CNN Asks: Was Kirby The Greatest Ever?
Author: Stephen Gerding
May 2nd, 2008
I assume this story somehow came from this being the summer of comic book movies, but I can’t be sure. Either way, CNN currently has an article that’s asking if Kirby was the greatest comic book artist ever. No matter where you fall on this debate - I tend to lean towards Eisner, myself - it’s kind of neat seeing a mainstream news outlet giving a piece like this the amount of play they are, what with a front page link and all.
The nickname was meant as a joke, a little needle from Marvel Comics mainstay Stan Lee to artist Jack Kirby.
But more than a decade after Kirby’s death, the name still fits: He is “The King.”
Consider some of the heroes Kirby helped create, many of which now pervade pop culture: The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America.
His distinctive action-packed style became the model for many comic-book artists. When he died in 1994, artist Gary Panter did a two-page spread in The New Yorker as a tribute. Michael Chabon dedicated his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about two comic book creators, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” to Kirby.
Not bad for a guy whose chosen medium was looked down upon for decades.
- Related Articles:
3 Responses to “CNN Asks: Was Kirby The Greatest Ever?”
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Honestly, there are and were better artists than Kirby. But none contributed what he did. From literally 1950 the mid 1970s, he created what comics are today and will likely be forever. I’m with Keith Giffen - (and I heard John Romita Sr. say the same thing) — there are no creators anymore - all that exists is “facilitators”. People who look at creations of Kirby, Ditko, etc, and re-tell or slightly re-work what they did.
Long live the King.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:21 am
FYI, yes. Yes he was.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:04 am
I’m, in some cases, years behind on my reading, but I just read part of Back Issue’s All Royalty special which had a section with tidbits from current and former talents saying why Kirby was the King. The two best — Erik Larsen, who said it seems like it’s almost impossible to talk about Kirby without it sounding like you’re exaggerating. And you’re not. And, Steve Rude, who pointed out how funny it is that even the Kirby books that only lasted a couple of issues are always the ones that the top talent of every era since says “I’d like to revive that…”