Kirby: King of Comics [Hardcover]

Mark Evanier (Author), Neil Gaiman (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2008

Jack Kirby created or co-created some of comic books’ most popular characters including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor, Darkseid, and The New Gods. More significantly, he created much of the visual language for fantasy and adventure comics. There were comics before Kirby, but for the most part their page layout, graphics, and visual dynamic aped what was being done in syndicated newspaper strips. Almost everything that was different about comic books began in the forties on the drawing table of Jack Kirby. This is his story by one who knew him well—the authorized celebration of the one and only “King of Comics” and his groundbreaking work.

“I don’t think it’s any accident that . . . the entire Marvel universe and the entire DC universe are all pinned or rooted on Kirby’s concepts.” —Michael Chabon

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As a teenager, future television and comics writer Evanier became an assistant to Jack Kirby, one of the foremost artists in the history of American comics. Kirby played a major role in shaping the superhero genre, not only through his innovative, dynamic artwork but through collaborating with Stan Lee to create classic Marvel characters like the Fantastic Four, the Hulk and the X-Men. Evanier has now written this magnificently illustrated biography of his mentor. Rather than employing the academic prose that one might expect from an art book, Evanier, a talented raconteur, tells Kirby's life story in an informal, entertaining manner. Although Evanier does not delve into psychological analysis, he brings Kirby's personality vividly alive: a child of the Great Depression, a creative visionary who struggled most of his life to support his family. The book recounts how Kirby was insufficiently appreciated by clueless corporate executives and close-minded comics professionals. But the stunning artwork in this book, taken from private collections, makes the case for Kirby's genius. A landmark work, this is essential reading for comics fans and those who want to better understand the history of the comics medium—or those who just want to enjoy Kirby's incredible artwork. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Mark Evanier met Jack Kirby in 1969, worked as his assistant, and later became his official biographer. A writer and historian, Evanier has written more than 500 comics for Gold Key, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics, several hundred hours of television (including Garfield) and is the author of several books including Mad Art (2002). He has three Emmy Award nominations, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award for animation from the Writers Guild of America.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Abrams; 1 edition (February 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081099447X
• ISBN-13: 978-0810994478
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 1 x 12.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Cartooning

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore naysayers - this is the best of the King May 28, 2008

By B. Younger

Format:Hardcover

After reading some of the negative comments in a few of the reviews, even in the so-called "positive" reviews - I just had to add my 2-cents: THEY'RE WRONG! This is nothing short of GREAT.

I'm not just speaking as a Kirby Devotee (which I am), or even a comic collector (also true). My exposure to Jack Kirby's groundbreaking 60s work at Marvel inspired me to become an artist and graphic designer. He was kind enough to respond personally to me when I was 14 and sent him a sample of my own comic work. I was lucky enough to meet Jack and Roz personally many years later in the mid-70s and spend part of an afternoon with him one-on-one. So I'm speaking from a deep familiarity with his work and some personal experience, as well as my professional background.

First, let's dispel the notion that KIRBY: KING OF COMICS is a biography. It isn't. There is no place in the book that calls it a "biography". It also isn't an art book with too much copy. This is a compendium, a celebration of Kirby's life and accomplishments, an overview with additional depth, an inside look from the people who knew him, worked with him, lived with him and loved him, with an attempt at balance and historical perspective that is often lacking in other biographical works about Kirby.

It's true that much of this material has been covered before, both in the shorter biographical works that have appeared and in the very excellent "Jack Kirby Collector". However, Mr. Evanier has done an excellent job of both organizing the information in an exciting and dynamic way, and adding details and perspective not available to other writers. Just the fact that he has had access to Roz Kirby and the Kirby offspring adds insight not previously seen. Not only that, but the "voice" Mr. Evanier uses is more chatty, more casual, more like Jack than any other book about Jack I've read. Despite what some reviewers have said, this does not come off as an uninvolved objective journalist. It sounds to me like a guy talking about a very dear friend without over-inflating the facts.

As far as those who think there's too much negativity and blame-laying, all I can say is lighten up! There were plenty of things that got under Kirby's skin, and he could be quite vocal about them. But he didn't dwell on those things for long, and neither does the book. The fact is, some bad things happened, and Jack was treated unfairly in a lot of ways. All of that is covered here, along with Jack's opinion about the situation, and quotes from others involved. Unfortunately, Kirby could be a little naive when it came to the business side of things, and his kind nature was easy to take advantage of by some of the unscrupulous folks in publishing. However, that is not the main focus of "Kirby".

What is the main focus are his accomplishments, and the book makes it clear (if there was ever any doubt), that Jack Kirby did more to create the look, feel, language and dynamism of comic books as they exist today than any other single person.

As for the art, I'm here to tell you that you ain't seen nothing of Kirby unless you're one of the fortunate few who can afford to buy an original comic page. Even the reproduction in TJKC - which is excellent - can't compare. Each and every piece of art is reproduced in full color, even the black and white pages. That may not make sense to those of you unfamiliar with printing and graphic reproduction techniques. But seeing both the penciled and inked pages AS THEY ACTUALLY LOOK IN PERSON is totally different than looking at a black and white reproduction. You can see all the nuances of Kirby's pencil lines, his shading, the un-erased (and sometimes even the erased) images behind the inking. The power and dynamic these pages illustrate are unmatched by anything else I've seen about Kirby's work. And yes, there are still some things that have never been seen before.

My recommendation: keep an open mind, buy the book, and read it as if Mark Evanier was sitting in your living room, telling you all about the guy who did more for comic boooks as an art form than anyone else.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbook about a super legend for anyone who loves animation, comics, movies or any major pop culture phenomenon! March 19, 2008

By Greg Ehrbar VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Like his creation, the Silver Surfer, Jack Kirby was riding the crest of a pop culture wave decades before many realized it was going to break. This book is an excellent way to appreciate the magnitude of his contributions (and in the way he was underpaid and undervalued by the industry until the last ten years of his life, many were like literal "contributions").

Large format, or coffee table, books are sometimes more about the visuals than the text, but Kirby, King of Comics is one of the exceptions. Written with depth and detail by animation/comic/TV writer/uberblogger Mark Evanier, this lavish, 9x12 tome has as much substance as style.

It tells a life and career story that many of us can identify with, whether we read superhero comics or not. But the story of such an astonishing art and story talent could not be told without substantial illustrations that are its heart and soul, and this book never disappoints on either front.

Whether you're into comics or not, your breath will be taken away by the dynamism of every frame -- not to mention spectacular spreads like the one from "Street Code," in which a dozen or more stories are woven into an eye-popping two page scene.

Perhaps most touching and compelling is the constant struggle Kirby fought for recognition for his substantial role in creating iconic characters that made millionaires of others, balanced with his concern for his family's financial security and his devotion for his unfailingly supportive wife, Roz.

Fortunately the story, as Evanier weaves it, has a happy, somewhat bittersweet ending with a wonderful Fantastic Four excerpt in which The Thing (Kirby's alter ego) sums up a truly universal legacy.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-Have For Kirby Fans March 6, 2008

By Conner Kent

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is full of artwork and stories about one of the most influential artists in comic book history. Mark Evanier - who has had a valuable association with Kirby spanning decades - included tales and information that I had never even seen or heard before. There's a lot of original art within, also containing some things I've never seen - and this is after being a subscriber to the Jack Kirby Collector in the past. Beyond that, this book in general just looks great. Highly recommended.