Today would’ve been the 98th birthday of one of the most legendary creators in comics, Jack Kirby. Comic books wouldn’t be what they are today without his contributions. From Captain America & Bucky with Joe Simon to the majority of the Marvel Universe with Stan Lee all the way to his groovy 70s work on Jimmy Olsen and The New Gods at DC, ‘The King’ touched the imaginations of every person who’s ever opened up a comic book.
We celebrate the influence that Jack had on all of us here at the SDCAG everyday through the art of Kevin Eastman. There are so many of us who are huge fans of his work, but from the moment you open an issue of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, you immediately see the influence that Jack Kirby had on Kevin and the work he did on the book. The dynamic poses, the panel layouts, the equal parts action and drama – all the trademarks that Kirby was so known for are very much a part of Kevin’s style as a storyteller. From the moment he first saw that original page of Kirby art from DC’s “The Losers” to having Donatello team up with a familiar looking artist and his magic crystal enchanted pencil in “TMNT Micro Series: Donatello”, the impact Jack Kirby had on Kevin Eastman is endless.
We were gifted 50 years of wonderful comics and, more importantly, 76 years of one of the most creative and kind men this industry has ever seen. Thank you for everything and happy birthday, Jack. We stand on your shoulders.
Long live the King!
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