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| Kirby: King of Comics | 
 enlarge | Author: Mark Evanier
Creator: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Abrams
Category: Book
List Price: $40.00
Buy New: $17.75
You Save: $22.25 (56%)
New (42) Used (10) from $17.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 26392
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 12.4 x 9.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 081099447X
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5092
EAN: 9780810994478
ASIN: 081099447X
Publication Date: February 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new. Corners are slightly bent due to storage. B198
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Product Description
Jack Kirby created or co-created some of comic books’ most popular characters including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor, Darkseid, and The New Gods. More significantly, he created much of the visual language for fantasy and adventure comics. There were comics before Kirby, but for the most part their page layout, graphics, and visual dynamic aped what was being done in syndicated newspaper strips. Almost everything that was different about comic books began in the forties on the drawing table of Jack Kirby. This is his story by one who knew him well—the authorized celebration of the one and only “King of Comics” and his groundbreaking work.
“I don’t think it’s any accident that . . . the entire Marvel universe and the entire DC universe are all pinned or rooted on Kirby’s concepts.” —Michael Chabon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
 Kirby Legend Rehashed For Those Who Did Not Pay Attention Earlier March 5, 2008
40 out of 51 found this review helpful
Were a slightly more precise rating system available to me, I'd give this coffee-table Jack Kirby biography 3.5 stars instead of four, but I tend to err on the side of mercy when my favorite artist is involved, thus SO BE IT. And, while, no, I don't regret my purchase, I can't say that I wasn't mildly disappointed at what I perceive to be a lack of separation between this book and others of its ilk -- specifically Ronin Ro's much smaller ((and cheaper)) paperback biography, "Tales To Astonish." As this book was written by one-time Kirby assistant Mark Evanier, I really expected it to be THE Kirby biography -- the definitive, most detailed, most fanboy-obsessed account of the "King" and his Kreations there ever was or could be. As it stands, the text reads almost identically -- in depth, tone, breadth, detail, progression, etc. -- as "Tales To Astonish," except "Kirby: King Of Comics" mentions that Jack was losing sight in one eye during his career and once threatened to punch out the head of Marvelmania, and "Tales To Astonish" mentions that Jack got his friend's brains splattered on a drawing he was making in a foxhole and once threatened to punch out the guy from the towel service. I guess I just expected this book to take it one more level deeper than that -- one level of nerdiness beyond mere boilerplate. I mean, this is JACK KIRBY we're talking about here! Let's see some obsession! Let's have some nerdiness! Let's have some damn KRACKLE already! Furthermore, every book about comics I seem to have read in my life ((that wasn't written by Jules Feiffer, Scott McCloud, or Stan Lee)) seems to be written in the same generic non-voice that Jim Steranko used in his History Of Comics publications. I'd like to see a little less of the "I am a dry, objective reporter" tone used in these types of books, and a little more of the excitement about the subject matter one tends to find in the forewords of books like these. Moving on to the art, OBVIOUSLY it's great -- Kirby says "Don't Ask, Just Buy It!" -- but the overall design is nothing that makes me stop and just sort of ADORE the pages for countless minutes/hours, as is the case in the Kirby Fourth World Omnibus series ((from which it has obviously taken a few visual cues)). Exactly WHY i don't think this book is a full-on five-star visual treat like the Fourth World Omnibuses I cannot rightly say; I can only report on my findings. All in all, i was able to read this book from cover to cover -- with modest time spent adoring the art -- in about three or four hours. Nice, but not the life-affirming necessity I was hoping for.
P.S. Since I actually prefer Vince Coletta's inks on Kirby's pencils over Joe Sinnott's or Mike Royer's, please feel free to completely discount my opinion here and pelt me with rocks and garbage, as is the norm.
 Great art, but too much subjectively biased writing from the author March 14, 2008
11 out of 17 found this review helpful
This is a nice package of fantastic artwork from Jack Kirby. It's a great coffe-table artbook, but suffers as a balanced critical overview of the amazing artist's life. Since much of Kirby's prolific work is already available to view from so many different sources, I had hoped that we would be getting a closer "comic book fan insider" view of Kirby's life, since the book is written by one of his confidants, celebrated writer Mark Evanier. Unfortunately, Evanier lets his long friendship with Kirby cloud his writing when he explores the controversy that has always surrounded whether it was Stan Lee or Jack Kirby who deserves the most credit for creating the Marvel Universe. Too often in the book, Evanier sides with Kirby and his wife Roz, by trying to advocate that it was pretty much Jack Kirby creating all the concepts, plot and character designs, while Stan Lee's contribution was merely adding his catchy dialouge to the scripts. For example, with regard to the creation of the Fantastic Four, Evanier basically argues that Kirby created the whole shebang and that Stan Lee stole the credit. Evanier dismisses Lee's contribution in just a few short sentences where he admits that there still exists Lee's original concept/plot outline that Lee says he gave to Jack. It would have been truly engrossing if Evanier had chosen to examine the controversy further, but you get the feeling that as a Kirby apologist he is reluctant to go there, which is why the book suffers. Evanier also only barely alludes to a mid 80's interview that Kirby gave to the Comics Journal where he emphatically argued that he was responsible for basically creating all the Marvel characters and that Stan didn't add anything creatively. All Evanier writes is the he believes that Jack believed what he was saying, but doesn't delve any further. Whatever side of the debate you reside on, for a writer with the life experiences and backround in the comic book industry that Evanier posesses, to not offer anything more than a slavish argument for how Jack Kirby was responsible for creating basically everything at Marvel, at the expense of his collaborators contributions (even Joe Simon gets a bit of the short shrift from Evanier with regard to the creation of Captain America) does a great disservice to these other men.
