Morrow he Boy Heroes is a kid gang that appeared in All-New Comics #6-12, Humphrey Comics #4, and maybe a few other 1940s Harvey comics. The group consisted of Prince (the handsome gypsy leader of the group), Punchy (a tough cabby with a Brooklyn accent), Corny (a hillbilly comic-relief character), and Trig (a cowpoke with six-guns and a lasso). Whoever created these characters seems to have been directly influenced by the S&K kid gangs, although the strip never made it very big. Stuntman #1 and #2 had house ads that showed the cover of a Boy Heroes solo comic, but it was never published. None of the published Boy Heroes stories appear to contain Kirby art. So why mention them here? Check out this listing from the 1995 Executive Investments Auction catalog (held on February 4-5, 1995):

1189 • Original Jack Kirby Artwork. Boy Heroes (Harvey Publications - 1944). This unpublished work by Jack “King” Kirby and Al Avison, represents an updated version of The Boy Commandos and The (from left to right) Punchy, Corny, Trig, and Prince - The Boy Heroes. Newsboy Legion. (12) roughly penciled pages by Kirby, partially inked by Avison. Pages are 20” x 15” each. Provenance: The Harvey Archives. ($1500-2000) This unpublished story was discovered in the Harvey warehouse, and all the artwork you see here is from those 12 pages. The story revolves around the kidnapping of Corny’s uncle Hallelujah Jones by Snakefoot Bane, a mobster posing as a hillbilly. The Boy Heroes end up trapped in a labor camp, where Bane forces hillbillies to work in his uranium mine. The kids eventually succeed in finding Corny’s uncle, freeing the hillbillies, and bringing Bane to justice. As evidenced by the page to the left, the inking dominates the pencils to a point where it’s difficult to tell if Jack worked on it or not. But the uninked pages look to have Jack’s involvement, so we consulted Joe Simon for his opinion. Joe told us the Boy Heroes were part of the deal he and Jack had with Harvey Comics. The group was created by Jack, Al Avison, and Al Gabriel for the S&K shop. Jack got involved doing Stuntman and Boy Explorers, so Avison and Gabriel produced Boy Heroes. While we’re not sure what this story was intended for (possibly Boy Heroes #1), Jack did rough layouts, which were tightened up and inked by Avison and Gabriel. Jack may have had a hand in writing the story, since it appears to be his handwriting in some of the balloons. But other handwriting styles are present, so this was a group effort. Do any other Boy Heroes stories have Jack’s layouts? If you have any of their published adventures, send us photocopies and we’ll try to find out.

X Marks The Spot... Artwork from the Collection of Carol Kalish lthough the Simon and Kirby team didn’t produce any kid gangs after Boys’ Ranch, Jack didn’t abandon the concept altogether. In the 1970s he created the Forever People, another take on the concept (this time with Infinity Man playing the role of adult mentor). In the 1960s, Rick Jones led a group of young ham radio operators called the Teen Brigade in early issues of Hulk and Avengers. And then there was a little idea called the X-Men. X-Men achieved only limited success during Kirby’s initial run on it, but today it’s wildly popular. And the kid gang pattern is there; four young male members with an adult mentor. Only this time, Jack was finally able to include a girl! Shown here are Jack’s chopped-up layouts to the unused bottom two-thirds of page 3 of X-Men #17. These are on the back of the original art to page 6 (shown at left). Although Jack had stopped drawing the book at this point, he was still doing layouts for Werner Roth. Ironically, these layouts were “X-ed” out, and never appeared in the final story.

EXTRA! The Newsboy Legion! by Rich Morrissey The work of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby very likely inspired DC’s Star Spangled Comics from the very beginning. The success of Timely/ Marvel’s Captain America hadn’t gone unnoticed there, and in late 1941 DC introduced its own patriotic pair, created by the company’s own star writer, Superman creator Jerry Siegel. While company policy refused to allow a hero to make his debut in his own title as Captain America had done, DC came close by giving The Star Spangled Kid and Stripesy several stories in each issue of the similarly-named Star Spangled Comics. Siegel’s own contribution to the concept seems to have been the idea that the boy (rich Sylvester Pemberton) would lead the team and the adult (chauffeur/mechanic Pat Dugan) would be his sidekick. Yet, although the stories featured a wide variety of unique villains like The Needle and some above-average writing, the Star Spangled Kid didn’t really catch on—perhaps due to the less than stellar art of co-creator Hal Sherman. So, with Star Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942), the title character was relegated to a secondary slot while new characters were introduced. DC had reached the reasonable conclusion that the best way to duplicate the success of a Simon/Kirby feature was with Simon and Kirby themselves, recently lured to DC from Marvel. “The Newsboy Legion, starring The Guardian,” like “The Star Spangled Kid and Stripesy,” gave kids top billing over an adult super-hero, and the name might have been contributed by editor Mort Weisinger, who had always been fond of the word ‘Legion.’ The Seven Soldiers of Victory, who starred in Leading Comics, were also known as the Law’s Legionnaires; many years later Weisinger would introduce the still-successful Legion of Super-Heroes. Everything else in the Newsboy Legion feature was pure Kirby. The Newsboy Legion wasn’t a group of middle-class kids like the

Young Allies (who had spun off of Captain America’s feature during Simon and Kirby’s stewardship), but a street gang of young orphans. Tommy, Gabby, Scrapper, and Big Words made what little money they had by selling newspapers, giving them their name, but they initially weren’t averse to augmenting their income by petty pilfering. The Guardian was literally just that: a young policeman named Jim Harper who had initially arrested the boys, but then saved them from reform school by getting himself appointed their legal guardian. At first the boys resented him, but after Harper adopted the identity of a costumed hero to rescue them from hardened adult criminals, they became fonder of the cop, whom they didn’t know—but frequently suspected—to be the costumed Guardian. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first instance of a hero whose identity was regularly suspected by his supporting cast: Lois Lane didn’t begin to regularly suspect Clark Kent of being Superman until some years later, also in comics edited by Mort Weisinger. The young protagonists, and the criminals and situations they faced, may well have been inspired by Simon and Kirby’s earlier work on Young Allies, as well as by influences outside comics. The late E. Nelson Bridwell has cited the then-contemporary Dead End Kids movies as a major influence, and MGM’s “Our Gang” comedies, with a cast averaging a few years younger than the Newsboys, were still successful. But they were also rooted in the reality of the streets on which Kirby had grown up, with the wise but friendly adult mentor, as Ray Wyman has noted in The Art Of Jack Kirby, reflecting the lessons of Kirby’s own boyhood. With the Newsboy Legion as its lead feature (where it would remain until #65), Star Spangled Comics became one of DC’s more successful titles. The boys remained energetic and somewhat wild, but

