The #69

1 $10.95 FALL 2016 8 9 0 0 0 8 5 6 2 8 1 All characters TM & © Simon & Kirby Estates. THE Contents

PARTNERS! OPENING SHOT ...... 2 (watch the company you keep) FOUNDATIONS ...... 3 (Mr. Scarlet, frankly) ISSUE #69, FALL 2016 C o l l e c t o r START-UPS ...... 10 (who was Jack’s first partner?) 2016 EISNER AWARDS NOMINEE: BEST -RELATED PERIODICAL PROSPEAK ...... 12 (Steve Sherman, , Joe Sinnott, & Lisa Kirby discuss Jack) KIRBY KINETICS ...... 18 (Kirby + Wood = Evolution) FANSPEAK ...... 22 (a select group of Kirby fans parse the Marvel settlement) JACK KIRBY MUSEUM PAGE . . . .29 (visit & join www.kirbymuseum.org) KIRBY OBSCURA ...... 30 (Kirby sees all!) CLASSICS ...... 32 (a Timely pair of editors are interviewed) RE-PAIRINGS ...... 36 (Marvel-ous cover recreations) GALLERY ...... 39 (some Kirby odd couplings) INPRINT ...... 49 (packaging Jack) INNERVIEW ...... 52 (Jack & Roz—partners for life) INCIDENTAL ICONOGRAPHY . . . . .60 (Sandman & Sandy revamped) OPTIKS ...... 62 (Jack in 3-D Land) SCULPTED ...... 72 (the Glenn Kolleda incident) JACK F.A.Q.s ...... 74 ( moderates the 2016 Comic-Con Tribute Panel, with , Ray Wyman Jr., Scott Dunbier, and Paul Levine) COLLECTOR COMMENTS ...... 92 (as a former jazz bass player, the editor of this mag was blown away by the Sonny Rollins letter...) PARTING SHOT ...... 94 (never trust a dwarf with a cannon)

Cover inks: JOE SINNOTT from Kirby Unleashed Cover color: TOM ZIUKO

If you’re viewing a Digital Edition of this publication, PLEASE READ THIS: This is copyrighted material, NOT intended Direct from Roz Kirby’s sketchbook, here’s a team of partners that holds a for downloading anywhere except our website or Apps. If you downloaded it from warm place in our hearts—the Boy Explorers. another website or torrent, go ahead and read it, and if you decide to keep it, DO THE RIGHT THING and buy a legal down- load, or a printed copy. Otherwise, DELETE The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 23, No. 69, Fall 2016. Published more or less COPYRIGHTS: , Boy Explorers, Boys' Ranch, Captain 3-D, & Speedboy, Race For IT FROM YOUR DEVICE and DO NOT quarterly by and © TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, The Moon, Strange World of Your Dreams, Stuntman TM & © & Jack Kirby Estates • Incredible Science-Fiction TM & © EC Comics • Space TM & © Hanna-Barbera • Johnny Reb & Billy Yank TM & SHARE IT WITH FRIENDS OR POST IT Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. 919-449-0344. John Morrow, Editor/Publisher. © Herald Tribune, Inc. • Abdul Jones, Battle For A Three Dimensional World, Rider, Galactic ANYWHERE. If you enjoy our publications Single issues: $14 postpaid US ($18 elsewhere). Four-issue subscriptions: Bounty Hunters, Jacob & The , Lone Rider, Micro-Car, Secret City Saga, , , Socko enough to download them, please pay for the Seadog • & , Blue , , Challengers of the Unknown, , Demon, them so we can keep producing ones like $45 Economy US, $58 Expedited US, $67 International. Editorial package Dingbats of Danger Street, Dubbilex, , Forever People, Goody Rickles, Green , Guardian, Jimmy this. Our digital editions should ONLY be © TwoMorrows Publishing, a division of TwoMorrows Inc. All characters Olsen, , OMAC, Mister Miracle, Mr. Scarlet & Pinky, , , , Sandman, downloaded within our Apps and at are trademarks of their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby Sandman & Sandy, , , Super Powers, , Tales of the Unexpected, www.twomorrows.com Estate unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective TM & © DC Comics • , Black Musketeers, Black Panther, & , Daredevil, Devil authors. Views expressed here are those of the respective authors, and Dinosaur, Dr. Doom, Dr. Strange, , , , Giant-Man, , Hulk, , , , , Moonboy, , , , Sandman (villain), , , not necessarily those of TwoMorrows Publishing or the Jack Kirby Estate. Sub-Mariner, , The Nightmare, Thing, , , X-Men TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. First printing. PRINTED IN CHINA. ISSN 1932-6912 1 Start-Ups Kirby’s First Partner? Bob Farrell’s role in Kirby’s development examined, by Jean Depelley

