Jack Kirby Collector #42 by TwoMorrows Publishing

IN THE US

$995

COMING SOON FROM TWOMORROWS!

Lucky Number 13, Spring 2005 • Hype and hullabaloo from the publisher determined to bring new life to comics fandom • Edited by John Morrow

We’re Baaack! After a lengthy hiatus (due mainly to never having enough house ad pages in our mags to show all the furshlugginer publications we’ve got to plug), 2NEWS is back by popular demand! Let’s get started:

We Like Mike! BACK ISSUE editor MICHAEL EURY had a pretty checkered past before signing on to helm TwoMorrows’ best-selling magazine! He was a public school band teacher, in cableaccess broadcasting, and even performed singing telegrams for a year-and-a-half (where he met wife Rose)! He even had aspirations to be a comedy writer/ performer (auditioning in 1984 for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) before working as DICK GIORDANO’s assistant at DC Comics, and as a writer and editor for DC and Dark Horse. Next up for Michael? The first volume of THE JUSTICE LEAGUE COMPANION, documenting the history of comics premier super-team, chock full of interviews with the creators, lots of amazing and rare art, and a spankin’ new BRUCE TIMM cover (shown above, inspired by the work of the late, great MIKE SEKOWSKY)! Look for it in July! 224 pages, $29 US.

BACK ISSUE IS #1! Speaking of Michael’s OTHER comics gig, we’re pleased as punch to announce GEMSTONE PUBLISHING (Diamond Galleries/ Distribution; THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE), in the 12/23/04 edition of its SCOOP e-newsletter (sign up free at http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/signup/), has chosen BACK ISSUE as #1 in its “BEST PUBLICATIONS ABOUT COMICS FOR 2004”! TwoMorrows releases dominated Gemstone’s 2004 “Best” list: Also making the top five were Eric Nolen-Weathington’s MODERN MASTERS: BRUCE TIMM and Roy Thomas’ ALTER EGO. Congrats, guys! And thanks to all our readers for your support of BACK ISSUE during its first year! Look for BI #10 in May, with NEAL ADAMS! $8 US.

A Less Tangled Web... Many of you have asked us to update our somewhat antiquated (we prefer the term “classic”) web store, and by the time you read this, the new, improved www.twomorrows.com should be up and running. With lots easier navigation and simpler ordering, we’re sure it’ll be a big hit with customers. What’s that address again? Oh yeah:

www.twomorrows.com

One More Morrow! HANNAH-ROSE MORROW arrived on January 3, 2005, to the proud arms of papa JOHN & mama PAM MORROW (& three-year-old sister LILY). Ain’t she sweet?

WHAT’S COOKIN’ FROM COOKE? We knew he couldn’t stay away for long! Joshin’ JON B. COOKE, editor of our former mag COMIC BOOK ARTIST, is back and ready to release some new books on the unsuspecting TwoMorrows public! First up is CBA COLLECTION, VOLUME THREE, reprinting COMIC BOOK ARTIST #7 and #8 (both long out of print), plus nearly 50 new pages on 1970s and ’80s comics (it ships in April, 224 pgs, $29 US)! Then comes the THUNDER AGENTS COMPANION (shipping in May, 192 pgs, $29 US), documenting the history of WALLY WOOD’S heroes who wouldn’t die, including unpublished stories and art. And finally, this summer, look for the longawaited SWAMPMEN (200 pgs, $29 US), spotlighting the muck monsters of the comics, from The Heap to Swamp Thing, and the creators who brought them (back) to life! And welcome back to TwoMorrows, Jonny B!

The Mad Mod Everyone’s going crazy for our MODERN MASTERS series of trade paperbacks, spotlighting the top creators working in comics today! Editor ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON’s almost wrapped up Volume Five, featuring arguably the top draftsman in the field, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LOPÉZ! It ships in June (128 pgs, $19 US), followed by a fall release for Volume Six, in conjunction with gorgeous GEORGE KHOURY, featuring... well, now that would be telling, wouldn’t it? (But as the Fonz used to say, “AA...”) Don’t think Eric’s resting on his laurels, though; he and co-author SCOTT BEATTY are hard at work on the definitive chronicle of the brave and bold life and career of JIM APARO, set for fall 2005 release also. He’s handling layout on MIKE MANLEY’S DRAW! magazine, and as if that weren’t enough, he just got back from the Florida studio of GEORGE PEREZ where he oversaw filming of the artist at work for our upcoming MODERN MASTERS: IN THE STUDIO WITH... DVD series. When does he sleep?

Get ‘em quick, ‘cause they’re almost gone! CAPTAIN ACTION: THE ORIGINAL SUPER-HERO ACTION FIGURE, COMIC BOOK ARTIST COLLECTION VOL. TWO, CBA #13, and the FAWCETT COMPANION are almost sold out! ALTER EGO: THE COMIC BOOK ARTIST COLLECTION, THE EXTRAORDINARY WORKS OF ALAN MOORE, THE LIFE & ART OF MURPHY ANDERSON, COMIC BOOK ARTIST COLLECTION VOL. ONE, and JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #28 and #29 are completely gone, but call us; we might have a few scratch & dent copies left for sale!

Sell Outs:

All prices Include US Postage. Outside the US, Add $2 Per Item Canada, $3 Per Item Surface, $7 Per Item Airmail.

Didja Miss Me? Did you overlook these recent gems? KIRBY UNLEASHED (remastered) BEST OF THE LEGION OUTPOST ART OF GEORGE TUSKA TRUE BRIT BEST OF DRAW, VOLUME ONE ART OF VINCE COLLETTA (just making sure you’re still awake!) COPYRIGHTS: Justice League, Ras al Ghul, GarciaLopez characters TM & ©2005 DC Comics. THUNDER Agents TM & ©2005 John Carbonaro. Colan characters TM & ©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Gene, Gene, the Drawing Machine!