(above) The Newsboy Legion’s first appearance from Star Spangled #7. (left to right) Covers to Star Spangled #13, #15 and #19. 23

under the Guardian’s influence they applied it more and more to improving their neighborhood. They collected papers and raised When Kirby returned to DC in 1970, there had already been talk money for the war effort as World War II escalated, tried out for a of bringing back his first fully-realized teen group, the Newsboy movie, published their own newspaper, and prevented a slumlord Legion, in the pages of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen. It has been said from swindling the people of Suicide Slum. Interestingly enough, that Kirby was literally offered any book at the company but refused those people, like the boys themselves, seemed to be almost entirely to displace any existing creative team. With a revival of his classic white, but this only reflected the segregation of urban neighborhoods characters being discussed at the same time Jimmy Olsen had lost at the time, and the continuing tendencies of street gangs to segregate artist Pete Costanza to deteriorating eyesight, Olsen was his immediate themselves by race, sex, and ethnic background. My friends who’ve choice. “Jimmy Olsen Brings Back the Newsboy Legion” was the title experienced such groups directly, as Kirby himself had as a boy, conof Kirby’s first issue, #133—but his revival of his 1942 group showed firm that the Newsboy Legion accurately reflected real-life gangs in how much both Kirby’s outlook and the comics world had changed. containing no Hispanic, black, or female members. While non-white The Newsboy Legion itself seemed to have hardly changed at all boys, and girls of all races, certainly aren’t averse to joining gangs, most of them also tend to segregate themselves by race and sex. Simon and Kirby continued to turn out the Newsboy Legion and other features—Boy Commandos, Sandman and Manhunter—until their own draft notices arrived. At that point they began taking on more assistants, including the young Carmine Infantino, Joe Certa, and Gil Kane, in an effort to turn out as much material as possible for their features before they had to report for duty. After their final departure, writers Don Cameron and Joe Samachson, and artists Gil Kane, Louis Cazeneuve, and Phil Bard took over their features. Kirby briefly returned to his DC characters after the war, but once Simon was discharged, he accepted an offer for the pair from Harvey Comics. After Simon and Kirby’s departure, the Newsboy Legion (along with the Boy Commandos) was turned over to writer Ed Herron, a one-time protégé of Simon and Kirby who had worked for them on past features like Captain America. Curtis Swan, a mapmaker with whom Herron had worked on Stars and Stripes during the war, came to DC with him and made his debut on Boy Commandos, soon taking over the Newsboy Legion as well toward the end of its run. The Newsboy Legion was dropped from Star Spangled Comics in 1947, ironically replaced by DC’s first kid sidekick in a starring role—Robin the Boy Wonder, in mostly solo stories in which Batman’s appearances were limited to supporting roles. Their last story, interestingly enough, was the first and only one not to involve the Guardian in any way, symbolically allowing them to set off on their own as the partnership dissolved. Kirby would explain years later that Jim Harper had been promoted to detective, and reassigned to another precinct. Even the numerous other Golden Age revivals at DC in the ’60s left the Newsboy Legion and their Guardian untouched, almost as if they were waiting for the return of their creator, who was at that time creating a new mythology with writer-editor Stan The Newsboy Legion confronts The Guardian’s murderer. Uninked pencils from Jimmy Olsen #143, page 10. Lee at Marvel Comics.

Jack’s Back!

More uninked pencils from Jimmy Olsen #143, page 11. in 28 years: Tommy, Scrapper, Gabby, and Big Words looked almost exactly as they always had, explaining to Jimmy that they were the look-alike sons of the originals. But while their famed turf of Suicide Slum had migrated to Metropolis from its original location in “York City,” they and Jimmy were out of it almost immediately, in a fantastic “Whiz Wagon” built for them by the mysterious Morgan Edge, whose Galaxy Broadcasting System, readers quickly learned, had acquired the Daily Planet. They had left the realistic world of the street gang behind for the high-tech world of the “Wild Area”—coming in quick contact with the countercultural residents of “Habitat,” and an even stranger teenage society called the Hairies whose Mountain of Judgment itself was a moving vehicle that traversed an underground Zoomway. Like boxes within boxes, the ultimate secret was a government project in cloning, where the original Newsboy Legion, the fathers of Jimmy’s new friends, now worked. In many ways, the Newsboy Legion seemed like virtual anachro25

