The importance of Jack Kirby (1917-1994) cannot be overstated. While the comic legend has been gradually recognized more and more as a visionary, innovator, and creative force, it’s unlikely that he ever will, or could, receive the level of widespread acknowledgement that he deserves. With partner Joe Simon, Jack worked on everything from humor to Western comics, even creating the extremely popular post-WWII Romance genre and some of the earliest horror comics. The pair is also responsible for the creation of Captain America during their early days working at Timely Comics, the company which would eventually be known as Marvel. Together, they would move on from Timeley due to dissatisfaction in pay, only for Kirby to later return at a point after the company name had been changed to Atlas Comics and Stan Lee had become editor.

A young assistant during Jack‘s original stint at the company, Lee began collaborating with Kirby, resulting in the pair creating their first big hit, The Fantastic Four, in 1961. Kirby and Lee would go on to co-create some of the most recognizable and groundbreaking characters in history, only a portion of which include The Avengers, Ironman, Ant-Man, X-Men, Magneto, Dr, Doom, Nick Fury, Uatu The Watcher, Black Bolt, Galactus, Groot (in Tales To Astonish #13), The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Loki, and MODOK. Together, they would even make large strides towards diversity and inclusion with the creation of Black Panther. Unfortunately, the majority of mainstream America still inaccurately views Stan Lee as the major, if not sole, creative force behind many of these characters and achievements. This remains an incredibly contentious topic, not only in regards to Kirby, but other artists/co-creators like Steve Ditko (Spiderman, Green Goblin, Sinister 6) who believe they were never properly credited or compensated.

The creation of The Fantastic Four established what became known as “The Marvel Method,” an approach that consisted of artists essentially drawing out and storyboarding the entire comic with Stan Lee filling in the dialogue after. The fact that The Fantastic Four shares multiple direct similarities to a team called Challengers Of The Unknown, which Kirby created in the 1950s during he and Simon‘s days at National Comics (later known as DC), provides further evidence of Jack‘s creative involvement. The way that King Kirby revolutionized the use of panels and storyboarding drove the storylines and created dynamic, engaging visuals that broke through the pages and propelled them forward. His angles and perspectives were unparalled. This isn’t to say that Lee didn’t play an integral role in their partnership(s) – his position as the face of the company, alone, helped keep the comic industry afloat for decades during its dry spells and evolution – but if you look at Jack‘s early pencil work, they will often have literal directions for plot and dialogue written to Lee in the margins.

After breaking away from Marvel in 1970, Kirby went on to create more classic titles and characters for DC Comics like New Gods; Etrigan The Demon; and Darkseid, which provided the foundation that Marvel swiped to create Thanos. The writer/artist would continue to evolve and eventually put out autobiographical work. He created entire worlds and not only broke out of panels and sterile boundaries that existed before him, but into space and time, into the past, the space age, and the cosmos. His iconic cover of Captain America punching out Hitler on the first issue in 1941 is an invaluable piece of American history, but his injected criticism of things like red scare McCarthyism are equally as valuable and an example of his understanding of the power of his chosen medium. Meanwhile, characters like Big Barda inserted strong female archetypes into a field that lacked many.

Founded in 2005, The Jack Kirby Museum And Research Center seeks to educate people on the comic legend and to preserve his legacy. Now, 30 years after his death, the Hoboken, NJ non-profit is teaming up with the Corey Helford gallery in Los Angeles to present a major art exhibition paying tribute to the late visionary.

More than the standard themed show, Kirbyvision: A Tribute To Jack Kirby will feature multiple different components. The main gallery will house a group exhibition consisting of new works inspired by the King of Comics from over 70 different artists in the new contemporary art scene. Meanwhile, Gallery 3 will showcase a collection of original works by the man himself. Curated and designed by the museum, the latter will feature a “thematic walk-through spotlighting Jack Kirby’s creations at Marvel Comics in the 1960s, his dynamic storytelling, heroes and villains, and unique graphic techniques ‒ illustrated by over 40 extremely rare one-of-a-kind original pieces of comic art, some never seen on display before.” There will also be a “full-size replica of a 1940s newsstand, complete with comic books” which they claim “will allow visitors to experience what purchasing comics was like during the medium’s infancy and four-foot-wide displays will feature 3-D comic pages that can be viewed with 3-D glasses.” Finally, Los Angeles-based Golden Apple Comics will have a satellite merch table on site where they will be selling “works from Jack Kirby including books, trade paper backs, omnibus’, vintage comics, and more.“

According to Jack Kirby Museum director and co-founder, Rand Hoppe, “This is the Kirby Museum’s first curated exhibition with a significant number of Jack’s original art pieces on display.”

