Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby, born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917, was a highly influential American comic book artist and writer, widely recognized as a key innovator in the medium. He began his career in the 1930s, learning his craft by tracing comic strips and editorial cartoons, and quickly entered the burgeoning comic book industry. Early in his career, he partnered with Joe Simon, and together they created the iconic superhero Captain America for Timely Comics (a precursor to Marvel Comics) in 1940. Their collaboration continued throughout the 1940s, producing numerous characters for various publishers, including National Comics (later DC Comics). After serving in World War II, Kirby continued his prolific output, co-creating the romance comics genre and founding his own publishing company. He returned to Marvel Comics in the 1960s, where he co-created many of their most famous characters, including the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Thor, and the X-Men. Despite his immense success, Kirby left Marvel in 1970 due to disputes over creators' rights and authorship credit, moving to DC Comics where he developed his ambitious "Fourth World" saga. Though commercially unsuccessful at the time, these stories have since become influential. Kirby continued to work in comics and animation, receiving significant recognition later in his career and posthumously. He passed away in 1994, leaving behind a legacy as "The King" of comics.

Born Jacob Kurtzberg in New York City in 1917 to Austrian-Jewish immigrants, Jack Kirby grew up with a desire to escape his urban surroundings. He developed his artistic talents from a young age, learning by tracing comic strips and editorial cartoons. While largely self-taught, he cited influences from prominent strip artists and cartoonists. Kirby's early attempts to formally study art were met with rejection, but he found an outlet for his drawing skills in a youth organization's newspaper. He briefly attended the Pratt Institute but found its approach too slow for his energetic style. His early professional endeavors included work for a newspaper syndicate and a brief stint in animation at Fleischer Studios, where he felt the work was too much like a factory production line.

Kirby entered the rapidly expanding comic book field in the late 1930s, working for packagers like Eisner & Iger, creating various genre stories under numerous pseudonyms. He eventually adopted the name Jack Kirby, inspired by actor James Cagney. His career took a significant turn when he met Joe Simon. Their partnership led to the creation of Captain America for Timely Comics in 1940, a massive success that solidified their reputation. Following disputes over profit sharing at Timely, the duo moved to National Comics (DC), where they developed successful features like the Boy Commandos and the Newsboy Legion, recognized for their quality and commercial appeal.

After serving in World War II, Kirby returned to comic book creation, working for publishers like Harvey Comics and Hillman Periodicals. He and Simon also experimented with new genres, co-creating romance comics and briefly running their own publishing company, Mainline Publications. Kirby was instrumental in the 1950s iteration of Timely Comics, known as Atlas Comics, which later evolved into Marvel Comics. During the 1960s, he was a central figure in Marvel's creative output, co-creating a vast array of iconic characters including the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, the X-Men, and the Black Panther. His dynamic art style and imaginative storytelling were hallmarks of this era.

Feeling he had been unfairly treated regarding authorship and creators' rights, Kirby departed Marvel for DC Comics in 1970. There, he launched his ambitious "Fourth World" series, featuring characters like the New Gods. While these titles did not achieve immediate commercial success, their characters and concepts have endured as significant elements within the DC Universe. Kirby later returned to Marvel and also explored independent comics and television animation. In his later years, he gained widespread recognition for his contributions, earning accolades such as induction into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame and being named a Disney Legend. Known as "The King" among fans, Kirby's legacy continues to influence the comics industry and popular culture.

“I wasn't the kind of student that Pratt was looking for. They wanted people who would work on something forever. I didn't want to work on any project forever. I intended to get things done”

“I went from Lincoln to Fleischer," he recalled. "From Fleischer I had to get out in a hurry because I couldn't take that kind of thing," describing it as "a factory in a sense, like my father's factory. They were manufacturing pictures.”

“I loved Jack's work and the first time I saw it I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He asked if we could do some freelance work together. I was delighted and I took him over to my little office. We worked from the second issue of Blue Bolt through... about 25 years.”

“just do what you want”