nisms in this high-tech world that—so typically for Kirby—tossed out one stunningly original idea after another. Even so, as figures from the past helped the present-day Jimmy Olsen explore this world of the future, they added a certain grounding in reality and some solid anchoring for Kirby’s flights of fancy. Superman himself almost seemed left behind at first, but an initial sense of dawning hostility between him and Jimmy quickly vanished, indicating Kirby’s moving beyond the adolescent angst and frequent bickering that had characterized his collaboration with Stan Lee. Jimmy Olsen himself, as the one-time teenage sidekick of the original super-hero in the field, proved a perfect lead character for the series. Now grown up and recently promoted from cub to senior reporter, he was in position to himself become the mentor to a classic kid gang for a new generation. Although the Guardian himself soon came back as a clone, the new Guardian paradoxically spent little time with the sons of his one-time charges, with Jimmy himself increasingly stepping into the role of, in the words of British fan Richard Burton, “a leader of men.” Whether at the suggestion of editor Murray Boltinoff or as a result of his own mixed emotions about the traditional racism of street gangs, Kirby attempted this time to integrate the Newsboy Legion by adding a black member. Unfortunately, his new character, the son of a man who worked at the DNA Project with the original Legion, shared some of the same difficulties as Kirby’s occasional minority kids, such as Whitewash, the Young Allies’ stereotyped black member, and Happy Boy, the mute Indian boy at Boys’ Ranch. Flipper Dipper (or Flippa Dippa: the spelling of his name varied) wasn’t anything like the offensive caricature Whitewash had been, nor was he as inarticulate as Happy Boy. He had a personality and specialty of his own, as did most of the other kids (and adults) in Kirby’s groups. But Flip (by which nickname he was most often addressed, suggesting that he may have been inspired by the contemporary black comedian Flip Wilson) had one of the lamest specialties, under the circumstances, imaginable—he was an experienced scuba diver, and wore his rubber suit and scuba gear all the time. Such a character would have fit in well in a seagoing group like the Boy Explorers, but in the Wild Area and DNA Project he sometimes came off as overwhelmed by his surroundings. Still, as previously noted, all the young Legionnaires seemed somewhat out of place in such surroundings. Indeed, more than one fan suggested that Kirby may have been leading up to a revelation that the Legion Jimmy knew—judging by their fathers’ jobs, the absence of any mothers, their amazingly close resemblance to their only known parents, and their preferences for out-of-date clothing— weren’t really the sons but the clones of the original group. Whether this was ever in Kirby’s own mind will never be known, but, as will be seen, the explanation would eventually become official. Within two years, Kirby had left Jimmy Olsen behind for other fields of endeavor, not before introducing some unforgettable concepts and characters— most notably Darkseid, the godlike alien warlord who certainly ranks among the very top villains in all comics, who was introduced in Jimmy Olsen #134.

Little more was seen of the Newsboy Legion, until writer Roger Stern and artist Ron Frenz revived the group a third time in Superman Annual (2nd series) #2 in 1988. Unfortunately, there was little of the innovation that had characterized Kirby’s own revival of 18 years before. Stern and Frenz did little more than rehash Kirby’s ideas and characters of 1970, bringing back the old and new Newsboy Legion (including Flip, who at least no longer wore his diving suit all the time), the DNA Project (renamed the Cadmus Project by Stern, perhaps because Mark Evanier, who had given the Project its original name, had since created another teenage group called the DNAgents for another publisher), the Whiz Wagon, and other elements Kirby had introduced. A few of the ’70s characters who would have seemed outdated in the ’80s, like the Hairies, were mentioned only briefly or ignored, and the young Legionnaires were now specifically clones of the older ones—possibly because that might have been Kirby’s original idea, but more likely because it would have been less likely for the ’40s Legionnaires to have had teenage sons in 1988 than in 1970. Otherwise, Stern seemed compelled to bring back all of Kirby’s concepts with very little change or development, apart from revealing the real names of the boys. Tommy Thompkins had been the only member whose full name—or even a real first name—had been revealed by Simon and Kirby: now Gabby, Scrapper and Big Words proved to be, respectively, John Gabrelli, Patrick MacGuire, and Anthony Rodriges, in an ill-advised attempt to add at least some ethnic diversity, and newcomer Flip was Walter Johnson. Aside from Kirby’s absence, matters were changed for the worse in other ways— partly because the changes were made in the wake of John Byrne’s wholesale rewrite of Superman’s continuity two years before, rendering the vast majority of past Superman stories obsolete. Jimmy Olsen appeared only briefly in this story: he later interacted again with the young Legion, but due to Byrne’s changes (Byrne had de-aged the character, changing him from a reporter to a photographer), he was no longer in a position to serve as the new team’s adult mentor as he had under Kirby. This, and their official recognition as clones, partially undercut the strong generational theme that had been present in the original. Other writers and artists, most notably Karl Kesel, have continued to develop the young Legionnaires and their adult mentors (mostly, by default, the cloned Guardian once more), but with mixed success. In conclusion, it may well be that the idea of a dedicated kid gang—especially one able to benefit from the influence of an equally dedicated adult mentor—is no longer as viable as it was when Kirby was involved. Jack Kirby was both a street kid himself helped by such mentors, and later the mentor to whole generations of other kids, especially writers and artists—and his own unique experiences and philosophy, as well as his talent, set a standard that has been impossible to equal for those who came after him. (above) Jack drew this art to be placed in the upper left corner of Jimmy Olsen covers, but DC never used it. Inked by Vince Colletta. (left) Jack’s uninked pencils to the splash page from Jimmy Olsen #147. 26

The Dingbats Of Danger Street © 1995 James G. Kingman hen I learned Jack Kirby was leaving DC in 1975 I was sorely frustrated. I mean it; looking back on my life, the most poignant memory I have of early summer 1975 was my reaction to the word in Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth #34’s letter column that he was moving on to a different company. Actually, I was initially stunned, giving way to frustration. I didn’t know anything about Kirby’s pre-’70s work, except for reprints in 100-Page Super Spectaculars. He was with DC when I jumped on board in 1972 and I just assumed he’d always been there, and was going to remain there, forever. Since I wasn’t into picking up back issues yet (in early 1975 I was just becoming aware that it was possible), I had no idea Kirby had worked for so many different comic book companies. Kirby had been at Marvel in the sixties? News to me. (I was thirteen and in junior high at the time. Comic book history was not part of my daily studies.) And where was Kirby going now? In those days there wasn’t Wizard or Previews or comic book shops to fill you in on industry news. All I had were the clerks at Stop ‘n Go and 7-Eleven, and the check-out lady at Pantry market, and I didn’t dare ask them for fear of feeling like a fool. Kirby leaving DC. It was incomprehensible. But wait, maybe it was just a mistake. I mean, wasn’t that Kirby’s bold work on the cover of First Issue Special #6 (September 1975) welcoming ‘The Dingbats of Danger Street’? What was a new concept by the King doing out in June of 1975? He was practically gone, wasn’t he? Just a few more Kamandi and ‘Losers’ stories to crank out, and off he’d go. Why would

he start anything new with DC? Gee, maybe there was hope. So I read it, and loved it, and thought, wow, I’m going to get my own modern Newsboy Legion, and Kirby will stay at DC to do it! Right after the story, in the final panel of page 18, there was a notice: “Would you like to learn how the Dingbats were formed? We have their tragic stories! Write and tell us if you want to see them!” So I did, and I waited, and Kirby left DC for Marvel, then went on to Pacific Comics, then returned briefly to DC, then did some work for Topps and Image, and now he’s gone, and I’ve heard rumors over the years that there were additional Dingbats tales, but they’ve never been published. I’ve been waiting almost twenty years. Does the first tale still stand up today? Nostalgically, there’s no doubt; I loved it as a kid, having picked it up just as school closed in June and the three month summer break began. How do I feel about it as an adult? Well, there are hundreds of comics I’ve grown out of, but not this one. Its pleasure is eternal, I suppose. I get just as much a