ALTER EGO #49 (JUNE)

ALTER EGO #50 (JULY)

Interview with CARL BURGOS’ daughter! Unused 1941 cover layouts by BURGOS and other Timely titans! The 1957 Atlas Implosion, MANNY STALLMAN, and the BLUE FLAME! Also, FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER and more! Edited by ROY THOMAS.

ROY THOMAS covers his 40-YEAR career in comics, with ADAMS, BUSCEMA, COLAN, DITKO, GIL KANE, KIRBY, STAN LEE, ORDWAY, PÉREZ, ROMITA, and many others! Also, FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER and more! Edited by ROY THOMAS.

For years fans have oogled over the lush pencil work of Silver Age (100-page magazine) $8 US (100-page magazine) $8 US legend GENE COLAN, and now journalist TOM FIELD has written the ultimate retrospective ED FOR FREE on one of is NOT INTEND r, or you paid ERIAL, which cribe AT bs M su D comics’ allint TE pr a GH u’re cere his is COPYRI WHERE. If yo r website, you have our sin NYunique time NG A ou e. DOWNLOADI argartists: ns like this on download it at tio to ca e bli pu ch , we ucing t feeSHADOWS! esTHE e modIN to bsite or torrent th SECRETS Available in keep prod us we s r he ow ot all e t m or T, so suppHardcover (limitedittofor free from your anks—and Softcover Deluxe OUR CONSEN th d UT de loa HO IT wn W do u NE L. If IA DO ad yo ER 0% AT If instewith 10 1000 copies, 16 extra black-and-white M solutely was abit’ll PYRIGHTED at it pages), pages extrathcolor be ship- OF OUR CO e kn8ow pleasand L POSTING LEGA IL : an s do ping in June. In it, MARV WOLFMAN, ld wa it ou d sh an at you ’s wh here you think. DON MCGREGOR other writers share the case, and that’s and see what plot and script samples and anecdotes of DIGITAL ISSUE, d purchase a an G IS IN TH TH T AD TOM ead and REwhile their DO THE RIGH the print edition at our it, Go ahcollaborations, ep 1) Colan ke to ghother it enouand purchase al PALMER, LEIALOHA u enjoy 2) If yoSTEVE our website, or e) or at your loc d of it from loaapproached artists leg show they the to the Digital Edition for fre down al how er. ad re u id yo pa entitles RE daunting inking famously as a regular hichColan’s bsiteof (w wetask DO NOT SHA e to have you e’d lov .W nuanced penciled pages!op Plus there’s a new YOUR COMPUTER and comic book sh OM FR IT portfolio of erw never-before-seen collaboraLLY, WHERE. ise, DELETE Oth Gene 3)between POST IT ANY OUR MATERIAL ILLEGA dS OR as tions andIE such NDmasters loa on RA’S ALwn GHUL’s H FR DINGADAMS and O’NEIL e do OA fre IT WITMICHAEL r NL fo W s ine DO az JOHN BYRNE, KALUTA and ag ADAMS ART), O’NEIL our m(with nt to Spotlights 2004 KIRBY AWARD winners, N’T KEEP ally, DO if you waand issue of allhistory e te cid 4) FinPEREZ, ple de m GEORGE andeall-new artwork to co u e offer on nt for yo discuss THEep SHADOW, ding including assistant STEVE SHERMAN, RAY wnloaMIKE be sufficieKALUTA r free. W do ld ou ke sh created fo specifically for this book by Gene! to ich gh enou JON SABLE FREELANCE, bsite, wh ns GRELL’s r we WYMAN, MIKE THIBODEAUX, and others ing at oduce. SC: 168pgs, $26ou US. HC: 192Ifpgs, $49 US. our publicatio ial we prDOC rs. you enjoy SAVAGE in the materinterview, sharing memories and never-seen art from purchase othe r company by paying for CHAYKIN e es th ou comics, BATMANanART GALLERYrbwith s, d can abso zens JACK and ROZ, a never-published 1966 them, support deep pocketSIMONSON, ONTACTS PAUL SMITH, interview with KIRBY, MARK EVANIER’S th do rporation withSIENKIEWICZ, shop—wi co p” nt po gia d e an m so om John Morrow, BOLLAND, HANNIGAN, e not JACK KIRBYny—literally a “m We’rpublisher, and on week- regular column, a Kirby pencils-to-Sinnott ht MAZZUCCHELLI, anda nig compa day and COLLECTOR editor, a& sm forall subscriptions: and others; newwo cover away g love vin inks comparison of TALES OF SUSPENSE WeADAMS! sla rk. by s, or losses. We’re at is e for all twomorrow@aol.com g freelance cre by th MICHAEL EURY. rely on #93, dual Kirby covers, and more! incomEdited of hard-workin mal amount of ur local comic shop owner, ini m ty et all pr a the sm Edited by JOHN MORROW. makeEGO editor: rs, authors, and yo (100-page magazine) Roy Thomas, ends, toALTER don’t rob us$8ofUS any t our edito siness. Please t be roydann@ntinet.com what we do, bu (84-page Tabloid) $13 US n to stay in bu re there won’

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DRAW! #11 (JULY)

WRITE NOW! #10 (MAY)

STEVE RUDE demonstrates his approach to “HOW-TO” TIPS and interviews on comics & drawing! ROQUE BALLESTEROS writing for comics, animation, and sci-fi, on Flash animation! Political cartoonist JIM with Justice League Unlimited’s DWAYNE BORGMAN on his daily comic strip Zits! McDUFFIE, ”Hate’s” PETER BAGGE, Plus DRAW!’S regular instructors BRET legendary comics writer GERRY CONWAY, BLEVINS, ALEBERTO RUIZ and more! writer/editor PAUL BENJAMIN, and more! Edited by MIKE MANLEY. Edited by DANNY FINGEROTH. (96-page magazine with color) $8 US

(80-page magazine) $8 US

CBA COLLECTION VOLUME 3 (NOW!)

