Tagged: Jack Kirby

The Point Radio: Christmas On COMMUNITY

The Point Radio: Christmas On COMMUNITY


There’s no argument that NBC’s COMMUNITY isn’t your traditional comedy. So it is a surprise that when they do a Christmas Episode – it isn’t quite traditional? Series regular Danny Pudi explains the episode you’ll be talking about next week, plus a sneak peek at Free Comic Book Day 2011 and good news for the heirs to the Jack Kirby estate.

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ComicMix Quick Picks – September 23, 2009

ComicMix Quick Picks – September 23, 2009

Presented for your approval are these, the stories we didn’t get to yesterday.

What else did we miss? Consider this an open thread.

Jack Kirby draws Mickey Mouse as Disney gets Marvelized

Jack Kirby draws Mickey Mouse as Disney gets Marvelized

In a case of incredibly lucky timing, Craig Yoe, the author of Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster, The Art of Ditko, The Complete Milt Gross Comic Book Stories and Life Story, The Bizarre Comics of Boody Rogers, and The Great Anti-War Cartoons, has started blogging again on Super I.T.C.H. (International Team of Comics Historians) with a well-timed piece: Jack Kirby’s drawing of Mickey Mouse:

Back in 1991, I did a coffee table art book “The Art of Mickey
Mouse”, I got artists from around the world to do their interpretation
of “The World’s Favorite Mouse.” One of the first people I called was
Jack Kirby. He and his wife Roz were very excited about the idea. He
sent me two drawings, as I recall, and I chose this one. I colored it
“animation style,” with the black line on an overlay and  the
background colors underneath. Jack’s contribution was part of a touring
exhibit of art from the book throughout Japan. So, Marvel is called by
some fans “The House that Jack Built” (not, in my opinion to take
ANYTHING  away from the brilliant genius Stan Lee’s more than vital
part.) And here’s Jack doing Mickey! Is this weird, or what?

Behind the New Yorker’s Jack Kirby Cartoon Ripoff

You’ve likely heard a bit about a recent cartoon in the New Yorker’s cartoon caption contest (seen at right) that was a pretty direct ripoff of an old Jack Kirby cover. The New York Post, among others, called it plagiarism.

This doesn’t delve too much into that debate, but Patrick House, the man who won that caption contest, gives an explainer at Slate.com about the formula he used to win, and what it says about the New Yorker.

His winning caption, by the way, was: "O.K. I’m at the window. To the right? Your right or my right?"

He also touched on the differences between this cartoon and the Kirby original:

And what better archetype of urban ennui could there be than a man in a cardigan holding a drink, yapping on his cell phone while blissfully unaware of looming dangers? A very similar cartoon by Jack Kirby from 1962 — similar enough to lead the New York Post to shout plagiarism — has the person inside the window frightened and cowering, sans drink, glasses, or phone. But that was 50 years ago, and drudge and complacency have settled on the urban landscape sometime between now and then. You must look for these themes in your cartoon and pounce.

Reviewing Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s ‘Essential Thor’

Reviewing Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s ‘Essential Thor’

I don’t normally post links to reviews on other comics news sites, since we have so many of our own hitting the site here every day, but I had to make an exception for Tom Spurgeon’s recent review of the third volume of Marvel’s Mighty Thor "Essential" collection.

Thor has never been a favorite character of mine, as his dialogue always seemed a bit hokey and he’s pretty much the definition of a deus ex machina. But Spurgeon’s review of the collection, which features Stan Lee and Jack Kirby doing exactly what made them legends in the industry, has me contemplating a change of heart.

He describes the collected stories’ overall tone as "verily, there are asses over yon we doth must beat" repeated ad infinitum — which is a big selling point for me.

Spurgeon goes on to summarize the collection as follows:

It’s quite fun. The panels where Thor is not punching people so hard their light source changes are stuffed to the brim with either a) cool-looking Kirbyana almost always in the form of monsters and machinery, b) Volstagg, a fat coward who can bench press a bus, providing J. Wellington Wimpy-style comedy relief, or c) Thor screaming at someone about how awesome he is in preparation of punching them so hard their light source changes.