e know that between late 1937 and July 1938, determined to be rapidly (below) Some of the while Jack was working for Eisner & Iger’s successful. Our 21-year-old “teaser” strips Jack W Universal Phoenix sweat shop, he was also search- artist was hooked. did for Lone Rider. ing for publishers and syndicates—to finally succeed Born Izzy Katz in (next page, ) Comicscope ad from with Associated Features Syndicate in 1939, where he 1908, Farrell was a former attorney, as Joe Simon writes Daring Mystery drew The Lone Rider strip. Knowing Jack’s lack of ability in his Makers book. Actually, Farrell had to Comics #7 (April to communicate with publishers, how did he end up at stop his studies in Law, as his father lost his job. He 1941). Farrell and in early 1940? It appears someone helped him. started a new career as a freelance writer, scripting for Victor Fox would’ve gotten this image of After leaving the Fleischer Studio in early Eisner & Iger. But he was ambitious enough to consider Cap and Bucky at 1937, Jacob Kurtzberg was still working for the Lincoln launching his own syndicate, which he was to do in least a month before Syndicate. In late 1937, he showed his portfolio and got 1938 with Associated Feature Syndicate (according to Captain America a job at Eisner & Iger’s Universal Phoenix Syndicate, at ’s ). And he likely dragged Kirby Comics #1 hit the the corner of and 40th Street. along with him—probably thanks to his work on Wilton stands. At Universal Phoenix, while producing Diary of Dr. of the West, Jack followed Bob Farrell and left the Eisner (next page, bottom) 1/15/40 Hayward, The Count of Monte Cristo and the western & Iger Studio in July 1938. strip by Kirby, under Wilton of the West, Jack was to meet a freelance writer He signed with Associated Features Syndicate and, the house name who must have had a great on him. His name under the pen name Lance Kirby, started the Lone Rider “Charles Nicholas.” was Bob Farrell. The man was educated, confident, and western series, which was to grace ’ comics sections starting January 3, 1939. The strip was sold to a limited number of newspapers. After six “teaser” strips, it started in earnest on January 8, scripted by Robert W. Farrell (who also wrote the comic strips for his syndicate). A few weeks later, on February 18, 1939, Jack lost his assignment on Lone Rider, as Farrell preferred young Frank Robbins’ art to his. Robbins would eventually leave the art one month later (the equivalent of 24 strips) to the mediocre Geo Brousek. Jack’s involvement on the Lone Rider could have ended there, but the strips were collected and published six months later (retitled Lightning and the Lone Rider, certainly to avoid problems with The Lone Ranger’s copyright holders) in Easter Color’s , successfully sold to the comic book publisher by Bob Farrell. The series was published in colors, two pages with four strips per issue, starting with issue #61 (August 1939). Kirby’s daily strips were reprinted up through #66, followed by Robbins’ (but Brousek’s strips seems to have been ignored). It’s worth noting that Famous Funnies publisher had Kirby’s zip-a- tone removed along with the coloring, damaging the art in the process. Quite surprisingly, Jack was given the opportunity to continue his adventure strip in early 1940, from issue #72-76 of Famous Funnies, with nine full-pages of beauti- ful new art, having Lightning and the Lone Rider redirect- ed toward science-fiction, with weird Doctor Chuida from an ancient race, one of the first (if not the first) big-headed Kirby characters. Then, with no explana- tion, the series was discontinued, Jack’s workload at at that time being the most likely cause. But let’s go back to early ’39 and to a disappointed Jacob Kurtzberg, dismissed from Lone Rider and still looking for a job… In a 1976 interview in Italy, reprinted in TJKC #48, Jack stated: “I did assist Frank Robbins for a while, doing Scorchy Smith, in which I wrote and drew several sequences.” The Jack Kirby Checklist Gold Edition (p. 86)

10 PROSPEAK Kirby’s Fab Four Close Kirby associates interviewed by Jon B. Cooke

ince this issue focuses on Jack’s partners, collaborators, MIKE ROYER: It is my concerted opinion that Jack’s best (below) We used the and close associates, we sought out some reflections work happened when he was left to his own creative below Superman Sfrom his , an assistant, and even Jack’s own instincts. Solo! pencil drawing as the daughter: cover of TJKC #31 STEVE SHERMAN: I don’t think Jack needed anyone’s (our first tabloid-size • Joe Sinnott (most acclaimed from Jack’s 1960s help. Given enough time, he could have inked and col- issue), with inks by Marvel era) ored his own work. But with the amount of pages he . In 2009, Joe Sinnott took a • Mike Royer (prolific inker who tackled most of Jack’s needed to turn out to make a decent living, other hands shot at it for a . 1970s DC work) were necessary. I know that on Sky Masters, Jack was oe says, “I felt Jack more than willing to accept the Wood brothers’ input. made the arms a little • Steve Sherman (Jack’s assistant at DC Comics in the In fact, he would hunt them down to get the scripts. short as he ran out of 1970s) drawing room,” so he After a while it became such a chore that writing the slightly altered it. • Lisa Kirby (Jack’s youngest daughter, and executor of the strip himself was so much easier, even though the Wood (next page) A stat of Kirby Estate) brothers still received credit as writers. I guess it depends the pencils from on how you look at. If you want pure Kirby, then his ’70s #139, DC work is the best example. If you prefer Jack with a page 22. Jack was famously known to have the stories collaborator, then ’60s Marvel is the finest example. virtually “flow” from his pencils. In your experience, was it to the work’s benefit for the King to work in JOE SINNOTT: Jack certainly had to work with a good collaboration with someone, or go it solo? inker, one who was also a good artist, because as great a penciler that Jack was, he really was not a good inker. His work suffered if he were to ink his own pencils.

Can you share any specific incidences where your suggestions, direction, or input (creatively or editorially) made it into the stories? ROYER: Hate to disappoint you on this one. I never ever suggested anything to Jack; however, without him being aware of it there were a couple times when I added a word or two so that the meaning was perfectly clear. Example: Jack, Roz and I had lunch at the Copper Penny restaurant that used to be across the street from the Warner Brothers bungalows in Burbank, after I went on staff at Disney. He wanted me to ink Silver Star. At lunch he proceeded to tell me the story of Silver Star. I thought at the time, gawd, this is a hell of a lot of story for

12 public worked a great deal of magic. But, I guess that wasn’t enough for him. This is just one man’s opin- ion... I think Jack should have been left alone. SINNOTT: Here again, he needed collaboration only on his inks—his great pencils wouldn’t have materialized into the outstanding finished art with- out a great inker.