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS COMPANION (MAY)

Reprinting the Eisner Award-winning COMIC BOOK ARTIST #7 and #8 (’70s Marvel and ’80s independents), featuring a new MICHAEL T. GILBERT cover, plus interviews with GILBERT, RUDE, GULACY, GERBER, DON SIMPSON, CHAYKIN, SCOTT McCLOUD, BUCKLER, BYRNE, DENIS KITCHEN, plus a NEW SECTION featuring over 24 pages of previouslyunseen stuff! Edited by JON B. COOKE.

The definitive book on WALLACE WOOD’s super-team of the 1960s, featuring interviews with Woody and other creators involved in the T-Agents over the years, plus rare and unseen art, including a rare 28-page story drawn by PAUL GULACY, UNPUBLISHED STORIES by GULACY, PARIS CULLINS, and others, and a JERRY ORDWAY cover. Edited by CBA’s JON B. COOKE.

(224-page trade paperback) $29 US

(192-page trade paperback) $29 US

BACK ISSUE #10 (MAY)

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THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #43 (JULY)

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

m s.coCOLLECTOR: Four tabloid issues in the US: $36 Standard, $52 First Class (Canada: $60, Elsewhere: $64 Surface, $80 Airmail). owKIRBY orrJACK Danny Fingeroth, WRITE NOW! editor: .twomTHE w w w WriteNowDF@aol.com BACK ISSUE!: Six issues in the US: $30 Standard, $48 First Class (Canada: $60, Elsewhere: $66 Surface, $90 Airmail). TwoM

Read excerpts from back issues and order from our secure online store at:

DRAW! or WRITE NOW!: Four issues in the US: $20 Standard, $32 First Class (Canada: $40, Elsewhere: $44 Surface, $60 Airmail).

www.twomorrows.com

ALTER EGO: Twelve issues in the US: $60 Standard, $96 First Class (Canada: $120, Elsewhere: $132 Surface, $180 Airmail). NOTE: IF YOU PREFER A SIX-ISSUE ALTER EGO SUBSCRIPTION, JUST CUT THE PRICE IN HALF!

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TwoMorrows. Bringing New Life To Comics Fandom. TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Dr. • Raleigh, NC 27614 • 919/449-0344 • FAX 919/449-0327 • e-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • www.twomorrows.com

Contents

THE NEW

OPENING SHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 (take a trip down Lois Lane) UNDER THE COVERS . . . . . . . . .4 (we cover our covers’ creation) JACK F.A.Q.s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 (Mark Evanier spills the beans on Jack’s favorite food and more) INNERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 (Kirby teaches us to speak the language of the ’70s) MISSING LINKS . . . . . . . . . . . .19 (where’d the Guardian go?) RETROSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . .20 (with friends like Jimmy Olsen...)

ISSUE #42, SPRING 2005

Jack created a pair of custom pencil drawings of the Guardian and Newsboy Legion for the endpapers of his personal bound volume of Star-Spangled Comics #7-15. We combined the two pieces to create this drawing for our front cover, which Kevin Nowlan inked. Delete the Newsboys’ heads (taken from the second drawing) to see what Jack’s original drawing looked like. Characters TM & ©2005 DC Comics.

QUIPS ’N’ Q&A’S . . . . . . . . . . .22 (Radioactive Man goes Bongo in the Fourth World) INCIDENTAL ICONOGRAPHY . . . . .25 (creating the Silver Surfer & Galactus? All in a day’s work) ANALYSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 (linking Jimmy Olsen, Spirit World, and Neal Adams) VIEW FROM THE WHIZ WAGON . .31 (visit the FF movie set, where Kirby abounds; but will he get credited?) KIRBY AS A GENRE . . . . . . . . .34 (Adam McGovern goes Italian) HEADLINERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 (the ultimate look at the Newsboy Legion’s appearances) KIRBY OBSCURA . . . . . . . . . . .48 (’50s and ’60s Kirby uncovered) GALLERY 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 (we tell tales of the DNA Project in pencil form) PUBLIC DOMAIN THEATRE . . .60 (a new regular feature, presenting complete Kirby stories that won’t get us sued) KIRBY AS A GENRE: EXTRA! . .66 (a big look at small things Kirby) GALLERY 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 (you want the funk? you got the funk!) COLLECTOR COMMENTS . . . . .78 (aahhh, those HULK #6 pages...) PARTING SHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 (Olsen a go-go, the way it should’ve been) Front cover inks: KEVIN NOWLAN Back cover inks: MURPHY ANDERSON Front cover colors: TOM ZIUKO Back cover colors: MURPHY ANDERSON III (with Tom Ziuko) Photocopies of Jack’s uninked pencils from published comics are reproduced courtesy of the Kirby Estate, which has our thanks for their support. COPYRIGHTS: Arin The Armored Man, Barri-Boy, Challengers Of The Unknown, Darkseid, Dingbats Of Danger Street, Dubbilex, Guardian, Himon, House Of Mystery, In The Days Of The Mob, Jimmy Olsen, Magnar, Mantis, Mister Miracle, Mokkari, Morgan Edge, Newsboy Legion, Phantom Stranger, Professor Volcanum, San Diego Five-String Mob, Scott Free, Simyan, Soul Love, Spirit World, Superman, True Divorce Cases, Yango TM & ©2005 DC Comics o Black Panther, Blob, Captain America, Daredevil, Dr. Doom, Falcon, Fantastic Four, Galactus, Sentry, Silver Surfer, X-Men TM & ©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc. o Jack B. Quick TM & ©2005 America's Best Comics, LLC o Stuntman TM & ©2005 Joe Simon & Jack Kirby o Surf Hunter TM & ©2005 Jack Kirby Estate o Radioactive Man TM & ©2005 Bongo Entertainment, Inc.

