Evanier's Kirby: King of Comics

Mark's book, which many of us in comicbookland have been waiting for, has been delayed, as mentioned here on Mark's site:

Unfortunately, it looks like Kirby: King of Comics, my book on Jack Kirby, will not be out in time for either con. We're still finding new treasures to include and it's now scheduled to come out in February of '08...I think. However, I expect to be signing it at Wondercon in San Francisco at the end of that month and I've tentatively accepted invites to a half-dozen other conventions next year. So I'll be around.

Link provided, although there is no more info that I've quoted here.

San Diego Comic Con: Mark Evanier's Kirby Biography

Mark Evanier has been a bit of a comic book legend, not so much for the one single shining genre defining work that he accomplished, but for a body of work, much of it on the sidelines, in support partly, of the King, Jack Kirby. And thats almost a shame, as Mark has been involved in writing in for comics, TV, animation and a whole host of other endeavors over the 30 plus years. But it is the Kirby connection that concerns us here.

When I very publicly decided to see what was up with the signature on my Kirby FF page, I sent an email to Mark. Questions about Kirby? The Kirby Collector magazine, from TwoMorrows Press, has a whole section where he answers queries from the mundane to the profound. We're not here to talk about Mark, the writer of Groo, aren't we just here to talk about Mark "The guy who knew Kirby well".

No, fortunately, we're here to talk about Mark as the writer of what I'm sure will be the definitive Kirby biography. And I can't wait for it. Evanier, on his own site, is commenting on how long the Canniff biography is, at 800 pages, and mentions that it doesn't make him feel so bad about his own book's length. 800 pages on Jack? I'm OK with that.

Unfortunately, it wasn't ready for this year's San Diego Comic Con, which is a shame, as it would have been a real treat to have seen it released the same time as the Marvel Comics stamps, with many of them, of course, from jack's pencil. Harry Abrams, the publisher has this oversized sampler to look at, drool over, and basically whet the appetite over the upcoming tome.

When I've gotten on my history kicks, I have developed the habit of reading three or four different books on the same time period as a way to get the fuller picture. After all, each writer has their own theories and pet areas of interest, as well as, sometimes, their particular axe to grind, and it helps to almost take in a time period from close to 360 degrees. There are more than enough excellent books on the start of world war two, for instance, for one to overcome the limitations of a single writer's viewpoint.

The same goes for the fascinating field that is the gestation and birth of the American Comic Book Field. The players in those early years, born out of the pulps in the gangster streets of New York are fairly well known by now, but the reality of the birth of National Periodical Publications, Timely Publications, Quality and Fox is a far greater and more interesting story than even Michael Chabon could concoct. Perhaps I'll pull out Men of Tomorrow back out, as well as The Dreamer and my Fourth World Omnibus.

In the meantime, I'll order the Caniff book, and delve a little deeper into the world of another cartoonist, despite my annoyance at the Steve Canyon strip. A few years of Terry is about as addictive as Pogo or Cerebus, especially if you have the habit of falling in love with Caniff's broad beautiful swathes of black ink.

You know, for a reviled bit of americana, the comic doesn't seem to be doing too badly these days.

Evanier's New Book: Kirby: King of Comics

Mark Evanier, who has done such a great job of actually not just keeping Jack's legacy alive, but expanding on it (a tricky task in itself) with mis-appropriating it, is finally going to release his book: Kirby: King of Comics this fall in 2007. The Amazon description is as follows:

Jack Kirby created or co-created some of comic books’ most popular characters including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor, Darkseid, and The New Gods. ... Almost everything that was different about comic books began in the forties on the drawing table of Jack Kirby. This is his story by one who knew him well—the authorized celebration of the one and only “King of Comics” and his groundbreaking work.

“I don’t think it’s any accident that . . . the entire Marvel universe and the entire DC universe are all pinned or rooted on Kirby’s concepts.” —Michael Chabon

Original pull-out poster art by Alex Ross

I've linked out to the Amazon page, but if you really care, take the ISBN number to your local book shop and have them order it. Chances are that they could use each and every sale.

This is due out October 1, 2007, if they publish on time. Pity it won't be out for San Diego.

While I've never really met mark and sat down with him, I enjoy that he does as much work as he does in the comics and pop culture realm, and also appreciate that he answered my queries about the Kirby signature that was on the FF #20 page that I purchased last year. His work in the Jack Kirby Collector is always a good read if you ask me!