In your personal dealings with Jack, did you learn anything from the man’s storytelling from your association with him? ROYER: Nuts and bolts I don’t remember. Personal stuff I do. When I worked with/for Jack Kirby I was treated like part of the family. I have fond memo- ries of sitting at their kitchen table, eating Roz’s home- made chocolate cake, drinking a glass of milk, and talking with them about old movies. I would deliver the finished books to Jack two ways: (the old) Postal Special Delivery or in per- son. Many times my son or son and daughters would accompany me to Jack’s. While Jack and I went over the finished pages, we would occasionally look out the win- dow to the left of Jack’s drawing board and watch my kids (all AAU competi- tive swimmers)

14 An ongoing examination of Kirby’s art and compositional skills Kirby + Wood = Evolution ometime around 1954, work in the field of comic books began to grow scarce, even for the formerly lucrative team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. When Simon became an editor for Harvey S Publications, the two creators went their separate ways. Kirby struggled to find work, approaching the syndicates with proposals for strips. In 1956, he returned to work for National Periodicals, developing such ideas as and Challengers of the Unknown. At some point following the break-up of the team, Jack Kirby’s style began to undergo a series of gradual changes that would alter the look of his figures and the design of his pages. Kirby’s heroes had always possessed a lithe sinewy and somewhat elongated musculature. Beginning somewhere in the mid to late fifties, Kirby’s artwork began to bulk up and to take on a more architecturally geometric quality. Coincidentally around this time, Kirby’s pencils were coupled with the embellishment of an inker of extraordinary skill who was a legendary draftsman in his own right. This was the remarkable Wallace Wood, who had honed his skills working with EC Comic’s groundbreaking storytelling company. The unique partnership debuted on the aforementioned series Challengers of the Unknown, a concept often considered to be a forerunner of Lee and Kirby’s Fantastic Four. Kirby also soon realized his dream to pen a newspaper strip, one Sky Masters, which was also inked by Wood. is usually described as an intense workaholic who labored obsessively over his pages. In an article in #197, author Bill Mason1 says this of Wood’s development as an artist: “The young Wood taught himself how to draw in a dashing, boldly exaggerated style which he gradually refined by adjusting the spatial relation- ships in his drawing, through an extremely laborious process of point to point navigation from one solid object to another.” You can see in the intricacy of this cover from EC Comics’ Incredible #11 (left2) just what Mason is talking about. There is literally no space in this composition that is not being used to maximum advantage to the complexity of the craft’s interior. Wood served in the Air Force as a Paratrooper, and was fascinated with the equipment he worked with, later incorporating its design into his sci-fi illustrations. Every shape in this drawing is meticulously and strategically placed around the figure and all are precisely rendered with dark and light almost perfectly balanced. The ability to do this sort of spatial structuring is something that Wood had in common with Jack Kirby, who is generally regarded as someone who drew seemingly with no effort or preparation. This may be the case for the latter portion of his career, when he had more or less mastered his craft, but having seen some examples from his early swipe file, I believe that Kirby worked extensively on his depiction of reality. One notable example is Robert Riggs illustration that Kirby used for a cover for Police Trap #2 [see Jack Kirby Collector #38]. The fig- ures that Kirby more or less copied, that are stand- ing in a station house, show a serious concern with the young comic artist’s desire to master the

18 FANSPEAK Several prominent Kirby fans corralled by Kirby Confab John Morrow

(below) Leading up to “Marvel and the family of Jack Kirby have amicably Disney’s bottom line. the 2014 settlement, resolved their legal disputes, and are looking forward For the record: the terms of the settlement were fan support was at a to advancing their shared goal of honoring Mr. Kirby’s private, and I have no firsthand knowledge of the details, fevered pitch, includ- significant role in Marvel’s history.” other than hearing that the Kirby family was very happy ing this petition at with its outcome. (But since soon thereafter, Jack’s began Change.org. You’ll see the “Confirmed eptember 26, 2016 marked the two-year anniversary receiving a creator credit on both comics and films, it’s Victory” notation that of that joint statement, and the settlement between a safe bet that was part of any agreement.) it holds now. S Marvel/Disney and the Kirby family over rights to That doesn’t mean I, like most of , didn’t (bottom) This year, Marvel characters Jack was involved in the creation of. find it fascinating. Just as interesting to me was how Marvel celebrated Unsurprisingly, immediately after the news hit back in some “civilians,” who knew little to nothing about “Jack Kirby Week” at 2014, the online comics community was abuzz, with comics, approached me for feedback. A couple of the www.marvel.com with a slew of tributes rumors of what it would mean to the industry, and wild dads in my father/daughter YMCA group independently to Jack and his speculation of how many millions/billions/trillions had asked me about it. They didn’t specifically realize I was creations. been shelled out to keep the Supreme Court from having associated with this “Jack Kirby” guy they’d heard about the chance to issue a ruling that might irreparably hurt in the news, but both said basically, “I know you’re involved in comic books. What do you think about this court case?” So to get some perspective on its repercus- sions, I asked a select group of Kirby friends, fans, and TJKC contributors to answer a few questions, to help us all better understand what it meant, and continues to mean, to Jack’s legacy and fans. Contributors were: • Jon B. Cooke (editor of Comic Book Creator magazine, and former associate editor of TJKC) • Adam McGovern (Kirby scholar and the voice behind our “Kirby As A Genre” column) • Steve Robertson (Kirby family friend, and assistant at Genesis West publications) • Norris Burroughs (our “Kirby Kinetics” columnist) • David Schwartz (Kirby family friend ) • Jerry Boyd (regular TJKC contributor)

22 • Marty Lasick (Kirby family friend, and occasional inker of Jack’s commissioned work) • Tom Kraft (trustee of the Jack Kirby Museum) I simply asked them to answer a few questions, in as brief or lengthy a manner as they saw fit. In checking the pulse of Kirby fandom, I encountered a few surprises.

