Kirby: King of Comics [Hardcover]

Mark Evanier has done a wonderful job in this timely tribute to one of the great artistic geniuses of the last century. Really? But wasn't Kirby just a guy who drew trashy comic books? Well, no. He was, in my humble opinion, a graphic artist on a par with Warhol, Rothko, Lichtenstein or any other American artist of the 20th century. He just happened to express his talent in the 'low-brow' medium of comics. But what a talent it was! Evanier has collected together a huge number of Kirby's most beautiful, spectacular and alarming pages in this book, where they are superbly reproduced in large size and full colour. The well-researched text places the work in the context of its time and its place in Kirby's colourful life, from his birth in New York's tough Lower East Side, through a childhood of street scrapping, his creation, with Joe Simon, of Captain America in the 1940s; his traumatic progress across Europe with US forces in WWII; his co-creation of whole comic book genres in the 1950s; his creation of The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Men and others for Marvel in the 1960s; his epic unfinished Fourth World saga at DC in the 1970s; his legal wrangles with Marvel in the 1980s.
Here was a guy whose creative output spanned more than five decades, and whose extraordinary talent has been recognised as an inspiration by just about every other artist and writer in the comic book medium since. He has also influenced generations of 'proper' artists, inspired pop stars such as Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles, and is one of the unacknowledged sources behind the original Star Wars trilogy.
If you don't know Kirby's work, this book is a great introduction. If you do know the work, then this is a perfect way to find out more about the genius who produced it.
And as if all that wasn't enough, Evanier has included my favourite Kirby page of all time. Mister Fantastic hangs in space, surrounded by strange planetoids against a jazzy, op-art background. He says: "I've done it!! I'm drifting into a world of limitless dimensions!! It's the cross-roads of infinity - the junction to everywhere!!" And that's a pretty good summary of what Kirby's work is about.

Oh this is a big hefty book that just by its mere size inspires admiration. It recounts a truthful and interesting account of jack Kirby's career. After reading I felt as though I knew the man just a little and the struggles and triumphs that revealed him to us. I found it inspirational and I wish to have but a fraction of his compassion and work ethic. The amazing amount of drawings, strips and experimental work is really outstanding. I have looked at other Kirby books and they don't have nearly as much content as this book.
I recommend this book to any artist
Anybody interested in illustration
Biographies
Jack Kirby fans
Comic book readers
And anybody who has heard of ,Spider man, Captain America, the fantastic four, x_men, Romance comics, The losers, The Hulk, Comics and super heroes in general.

It is impossible to calculate the influence jack Kirby has had on contemporary story telling but it safe to assume that your life has been shaped by this one mans drawing in one way or an other.

I bought the book on a Thursday and read it completely by Friday. this is a "cant put it down volume".

I have been interested in comic art since I was a kid and though you do need to get used to Kirby's square face art, it really grows on you. This book is biographical and covers his beginnings in New York. The book also shows his early drawings which are very different to the later drawings on both DC and Marvel.

Being biographical the volume deals with the ups and downs of jack Kirby's career and to be frank there are a lot more downs then ups. It is sad to think that this guy who comes over as an honest hardworking guy is exploited bu those who employed him. It throws a number of companies in bad light and a few bosses who too appear to be baddies. Who? Well you will need to read the book though his disputes with Stan Lee are well known.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has experienced Jack Kirby's work. And i reckon you will enjoy the images, the story and maybe, just maybe feel a tear in your eye at its end. Regrettably some good results in life come just too late.

The book is very well written and it includes stuff which I have never see including his penciled autobiographical work which is very rare but a real joy to read.

I really wish that were more books like this as in my view these comic book drawers are real artists and their art should be as well celebrated as Hockney or Francis bacon.

Excellent book and highly recommended.