Double-page spread meant for Dingbats Of Danger Street #2, inked by Royer. 27

his way back to his and the Gasser’s lair. The police arrive, there’s a showdown between heroes and villains, the villains are caught, Non-Fat is found, released, and the lieutenant is grateful. The Dingbats are not impressed, however, citing their fury with an adult society that has turned their backs on them. Mullins comments to himself, “So that’s why the Dingbats stick together. They’ve each had a bad experience with adults!” With that, the story ends. Pretty straightforward, huh? Yet that’s part of the beauty of this tale. With the plotting out of the way, Kirby is able to focus on the humor, and there are some genuinely funny moments in what is not altogether a violent study of urban terror. Non-Fat’s panic-stricken response to Gasser’s order of “Now freeze until I’m out of sight!” in panel 3, page 7 is a crack-up. On page 13, Bananas declares to Mullins, “Jumpin’ Jack’s partner got one of us Dingbats! So if you’re goin’ after him—we wanta go, too!” Mullins replies with a smile, “That makes sense! Come along!” causing a startled Bananas to ponder, “That makes sense? I-I must be goin’ sane!” When the Dingbats arrive with the police on Pier 4 just before the assault on the villains is to begin, Good Looks comments to Mullins, “The Dingbats are ready—do we rescue NonFat now?” to which Mullins sternly replies, “You wait! You take cover! And when all the police are wiped out— then you make your move!” This is successful, humorous word interplay, a far cry from Kirby’s mythic outbursts in New Gods and Forever People. When I first read this, I had the feeling that Kirby was honestly enjoying himself with this feature. With Mike Royer back on inks, there emerged a sense of power and solidity in the pictures that had been softened when D. Bruce Berry began assisting Kirby in early 1974. Unfortunately, this was the first and only appearance of the Dingbats. But the rumors have been replaced by truth: further tales do exist. Will they ever see print again in comics form? Man, I hope so. My patience has thinned to surrender. Twenty years waiting, counting, and holding is much, too much for this Dingbats fan.

The Missing Issues

Page 6 of Dingbats #2.

or “THE SECRET ORIGIN OF MIKE ROYER” by John Morrow

thrill reading it today as I did almost two decades ago. The story opens with our four heroes introducing themselves to us, their backs to a wooden fence along Danger Street. No sooner have Good Looks, Non-Fat, Krunch and Bananas completed a casual briefing than the fence bursts apart and “two flashy movers of crime and punishment” enter the scene in a full-page spread. The villain, Jumpin’ Jack, is trying to avoid capture by Lieutenant Jack Mullins, but the Dingbats’ presence has foiled his escape and he is apprehended. However, what the villain had stolen, a mysterious vial, was left behind in Non-Fat’s hot dog. Shortly after the Dingbats discover it, Jumpin’ Jack’s cohort, the Gasser, appears on the scene, holding the Dingbats at gunpoint, demanding the vial. The Dingbats fight back, the Gasser escapes (with Non-Fat in tow) and the remaining Dingbats, still in possession of the vial, head for police headquarters to make a deal in finding their lost friend. Meanwhile, at police headquarters, the lieutenant and his men are grilling Jumpin’ Jack, who denies knowing anything about the vial. Suddenly, the Dingbats appear with it, sending Jack ballistic. He succeeds in escaping, much to the brutal delight of Lieutenant Mullins. He orders his men out to follow the criminal, who is making

here seem to be two camps of Dingbats readers; those who totally loved First Issue Special #6, and those who totally hated it! Being a member of the former group, I was thrilled to find out the art for what would’ve been Dingbats of Danger Street #2 and #3 exists. Issue #2 was inked by Mike Royer, and it revolves around the “origin” of Good Looks. In it, we learn how a hoodlum named Snake Meat killed Good Look’s parents, leaving him an orphan. And we follow him on his search for his parent’s killer. Issue #3, inked by D. Bruce Berry, deals with Krunch’s background. His legal guardian, uncle Birdly Mudd, shows up to reclaim Krunch from the streets with the help of his huge chauffeur Krummer. All the anti-Dingbats folks seem to forget that, despite the serious sound of these plots, these stories were meant to be a lot of fun! Although I haven’t seen the complete stories, both look to be full of Jack’s unique brand of humor. As evidence of this, check out this photo of Mike Royer from around 1970. Notice how Jack based the character Bananas on Mike, right down to the big watchband on his

arm. Even though he was cranking out pages to fulfill his contract at DC, Jack was obviously having a lot of fun doing these, and it shows. So why didn’t DC originally print these stories? In a 1970s market dominated by super-heroes and fantasy characters, it’s doubtful a kid gang would’ve done well. Another consideration is that Jack was heading back to Marvel at the time, and they may not have wanted to publish stories by a creator who was working for the competition. In the past twenty years, there’s certainly been a market for unpublished Kirby work, but sources who worked at DC in the 1970s have said that the original art was stolen from the editorial offices, so they don’t have anything to print from. That’s why these stories were never printed in Cancelled Comics Cavalcade or a 1980s DC Digest. Photocopies were made of the art before it was stolen, and these have been passed around over the years (much of the art shown here is from those copies). At least one private collector in Europe owns some of the originals, which were purchased without knowledge of the art having been stolen.

of Non-Fat and Bananas. So we asked around about #4 and #5. Steve Sherman doesn’t specifically remember them. But he commented that if DC saw potential in Dingbats, they may have had him complete several stories, since he was under contract to produce a certain number of pages anyway. Rich Morrissey pointed out to me the similarities between the Dingbats and the Sweathogs from the popular 1970s sitcom Welcome Back Kotter. Maybe DC committed to several issues because they thought fans of the TV show would pick it up. Greg Theakston reports that an unnamed individual (now deceased) offered to sell him the original art to #4 and #5, still in pencil form (Greg turned him down since he knew it would’ve been stolen). But Greg never actually saw these pages, nor had anyone else we asked. So it’s still uncertain whether or not Jack did #4 and #5. Whether you thought Dingbats was one of Jack’s best or worst efforts, unpublished stories deserve to be seen. If you have originals or copies from #2, #3, #4, or #5, or know anyone who does, please get in touch with us (correspondence will be kept confidential). If we can track down this art, we’ll try to get DC to publish it, or get permission to do so in TJKC. I must admit I have a more selfish motive for finding this art; I’m dying to read Bananas’ origin! Because if Jack based the character on Mike Royer, don’t you think he had something great in mind for his background? Please somebody, find those missing issues. I’ve just gotta know where Mike Royer came from!

