Kirby, Jack

▪ 1995

      (JACOB KURTZBERG), U.S. comic-book artist (b. Aug. 28, 1917, New York, N.Y.—d. Feb. 6, 1994, Thousand Oaks, Calif.), as the undisputed king of the comics, helped create some 400 characters, including such unforgettable superheroes as Captain America, Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, and the Fantastic Four; during the 1950s and '60s, he reinvented those invincible characters by endowing them with a measure of human vulnerability. Kirby left high school at the age of 16 and worked in Max Fleisher's animation studio on Betty Boop and Popeye cartoon material before teaming up with Joe Simon in 1941. Together for 15 years, they collaborated on Captain America, featuring the nation's top Nazi combatant; the Boy Commandos, about a team of young soldiers; and My Date, the first romance comic book. In 1959 Kirby, who had dissolved his partnership with Simon in 1956, joined the Marvel Comics Group and teamed up with writer-editor Stan Lee. Their blockbuster hits included Silver Surfer, Mighty Thor, Iron Man, and X-Men besides The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, and the revival in 1964 of Captain America. Kirby's artistic genius was captured in his brilliantly coloured, larger-than-life superhero depictions, which elevated action drawing to a new level. Other innovations included exploding panels, double-page spreads, and ultimately a book-length format. He also produced (1970) The Fourth World series for DC Comics. In 1993, some seven years after he published his last full comic book, Kirby's peers voted him the most influential of all creators.

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