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 12, No. 42, Spring 2005. Published quarterly by & ©2005 TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. 919-449-0344. John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Eric Nolen-Weathington, Production Assistant. Single issues: $13 postpaid ($15 Canada, $16 elsewhere). Four-issue subscriptions: $36.00 US, $60.00 Canada, $64.00 elsewhere. All characters are trademarks of their respective companies. All artwork is ©2005 Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is ©2005 the respective authors. First printing. PRINTED IN CANADA.

Mark evanier (below) Jack’s cover art to Marvel Super-Heroes #22 (Sept. 1969). Inks by John Verpoorten. (right) Gerard Jones’ book Men of Tomorrow. We kinda like that name around here! (next page) Jack’s pencils to the cover of Captain America #202 (Oct. 1976). Note the addition of the big arrow with a copy blurb in it, and the change in story title; something Marvel must’ve felt was necessary to make an effective cover. Captain America, Falcon, X-Men, Daredevil TM and ©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Jack F.A.Q.s

A column answering Frequently Asked Questions about Kirby by Mark Evanier efore I do a pirouette into the mailbag, I’d like to recommend a book to anyone with an interest in the history of the comic book industry. It may be the most important one ever written on the topic. Gerard Jones is the author and the book is Men of Tomorrow. It’s about the men who built the industry, with special emphasis on Harry Donenfeld (who founded and owned DC Comics), on Jack Liebowitz (who ran that company when Harry was drunk) and on Jerry Siegel and Bob Kane (who made that company into something when they co-created its star characters). There’s also some material in there about our Mr. Kirby. For some time now, I’ve been telling people that any understanding of comic book history has to flow from a study of the Depression-era generation, particularly of the culture and world in which the young men who formed that business

then resided. Most were Jewish, a few were Italian, and some managed to be one but bond well with the other. Most of the writers and artists of comics’ first years shared a certain common background, finding themselves expected at an early age to bring home a paycheck and contribute to the family’s subsistence. Spurred on by some creative muse they’d derived from movies, pulps and comic strips, they scurried to find that income in comics before it became necessary to give up the dream and go build a career in a metal-stamping factory. Siegel and Shuster... Bob Kane... Jack Kirby—all of them, young and determined and talented in one way or another—built an industry because they had to. They needed a place to earn a living. That story has been told before, though rarely as well as Jones does in Men of Tomorrow. What he does that is unique in my experience is to explore the lives of the men who financed that trade—the Donenfelds, the Martin Goodmans, the Charlie Gaineses—and then he details the intersection of the financiers and the creators. Guess which generally got the better of that marriage. And yet, the book is not rooted wholly in the rich publisher/screwed creator mentality, even though that is generally what occurred. Gerry sifts through the lives and motives on both sides to discuss how they needed one another and how they used one another. It really is a most remarkable narrative. I am cited repeatedly in the book as a source of info but, of course, the bulk of it did not come from me. Still, most of what’s in there corresponds to my knowledge of the facts. There are paragraphs with which I’d quibble, but none of those affect the overall portrait of the players, nor would they alter any of Gerry’s astute observations and deductions. Maybe we can do a convention panel one of these days and discuss a few of these areas. Overall, the worst thing I can say about this book is that there are many places where I wish its author had expanded on a certain player or event and written more. It’s such a rich, insufficiently-explored topic that it deserves further exploration... and this book deserves purchase by anyone interested in how the comic book industry came to be. Now to some Kirby Kwestions. Here’s a letter from Mike Kanafani.... A few of the stories Jack did at Marvel in 1970, just before he left, didn’t have Kirby covers. FF #102, FF #108 (the Janus story that was originally meant as #102), Thor #179, Amazing Adventures #2, 3 and 4, Astonishing Tales #1 and #2, and Silver Surfer #18. (I’ll never believe Jack had anything to do with the published version!) Question: Did Stan reject

Kirby’s covers to ease the transitions to new artists or did Jack, knowing he was leaving, just not do those issues’ covers? (Don’t get me started on Stan rejecting Jack’s covers! Thank God and The Jack Kirby Collector that we have finally seen some of these lost masterpieces.) Okay, and here’s a letter on a similar topic from Jon Dubrow.... I have noticed you on several occasions suggesting that Jack became less and less interested in cover design later in his career. I think I agree with you that his covers became less memorable after he left Marvel in the ’60s. His covers for DC in the early ’70s seem much less interesting to me and with one or two exceptions, the covers he did after he returned to Marvel in 1976 are even less interesting. Can you elaborate more on why you think this was? First off, to Mike: I agree about the cover of Silver Surfer #18. I’m sure Jack didn’t draw it and I don’t think that, as has been alleged, he laid it out. I have never seen a case where I believe Jack laid out a cover for another artist to pencil. Secondly, again to Mike: No, nothing was ever rejected because Stan was trying to ease the transition. Jack did not do covers for those books because Marvel never asked him to. In the case of FF and Thor, he gave his notice before they got around to it. On Amazing Adventures and Astonishing Tales, I would guess that since Jack only drew half of what was inside those comics, they figured they might as well have someone closer to New York do covers. (The Kirbys were living in Irvine, California at the time.)