#4 and #5 - Do They Exist? Rumors of a fourth and fifth issue existing have been met with a lot of skepticism. After all, why would Jack draw five issues of a title before the first issue even hit the stands? Well, all those Boy Explorers stories are a powerful precedent. And the end of First Issue Special #6 says, “We Have Their Tragic Stories” (plural). Since #2 and #3 contained the origins of Good Looks and Krunch, #4 and #5 probably would’ve contained the beginnings

Double-page spread from Dingbats #3, inked by D. Bruce Berry. Notice Bananas’ similarity to Mike Royer (pictured above). 29

30 Pages 10 and 13 from Dingbats #2, showing Good Looks’ initial encounters with Snake Meat.

31 Pages 1 and 8 from Dingbats #3. See our back cover for another page from that issue.

How “Street Code” Came To Be arly in 1983, I’d obtained financing for a new slick paper, full-color, fully-illustrated fiction magazine—with modern stories in the tradition of the great all-fiction magazines of the past, and design and illustration that met the highest contemporary standards. Nothing like it was being published, and I had great hopes for Argosy’s success. Because comics are a storytelling medium as important as the short story and novel, I wanted to include a realistic mainstream graphic story in every issue. And I wanted a truly exceptional story in the new magazine’s first issue. And so that summer, when I shared a table with Jack and Rosalind Kirby after the postawards get-together at the San Diego Comic Con and talk turned to Jack’s youth in the Bronx, I knew what that first graphic story should be. For some while, Jack’s stories had become increasingly autobiographical. His creative interests were swinging away from fantasy—he’d been drawing almost nothing but superheroes for twenty years—and turning again to realism. I explained my plans to Jack and asked him if he would be willing to write and draw the story he’d just told. Jack was clearly enthusiastic. “You want it just the way it was?” “Just the way it was. I’ll print whatever you draw.” Jack asked how many pages. I said eight to ten, and that I wanted to shoot off his pencils, so readers could see for the first time what only fellow artists had seen before. And that I wanted to put a light tint behind the art, no more than twenty percent color, not enough to obscure the art or overwhelm it, but enough to evoke the color of the times. Jack hesitated at that. I asked him what shade should predominate. “Anything, as long as it’s drab. Those weren’t colorful times.” I promised to keep the color muted. Jack and Roz conferred. The deal was made, and a few weeks later, I received one of the finest stories Jack Kirby had ever written and drawn, “Street Code”—and I knew immediately that Jack should do a full-length graphic novel as a sequel. But there was a problem. The story was everything I’d hoped for and more. But in the weeks between the signing of the contract and the arrival of the story I had lost my financial support—and my backer had lost his company. I’d also lost an experienced production man, someone thoroughly familiar with every aspect of printing, which I knew little about. I paid Jack for the story and went in search of a new backer and a new production man. I did not find either. By 1990, I could wait no longer. Underfinanced, the Argosy that finally appeared was not the one I’d envisioned. But it did contain

Jack’s story. In the second issue—my layout and production skills honed on one published issue—I printed “Street Code,” seven years after Jack had written and drawn it. The issue sold extremely well. But I was troubled by the production errors in “Street Code,” and deeply embarrassed. I felt that I should have served Jack better. Today, I feel better about the magazine. With “Street Code” and Jim Steranko’s great cover paintings and the work of several other outstanding contributors, including Sergio Aragones and Joe Cover to Argosy Vol. 3, No. 2, Nov. 1990, Kubert, I think those issues of Argosy measure up which featured Jack’s “Street Code.” pretty well, despite my mistakes. Yes, I should have served Jack better. But, although a hundred comics editors could have asked for this story (or one like it) at any time in Jack’s career, they never did. “Street Code” lives because of Argosy, and will be remembered because of Jack Kirby—and because it says what the graphic story could have been and may still become.

Page 7 of Jack’s 10-page “Street Code” story, showing what life was like in the real kid gangs. 32

Artwork © Jim Steranko

by Richard Kyle, Publisher of Argosy Magazine

species of anthropomorphic animals, such as those in Kamandi. Even Metron is previewed in “Donnegan’s Daffy Chair,” when a janitor’s break in a strange chair launches him to the stars and alien knowledge. “Hole in the Wall,” where a downtrodden proofreader steps into another dimension, reminded me of Superman’s visit to Supertown. Lastly, “I Want to Be a Man” is about a robot with emotions and independent thought—here I was reminded of Machine Man. There are many other Kirby stories in the book as well, equally well-crafted and enjoyable. While many of these themes are not unique to Jack or other comics, I was amazed to see so many earlier, less-developed versions of his later work in one place. I suggest you let your readers know about this amazing little digest! Tom Hamilton, Kettering, OH (The Fourth World issue was a big hit with fans! And as you can see from this issue, we’re trying to keep the double-size format whenever our schedule allows. Thanks for cluing us in on the Harvey digest. I’m slowly coming to learn that nearly every book Jack worked on somehow ties in with all the others, if only remotely. Jack’s fertile imagination seemed to feed off of his earlier ideas, and lead him to take them in entirely new directions. Maybe someone can do a “family tree” type diagram showing how the various series interconnect.)

