Customer Reviews

Kirby: King of Comics

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

Were a slightly more precise rating system available to me, I'd give this coffee-table Jack Kirby biography 3.5 stars instead of four, but I tend to err on the side of mercy when my favorite artist is involved, thus SO BE IT. And, while, no, I don't regret my purchase, I can't say that I wasn't mildly disappointed at what I perceive to be a lack of separation between this book and others of its ilk -- specifically Ronin Ro's much smaller ((and cheaper)) paperback biography, "Tales To Astonish." As this book was written by one-time Kirby assistant Mark Evanier, I really expected it to be THE Kirby biography -- the definitive, most detailed, most fanboy-obsessed account of the "King" and his Kreations there ever was or could be. As it stands, the text reads almost identically -- in depth, tone, breadth, detail, progression, etc. -- as "Tales To Astonish," except "Kirby: King Of Comics" mentions that Jack was losing sight in one eye during his career and once threatened to punch out the head of Marvelmania, and "Tales To Astonish" mentions that Jack got his friend's brains splattered on a drawing he was making in a foxhole and once threatened to punch out the guy from the towel service. I guess I just expected this book to take it one more level deeper than that -- one level of nerdiness beyond mere boilerplate. I mean, this is JACK KIRBY we're talking about here! Let's see some obsession! Let's have some nerdiness! Let's have some damn KRACKLE already! Furthermore, every book about comics I seem to have read in my life ((that wasn't written by Jules Feiffer, Scott McCloud, or Stan Lee)) seems to be written in the same generic non-voice that Jim Steranko used in his History Of Comics publications. I'd like to see a little less of the "I am a dry, objective reporter" tone used in these types of books, and a little more of the excitement about the subject matter one tends to find in the forewords of books like these. Moving on to the art, OBVIOUSLY it's great -- Kirby says "Don't Ask, Just Buy It!" -- but the overall design is nothing that makes me stop and just sort of ADORE the pages for countless minutes/hours, as is the case in the Kirby Fourth World Omnibus series ((from which it has obviously taken a few visual cues)). Exactly WHY i don't think this book is a full-on five-star visual treat like the Fourth World Omnibuses I cannot rightly say; I can only report on my findings. All in all, i was able to read this book from cover to cover -- with modest time spent adoring the art -- in about three or four hours. Nice, but not the life-affirming necessity I was hoping for.

P.S. Since I actually prefer Vince Coletta's inks on Kirby's pencils over Joe Sinnott's or Mike Royer's, please feel free to completely discount my opinion here and pelt me with rocks and garbage, as is the norm.

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.

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.

Mark Evanier has produced an informative, entertaining and attractive book on one of comic books most important pioneers. Jack Kirby's life and art is discussed and produced in all its glory. Evanier focuses on the man, his work and his struggles throughout his career. The original artwork is reproduced in a format that does it justice. For those who grew up on Kirby's work on the Fantastic Four, Thor or the New Gods or if this is an introduction to his overwhelming imagination, Evanier tells the story of a "regular guy" who transcended his humble beginnings in the Lower East Side. Kirby struggled with a life of creativity in a business that rarely rewarded their creators. Kirby, like Hitchcock or John Coltrane, was a unique artist whose life is fascinating.

Kirby is THE legend in comics and an inspiration to many comic book professionals, myself included. Had it not been for the creations of Kirby and Lee my own creativity and imagination would certainly not be what it is today. Who better to tell the tale behind the man than the always witty Mark Evanier, who brings insight and wisdom to the history being presented here. The artwork showcased in this volume is crisp and clear, some of which you may not have seen before, at least not in a long while. If you are a fan of the Lee-Kirby creations like the Fantastic Four, the Hulk and the X-Men and want to get a behind the scenes look at King Kirby you can not go wrong with Kirby: King of Comics.

Brian Miller, author:Hi-Fi Color For Comics: Digital Techniques for Professional Results

Flipping through this book it's very clear how much Kirby meant to the visual style of Marvel Comics. The splash pages, innovative page layouts and costume design of the Marvel Pantheon owes itself, in great measure, to the genius of Kirby.

If you're on this page reading this review you probably already know that.

What you may not know, is what Kirby added in to the comic epics he illustrated. He was SOOOO much more than a "penciller." His sense of imagination and storytelling completely blurred the definitions of "writer & artist." With that fact in mind, I'll leave it to the readers of Mark Evanier's prose to decide whether or not he was rewarded properly for his co-creations.

Buy the book and don't just look at the pictures. The story behind the art is as fascinating as the art itself.


Critique--
It's too short!!
This book should have been split into three volumes:
1)Golden Age Kirby
2)60s Marvel Kirby
3) 70s DC, Marvel and beyond

The guy did so much excellent work. This book just scratches the surface.

In a nutshell, there is very little in this book which hasn't already been covered in one fashion or another in Two Morrows' "Jack Kirby Collector."

Certainly, Mark E's knowledge of all things Kirby is unbeatable and his insight in to the some of the more pivotal events in Jack's life gives us a rare glimpse of what the man was like on a personal level. However, most hardcore Kirby fans already have access to the above mentioned "Jack Kirby Collector" and I wondered if maybe that has kind of overstaturated the prospective audience for the book.

You have to wonder if the few people who buy this that aren't already Kirby fans will make it a profitable enough venture for Mark to *finally* complete the Kirby bio he's been working on for like the last century or so.

As for the included artwork, as I said, most of it has been published time and time and time again. The new stuff, on the other hand, is very nice to have. (Especially the Alex Ross fold out painting of a scene from New Gods #6.)

All in all, it was worth the $30.00 I paid.

fantastic book but more mr. evanier if youre listening: please do more with kirby's dark side. he's a genius, without question, but his genius would benefit with less hagiography and more humanity. otherwise spectacular. damn you evanier! you have foiled us again with your inspiration and attention to detail!

I enjoyed Mark Evanier's Kirby book. Truth to tell, it is neither an art book nor a biography. But Mark said as much elsewhere. Space restrictions forbade going into a discussion of Kirby's tools, how he composed the page, a comparison with his peers and those who influenced him and those he influenced, etc. Ditto for a thorough going-over of his family dynamics: the frequent financial crises that were alluded, the Kirby Treasury his son Neil published, the point that this son does not appear to be the spokesman or executor of the estate, etc. These family matters may not be significant in the whole, but I thought them to be intriguing points left uncovered.

One reviewer here at Amazon said that if you have been a fan of the King and read what has already been written about him, then this tome does not cover much that is new. That is true, but, nonetheless, it is a great package that brings much of his wonderful art and life story together.

Unfortunately, I do not care for the book's cover. The dustjacket is a pastiche of the worst of the POW and WHAM motifs that the mass media uses to stereotype comics and does not hint at Kirby's artistic mastery. It even fails as an homage to Kirby's collages. Was designer Chip Kidd unavailable?

I am optimistic that Mark's thorough Kirby biography will eventually see realization in some sort of media. ((Would it not be apropos if this in-depth treatment appeared in comic book or graphic novel format?)) However, it has been fourteen years since the King became one with the Source and this passage of time and the publication of a few books, including this one, might prove to be impediments to that happening.

So, remember that old adage: "Kirby says, Don't ask, buy!"