What was the first Kirby work you ever saw, and did you immediately like it, or did it turn you off? JON B. COOKE: I have a vague memory of seeing “Ant-Man” in . I thought his work was somewhat grotesque and not as accessible as the slick work in the DC, Harvey, and Dennis the Menace comics of which I was more accustomed. I believe I was five years old. STEVE ROBERTSON: Honestly, I can’t remember specifically what the first Kirby artwork I ever saw was (I was only seven years old at the time, in 1960), but it immediately made all other comic books obsolete! I can tell you that it was Jack’s pre-hero monster artwork for Marvel, that I saw displayed on the comic book racks at the local grocery store where my Mom shopped. I absolutely loved it! To put this in perspective, I was an early reader, and I had always enjoyed comic books, but my parents forbid me to buy any “Horror” related material—but the furtive glances that I was able to make at Famous remember being totally absorbed by the story and art and sorry I Monsters of Filmland at the local store, and Jack’s monster artwork, hadn’t been able to read the previous issue, since it was a continued were so powerful to me, that it changed my life forever! After this, I story. Believe it or not, the very next week I checked the same news- never had any interest in comic books that weren’t drawn by Kirby stand and they actually had issue #57 in the back of the stack of comics (or Ditko)! from the month before. I was very excited to get that issue as well! ADAM McGOVERN: I saw Kirby work so early in life that everything JERRY BOYD: I wish I could remember in the rest of the world looked wrong—not seeing puffy clouds with the first time I saw the King’s work! It metallic squiggle-lines or people with mouths shaped like trapezoids really kicks me around at times, because took some adjusting to. I received subliminal education in the Kirby I can remember the first time I saw the style by the comics my older brother left around. The first was prob- work of Steranko, Romita Sr., Colan, ably some Thor story or one of the shorts about Cap in WWII (the Sprang, Ditko, and both Buscema 1960s ones by Lee & Kirby)—I was always an inside-my-head kinda brothers, among others. But Kirby kid, so the ideal and fearsome abstrac- became my king at first glance, and the tion of Kirby’s look appealed to me memory’s gone! But I’ll say X-Men #9 right away. and I did love it! NORRIS BURROUGHS: I’m pretty sure MARTY LASICK: I remember first seeing the first Kirby story I saw was a mon- (what I later found out to be) Kirby art- ster comic, #75 with work on The , “Green Arrow”, Taboo, the Thing From the Murky Challengers of the Unknown, and some sci-fi short stories. I was Swamp, and it was pretty scary. I was addicted from the start and looked forward to Kirby on any book I about nine and I thought the art was could find. It is something I have never grown out of. Now I look really intense. The first thing that made forward to any Kirby reprints to preserve my original comic book me sit up and notice Kirby as an artist, collection and Kirby-IDW original artwork books. Jack in any format which also inspired me as an artist, was never gets old to me. the amazing sequential fight scenes in Rawhide Kid #30. I think the most TOM KRAFT: The first Kirby work I saw was The Fantastic Four. My wonderfully hilarious image was that of the Kid standing on his best friend handed to me in a stack of FF comic books when I was head shooting the boot heels off an sixteen. They were random issues from issues in the #60s, 70s and opponent [above right]. #80s. They immediately blew my mind! The visual language and power simply thrilled me. I never thought a comic book could be DAVID SCHWARTZ: I believe the first like that, and I was hooked from then on. time I saw a Jack Kirby comic was when my grandmother bought me a How do you feel Kirby’s legacy has changed now, in copy of Fantastic Four #58. I was eight light of the Marvel/Disney settlement? years old and it was on the stands at a COOKE: I firmly believe that Jack Kirby will be remembered and newsstand near my school. My grand- appreciated a century from now, if not by the masses, at least by mother used to take my brother Howard those who appreciate the best cartooning. and me to lunch each week and some- times she bought us each a comic ROBERTSON: Frankly, it hasn’t changed at all among anyone who book. I was immediately grabbed by was already a comic book fan, and has any knowledge concerning the cover as it looked really exciting comic book history. My fervent hope is that Jack’s genius will and very grown-up to me at the time. I become more widely recognized! It’s up to you, Kirby Museum! 23 Classics A Timely Pair An interview with Bonnie and Arnold Hano, by David Laurence Wilson