Edging towards Jon’s question: Over the years in comics, attitudes towards cover design have fluctuated. Of course, you always want to have a good wrapper for your wares but there have been times when it seemed especially vital and those in charge were willing to go to more trouble to achieve what they thought was the best possible design. Back when comics were sold on newsstands and drugstore racks, what went on a cover seemed somewhat more critical than it does now. Some

even felt that having a good story and good art inside a cover was of minimal importance compared to getting a “grabber” scene on the outside. (Today, when the primary market is comic book shops and when most collectors of a given comic ritually pick up every issue, the issue of “saleable covers” is perhaps a bit less acute.) Most of the time, when someone at a comic book company said, “We need stronger covers,” they would decide to control even more of the process in the office. This might mean appointing a cover editor and/or having the editorial staff

assume more of a role in reviewing and discussing cover designs. It also might mean not worrying too much if a cover was drawn by someone who had zero to do with the interior of the comic. In some cases, it might even seem preferable. Sometimes, it would even mean coming up with an exciting cover before tackling the insides. At DC in the ’50s and ’60s, editors often worked that way. They also kept lists of elements that seemed to have boosted the sales of earlier issues, and would incorporate them when possible. Julius Schwartz, for instance, thought you could get a sales boost from images involving 7

Innerview

(above) The first visit by San Diego fans to Jack’s studio on Nov. 9, 1969, the day this interview was taped. Front (holding a swee-eee-t Kirby Captain America drawing): Barry Alphonso. Left to right, behind: Dan Stewart, Bob Sourk, Richard Alf, Jack Kirby, Shel Dorf, and Wayne ...? (sorry, we’re not sure of his last name; can anyone help?). Photo, milk, and cookies by Roz Kirby.

(next page, panel one) The San Diego FiveString Mob performs its one and only concert in Jimmy Olsen #144 (Dec. 1971). Clockwise from top: Bill Lund, Scott Shaw!, John Pound, Mike Towry, and Roger Freedman. Barry Alphonso also appears in panel three as BarriBoy. The Apokolips rock group came about from a subsequent visit by a group of fans to Jack’s studio, also spearheaded by Shel Dorf. Characters TM & ©2005 DC Comics.

Speak the Language of the ’70s [Editor’s note: Here’s a remarkable find, sent to us by San Diego Comicon founder Shel Dorf: an interview conducted on November 9, 1969 at Jack’s home in Orange County, CA, a few months before the first San Diego con. Shel made several trips to Jack’s house, bringing along a batch of San Diego comics fans and his tape recorder, and this is the result of the first trip. The visitors included Shel, Barry Alphonso, Mike Towry, Bob Sourk, Dan Stewart, and Richard Alf. This interview features their voices and questions, even if we’re not always sure who’s saying what. Several San Diego fans would soon be immortalized in the pages of Jimmy Olsen as the San Diego Five-String Mob as a result of one of these visits. Of additional note is the time frame it took place in; right after Jack sent in the art for Fantastic Four #100. At this point he was making plans to leave Marvel for DC, so it’s fascinating to view his answers in that context. The interview was transcribed by Steven Tice.] SHEL DORF: Your name? FAN: Barry Alphonso.

FAN: Why did you stop drawing Captain America and turn it over to [Jim] Steranko? JACK: I understand that Jim Steranko wanted to do Captain America. During a conference with Stan, we did talk about it, and Stan happened to mention it. And I didn’t have any objections to it. Certainly, organizationally, like any other artist, I do the artwork that I’m assigned to do. And Stan was considering hiring Jim to do Captain America, and he asked me what I thought of it, and I thought it was fine. I think that Captain America done by any competent artist can’t be hurt, and can only be made more interesting. FAN: Do Stan Lee or you have any new characters that you’re going to use in your Inhumans book? JACK: Not so far. I mean, we began to broaden the scope of the Inhumans by stressing the people around them. In other words, we became aware that there were a lot of Inhumans involved outside the family that was created. So we have concentrated a little on the other Inhumans and giving them all sorts of powers and characteristics that we haven’t seen in the Inhumans, themselves. I mean in the Inhuman principals that we’ve known. We’ve begun to concentrate on the people outside them, within their own group, who have genetic traits outside of the Inhumans that we’ve known so far. SHEL: Your name, please? FAN: I’m Dan Stewart. SHEL: And your age? FAN: Sixteen. SHEL: And do you have a question for Mr. Kirby? FAN: Not at the moment.

SHEL: And your age?

JACK: We’ve got the tape recorder going, so if you have anything on your mind, why...

FAN: Twelve. Mr. Kirby, will you be doing any writing for Marvel in the future?

FAN: A lotta hair.

JACK KIRBY: Well, if I’m assigned that kind of thing, I’ll do it. FAN: Do you know if Stan Lee is going to sign any new artists or writers to work for Marvel? I mean, hire them? JACK: Well, I can only get substantiation from Stan or Sol Brodsky and people who work in the office. When I do get substantiation, I might hear a rumor they’re hiring somebody new. But I know that from time to time, they do hire people, and I get to know about it eventually. And that’s my only way of knowing, because I work at home.

JACK: That’s all right. I have no objection to growing your hair any way you please. If it pleases you, why, that’s what counts. [pause] If you can grow it, grow. If you can’t do it, don’t. I am now speaking with a cigar in my mouth, so if my words are indistinct, tough luck. You’ll find that there’s a logical reason for the blurred sounds. [laughter] [someone gives Kirby something] JACK: Oh, isn’t that great! May I have it? FAN: No. [laughs] Yeah, you can have it.

FAN: Do you have any personal favorite artists besides yourself?

JACK: Is this for me?

JACK: [laughs] I must admit that I have a lot of confidence in my own work. I feel that I have control over what I’m doing and I like what I’m doing, so naturally I like my own work. But I feel that every artist in the field encounters the same problem that I do and they feel the same way about their work that I do. Some of their artwork pleases me and some of their artwork does not, and I don’t know why. And I try to analyze it. I don’t feel that there’s such a thing as good or bad artwork. I feel that somewhere some of us missed the boat, and could use a little more thinking on his work and possibly improve it in that way. But I don’t feel that anybody is either good or bad as far as doing anything. I feel that some people have not done all they could and are capable of a lot more. And I feel that way about myself. I feel that I’m always capable of a lot more, and I try to take time out and think about these things, and try to project the kind of work I’m doing now into what I could do with it, the many channels that I haven’t gone into yet.