As a long time comic fan who belives that both Lee and Kirby deserve equal credit (try imagining Stan's role as Editor in Cheif and head writer at Marvel to the way that a movie director such as George Lucas operates), Evanier's writing just gets on my nerves because of the constant hype that he shovels into each paragraph trying to puff up Jack's legacy.
 Kirby: The Charlie Brown of Comics May 21, 2008
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
As much as I enjoyed the reprinted artwork, Evanier's proximity to Kirby and his estate made the book read more as hagiography than biography. Sure, in some respects I was pleasantly surprised...such as Evanier often giving the benefit of the doubt to Stan Lee (a well-beaten pinata of Kirby partisans) and actually acknowledging (albeit passingly) various quirks of Kirby's personality that may have contributed to the other problem I had with the book: it's steady drumbeat of prosecution and victimhood.
Although the negative aspects of a life should never be ignored, Evanier seemed to wallow in negativity by portraying Kirby as little more than a hapless victim tossed this way and that by clueless and/or vindictive know-nothings. Ironically, in an effort to make Kirby look good by blaming most of his setbacks on the ungrateful or uncomprehending nitwits around him (which apparently included everyone except his wife Roz), Evanier makes Kirby come off as an insecure, paranoid masochist. That's unfortunate, because the essense of Kirby I see in his artwork is full of joy, pride, and enthusiasm...and not the beaten-down wage slave of Evanier's depressing hard luck tale.
Personally, I would have loved to get more insights into the artwork itself, Kirby's working process, or any other "behind the scenes" glimpses into his marvelously creative mind, rather than the familiar litany of personal slights and corporate screw-overs allegedly inflicted upon the man. At one point, even the motivations of Kirby's various inkers were called into question in a quote by fellow inker (and Kirby pal) Mike Royer:
"I kept seeing other artists trying to make Kirby work
look like their work and impose their viewpoints..."
This quote sums up my irritation with the book. Royer, who should know better (at its core, the very act of inking another artist's pencils is "imposing" another viewpoint), instead characterizes the honest efforts of Kirby's fellow professionals in the worst possible light...as if they had some anti-Kirby agenda they were advancing. Worse yet, Evanier (for whatever reason) decided to include it. This is the spirit of persecution and finger pointing that characterizes so much of the book from Kirby's early career onward, and it's a damn shame Evanier chose to take the story of this man's interesting and influential life on such a low road.
I have no doubt matters between Kirby and his employers caused him and his family grief and aggravation...but at the same time, I don't think airing so much of that dirty laundry was the way to go, since it ultimately made everyone involved come across as petty and grasping...even Kirby himself.
Strangely, in the last chapter, Evanier characterizes Kirby's outlook during the final ten years of his life:
"The positive side won out, as it always had with Kirby."
Really, Mark? Now, Kirby may very well have "always" had a positive outlook, but it's a quality that rarely (if ever) surfaces in the preceding six chapters of "Somebody Done Him Wrong" songs....which is why I can only recommend this book on the strength of the artwork alone. For those who thrive on the "Big Company Screws Little Guy" narrative, this book (and Evanier's larger volume) is definitely for you...but for me? Eh...no thanks.
 Superbook about a super legend for anyone who loves animation, comics, movies or any major pop culture phenomenon! March 19, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Like his creation, the Silver Surfer, Jack Kirby was riding the crest of a pop culture wave decades before many realized it was going to break. This book is an excellent way to appreciate the magnitude of his contributions (and in the way he was underpaid and undervalued by the industry until the last ten years of his life, many were like literal "contributions").
Large format, or coffee table, books are sometimes more about the visuals than the text, but Kirby, King of Comics is one of the exceptions. Written with depth and detail by animation/comic/TV writer/uberblogger Mark Evanier, this lavish, 9x12 tome has as much substance as style.
It tells a life and career story that many of us can identify with, whether we read superhero comics or not. But the story of such an astonishing art and story talent could not be told without substantial illustrations that are its heart and soul, and this book never disappoints on either front.
Whether you're into comics or not, your breath will be taken away by the dynamism of every frame -- not to mention spectacular spreads like the one from "Street Code," in which a dozen or more stories are woven into an eye-popping two page scene.
Perhaps most touching and compelling is the constant struggle Kirby fought for recognition for his substantial role in creating iconic characters that made millionaires of others, balanced with his concern for his family's financial security and his devotion for his unfailingly supportive wife, Roz.
Fortunately the story, as Evanier weaves it, has a happy, somewhat bittersweet ending with a wonderful Fantastic Four excerpt in which The Thing (Kirby's alter ego) sums up a truly universal legacy.
Must-Have For Kirby Fans March 7, 2008
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This book is full of artwork and stories about one of the most influential artists in comic book history. Mark Evanier - who has had a valuable association with Kirby spanning decades - included tales and information that I had never even seen or heard before. There's a lot of original art within, also containing some things I've never seen - and this is after being a subscriber to the Jack Kirby Collector in the past. Beyond that, this book in general just looks great. Highly recommended.
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