[Editor’s Note: The following interview was conducted on becoming an December 19, 2013, and submitted to TJKC. While it doesn’t editor at (right) A recent photo of Bonnie and Arnold Hano. focus specifically on Kirby, I felt it gives a fascinating inside Timely/Atlas. look at the workings of Timely Comics, with commentary (He later wrote about both and Martin Goodman. I have edited it numerous (below) Splash panel detail from Captain to keep it more germain to topics that would likely interest acclaimed books on baseball and westerns.) America Comics #10 TJKC readers.] Bonnie (who married Arnold in 1951), worked (Jan. 1942), produced by alongside Stan Lee in the early 1950s to keep the stories Simon & Kirby just prior n the 1950s, Arnold and Bonnie Hano were the coming from Timely Comics. Those years, 1951-1954, to leaving Timely Comics for DC. Though the power-couple at Martin Goodman’s Magazine were an industry-wide trough between waves of super- I Management company at New York’s Empire State heroes, with a wider range of titles, publishers, and Hanos worked at Timely in-between Jack’s Building. It was a dull, gray-suited name for an empire readers in the industry than there has been since. 1940s and 1950s stints of publications that emanated from Goodman’s equally Visiting the Hanos at their charming home, on a quiet at the company, this unassuming office. Goodman was a fellow who played street two or three blocks from the main thoroughfares interview should give readers a sense of what hunches and took gambles but not risks, and if a maga- of Laguna Beach, California, would clarify what Bonnie it was like at the offices was unsuccessful, it would be quickly canceled. Hano had done or didn’t do so many years ago. there. The company was better known by what you The couple had not kept up with the comics business. might call its pseudonyms: Timely (now Marvel) They couldn’t describe “Ultron” if you spotted them (next page, bottom) Comics; men’s magazines, especially Stag magazine; two Silver Surfers and a Black Widow. Bonnie said: Stan Lee in the 1950s, and Red Circle Books, a sensationalistic line of paper- “Who ever knew that Stan Lee was going to become the when Bonnie was his backs that would soon be revised and renamed as Lion big famous deal that he is today?” assistant. Books, a short-lived but important paperback company. Both of them were surprised when I showed them Arnold Hano was born in but he grew hardbound copes of produced during up in . He received a degree from Long Island their tenure, issues that might even contain some of the University and then higher education, as a copy boy at stories they had written. Neither of them had ever the . After action in World War attended a . It was not going to Two, he worked as Managing Editor at be like a conversation with Jack Kirby, who seemed to and then Editor-in-Chief at Lion Books in 1949, before be familiar with not only the past but the future. First of all, Mrs. Hano had a bone to pick with the scholars of the comics industry: BONNIE: Do you know what’s so crazy? I looked up something one day, and I found on the Internet that I was Hank Chapman’s first wife. I don’t know where they ever got that. When I met Hank, he was married to Gloria, whom he called Toni, and we knew her as Toni. They became very good friends of ours. So how did I get married to Hank on the Internet? How do things like that happen? Chapman was one of the top writers at Timely, one of the few writers to be credited on many of his stories, receiving credit even before the artists. His best known story may have been “The Nightmare” from Astonishing #4 (June 1951), a story illustrated by in which a writer for and Astonishing named Hank Chapman is terror- ized by vengeful characters from his stories.

32 the writer and artists in his office, though I think they were always working from full scripts. But there was also always an aspect of shy- ness with him. If he seemed a little shy, it sounds incongruous, but I don’t think it was. I just really liked him a lot. When Hank Chapman left his job as Production Manager, Lee asked Bonnie if she would like the higher paying position. She worked as Production Manager through 1952 until of 1953. It was a period when the number of titles at Timely almost doubled. BONNIE: I don’t ever recall feeling pressured. We always seemed to be busy but I don’t think that any of us felt like we were overworked. DAVID: Did you ever feel that there was a hurry-up atmosphere? ARNOLD: Goodman was really good at that. He would get more out of everybody, and it didn’t seem to diminish the quality. DAVID: Now when you took over as Production Manager, Bonnie, what were your duties? To get the comics out, I guess. Were you managerial or hands-on? BONNIE: It was really a managerial job, because there wasn’t much physical stuff for me to do. My job was to get everything together. To get the stuff done. Then I’d take it into Stan, he’d put the stories in the order he wanted them to go to the printer, and we’d be on to the next one. We had somewhere between eight and ten employees, including and proofreaders. Chris Rule, a big, heavy guy, was on staff, mostly in production and inking. He didn’t do a lot of original art- work. was an artist, and a very nice guy. Artie Simek was a . Stan Starkman, and Herbie Cooper, a talented singer who sang and acted in amateur productions—they were our letterers. The thing I remember—I took it when I left—was my x-acto knife. Because one of the things we had to be very careful of, was that “flick” remained “flick.” That’s where the x-acto knife came in, just to erase a little bit of the lettering, when necessary. BONNIE: By 1949, when Arnold went over to Magazine Management, DAVID: Would you say that any of the people working in production we were an item and I, too, began working for Lion Books. I was were frustrated artists? reading books to be selected for reprints. About a year later Stan BONNIE: If so, they weren’t talking about it. I know we had some in- asked me to come over to the Timely Comics division and work with house artists. Sol Brodsky was an artist, a really nice guy. What Stan him as his assistant. It was really a better job and it paid more. would do, there were in-house writers and he would assign the comics to freelance artists. Sol and Chris Rule might have done some DAVID LAURENCE WILSON: You already knew Stan? of the artwork. I can’t remember whether they just did corrections BONNIE: We all knew each other. It was a very compatible office. and additions or whether they actually did some of the stories. DAVID: When you were Stan’s assistant, did you work in his office? DAVID: Mostly they were inkers, I think, and they would do in- BONNIE: I can’t remember that. Isn’t that funny? I don’t think so. house corrections. DAVID: As an editor, Stan seemed to have a fairly lax style, in that BONNIE: Yes, that’s mostly what I remember. But I don’t think we he was a collaborator and an encourager, rather than someone who did any coloring in-house. I have no memory of that at all. The art was eager to go line by line over a piece of work. came in on the heavy paper that artists use, the big pieces of heavy BONNIE: Oh, I think that was absolutely true. He was also very paper. The creative, too. That’s the thing I most remember. lettering was done later in DAVID: So you would be called in when he needed you for something? our office. BONNIE: I don’t really remember what I did for Stan. There was no You correspondence for him. I have no idea what I did in that job. I have know what no idea! was funny ARNOLD: Part of that was that lax style of Stan’s. about that BONNIE: Well, and besides, not only was it a long time ago, but place, I used there was nothing that happened that was memorable. It wasn’t like to be very other jobs. good at get- ting stores to DAVID: By the 1960s, when Stan would work on a story, and give accept returns, the writer his input, Stan would talk out the story in his office, and and to do people would describe him as being really boisterous; he’d jump up other things, on his desk and act out a fencing scene. situations that BONNIE: Well, he was. He was very lively, very active. I don’t remem- had to be ber him jumping up on a table, but he’d talk over the stories with straightened 33 Gallery

Kirby’s partners & pairs, as chosen by John Morrow

(left) Only Kirby would take kids from the slums of New York, give them a sooped-up flying car, and send them to Scotland to track down the Loch Ness Monster. Pencils from Jimmy Olsen #144, page 13 (Dec. 1971).