FAN: Yes. Everybody thought it was the Incredible Hulk. JACK: Because I never know what’s going on, y’know? And if that’s what’s going on— FAN : It’ll go on the table. JACK: —I’ll go along with it. SHEL: Oh, c’mon. Don’t be modest. This boy has been working very hard and he’s just modest. I think that’s what—the whole thing behind this is he’s modest, he did that just for you, Jack, and he wanted you to have it. JACK: I thank you very much. What I’m holding is a clay head of the Thing and I think it’s well done. It shows a lot of good perception on your part, and certainly a lot of good feeling, which concerns me. Certainly I can only respond with a kind of a warmness, which I don’t usually feel towards other human beings.

FAN: Gee, wow... thank you very much! I do have one question I just thought of when I was thinking of that. They advertised that, when they had the Spider-Man and the Captain America and Hulk models out, they said there was supposed to be a Fantastic Four model coming out soon. That was a long time ago. Is there ever gonna be a model of the FF? I think it would be really popular.

JACK: It’s extremely well done, extremely well done. It looks just the way I would draw it.

JACK: You mean a piece of statuary?

FAN: You just made my day.

FAN: No, I mean like an Aurora plastics, a model kit.

JACK: So we meet on conceptual ideas. You boys need to have something in mind; maybe we can discuss it and I possibly may have a suggestion or two that

JACK: Oh! Well, I suppose there may be something

like that, because there are promotional things being done all the time and a lot of the toy companies are trying for franchises, so you’ll be seeing some of the stuff. If this head is for me, I thank you very much. FAN: I’m glad you like it.

you could use when you do have your convention. FAN: We were planning on having it right after school let out. JACK: Have you had a convention before? FAN: Not in San Diego, no. I didn’t even run one yet. Shel is the only one with the experience. JACK: Well, Shel had been to the other conventions. FAN: Yeah. JACK: And you’ve seen some of the exhibits that they’ve had there. FAN: Right. JACK: I’d duplicate those exhibits, and I suppose you know some dealers who will have old pulps and comic books and other paraphernalia that go back to that period that might interest the boys. I guess the Big Little Books. I would suggest that you could contact some of the artists, like Joe Simon or Will Eisner. And maybe Bill Everett might have some old artwork around which I think might be of value to you. FAN: I was just wondering, is Joe Simon still alive? JACK: Yeah, I believe he’s working for Warren, he’s the editor of the Warren books. That’s what I heard. I understand Joe is gonna edit those books, and I guess he’ll do a pretty good job. FAN: I was just wondering, because I’ve been looking through all these comics, and it’s “Joe Simon, Jack Kirby.” JACK: Yeah, we were partners. And I think we worked together for about twenty years. FAN: How did the relationship start? JACK: Well, it started with a few features. We got to know each other, just like most of the fellas in the field, which was first forming then. Then we developed Captain America. And from Captain America, we went on to the “Boy Commandos” and the “Newsboy Legion” and features of that kind. And when we got back, we did Stuntman and Boys’ Ranch. FAN: How long did Stuntman last? JACK: Stuntman lasted for a few issues. I believe it was begun in ’47. FAN: Could I ask why you two broke up? Conflicting interests, or what? JACK: No, not conflicting interests. It was just time to do it. Sometimes the times develop when these 13

Analysis

(right) The Guardian and the Newsboy Legion get wowed by the King in this self-portrait (inked by Rude) inset from the cover of Amazing Heroes #100. (below) With Kirby’s Olsen an unofficial member of the Newsies kid gang, it stood to reason that his mag’s back-up feature should be the Guardian and Newsboy Legion reprints from the ’40s. At times, exciting S&K covers like this one were reprinted along with the story! (next page, top left) Kirby panel from Spirit World #1, 1971. (next page, bottom right) The Kirby/Adams collaboration for Spirit World #1. All images TM and ©2005 DC Comics.

In Praise of Superman’s Pal, by Jerry Boyd

Fourth World

ddly enough, Jimmy Olsen #133, the first issue to be edited, written, and drawn by Jack Kirby, was the beginning of the Fourth World at DC Comics. Odd because Superman’s Pal seemed a peculiar character to wrap a huge, interstellar conflict around and also odd because one had to wonder how the heck a bowtie-sporting, square-cut, freckle-faced cub reporter could’ve fit in with the new cavalcade of Kirby-created concepts. Yet, fit in Jimmy did... and nicely, as well. In the first Kirby issue, an instant upgrading bespoke the “new” Jimmy Olsen and the colorful, action-packed cover promised a different direction with respect to the old. Jimmy had been at odds with Supes a number of times before (if you just went by a bevy of beautiful Curt Swan and Neal Adams covers), but this entry by the King conveyed a power and a no-turningback attitude by the youngster and his biker buddies. No imaginary tale would be told this month or in the months to come, gentle readers. And what was this? A “new” Newsboy Legion... and something called the Whiz Wagon? The DC house ads had heralded Jack’s coming— and with this coming would be an “epic for our times” only he could tell. In Jack’s labyrinthine plotting of his magnum opus, the JO serial was and remains the most lighthearted,

