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One of the early pioneers of the early comic and sequential art form, Jack Kirby fully deserves the title of \u201cKing of Comics\u201d. Born Jacob Kurtzberg in Manhattan\u2019s Lower East Side, Kirby would move from selling day old bread to creating some of the most iconic comic book characters. His unique style breathed life into comic panels, with the action leaping beyond the comic panels. In addition Kirby placed a bit of himself into his characters. Marvel\u2019s Benjamin Grimm aka the Thing, and Nicky Fury represent two self-described aspects of Kirby. Fury represented the idealized Kirby, while the Thing was how Kirby saw himself. Looking at Detective Comics we have Dan Turpin from the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit. First appearing in Kirby\u2019s New Gods comic series, a Turpin was later used as a tribute to Kirby in Superman: The Animated from the late 90\u2019s.<\/p>\n
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As fitting for an artist that spoke through his illustrations, Mark Evanier has arranged a biographical account of Jack Kirby that is told primarily through Kirby\u2019s work: from his early days at the Max Fleischer animation studio, to his various stints with Marvel and DC, and his return to animation in the late 1970\u2019s. Evanier\u2019s book reveals how much of an impact Kirby had on popular-culture, and sadly how he and other comic book creators were undervalued, and underpaid by their publishers. With its mix of primary source material about Kirby and the history of sequential art, Kirby: King of Comics<\/em> is fantastic resource for budding an experienced scholars.<\/p>\n