(pages 42-43) The “Black Musketeers” take their bow in Black Panther #9 (May 1978). Seeing as how the Panther was originally visu- ally similar to a certain Caped Crusader, we thought it only fitting to show Jack’s one turn at Batman (and his partner Robin) from Super Powers II, #5 (Oct, 1985).

(page 44) Space Stars was a Hanna-Barbera cartoon that ran on NBC-TV from 1981- 82. Here are Jack’s animation concepts for the episode “Dimension of Doom” where Space Ghost rescues his mutated partners Jan and Jace.

(page 45) Page 4 of the unpublished Dingbats of Danger Street #2 (circa 1974), with inks by Mike Royer.

(page 46-47) Two pages of Cap/Falcon teamwork from Jack’s 1970s return to Marvel in Captain America #193 (Jan. 1976).

(page 48) August 18, 1957 Sunday page of Johnny Reb & Billy Yank, which Jack ghosted for inker .

39 If you think you recognize this piece from the 1979 Jack Kirby Masterworks portfolio, you’re only half right! For whatever reason, Jack decided to copy his own work—not exactly line for line, and not a tracing.

A Kirby friend commissioned the piece at left directly from Jack Kirby in 1979 for $200— whereas the bottom image is the one that appeared in Masterworks, with a 1978 copyright line (meaning Jack drew the bottom one first). Matching up the two images in Photoshop (above) shows a) Jack didn’t lightbox it, and b) he didn’t trace it—he apparently just drew it again. Both versions appear to be directly from Jack doing all the art, with no assistants. He simply did two of them. We’re not sure if he looked at the previous piece while doing the second one, or if he just had a photograph in his mind and he drew it.

41 InPrint Packaging Jack by Garyby John Picariello Morrow

(below) Original art from here’s a great scene in the Jack Kirby The Hunger Who’s Who #6 (Aug. 1985) Dogs where Darkseid ponders the techno-wizardry that has of Darkseid, showing an T unused pencil panel of replaced the raw power of crowd-control used in simpler the ruler sending troops times. Comments one of Darkseid’s minions, “It’s packaging, sire! after the Hunger Dogs. Technology that is easy to produce and easy to create!” They could We darkened the top very well have been talking about comic book reprints instead of panel to better show the erased pencils. nuclear destruction, but the principle is the same: with so many years worth of archived Kirby material, a steady stream of Jack Kirby art has surfaced in the last few years: Repackaged, reformat- ted, and reintroduced to an eager and inter- ested public, much to the delight of fans and publishing house accountants. Over 20 years since Jack Kirby passed from this world into the great beyond, the sands of time have not dimmed the spotlight that continues to shine on this artist whose career spanned nearly five decades. Kirby’s work is still revered—his output and creativity still the benchmarks of what can be accomplished with a pencil and a simple sheet of Bristol board. But perhaps the true testament to the man is the amount of product that continues to be published so many years after Kirby’s death. Trade paperbacks and hardcovers from Marvel and DC Comics reprinting the chronicles of the , Jimmy Olsen, Black Panther and Captain American generate healthy sales for both publishers. Add to the mix recent best sellers like the “coffee table” volume Marvel Visionaries or like the Jack Kirby Collector and it’s evident that there is still a market for the four-color visions of the creator or co-creator of this most popu- lar comic creations. But what is the criteria for publishers who decide to repackage what is basically old artwork and stories in a way that appeals to the new reader, and not just the hardcore Kirby fan? When it comes to reprinting classic stories and art, the focus—comments Marvel editor Tom Brevoort—is on the character and not the artist. “The fact that the work is by Jack is secondary”, says Tom. “So when there’s a Fantastic Four movie in the works, you can expect Marvel to produce a lot of FF collections, and certainly most of them will have some percentage of Kirby material in them. Outside of special cases— the Kirby Visionaries, or the Cap Madbomb book—we’re not really marketing to the hardcore Kirby fans.” Tom also feels that when the classic stories are reprinted, the work stands on its own merits: “You work out what you think is the best, most economically sound package for the material you’re printing, and then you go with that. This means that cer- tain stories may end up in black-and-white in an Essentials collection, in color on slick paper in a Masterworks volume, and reprinted in softcover in color as well—FF #51 is one of these. But I don’t feel the need to, say, try to color Jack’s work in the modern 49 Innerview Partners for Life by Blair Kramer

