Cheers Steve. Kirby's output and sustained quality is mind boggling. According to Google Gemini's highly-qualified tabulation, he's credited with 17,310 – 20,000+ pages in his lifetime, and the only other comic artists to have reputedly drawn more pages than him are Curt Swan (18,865 to 20,000+ pages) and John Buscema (17,899 pages). That said, much of Kirby's Golden Age work is uncredited or produced in shops/studios, so who knows the real total? I live in vain hope that this exhibition crosses the pond...
Incredible to see (especially in the digital age) what patchwork quilts some of the original pages were. The FF pin-up captions have the unmistakable air of Stan Lee. Now, as then, I find myself poring over each piece to guess who the inkers were, and which Kirby may have inked himself. Reed Richards' right leg looks as if Vince Colletta may have got his mitts on it... I'm a ten-year-old Comics fan all over again! Excellent post Steve.
Fantastic! This gives me a reasont to head back to LA to the Skirball Center. (I know the area and taught nearby at Mount St. Mary's College on the other side of the 405 back in the 1990s.) For anyone going to see this amazing Kirby exhibit, I recommend also going just a little south to the Getty Center. I love the Getty mostly for the building and grounds (although the illuminated manuscripts -- if they are still there) are very much worth seeing.
Doesn't the man in In Love #3 look like a classic Peter Parker?
Blimey, that looks like a suitably Fantastic exhibition, which is unlikely to find its way over to Blighty. Thanks for the peak inside, Steve. I don’t know if you’ve seen Chip Kidd and Michael Cho’s recent and pretty decent homage to Lee and Kirby – The Avengers in the Veracity Trap – but there’s nothing like seeing the source of their inspiration!
WOW! That looks like a perfect display. Love that blow-up of the famous street scene. Probably won't get to see it, but thanks for giving us a glimpse.
Want to see this exhibition, Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity, so bad. Jacob Kurtzberg, Jack Kirby, is truly the King of Comics, for all time. He opened a portal to Pure Creativity through the energy and discipline of his work rate. All to benefit his family. Although we are all of us beneficiaries of his Art and his Sacrifice. For all space and time.
Monster at my window is priceless!
I hope to visit this too! Thanks for posting
Cheers Steve. Kirby's output and sustained quality is mind boggling. According to Google Gemini's highly-qualified tabulation, he's credited with 17,310 – 20,000+ pages in his lifetime, and the only other comic artists to have reputedly drawn more pages than him are Curt Swan (18,865 to 20,000+ pages) and John Buscema (17,899 pages). That said, much of Kirby's Golden Age work is uncredited or produced in shops/studios, so who knows the real total? I live in vain hope that this exhibition crosses the pond...
I hope so too!
superb, Steve! I knew most of those images but to see them as original artwork with paste-ups and all… priceless! Thank you for sharing X
Beautiful photos Steve, they really capture the original art in all its glory, that collaged FF page!
Cheers, Kev! Thanks for the link on your blog! https://www.djfood.org/jack-kirby-heroes-humanity-exhibition/
King Kirby. Nuff said!
Incredible to see (especially in the digital age) what patchwork quilts some of the original pages were. The FF pin-up captions have the unmistakable air of Stan Lee. Now, as then, I find myself poring over each piece to guess who the inkers were, and which Kirby may have inked himself. Reed Richards' right leg looks as if Vince Colletta may have got his mitts on it... I'm a ten-year-old Comics fan all over again! Excellent post Steve.
It's not often I wished I lived in LA.....
That Lower East Side splash is up there with an Old Master. It’s stunning.
Fantastic! This gives me a reasont to head back to LA to the Skirball Center. (I know the area and taught nearby at Mount St. Mary's College on the other side of the 405 back in the 1990s.) For anyone going to see this amazing Kirby exhibit, I recommend also going just a little south to the Getty Center. I love the Getty mostly for the building and grounds (although the illuminated manuscripts -- if they are still there) are very much worth seeing.
Doesn't the man in In Love #3 look like a classic Peter Parker?
Blimey, that looks like a suitably Fantastic exhibition, which is unlikely to find its way over to Blighty. Thanks for the peak inside, Steve. I don’t know if you’ve seen Chip Kidd and Michael Cho’s recent and pretty decent homage to Lee and Kirby – The Avengers in the Veracity Trap – but there’s nothing like seeing the source of their inspiration!
WOW! That looks like a perfect display. Love that blow-up of the famous street scene. Probably won't get to see it, but thanks for giving us a glimpse.
Thanks for posting. I didn't know about this exhibition!
Want to see this exhibition, Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity, so bad. Jacob Kurtzberg, Jack Kirby, is truly the King of Comics, for all time. He opened a portal to Pure Creativity through the energy and discipline of his work rate. All to benefit his family. Although we are all of us beneficiaries of his Art and his Sacrifice. For all space and time.