Collector Comments Send your letters to: The Jack Kirby Collector c/o TwoMorrows• 502 Saint Mary’s St • Raleigh, NC 27605 or E-mail to: twomorrow@aol.com We’re bringing you comments on both TJKC #5 and #6, since we didn’t have room for letters last issue. An unrecoverable computer crash sent my #5 e-mail into the negative zone, but the most common comments on TJKC #5 were: • The Vanderbilt University speech was fascinating, and readers were especially taken by the differences of opinion voiced between Stan Lee and Jack. • Many readers were surprised to find that “Street Code” was a complete story, and it had been published in Argosy Magazine. • Likewise, many didn’t know there were two Marvelmania #1s. Perhaps TJKC #5 was best summed up by the following letter: For an issue that had to be assembled in record time, #5 may very well have been my favorite to date. Anxiously awaiting #6. Steve Rude (The Dude) (Steve also included a wonderful Mr. Miracle drawing that we didn’t have room for in #6. But thanks for thinking of us, Steve!)

I recently attended the Chicago ComiCon, and I came away with a potent bit of Kirby news which I’m sorry is too late for the Fourth World issue. Speaking with John Romita (“Just ‘John Romita’,” he joked. “Let that other one call himself ‘Junior.’ I’m the original!”), without a doubt one of the most gracious professionals I’ve ever met, he caught sight of my ever-present copy of New Gods #7, and commented, “When Kirby left Marvel to do that, he asked me to go with him. He wanted to write the book, and he wanted me to draw it. He used to say, ‘Stick with me Romita... I’ll make a genius out of you yet!’ Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I’d done it.” To the Kirbyologist in me, this was like finding a here-to-fore unknown Dead Sea Scroll! I’d never come across any mention of Romita teaming with Kirby on the series, but one can only dream of what such a collaboration would have unleashed! Romita sounded almost wistful, as if he regretted not joining Jack’s mad crusade. But since Marvel is very much a Romita family affair, I can’t picture him ever jumping ship. How about an issue devoted to Kirby’s non-Fourth World ’70s DC output? OMAC, Kamandi, and even The Losers rank high on my list of favorites! Gene Popa, Hammond, IN (Wow! That’s a mind-boggling bit of trivia, Gene! Of course, Mr. Romita didn’t do too badly on his own. As for covering Jack’s other ’70s DC work, we’ll get to it soon enough. I’m trying to alternate theme issues between covering Marvel, DC, pre-Marvel/Golden Age, and miscellaneous themes. Of course, we’re also driven by reader response, and whether we feel we have enough interesting unpublished art and editorial material on a theme to fill an issue. Judging by what we’ve got in-house now, our next DC issue will probably be on Kamandi—boy, do you folks like Kamandi!)

Every issue gets better. I’m really blown away by this “fill-in” issue, which in a way makes it a theme issue, as Jack was so good at fill-ins. You mentioned Captain America #112. What about Tales To Astonish #82 and #83? Gene Colan got the flu after only three pages of the Iron Man / Sub-Mariner story, so Jack stepped in and finished it. I don’t know how long it took him – maybe someone out there knows. But #82, particularly, has some of the best action scenes Jack ever did. Bruce Zick’s article was fascinating. I’m still not sure what to think about it. In every story about Jack, we hear how wonderfully everything goes when visiting the house. This was quite a different thing. I cringed for Bruce when he was giving his gut reaction to the piece Jack produced. I appreciate his honesty in relaying this story to the world. When I visited Roz in March, I was too overwhelmed to process everything I saw, but as I recall, there’s a photo on the mantel of Jack and... Frank Zappa. It’s hard to imagine what that conversation was like. I enjoyed the blurb on the Beatles, and would love to hear more celebrity encounters. Glen David Gold, Oakland, CA (Thanks to Steve Sherman and his brother Gary, we’ve got the full account of Jack’s actual meeting with Paul and Linda McCartney, and we’ll be running it next issue. And the Kirby/Zappa photo you mentioned will hopefully appear in the upcoming tribute book Steranko is working on.) I’m really enjoying the work you’re doing with this publication, and I look forward to every issue with the same anticipation I used to have in waiting for the next issue of a Kirby comic to hit the stands! Thanks for helping me relive a part of my life that seemed gone forever. Mark Poe, Boaz, AL (Although we’ve gotten a ton of glowing letters like this one, I’ve generally avoided running them for fear of appearing pompous. But this one really hit home with me, since I grew up in Alabama, eagerly awaiting the next issue of my favorite Kirby comics, and hoping to one day meet Jack. And like Mark, I get that same feeling of anticipation every day when I open my mail, waiting to see what wonderful letters or copy of a rare piece of art might arrive. Please keep them coming! They make all the time and effort we put into TJKC worthwhile.)

It’s going to take a while to think over and digest some of the ideas in issue #6, particularly those speculating on Jack’s projected conclusion of the Fourth World stories. I do suspect there hasn’t been enough thought given to the degree that Jack drew personifications of himself into the series. In the Fantastic Four, Sue Storm is clearly Roz Kirby, Johnny is Neal Kirby, and Jack is both Mr. Fantastic and Ben Grimm—he divided himself in half. But in the Fourth World stories, he’s not only the heroes, he's also the villain. Look at Darkseid on page 16 and again on page 30 (particularly the latter). It’s Jack. The likenesses are striking. And Darkseid’s stature is not huge— unlike most characters of this kind, he’s a man of Jack’s height. And look at the inset of the Black Racer on page 23. That’s Jack’s face, ill and tormented. When the old gods died, the cosmos split in two, creating a Jekyll-andHyde-like universe in which both the light side and the dark side co-exist. To some extent, Jack saw himself on both sides. Mark Evanier is correct when he ascribes a multiplicity of possible meanings to events and characters in the series. The best authors are those who compress many meanings into a very few symbols. So, although Darkseid is not Jack, but a personification of those qualities Jack perceived as anti-human, I think he does contain dark elements that Jack perceived in himself (rightly or not). Esak could be a case in point. He appears in the early part of the series as an heir to both Metron and Highfather, and his “betrayal and pseudoredemption” in Hunger Dogs may not be what Jack originally had in mind. But what if, in part, Jack was treating the generations in terms of transactional analysis? He may have seen Esak as the Child aspect of his own personality,