the least spectacular in overall achievement, and to a few, the greatest impediment in their enjoyment of his new mythology. To them, Olsen and the next generation of Newsies (who never got around to actually selling any papers) were too lightweight and uninteresting to be anything more than occasional guest-stars in this final, terrible war between the King’s “ultimates.” Still, young Olsen, his companions, and their adventures work as a whole simply because Jimmy... represents... us. With “Battlefield Earth” as the preeminent theater of war for the gods, Kirby’s decision to use Jimmy as a human circuit by which the earthly survivor/warrior can view/reveal the destructive mezzanines of Darkseid’s intent was excellent. Olsen, Superman, the Guardian, and the boys sit in as American versions of the European citizenry who watched as their lands were occupied and ravaged by Axis invaders. Darkseid’s coterie is on the move, but Kirby’s news crew and certainly the Man of Steel are no hapless Netherlands farmers or humbled Parisians. They fight back (the way the King would) with help from the Outsiders, the advanced hippie-scientists called the Hairies, and various workers in the DNA Project. More than any other title in his godwar saga, Jack delved into his recurring affinity for the “worlds within worlds” theme in Jimmy Olsen. From his earliest issues where a thunderous ride with newfound biker allies would take him into the Habitat (a Kirby take on an environment-friendly, highly-advanced commune), and later to the “Mountain of Judgement,” Jack was staking out new territory for Jimmy. This series was remarkably epic in scope in comparison to the excursions of Orion and Lightray, the Forever People, and Scott Free. These warriors were largely confined to battling the war in and around the cities/towns they called home while Olsen and friends lodged themselves into the top-secret, hidden DNA Project, overseas to Scotland, got captured by the doctors that operated the Apokolips-run “Evil Factory,” got swallowed into a microscopic horror movie world, and trapped in a volcano. (In other words, they got outta Metropolis often.) Superman was there also, and even found time for a chance meeting with Lightray in outer space and finally made a sojourn to Supertown (in an unofficial sequel to Forever People #1) in one of the series’ best issues (JO #147). Jimmy Olsen, in this reader’s opinion, was never more engrossing than when Jack did it. Since the King was working with established mega-stars Olsen and Superman, no characterizations along the lines of Highfather and Orion had to be built upon and that kept things moving. Incorporation of the “new” Newsboy Legion was a delight, and the deft linkage of the enthusiastic

newspeddlers and their buddy Flippa Dippa (who apparently delivered Aquaman’s papers to his front door) to the fine reprints in the back worked well. The new kids on Suicide Slum’s block were exact copies of their dads (some would intimate that they too were cloned, but it’s doubtful Kirby would’ve taken that direction). His comic war (like WWII) was a fight for individuality, freedom, and humanity’s right to decide its own destiny. While it’s certainly possible that the ’70s Newsboy Legion could have been creations of the Project (like the Guardian and those great little Scrapper troopers), it’s more likely that Jack was simply pointing to Gabby Jr., Tommy Jr., Scrapper Jr., and Big Words II as the members of a more civilized generation that he was sure was coming. Kirby obviously tuned into something young people were feeling during the early ’70s. They were questioning war and the motives of warmongering leaders. They were espousing peace, tolerance, and love, and draping their bodies in stylish, distinctive garb to express themselves. The Hairies, Mark Moonrider’s family unit, the Council of the Young, Lightray, Forager, Lonar, Fastbak—and yes, Jimmy Olsen—all represented the King’s longing for a better world. He hoped it would be a world made through a better temperament—appealing to, as Abe Lincoln said, “the better angels of our nature.” Clones could be helpful in Jack’s milieu, but he never warmed up to the new Golden Guardian anymore than he did to a reconstructed Desaad, Steppenwolf, or Kalibak. The writer/artist was more involved with humanity even if they were gods, representing human foibles. Interestingly, Kirby often asked to be replaced on the title as his interest in it waned. However, he’d made a commitment and it’s probable that no other DC staffer had a short- or long-range plan for the Daily Planet’s famed cub reporter. Jack stayed on and gave each issue his all, as befits a true professional.

The late E. Nelson Bridwell was National’s Superman liaison to Kirby, and he sent off some long memos telling the King of his suggestions for possible storylines that might be continued from the days before Jack’s arrival. Kirby had most likely not read any issues of JO prior to his editorship and avoided continuing anything except the corporate villainy of Morgan Edge (the Planet’s new boss) and Jimmy’s new lady friend, Terry Dean. Edge, under the Kirby influence, has thrown in his lot with the crowd from Apokolips and cunningly works to undermine Olsen’s efforts and even murder Kent! Jack’s use of Edge predates the retooling of Lex Luthor from guardhouse gray-wearing scientist to millionaire monster and the cold-blooded ruthlessness of Frank Miller’s Kingpin.

Neal Adams & Jack Kirby— Getting Into The Spirit (Adams revisits the Spirit World and Kirby)

Interviews and additional writings conducted and compiled by Jerry Boyd By the late 1960s, Mighty Marvel had not only redefined what an excellent super-hero title should be like, but they even found time to playfully knock the efforts of their competitors in the brilliant but underappreciated pages of Not Brand Echh. In this book, the Bullpenners brought specific attention to the stale plotting and predictability of the Gold Key, Tower, and DC heroes and even included their own cliched moments for good measure. While DC worked on making their caped and cowled set more interesting, they wisely countered in arenas the House of Ideas hadn’t built up at the time: mystery/horror (Joe Orlando’s wonderfully edited line-up), sitcom-style humor (and I use the term very loosely), The Maniaks, the Inferior Five, and funny animals and funnier humans (Angel and the Ape, Stanley and his Monster, etc.). Still, Steranko’s S.H.I.E.L.D. outdid the Secret Six, the Avengers and the FF outsold the Metal Men, JLA, and the Doom Patrol, and other experiments, though extremely interesting, were short-lived. Wisely, National opened up the doors and started looking at new blood to invigorate things. They hired a brash newcomer who had already (at the age of 21!) drawn his own syndicated strip and gone through a solid career in advertising. His name was Neal Adams and DC discovered that just the photo-realistic touches he brought to his artwork on their covers could generate an upward surge in revenues. From there, the comic magazine career of Adams mushroomed rapidly in industry-jarring projects, and part of his success came in collaborations with our beloved King. Neal was gracious enough to share some thoughts of the old DC days with Jack with Jerry Boyd via e-mail on September 3, 2003.

TJKC: Both you and Kirby were incredibly busy during those years. You seemed to have a gorgeous cover for every title National put out while still finding time for an occasional Batman story and regular chores on Green Lantern/Green Arrow! Jack was editing, writing, and penciling four books! Was it a surprise to you that he still had energy enough to produce Spirit World? ADAMS: Energy? Look up the word in the dictionary and it is defined as Jack Kirby.