[This interview was conducted in late December 1992 via BLAIR KRAMER: First of all, I very much want to tell (below) Forever People telephone with Jack and Roz Kirby, just as Jack’s Topps you that, and I guess you must’ve heard this many #8, page 7 pencils. Comics series were about to launch. Much of this interview times, but it is true with me when I say that, you have was originally published as “Interview with Jack Kirby” in been one of my idols for a very long time. (next page, bottom) Comic Book Collector #5, May 1993, by Century JACK KIRBY: I thank you for that. I can assure you that Walter Simonson’s Publishing. This full version was transcribed and edited by I’ve always done my best to just get the reader into my pencils from Secret John Morrow. It gives a nice look at how, even at the end of City #0. work as much as possible. Initially it’s my duty to sell his career, Jack relied on his life partner Roz to help him.] magazines, and that’s what I’ve always done. I’ve done it by telling the best story I can. BLAIR: I remember as I was growing up in the 1960s, picking up the Fantastic Four, Captain America, and so many other comic books that you illustrated, I remember that all my friends, myself included, all wanted to draw just like you. You probably heard that many time, but in all honesty, as far as we were concerned, there was only one artist, and you were that artist. You were the only one. JACK: Believe me, that’s deeply appreciated. I can only say, as far as drawing style in comics, I’ve always felt that my style was apropos of the kind of comics I was doing. BLAIR: There was hardly anything more dynamic, more fascinating, more exciting than the Fantastic Four, and any of the other comics you were drawing. There was probably nothing as exciting as those comics you drew. JACK: Well I can only tell you that’s probably an offshoot of the times, when I was young, y’know? Probably much of my own devel- opment is a product of those times. Of course, those are transcribed in all the drawings and the stories I’ve ever made. BLAIR: You bring up an interesting point, being that all the new comic book illustra- tors have people like yourself as influences, but you started in on the ground floor. JACK: Yes. In fact, comics were first begin- ning to proliferate. I remember that the field didn’t have many magazines. The industry was growing. BLAIR: You created many of the features that are mainstay comic books on the stands today. JACK: I did. It was a lot of fun doing that. BLAIR: It shows too. It showed in the work. As I said, I’m gushing now, and I don’t mean to gush. JACK: Oh no, in a way, I’m gushing too. (laughter) I’ve always been enthusiastic

52 Optiks Jack In 3-D Land by Stan Taylor, with thanks to David Folkman for material assistance

his story starts way back in 1954. A young boy about six years old is out with his - T er, comes upon a revolving comics rack, and stares in fascination. On the rack are several of those new three-dimensional (3-D) comics. He stares and rifles through the books. He shows his mother and asks if she will buy him one. He already has some comics so it’s not an unusual request. His mother looks and when she sees the EC 3-D horror comic, she blanches. Rather than the crime and gore, she picks out a 3-D comic featuring Mighty Mouse by St. Johns. The kid is spellbound; he had never seen anything like this. The amazing rodent is flying and almost jump- ing out of the book. This was an excellent choice. Originally created in 1942 as a movie short, Mighty Mouse was a parody of Superman. We have a hit. He went through several mutations—beginning as Super Mouse—before becoming the (above) Get out your 3-D mouse we all love. Mighty Mouse became the most popular of the many characters in Paul Terry’s studio. Not many glasses, and you can see could ever forget the stentorian operatic vocals of Mighty Mouse singing, “Hereeee I come to save the dayyyyyy.” Opera in the third and farce played a large part of Mighty’s oeuvre, even the constant villain; Oil Can Harry occasionally breaks into aria. dimension! He was a natural for comics with Timely producing a short run in 1946. St. John’s took over the license and started making comics in 1947 with Mighty Mouse soon their top selling book. (next page, top) Photo of It was no surprise that this character was chosen for their first 3-D comic. recalled: “We produced two Jack by Susan Pinsky. He’s working on the sample proofs with the 3-D effect, a panel of Tor and one of the Three Stooges. When we showed them to Archer St. John, pencil art to one of the he flipped over the idea! We went to versions of the 3-D work on a Mighty Mouse book because Cosmic Poster. Shown at St. John felt it would be the best vehi- center is Jack’s first try at it—it was apparently cle for 3-D and get the best chance on deemed too complicated the newsstands.” The first book sold to convert to 3-D, so an out. Mighty Mouse later became one effort was made to sim- of the earliest TV characters in 1955 plify it (right) before when the studio was sold to CBS. abandoning it for a new image (see page 64). The 3-D effect left young Ray Zone breathless. Ray’s imagination and wonderment were on as he (bottom) One of Jack’s unused attempts at art searched out and collected any and for Battle for a Three- every thing he could find relating to Dimensional World’s 3-D. Hollywood was just beginning to included 3-D glasses, flood the market with 3-D movies. with inset stereo photo of James Butterfield. Such great titles like Bwana Devil, It Came From Outer Space, and House of Wax captivated the young man who became obsessed with the concept of 3-D. One of his favorite comics was Captain 3-D by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby—a wondrous example of the 3-D concept. Ray came to this fascination as a consumer, but James Butterfield (below) was deep into the nuts and bolts of the industry. Even as early as the 1950s, he was producing a 3-D TV show in Mexico. He invented several 3-D set-ups

62 Sculpted The Kolleda Incident Glenn Kolleda remembered, by Ray Wyman, Jr. (http://www.linkedin.com/in/raywyman)

[Editor’s Note: During my first visit to the San Diego Comic-Con in 1991, before I had any idea I’d one day be publishing this—or any other—comics publication, I briefly met Glenn Kolleda. I was lurking around the booth where Jack was supposed to appear, waiting for what became my one and only encounter with the King, and Kolleda was there promoting his pewter sculpture/print combo of Jacob & The Angel. I remember not being particularly impressed, as the price seemed astronomical to me, for what was not actual “Kirby” work, but some- one else’s sculpture based on Jack’s drawing. But I took his flyer anyway, which I still have (left). Cut to a few years ago. I received a phone call at the TwoMorrows offices in North Carolina, and the person on the other end said he was Glenn Kolleda! We spoke for a few minutes— he said he’d relocated to NC (less than an hour from me), and wanted to go on-the-record about his dealings with Jack and Roz. When I tried to set up a specific time to do an interview, he hedged, saying he’d call me back soon when he was ready. Sadly, I later learned Glenn died shortly after our phone conversation. While we’re left without his firsthand recollections, Ray Wyman Jr. was kind enough to provide the following details, including one harrowing incident, which he offered up to Jean Depelley for his recent Kirby biography in France.]