And now some comments on TJKC #6: I wanted to let you know that TJKC #6 was one of the best fanzines I’ve ever read. Everything was interesting, insightful and thought-provoking. Truly the definitive work on New Gods to date, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the extra length of the issue; if you can keep it up, I’d encourage you to adopt it as a new standard. I also wanted to share some interesting information: I recently re-read a Harvey digest, Shocking Tales #1, from 1981. It contains a great selection of reprints from Bob Powell (including The Man Called Fate and the legendary “Colorama”) and Jack. I had never noticed until then the number of Jack’s concepts that directly tied to his later work. First, there was “The Cadmus Seed,” which dealt with the creation of clones, similar to Jack’s Jimmy Olsen work. Next, “The Last Enemy” is about a time traveler who encounters many

having betrayed his own creative ambitions by yielding to DC’s dictates. Now, at the end, he has partially redeemed himself. This is pure speculation, of course. It could be complete baloney. It’s easy to read psychological explanations into everything. However, much of what is in the Fourth World books (and in Captain Victory) is autobiographical, so? My own feeling, now, is that whatever Jack may have intended at an earlier time, Hunger Dogs is what he finally had to say. Stories are taken from the world as often as the world is taken from stories. Richard Kyle, Long Beach, CA (Few people I’ve spoken with since starting TJKC are as insightful about Jack and his work as Richard Kyle, as the above letter shows. If you’re ever in Long Beach, be sure to stop by his bookstore— appropriately named “Richard Kyle, Books”— and chat with Richard for awhile. I guarantee you’ll come away with at least one amazing piece of Kirby knowledge you weren’t previously aware of.)

And Now, The Final Tally! 70

Who ’s Yo ur Favo rite KirbyInker?

65 60

Thinkin’ ‘Bout Inkin’

55 50 45 40

One of the features of this magazine that really impresses me is the fact that you publish so much of his un-inked pencils. Being an artist, I find seeing the raw pencils far more interesting, and more powerful. In one of your recent articles you said Jack kept photocopies of most of his ’70s work. I wish someone would publish Jack’s Fourth World series complete in pencils!!! What do you guys think of this idea? Brian Postman, New York, NY (It’s a great idea, and more than a few subscribers have suggested it. However, Jack didn’t get his own copier until around the time Mike Royer started inking the books. Greg Theakston says photocopies of the first few issues aren’t in the files, although they may still exist somewhere. Maybe the late Vince Colletta made copies before he inked them— who knows? Many of the existing copies have faded over time, so they’d need restoration. And of course, DC would have to grant permission for a project like that, or do it themselves. Maybe with enough fan support?)

195 respondents total

35 30

Klein

Heck

Verpoorten

Windsor-Smith

Ditko

Shores

Simon

Giacoia

Kirby

Ayers

Wood

Royer

Sinnott

Stone

Everett

Colletta

his issue concludes our unscientific, ongoing poll for favorite Kirby inker. All of you who never voted will just have to live with the results! We gathered a lot of new votes since last issue, many from conventions we attended. And despite an early lead by Mike Royer, Joe Sinnott took a commanding lead, and ended up #1 by a wide margin. Congratulations to Joe, and to everyone in the poll. You’re all someone’s favorite! And since we’ll have this space empty next issue, there’s room for something new:

I’m really enjoying the articles and the wonderful info on rare and foreign Kirby material— many I never even knew existed. I’m also looking forward to reading more of Jack’s interview from the video “Masters of Comic Book Art” in the next issue. I’d really love to see the rest of the interview! Are there any plans to market or release never-before-seen videotaped interviews of Jack? Curtis Wong, San Carlos, CA (Transcripts from the complete video interview are in this issue. I’ve discussed the possibility of producing a Kirby video with Ken Viola, and he’s agreeable to it. Besides showing the complete interview Ken taped, there’s plenty of other Kirby footage from over the years to choose from. To make it feasible, we’d need to sell at least 1000 copies, so start talking it up!)

The Big Kirby Contest!

My main reason for writing is to ask the following favor... if you’re gonna be reprinting unpublished comic pages by Kirby, especially a later Dingbats story, then please, please, please try to reprint stories in their entirety! That glimpse of an unused Sandman story was just too frustrating! Joe Matt, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Joe’s not the first to mention this, so let me explain. While we’d love to reprint entire stories—assuming we have access to all the art— copyright law only allows us to print excerpts to illustrate articles, etc... Printing entire stories would hurt the copyright owner’s ability to profit from printing it themselves someday, and could end up in a lawsuit. So we try to pick the best, most representative pieces available, and hopefully whet your appetite enough to make you write the comic companies to request that they print the whole thing!)

t’s easy! Just tell us what your favorite single Kirby story of all time is. There are no wrong answers, but you can only vote for one! We’ll tally the results through TJKC #13, and print the top ten vote getters. And since it wouldn’t be a contest without prizes, we’ll randomly draw voter’s names and award the following:

Grand Prize: One lucky voter will win a grab-bag of Kirby goodies, including: • Kirby’s GODS Portfolio • 21st Century Archives Kirby Card Set • • Italian Magazines, reprinting the Silver Surfer Graphic Novel • • New Gods #1 • Argosy Magazine with Jack’s “Street Code” story •

Lastly, allow me to respond to the many of you who wrote regarding Carmine Infantino’s letter in a recent issue of Comics Buyer’s Guide. Many of you, like myself, felt that the tone of Mr. Infantino’s letter was very anti-Kirby (to put it mildly), and your responses in Jack’s defense were across-the-board very touching and thought-provoking. As it stands now, however, we won’t be printing them here for a couple of reasons: 1) the issue is getting plenty of coverage in CBG, and 2) as a magazine for Kirby fans, the responses could turn into an anti-Infantino tirade, which I don’t think is something Jack would’ve approved of. For the record, I had a discussion with a friend of Mr. Infantino’s at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. He assured me that people had misunderstood the letter, and that Mr. Infantino meant nothing bad toward Jack in his letter. If Mr. Infantino would be interested in responding himself, I’d be happy to consider printing his response here in the pages of TJKC.

2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place winners will be randomly awarded 21st Century Card Sets, Italian Marvel Magazines, and misc. Kirby comics. But you have to vote to win! Contest ends in #13.

