Monday, August 14, 2017

Jack Kirby Print by Drew Friedman


On August 28, 2017, we celebrate the 100th birthday of Jack Kirby, a towering figure in comic book history. My portrait of a contemplative Kirby first appeared on the cover (and interior) of my 2014 book Heroes of the Comics (Fantagraphics). In honor of the Kirby centenary, the work is now being issued as a limited edition (15) large, fine art print,  hand-numbered, hand-titled, and signed by me.

http://www.drewfriedman.net/prints/jack-kirby.html

Early in his long career, Jack Kirby co-created the sensational Captain America. In the early 1950s, freelancing for DC and Atlas, he specialized in action thrillers and covers depicting horrifying monsters bent on destroying Earth. These appeared in Tales to Astonish,Amazing Adventures, and World of Fantasy.  At Marvel in the early 1960s, editor Stan Lee created a new superhero series, The Fantastic Four, and enlisted Kirby to plot and illustrate their adventures. Kirby replicated this success with The HulkThorIron ManX-MenThe Silver SurferDoctor Doom, and others. Kirby devised what was essentially Marvel's in-house style, designing their dynamic visual motifs and creating a template that artists have been following and stealing for decades.