![]() “Though Kirby was already known for the symbolic splash pages that opened many of his early ‘40s stories… it was in the romance genre that he would take the splash page a step further, into a territory we might call emotionally apocalyptic.” … “These titles… visually evince all the Sturm und Drang possible in an otherwise lighthearted post-War era, and are clear forerunners to Kirby’s better-known soliloquy splash pages of the ‘60s, such as Fantastic Four #51’s “This Man, This Monster!”Ĭaptain America Comics #1, 1941. Simon and Kirby Studio.įantastic Four #51, 1966. And of course, let’s not forget “ Brower, Steven.” Oh, and my write-up on an earlier CSUN show, Valley Vista: Art in the San Fernando Valley ca. So enjoy this special sampler.Īnd if you’re interested in more, here’s my recent feature on Marvel’s Daredevilthat notes Kirby’s involvement in the character’s development. And superhero artist Mark Badger credits Kirby with providing him a whole lifetime of incentive and education. Cartoonist-illustrator Carla Speed McNeil tracks Kirby’s impact on Jaime Hernandez back to his earliest work, while writer-filmmaker Ann Nocenti notes where artists Trevor McCarthy and Tradd Moore reference Kirby in their resurrection of Klarion the Witch Boy from Kirby’s Demon. Howard Chaykin, a 40-year veteran of the comic book wars and masterful graphic stylist who I’ve interviewed here, critically discusses the developmental pas de deux between Kirby’s and Harvey Kurtzman’s 1950s war stories. Artist-scholar Andrei Molotiu’s contribution compares Kirby’s work to famed 18th Century architectural fantasist Piranesi, as well as Picasso and other artists. In two of the essays Saunders - who co-authored the volume with Hatfield - and veteran comics editor Diana Schutz explore aspects of Kirby’s graphic evolution over the course of his lengthy and prolific career. But as an exclusive to Print readers - and through Professor Hatfield’s benevolence - I’m sharing excerpts and images from the writings that focus on creative artistic influences and inspirations. Published by IDW, the book will debut at Saturday’s gallery talk, then be available online, and in bookstores and comics shops after that. Jack Kirby: pencils, Mike Royer: inks and letters. ![]() Anyway, forget that poly-bagging nonsense: with more than 100 generously-sized art images and twenty smart, diverse, and enlightening texts, it’s really meant to be savored and shared at comics conventions and on coffee tables by all enthusiasts of work by the hyperbolically monikered “King of Comics.”ĭemon #6, 1973. Brower mentioned it in his piece as “sure to become a collector’s item,” although he hadn’t yet seen it. It’s part full-color catalog, part compilation of essays, and all handsomely designed. In any event, after their talk they’ll be available to sign the hot-off-the-press Comic Book Apocalypse book to which they contributed. Hatfield also tells me there might be a surprise speaker or two. That’s when you’ll also hear a Kirby panel discussion with art critic Doug Harvey, painter Steve Roden, scholar Ben Saunders, and cultural theorist Scott Bukatman. ![]() However, the smartest strategy is to show up this coming Saturday, September 26th at 1pm. The show is free and open until October 10th. Interactive displays and vitrines of comic books are also part of the visual experience. Jack Kirby: pencils, Mike Royer: inks and letters.Ĭomic Book Apocalypse has more than 100 original art boards on display, from Kirby’s early Captain America and Young Romance through his Silver Age covers and pages for X-Men, Fantastic Four, and so on, to the Silver Surfer and Kamandi from after relocating from New York to the San Fernando Valley, not far from the gallery. As for us Southern Californians who’ve lived through the 1994 quake as well as the jam-packed opening reception - photos below - I’m delighted to see fewer acts of God in Northridge these days and more acts of the show’s curator, CSUN Professor Charles Hatfield.ĭevil Dinosaur #4, 1978. The opening of Comic Book Apocalypse: The Graphic World of Jack Kirby at Cal State Northridge Art Galleries was duly noted in Brower’s column last month, the latest in his cottage industry of Kirby features also see here, here, and here. Print’s Steven Brower covered Los Angeles’s apocalypse from the safety of the East Coast, but I experienced it firsthand.
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