Week 4: Jack Kirby (3)

    For the section on Jack Kirby, I read the Fantastic Four Animation Storyboards, “Challengers of the Unknown” and New Gods”. I’ve always known about Jack Kirby's legendary status in the comic book community and his major contributions to comic book culture as a whole. I knew that he was a pioneer in the field and that he was responsible for creating many of the iconic superheroes I’ve come to know and love today. However, I had never actually read any of his original works. My exposure has been limited to the byproducts of his legacy, so reading these was a first for me. I think my favorites of the batch were “Challengers of the Unknown” and the storyboards for Fantastic Four. What stood out to me about Challengers was how much of a departure it was from the traditional superhero stories that Jack Kirby was so well known for. It felt like a mix between Johnny Quest, Journey to the Center of the Earth and the Fantastic Four. Honestly it was kind of refreshing.

    As for the storyboards for Fantastic Four, as an artist myself, I really enjoy taking a look behind the scenes at other artists' processes and I was really surprised by how clean and readable even his thumbnails were. It was almost like looking at un-inked comic pages. It goes to show how talented he actually was and why he garnered so much praise over the years.     


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