The following excerpts are taken from the press release for the event:

---

Throughout his half-century career, Kirby stretched the boundaries of comic art and storytelling with his innovative style. His storytelling is characterized by wild physicality that draws the reader’s eye from panel to panel, breathing life into static images in a way that few comic artists ever have. His use of multi-layered “deep space” was integral to this as well as extreme anatomical foreshortening. Stylistic hallmarks such as his trademark “Kirby Krackle” have become the industry shorthand for strange, indescribable cosmic energies. Kirby’s squiggles, whether indicating metallic shine, futuristic and alien machinery/circuitry, or dynamic musculature, are enshrined in the comic book visual storytelling vocabulary. His later intricate costume designs also invoke a cosmic comic book quintessence: Kirby headgear is a genre unto itself. Kirby machines are unlike any others, whether weapons, portals, or vehicles, they all draw in the eye and electrocute the viewing mind with their sublime technology.

Kirby’s artworks are as powerful today as the day they were created, and his influence lives on, as seen in the remarkable new works created for this very special exhibition. CHG’s co-owner, Bruce Helford, shares: “While I was raised to appreciate Modern Art, it’s always been my dream, as a comic collector, to have a show with Jack Kirby. And now I have one and I hope it inspires everyone else the way it inspired me. His work is thrilling, dynamic, fun and if it doesn’t make you want to burst into flames, or stretch your arm around the block or surf the stars, then I don’t know what will.”

---

The roster of contributors for Kirbyvision is formidable featuring familiar names like SKINNER, Luke Chueh, Ryan Heshka, Travis Lampe, Bob Dob, and even Hi-Fructose Magazine founder, Daniel “Atta Boy” Seifert. With a show this rare, you get the sense that artists truly wanted to be included in this opportunity to pay tribute to an inspiration and an icon. Kirby‘s reach is such that his work has not only had profound impact on other artists, both directly and indirectly, but he’s defined the way comics would be created, viewed, developed, and experienced. His innovations have had ripple effects that continue to influence art and culture in ways that deserve greater analysis and, in turn, have seeped into the styles and perspectives of so many other creatives in various disciplines that have followed him; many who don’t even realize it. Artists like SKINNER, with his evergrowing world of monsters make a lot of sense for this exhibition, as do people like David Mack, who works with Marvel; or Olivia, who is famous for her pinup-style in which she has often rendered superheroes. The inclusion of others, like Anthony Ausgang, known for his surreal paintings and creating the MGMT Congratulations album art, or ceramic sculpture artist, Erika Sanada especially intrigue me, because there’s no telling where they might take this challenge or how they will interpret it. What will these artists use as their jumping off point? Will they take his characters and filter them through their own styles? Will they adjust their own work to align more with his esthetic? That’s the fun of this sort of thing; we really don’t know. What we do know is that, if they’re going to have to show their work next to Kirby originals, then everybody is going to have to step their game up.

Kirbyvision will open this Saturday, June 29th, with the exhibition running until August 3rd. If you’re in the area, we highly recommend checking this out. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some King Kirby originals in person and they are a sight to behold. In addition to the tribute work and the Kirby archives, a brand new exhibition of work by talented Canadian painter/Kirbyvision contributor, Bennett Slater, titled YONDER!, will be opening alongside them in Gallery 2.

---

Check out preview images for the exhibition below the following event details…

WHAT:

Kirbyvision: A Tribute To Jack Kirby
Group Exhibition

WHEN:

Opening:
Saturday, June 29th, 2024
7pm-11pm

WHERE:

Corey Helford Gallery
[Main Gallery & Gallery 3 ]
571 S Anderson St (Enter on Willow St)
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Phone: (310) 287-2340

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Opening is ALL AGES w/NO COVER
Many artists will be in attendance
Show on view until Saturday, August 3rd, 2024
Gallery hours: Tues – Sat. noon – 6pm

---

---

Jack Kirby Originals

---