Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity
Pictures at an Exhibition #1
Yesterday I witnessed a truly amazing Jack Kirby exhibition with some of my colleagues. I didn’t take shots of every single exhibit due to some of the framed works having light reflections on the glass, but I still managed to get more than I can fit into one Substack post. I’ve never seen so much original comic art in one place. The Skirball encourages photography and social media posting, so that’s all good. I’ve also included their caption credits to accompany the artwork. If you live in Los Angeles, it really is a must-see! The exhibition continues until March 1st, 2026.
Captain America. The Fantastic Four. The Avengers. The X-Men. The Black Panther. Mister Miracle. The Incredible Hulk. The New Gods. These iconic superheroes are among the best-known of the many characters first brought to life by comic book artist Jack Kirby (1917-1994).
An extraordinary collection of original artwork and vintage comic books is currently on display, beginning with…
CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1
Cover Art: Jack Kirby and Joe Simon
Timely Comics, 1940. Loan Courtesy of Brandon Beck
CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #5, P. 40
Pencils and Inks: Jack Kirby and Joe Simon
Timely Comics, 1941. Loan Courtesy of Private Collection
STAR SPANGLED COMICS #7
Pencils and Inks: Jack Kirby and Joe Simon
DC Comics, 1940
Loan Courtesy of Jim Halperin
In 1940, Simon and Kirby created several new concepts for DC Comics, including the Newsboy Legion, who later appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 (October 1970) as part of Jack Kirby's Fourth World story arc.
IN LOVE #3
Pencils and Inks: Simon and Kirby Studio
Mainline, 1955
Loan Courtesy of Harry Mendryk
This cover image was later reused as the cover of 1955's In Love #3.
TALES TO ASTONISH #34, P. 1 ("A MONSTER AT MY WINDOW!")
Pencils: Jack Kirby. Inks: Dick Ayers
Marvel, 1962. Loan Courtesy of Eric Roberts
Between 1958 and 1962, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, produced dozens of monster stories for many different anthology titles.
FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #2 PIN-UPS
Pencils: Jack Kirby. Inks: Chic Stone.
Marvel, 1964. Loan Courtesy of Albert Moy
These pin-up pages appeared as a bonus feature in the 1964 Fantastic Four Annual.
Monster at my window is priceless!
I hope to visit this too! Thanks for posting