TJKC: There was a wonderful period of time where you produced some absolutely spellbinding covers for National. My favorites were the Deadman pieces for Strange Adventures, because the angular configurations rivaled Steranko’s efforts for S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Phantom Stranger covers, with the always inventive ways of showing the hero as a background for the main action. Both you and Jack ended up doing a substantial amount of work for National in the early ’70s. Is that when you first met him, and what were your early encounters like? NEAL ADAMS: I met Jack, I believe, at the very first or perhaps second San Diego Comic Con, I think run by Shel Dorf. I was doing work for DC long before Jack came to DC from Marvel. What was Jack like? I loved him from the first minute. He was positive about comics, pugnacious, and didn’t take sh*t—my kind of guy. 27

HEADLINERS

(continued from front page) was the first time I wasn’t enjoying the book mainly for the superhero, but instead for the “everyman” supporting cast. When Kirby left with JO #148, I was just as disappointed that I wouldn’t see any more Golden Age Simon & Kirby reprints (“Who was this Simon guy, anyway?” I wondered) as I was that the Whiz Wagon, Hairies, and the Project wouldn’t be seen again. So began one of my earliest comic collecting goals—to track down all the remaining S&K adventures of the Newsboy Legion. After finding one additional reprint in an issue of Detective Comics, my goal remained unfulfilled for many years, due to the high cost of Golden Age original issues. But now, with the help of eBay, some disposable income, and a lot of generous TJKC readers, I’ve finally reached that goal, and proudly present the ultimate overview of the Newsboy Legion’s appearances on paper! t all started in Star-Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942, and reprinted in Jimmy Olsen #141 and Adventure Comics #503) with the Guardian getting second billing on the cover to this gang of kids from Suicide Slum. Rookie beat cop Jim Harper gets beaten himself by a pack of thugs, then dons a blue and yellow costume, crash helmet, and police badge-shaped shield and exacts revenge, becoming the “guardian of society” he couldn’t be while working within the law. But his moniker attains doublemeaning when a gang of local newspaper peddlers (all orphans of deceased parents) turn to robbing a hardware store to put food

on the table. Officer Harper is assigned to be their legal guardian, but the kids resist the Big Brother treatment, and turn to stealing hubcaps. When their Fence sets them up as a diversion for a fatal hold-up, the boys begin to appreciate Jim’s law and order stance, and get imperiled trying to even the score with the crook. The Guardian saves the boys, who later return the favor as their first episode ends with them suspecting Harper and the Guardian might be one and the same—a subplot that would run through most of their Golden Age adventures (but wouldn’t be resolved until Kirby brought them back in the 1970s Olsen book). Rather than spend a lot of space recapping the adventures that were reprinted in Jimmy Olsen #141-148, all of which are readily available as inexpensive back issues, here’s a brief rundown with ratings from 0-5 badges: #7: “Newsboy Legion” ( ) Great lead-off and concept. #8: “Last Mile Alley” ( ) Plenty of action, great S&K. #9: “The Rookie Takes The Rap” ( ) Great characterization for Jim Harper. ) Excellent plot and art. #10: “Kings For A Day” ( #11: “Paradise Prison” ( ) Ditto. #12: “Prevue of Peril” ( ) Superb art. ) Excellent #13: “The Scoop of Suicide Slum” ( tension in Big Word’s development. #14: “The Meanest Man on Earth” ( ) Another solid S&K yarn.

(below) Covers to the first eight adventures of the Newsboy Legion, all of which were reprinted as back-ups in Jimmy Olsen in the 1970s. Shown throughout are all the Golden Age Star-Spangled covers featuring the Newsboys. All characters TM & ©2005 DC Comics.

Gallery 1

Tales of the DNA Project

by Shane Foley hen Kirby took over the Jimmy Olsen strip, he poured his unique creativity into it, proving that even a strip so unKirbylike as this could be molded in his image. Some elements of his Fourth World Epic appeared here and nowhere else and helped to flesh out the saga in ways that Jack probably had not previously considered. From the first-ever appearance of Darkseid, to the DNA Project, the DNAliens, Mokkari, Simyan, the Golden Guardian, Dubbilex, the FourArmed Terror, etc., this strip was chock full of new characters and concepts.

After the first 6 months or so, there was a slight detour as Jack explored a Goody Rickles storyline. Then there followed a wide detour into Transilvane. But then it was headlong back into the breach once again as Jimmy and Co. went head-tohead with the minions of Darkseid. And once again, Jack’s imagination was in overdrive as he returned to his original Olsen themes and even wrapped some of them up. (pages 52-53) Pencils from Jimmy Olsen #143. 50

(these two pages) The “Tales of the DNA Project” back-up from Olsen #139, and a page from #143.

Public Domain Theatre

“Never look a gift horse in the mouth, for fear its head will end up in your bed.”

An Offer We Couldn’t Refuse

kay, I’m paraphrasing the famous expression, but it never held truer than here. Kirby fan Chris Fama recently contacted me, saying he’d worked out a process to chemically bleach old comics pages, leaving only the black ink intact on the paper, making for crisp, clean originals to scan for reproduction. Would I be interested in having him supply Kirby line art from “public

(above) Jack does a “Chalk Talk” drawing of a gangster for fans at an early 1970s San Diego Comicon. (right) Final page from the unpublished 1971 “Ladies of the Mob” story from In The Days Of The Mob #2. Inks by Mike Royer. In The Days Of The Mob TM & ©2005 DC Comics.

domain” (i.e. out of copyright) stories for TJKC? Did Marlon Brando ever say “no” to a slice of pie? It seemed appropriate that we kick off this new feature with a 1940s gangster story, as a sort of parallel to Jack’s In The Days Of The Mob book from 1971. You’ll see in this story (from Justice Traps The Guilty #9, April 1949) the same Kirby that brought to life a virtuoso performance of violence and mayhem in 1971. Our thanks to Chris for his efforts on this new ongoing TJKC feature! ★