lenn Kolleda was a very imaginative man; affable and charming (he had two really cute little kids and a very charming wife). He was also a jeweler who could do some G fantastic work with small figures. He had a contract with Roz to promote Jack’s art through pewter sculptures and other projects, but was incredibly disorganized and couldn’t keep his mind on one task. (top right) Glenn During the time he knew Jack and Roz, he managed to generate a few high quality pewter sculptures—one very clever Kolleda with Jack. design of Spider-Man leaping off a wall and another based on Jack’s pen-and-ink illustration titled Jacob and the Angel. (below) Original hand- The ‘incident’ happened while Jack was very much alive—Spring of 1990 (Jack passed away in 1994). By the time of this painted Kolleda event, we had all grown weary of Glenn’s distractions—even Jack was making fun. But this incident was to be Glenn’s sculptures of Beast Rider and Odin. last distraction and his downfall. He had befriended a con-man who claimed (among other things) to be “Roberto Salazar.” Actually, it’s hard to tell who befriended whom and I’m not sure if I have the correct last name for “Robert”—but it doesn’t matter. “Robert” admitted to me that he used an alias because he was really a government agent (seriously, that’s what he told me). The point is that “Robert” had Glenn thor- oughly convinced that he could promote Jack’s art like no one else: Robert had con- tacts in government. Robert knew highly influential people throughout the world. Robert was an aficionado of fine art, and no art—in Robert’s opinion—was finer than the work he saw hanging on the walls at Jack and Roz’s home. While we all agreed that Jack’s art was splendid work, we rolled our collec- tive eyes at Robert’s endless proclama- tions and platitudes—which, at the time seemed completely harmless. At some point, however, Glenn started pushing a plan to take Jack’s art on a tour, but a date was never set, so none of us really

72 Mark Evanier Jack F.A.Q.s A column of Frequently Asked Questions about Kirby

Another event that’s 2016 Kirby Tribute Panel going to happen... there’s a (below) Jack reunites Held Sunday, July 24, 2016 at 10:00am at Comic-Con convention called the San with an old friend at a International: San Diego, California. Featuring Kevin Diego Comic Fest, which late 1970s Comic-Con. Eastman; Ray Wyman, Jr; Scott Dunbier; attorney Paul S. attempts to replicate the El (opposite) Page 11 of Levine; and moderated by Mark Evanier. Transcribed by Cortez hotel years of this convention, the years when the Silver Surfer Steven Tice, and edited by John Morrow. you could actually sit by the swimming pool with Jack Graphic Novel (still in Kirby and talk about comics. Actually, you could talk pencil)—the final MARK EVANIER: Good afternoon. Welcome to the Lee/Kirby collaboration. with Jack about anything. If you wanted to talk about 8000th annual Jack Kirby Panel. I’ve done a lot of these. World War II, he’d have you there for an hour. (laugh- (bottom) This year’s I’m Mark Evanier, you must know that by now. You ter) It’s a more intimate convention, more about panelists, left to right: know, every year this convention has themes. Next year Kevin Eastman, Mark comics. And they have this thing, it’s February 17-20, Evanier, Ray Wyman Jr., they essentially only have two themes: The 100th and one of the themes of the convention is a Centennial Scott Dunbier, and Paul anniversary of the birth of , and the 100th Tribute to Jack Kirby, special programming, and Kirby S. Levine. Panel photos anniversary of the birth of Jack Kirby. (applause) There by John Morrow. Cafe. That means there’s a restaurant on the premises, will be quite a few important events on the schedule. and they redecorate it into a theme each year for what- There will be more than one Jack Kirby panel, and there ever is the main topic of the convention. I believe will be a lot of special they’re flying Mike Royer down to be a guest there, and guests. If you’ve got a Mike will probably be here next year. I will just mention great idea for a panel or that the convention has not invited me yet. (laughter) event that should take Also, next year, I really, really hope I’m going to place, drop me an e- have my big biography of Jack out. mail before next April or so, when we start PAUL S. LEVINE: You will, you will. planning this stuff, EVANIER: This man is my attorney, Paul S. Levine. because it seems like (applause) He’s also the attorney for what people casually it would be a very call the Jack Kirby Estate. It’s really the Rosalind Kirby...? good year to cele- brate Jack. Every year LEVINE: Family Trust. is a good year to EVANIER: They call it the Kirby Estate, but to be specific celebrate Jack, but it’s the Rosalind Kirby Family Trust. people seem to like round numbers. LEVINE: And I’m also a literary agent, so I’ll sell Mark’s (laughter) I’m very book to a book publisher, the moment it’s done. (laughter) good friends with EVANIER: Yes, the moment it’s done. It gets bigger, and the great cartoon bigger, and bigger. voice actress June Foray, and she’s going to be 99 this year. And the people at Warner Brothers [Australian voice from audience]: No pressure. came to me and said, “We want to set up a special big LEVINE: No pressure. birthday party for her, when she turns 100.” And I said, “How about doing it when she’s 99?” (laughter) And EVANIER: No pressure, no. Why they go, “Well, that’s kind of a messy number.” (laugh- wasn’t Jack born in 1918 instead [of ter) Like, anybody can live to be 99. (laughter) So I think 1917]? It’d be much easier for me. we’re going to do a party for 99, and maybe she’ll get (laughter) So I’m hoping to have that another party next year out of the deal. out. It is going to be a very, very long book. It is going to be a very, very controversial book, I think. You are never going to read so much, dissecting the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby relationship, and who did what. I think I am the only person alive who ever worked for both men, and I had a lot of conversations with both of them, and also with a lot of their close people and intimates. Let me introduce to you the rest of the dais, and I’m going to poll the room for people who’ve got Kirby- related announcements. I wish I had taken the time to look up the exact quote, but somebody asked Jack around the late 1970s or something like that, “What’s the next trend in comics?” and he said, “I can’t tell you

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