I love a well-written review, and this is certainly a great example of one. Head over to The Comics Reporter to read the rest of it.

Today’s Birthday: Mark Evanier

Today’s Birthday: Mark Evanier

Born in 1952, Mark Evanier has been writing professionally since 1969. He apprenticed under Jack Kirby and wrote for Disney, Gold Key, and the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate before moving on to television.

There, Evanier worked on such series as The Nancy Walker Show, The McLean Stevenson Show, and Welcome Back, Kotter. Next he worked for Hanna-Barbera on several series, including Scooby Doo, Plastic Man, and Thundarr the Barbarian. Evanier returned to comic books as well, writing and later editing Blackhawk, working with Sergio Aragonés on Groo the Wanderer, and co-creating The DNAgents and its spin-off, Crossfire.

His most recent project is Kirby: King of Comics, a biography of his first mentor, Jack Kirby. Happy birthday, Mark!

Silver Surfer and Fantastic Four in ‘Not Brand Echh’ #1

Silver Surfer and Fantastic Four in ‘Not Brand Echh’ #1

Over on the online home of ASIFA-Hollywood, a full, scanned story from the inaugural issue of Marvel’s parody series Not Brand Echh is posted in all of its old-school, self-effacing fun.

The story, titled "The Silver Burper" is a spoof on a Fantastic Four storyline by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby that ran through issues #57-60. ASIFA-Hollywood Director Stephen Worth, who posted the scan, does a good job of summing up the attraction of Not Brand Echh:

Current superhero comics (now referred to self-importantly as "graphic novels") take themselves VERY seriously. It’s rare for a publisher to allow a parody of its own characters… and unheard of for the creator himself to get the opportunity to make fun of his own creation. But back in the silver age of comics, cartoonists didn’t take themselves quite so seriously. Here we have the unthinkable… Jack Kirby and Stan Lee doing a parody of their own Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer comics for Marvel’s Not Brand Echh!

 

(via boingboing)

Atomika power, and Angel after the fall

Atomika power, and Angel after the fall

That comic shop you visit every week probably has a few secrets – books you walk right by and never notice. ComicMix Radio is taking it on ourselves to ferret out these gems and share each one. Who knows what we might find – starting today with the story of a creator who took his love of Jack Kirby and created a bigger than life series which has already reached eight issues. Get ready for the world of Atomika, plus:

  • How a cancelled TV show became a red hot new comic series
  • More Zombie sell outs at Marvel
  • Even though Elvis is dead, Tom Swift is alive and well (he said expressley)

Stop staring at the pretty picture and Press The Button!

 

 

Jack Kirby gets his due

Jack Kirby gets his due

Few people had the privilege of knowing comics legend Jack Kirby the way Mark Evanier did. Therefore, it is only fitting that Mark was the man selected to pen Jack’s definitive biography.

Kirby: King of Comics will be released this October in a 224 page hardcover edition, complete with a pull-out poster designed by Alex Ross, at a price a lot lower than that of any of Kirby’s Masterworks or Archives editions, a mere $40.00 retail. Normally, I’d be writing up the bit about who Jack Kirby was in case you don’t know the way I was taught in journalism school, but I can’t imagine anybody reading something called ComicMix who isn’t familiar with The King of Comics. But in case you want to brush up, Mark did an excellent job on his own website.

Tons of art and inside information and produced with the full cooperation of the Kirby estate, Mark Evanier’s Kirby: King of Comics is going to be an early Christmas for comic fans old and young.

Artwork copyright by their respective holders.

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby speak on ComicMix Podcast #21

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby speak on ComicMix Podcast #21

April Fool’s weekend, and we offer nothing but the truth from Sushi Based Super Heroes to a Close Encounter From Jean Luc & Q to the Secret Origin Of How Stan Lee’s Secretary Got Me Through Puberty. We’ve got the low down on the new Spider-Man animated series AND the new Santo animated show (our editor-in-chief is a big Santo fan).

All this, Timeline, e-mailbag, and Vanessa Williams on ComicMix Podcast #21 – available by clicking right here: