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Jack Kirby Collector Ninety Summer 2024 (magazine review).

The ‘Jack Kirby Collector’ is a quarterly magazine aimed at anyone with an interest or appreciation of the legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. If I were to mention that this edition is listed as volume 30 No. 90, you could rightly assume that it has been regularly published for some time. It’s a testament to the sheer volume of work Jack Kirby produced in his lifetime. Of course, the magazine’s continued success is due to its contributors and the work of the editor, John Morrow.

The front cover of the magazine is always the starting point. This edition has Spider-Man leaping towards the viewer with an urban city background behind him. I’m not sure its one of Kirby’s better drawings but it is certainly striking. Just to the left of Spider-Man is Jack Kirby’s signature with “+ Pickador.”. It took me a while to find the note buried on the contents page that Pickador refers to Damian Pickador Zajko, who’s credited with the inks and colour for the cover page.

As usual, the magazine starts with the ‘Editor’s Opening Shot’ piece, which I must say is not like any other one I have read. It is setting out some plot ideas for what might have been the continuation of the ‘Fourth World’ saga featuring the New Gods. Regrettably, Kirby and DC Comics cancelled the project due to its lack of commercial success. Unfortunately, the article won’t mean anything if you’re unfamiliar with the ‘Fourth World’ saga. There’s no context setting or explanation, which is most certainly required.

Moving on, the second article is a reprint of an interview with Kirby and fellow comic book artist Carmine Infantino. The interview was conducted in January 1971 and originally published in the fanzine ‘Comic & Crypt’ in 1971. It’s a fascinating insight into how they got into comics and survived a very changing workplace.

While the next article is also from the past, the 2021 Comic-Con can’t be considered the distant past. The Kirby Tribute panel, consisting of Paul Levitz and Walter Simonson, moderated by Mark Evanier, discusses Jack Kirby’s work and the influences it had on them. As always, there’s ample illustration of Kirby’s work interspersing the text.

One article that really caught my attention was the Arach-Nits: Spiderman’s Tangled Web by Richard Kolkman. It is an exploration of the possible origins of Spider-Man. It seems there were quite a few stories that may have had an influence on Stan Lee, who says he created Spider-Man. The timeline for the stories starts in 1933 and ends in June 1962, although the Spider-Man everybody knows today has been through a lot of changes since then. It’s well worth a read.

In this 75-page magazine there are too many articles to mention in this review, although I should mention the never reprinted Simon & Kirby comic strip ‘The Fall Of Classy Eddie Bentz – Underworld Snob.’. It is classic early Kirby work. The rest of the magazine is full of odd Kirby facts adorned with Kirby artwork. There are examples of Kirby’s initial pencil work and then the finished product after it has been inked and coloured.

It’s always a pleasure to read the “Kirby Collector.”

Andy Whitaker

January 2025

(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 84 page magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISBN: 919-449-0344. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))

check out website: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_57&products_id=1767

AndyWhitaker

I live in deepest darkest Essex where I enjoy photography, real ales, walking my dog, cooking and a really good book. I own an e-book reader which goes with me everywhere but still enjoy the traditional paper based varieties. My oriental studies have earned me a black belt in Suduko and I'm considered a master in deadly Bonsai (there are very few survivors).

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