Next Issue...

we’ll present an essay on Jack by Jim Steranko, and transcripts of the Kirby Tribute Panel from this year’s San Diego Comic Con (featuring Joe Sinnott, Mike Royer, Mark Evanier, and Tony Isabella). We’ll recap the Kirby art display we took on tour this summer, take a look at Jack’s hand-drawn greeting cards from years past, tell how Jack met Paul and Linda McCartney, plus have more essays, articles, and unpublished art. So stay tuned!

Submission deadline for #8 is November 1st. #8 will be mailed the 1st week of December.

Classifieds WANTED: Especially interested in Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko pre-hero Marvel and early Marvel superhero covers, splashes, and pages. Buy-Sell-Trade! Other artists too. Conrad Eschenberg, Rt. 1, Box 204-A, Cold Spring, NY 10516, (914)265-2649. ____________________________ DO YOU have access to the World Wide Web? Surf on over to w w w. m o r d o r. c o m / t h e h o p / k i r b y and let us know what you think! ____________________________ WANTED: ANY original Kirby art from 1970s, inked by Royer. Also wanted: HEROES & VILLAINS Hardcover (Pure Imagination). Send prices to: Joe Matt, 23 Albany Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5R-3C2 CANADA. ____________________________ WANTED: Men’s adventure type magazines; from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s; Battle, Epic, Man’s Story, Daring, Man’s Peril, Battle Cry, Man’s Action, Wildcat, True Danger, Man’s Best, New Man, Blue Book (action covers only). Special Wants: Jap and Nazi cover issues. Many other titles wanted. Great prices paid according to condition of issues offered. Norral Johnson, 919 S.W. 14th, #20, Portland, OR 972051732. ____________________________ FOR SALE: “Buried Treasure” #2, 1986, an 8” x 10-3/4” thick book of B&W reprint art by Frazetta, Simon & Kirby, Toth, and Bill Ward. Some great stuff. Mint. $10.00. Norral Johnson, 919 S.W. 14th, #20, Portland, OR 97205-1732. ____________________________ WANTED: “Jack Kirby’s Heroes & Villains” (1987 Ltd. “pencil” edition of 1000 copies, signed and numbered). Contact: Brian Postman, #2A 238 East 24th St., New York, NY 10010 or call (212)213-6242. ____________________________ FOR SALE: Limited number of ballpoint pens and colored pencils that were in Jack Kirby’s drawing table when he died. Certificate of authenticity included. $25 each. Tom Horvitz, 21520 Burbank #315, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, (818)716-8664.

FOR SALE: Hampshire Distributors Ltd. presents - In The Days Of The Mob #1, Fall 1971. Written, drawn and edited by Jack Kirby. Inked by Vince Colletta. Black and white. Color cover by Kirby. Has giant-size photo poster of John Dillinger! Magazine size. Like new. One of Jack’s best works. Offers? Norral Johnson, 919 S.W. 14th #20, Portland, OR 97205. ____________________________

Send Submissions! When we print something you submit, we’ll send you a FREE copy of that issue or extend your subscription by one issue. We’re looking for: • Rare and unpublished Kirby art • Original articles and essays on Jack’s life and career • Kirby interviews and correspondence • Kirby convention and fanzine art and articles • Photos and personal recollections of Jack • Published and unpublished reviews of Jack’s work, etc.

FOR SALE: Fantastic Four 12-color lithograph, s&n by Kirby, #99/250, large 60/90 cm, $150 + $10 postage. See TJKC #5, pg. 9. Call Rick Kupec at 416-264-5539. ____________________________

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

WANTED: Marvel Masterworks Vol. 18 (first Thor volume, reprinting JIM #83100). Need it for upcoming Thor theme issue of TJKC! Will pay cover price plus postage. John Morrow, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605. 919-833-8092. ____________________________

Text should be sent in one of the following forms: 1) Typed or laser printed pages with no “fancy” fonts. 2) E-mail via the Internet to: twomorrow@aol.com 3) An ASCII computer file, IBM or Mac format. 4) For previously-printed articles, photocopies are OK.

AWARD-WINNING writer/songwriter available for superhero, fantasy, comics, other projects. Plots, stories, scripts, original music. Credits include Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s Rat Fink recordings, Light Crust Doughboys (State of Texas’ official music ambassadors and Bob Wills’ original band). For eclectic country music/rockabilly sampler, send $20 for 3 different cassette projects, postpaid. Or send me any Kirby collectible, book, comic book, portfolio, or quality xeroxed copy of a Kirby comic cover, and I’ll send you a gratis cassette. Art Greenhaw, 105 Broad St., Mesquite, TX 75149, fax (214)285-5441. ____________________________

We’ll pay return postage and insurance for originals—please write or call first. Please include background info.

Subscriptions, Back Issues, Ads... To reach as many fans as possible, we only charge enough to cover expenses. More subscribers mean more pages, so get every Kirby fan you know to subscribe! All back issues of TJKC are in-stock at $2.50 per copy in the US ($2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside North America) postpaid. Please note that #6 and #7 are double-sized, and cost twice as much as #1-5. Classified ads are 10¢ per word, 10 word minimum.

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

WANTED: LATE 1940’s-1950’s Simon & Kirby comics: Black Magic, Headline, Justice Traps The Guilty, Young Love, Young Romance, etc. Pre-hero Marvels: Amazing Fantasy, Journey Into Mystery, Strange Tales, Tales Of Suspense, Tales To Astonish. Have many duplicates to swap. Geoffrey Mahfuz, Box 171, Dracut, MA 01826, (508)452-2768. ____________________________

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

WANTED: The Marvelmania Portfolio. I am willing to pay the highest prices possible. Contact - Brian Postman, #2A, 238 East 24th Street, New York, NY 10010 or call: (212)213-6242.

Buying & Selling Since 1969 Collectibles of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s

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MICHAEL CARBONARO

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

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Don’t Forget...

...to send a letter to Marvel Comics requesting they give Jack co-credit for the characters he co-created. And be sure to tell your local retailer you’d like to see those DC Kirby reprint volumes (see page 3). 35

36 Two generations of unpublished Kirby kid gang stories. Shown here is unpublished art from what would’ve been Boy Explorers #3 (partially inked, without ‘spotting’ the black areas) and a page from what would have been Dingbats of Danger Street #3, inked by D. Bruce Berry.