Jack Kirby profile

Jack Kirby (1917-1994) - Born and raised in New York City, "The King" of comics was largely self taught, emulating newspaper strips and cartoons as a young boy. His comic book career literally spans decades, starting Red Raven Comics #1 at the start of the golden age. His output was among the most prolific in comics, not just drawing but also creating or co-creating a vast universe of characters. Captain America, Boy Commandos, Omac, New Gods, Thor, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Black Panther, Hulk and the X-men are just a few examples. He also introduced the romance genre in comics while partnering with longtime collaborator Joe Simon. Artistically, Kirby's early drawings were steeped in classicism, but also introduced bold layouts and clever sequencing. Although known for his dynamic approach on superhero comics, the artist could tailor his work to match the genre. His romance stories were thoughtful and sensitive, while his horror tales were weird and discomforting. Over the years, his artwork would became more kinetic and expressionistic, sometimes bordering on the abstract. It's debatable when Kirby did his best work, but I'm finding extraordinary examples in almost every decade of his career. I highly recommend his 1940s-1950s runs on Captain America Comics, Boy's Ranch, Foxhole, Black Magic, Young Love, Young Romance, late 1960s Fantastic Four and early 1970s New Gods, Mister Miracle, Kamandi, Black Panther, 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Demon. Read more on Wikipedia.

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