73 YEARS AGO TODAY

The final Kirby covered comic of at least 11 that were released in 1945 was on the racks.

The reason I say at least 11 is because experts disagree on these 6 comics - so it could be as many as 17.

STAR SPANGLED #43 - Kirby or Swan/Brodie? - shipped Feb 2, 1945
BOY COMMANDOS #11 - Cazeneuve or Kirby? - shipped April 27, 1945 
STAR SPANGLED #48 - Kirby or Swan/Kaye? - shipped July 3, 1945
STAR SPANGLED #49 - Kirby or Swan/Brodie? - shipped August 2, 1945
STAR SPANGLED #50 - Kirby or Ray? - shipped September 4, 1945
STAR SPANGLED #51 -  Kirby or Swan? - shipped October 3, 1945

74 YEARS AGO TODAY

The final Kirby covered comic of at least 12 that were released in 1944 was on the racks.

The reason I say at least 12 is because experts disagree on these 9 comics - so it could be as many as 21.

STAR SPANGLED #31  - Kirby or Kane? – shipped Feb 3, 1944 
STAR SPANGLED # 33 :  Fred Ray or Kirby? - shipped April 4, 1944 
STAR SPANGLED #35 : Kirby or Ray? - shipped June 6, 1944
STAR SPANGLED # 36 - Kirby or Ray? - shipped July 4, 1944
STAR SPANGLED #37 - Kirby or Cazeneuve ? - shipped Aug 3, 1944 
STAR SPANGLED #38 - Kirby/Simon or Cazeneuve/Brodie ? - shipped Sep 5, 1944
STAR SPANGLED #39 - Kirby or Cazeneuve? - shipped Oct 3, 1944 
STAR SPANGLED #40 -  Kirby or Cazeneuve? - shipped Nov 2, 1944
STAR SPANGLED #41 - Kirby or Cazeneuve/Brodie? - shipped Dec 5, 1944

ON THE SPINNER RACKS 59 YEARS AGO TODAY

 Looking back on 1959 you probably couldn't help but be impressed by Kirby's dominance of the 40 pocket spinner rack. He had 64 covers published that year. 
     As 1960 was about to begin these are the Kirby covers that you might have seen at the store if they hadn't sold out yet.

The above comic has a Kirby/Ayers cover and a 5 page Kirby/Ayers story.

The above comic only has a Kirby/Ayers cover

The above comic only has a Kirby/Ditko cover.

Besides the Kirby/Giacoia cover, the above comic has a 4 page Kirby/Reinman story and a 4 page Kirby/Ditko story

Besides the Kirby/Colletta cover, the above comic has a 4 page Kirby/Rule story

Besides doing the cover for the above comic Kirby also did the splash page for the story it teases. There is also a 6 page Kirby/Ayers story

The above comic has a Kirby/Ayers cover and a 7 page Kirby/Ayers story.

Besides the Kirby cover, the above comic has a 6 page Kirby/Brodsky story

Besides doing the cover for the above comic Kirby/Ayers also did the 7 page story it teases. 

Did the Kirby cover-featured lead-story starring a smoke monster inspire the creators of television's cult classic LOST?

96 YEARS AGO TODAY THE MAESTRO OF THE MARVEL MULTIVERSE WAS BORN.

"Lee's dialogue was witty and filled with character. Place it over exciting visual storytelling by Kirby or Ditko and you had something very special." - Mark Evanier KIRBY KING OF COMICS

THE EGOS OF KIRBY AND DITKO

71 YEARS AGO TODAY

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CRIME IF YOU DIDN'T GET THESE TWO KIRBY-COVERED COMICS FOR CHRISTMAS! (one of which is probably Kirby's 150th published cover)

And they also had two Kirby-illustrated stories each, adding up to 41 pages.

43 YEARS AGO TODAY

If you looked beyond the Joe Kubert cover you would have been rewarded with 18 pages of Kirby art.

If not, you would have had to wait 38 years for it to be reprinted.

44 YEARS AGO TODAY

DC delivered a double dose of Kirby covers, story and  interior art at the spinner racks. 

ON THE SPINNER RACKS 49 YEARS AGO TODAY

This Kirby-covered comic brought his year-to-date total for 1969 to 24.

  It also has Kirby interior art.

One more comic would ship before Christmas with a Kirby cover (and interior art.)

33 YEARS AGO TODAY

This Kupperberg/Kirby/Theakston collaboration had been in the local comic shops for a week.

from SUPER POWERS #6 (second series)

Kirby/Ditko Vs Kirby/Ayers

Do you know what is special about this issue? In 1972 OVERSTREET didn't.

 Williamson and Steranko rate a mention but not Kirby or Ditko!?

"KAMANDI was Jack's take on PLANET OF THE APES, a movie he'd heard much about about but had not seen. Asked for something to parallel that film, Jack conjured up what was left of Earth after a good, old-fashioned nuclear holocaust and populated the world with a young human protagonist and a lot of people with animal heads." - Mark Evanier KIRBY KING OF COMICS

"Kamandi's world is a premise of hope. It stems from a "Natural" disaster, not an atomic war." - Kirby (KAMANDI #3 letters page response)

NEW KIRBY HOMAGES IN YOUR LCS 3 YEARS AGO TODAY

ILLUMINATI #1 

KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT - $3.99

ALL NEW ALL DIFFERENT AVENGERS #1 

KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT - $4.99

ALL NEW HAWKEYE #1

 JEFF LEMIRE KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT -  $3.99

ON THE SPINNER RACKS 57 YEARS AGO TODAY. Kirby or Ditko?

Two Morrow's 1998 FINAL EDITION JACK KIRBY CHECKLIST lists the cover of STRANGE TALES #93 as being Ditko embellishing Kirby pencils. As does http://www.comics.org/issue/16780/ and Mike's Amazing World.

However http://ditkocultist.com claims it is actually the first cover of STRANGE TALES that Ditko both penciled and inked....

Ever wonder why scientists of the 1960 proto-Marvel Universe thought it was a good idea to supersize insects?

Increasing the length of Kirby's giant menace stories to 13 pages made it possible to add such details. This story is from TALES TO ASTONISH #14. Like the previous issue, it also had a Kirby/Ditko cover. 

52 YEARS AGO TODAY

October of 1966 was one of the rare months that Kirby didn't have more new Marvel covers published than anybody else!

He was tied with Gene Colan, Larry Lieber, Stan Goldberg and Gil Kane at two.

 

47 YEARS AGO TODAY

 

 

The equally-sized panel layout perfectly highlights the King's cinematic sensibilities.

Plus the 10 page story from 75 years ago that featured a Pre-Marvel Kirby Thor was reprinted.

57 YEARS AGO TODAY: is this why some critics call Kirby's characters two dimensional?

From TALES OF SUSPENSE #23