Kirby King of Comics: A Hardcore Review

Into it holds the idea that we should be fair and balanced and be "nice" and not be damning of a product or its creators. I say this. It would not be truth if I only reviewed things I liked or always in a favorable way. In fact the reviews where I have panned something have brought me the most kudos from readers. And quite simply, if you do not like things to be reviewed fairly and in an editorial manner... DON'T FUCKING READ MY REVIEWS! In fact if that's how you feel you should probably never read anything I write... EVAR!
I am going to remind everyone who reads these reviews that the grading system I use is this: instead of thumbs up or stars, I rate on hardcore moments in pro wrestling history. The more hardcore the event, match, promo or moment the more I liked the book, comic, movie or video game I am reviewing. The less hardcore the moment, the more I disliked it. An example would be anything related to Hulk Hogan would be highly NOT recommended. Onto the review...
I read the except that appeared in an issue of Wizard magazine. And I dug it a lot. I have fallen off when it comes to the pioneers of the comic book industry. I don't really acknowledge my roots as it were in that regard. So I was really glad to read this book which gave such a great perspective on the man who co-created over half of the modern Marvel Universe and made such an impact on the industry that fifty years from now, people will still read his work and artists will still be influenced by his art.
Jack Kirby is simply one of a very select few who could be anointed into comic book godhood. Knowing his life story and how all he really wanted out of all of this is stuff that is virtually guaranteed to people who are doing less than spectacular work now. He wanted to be acknowledged, respected and have some financial security, as well as some creative say so in his life. That's really not a lot to ask for a man who drew a thirty plus page comic book over the course of a weekend. And that was while he was working on other projects too. Kirby was simply a machine. He worked hard, and he loved what he did, while it simultaneously tore him apart inside. Jack just wanted the respect people slather all over Stan Lee. Kirby just didn't want to become a footnote in the history of this industry. He never will though. Jack Kirby will always be a legend in the field. More than ten years after his passing people still remember the man, and his amazing lineage of work. This was a man who on a regular basis turned out 18 interior pages plus 8 or nine covers a week. Holy shit! The standard now for professionals is ONE page a day. Just one. And sometimes that can be like pulling teeth. I for one don't know if I could live up to those terms that Kirby set.
He was driven and focused, mainly because he desired to be a man who could provide for his family above all else. But at the same time, he was down to earth and humbled by the daunting task of being the measuring stick for an entire industry, whether it was good or bad. I mean there were editors who wanted Kirby to not be Kirby. If that is even fathomable. Jack is one of the first people to really make art POP off the page by breaking the barriers of the panels. This is something I love to do on a regular basis and I have been chastised by a few editors who say not to do it unless it propels the story. I think that is what makes it necessary, not simply propelling the story, but adding graphic impact to a page. Making it dynamic. Giving the pages ZAZZ! Kirby believed that you needed to have dynamic artwork inside the comics otherwise people wouldn't stick around for the next issue. If the art sucks or doesn't make you want to jump out of your seat, then you might as well be reading a book.
The writer of Kirby's life, Mark Evanier weaved a truly great tale of the master. Kirby didn't want any sway good or bad about his life. He wanted it to be honest. And I feel Evanier did his request true justice. The book was so well put together with art being contributed from people's private collections as well as the excerpts about Jack's contemporaries and how they contributed to his legacy.
I think knowing where we come from is an important thing. As of late I have been taking more of an interest in the history and lives of the earlier greats of this field like Eisner and Kirby, after looking mostly at modern artists of the past twenty years. Jack Kirby truly defined hard work and passion for his craft. I got into comics in a bigger capacity after Kirby's passing. Not that I wouldn't have known who Kirby was. If you're an artist in this field, it's hard not to hear his name every time you walk into a comic book shop. It's tough to not compare your work to those who once passed through these halls. And it's really tough to still have the drive to create after knowing that it's all been done before, and probably better too. But seeing Jack's work, and hearing his own thoughts and ideas, makes me want to create even more.
This is such a hard grade to give. Because essentially I am giving the grade to the man, as well as the book about his life. And for that, I have to go to another measuring stick, in another industry. Ric Flair. The man wrestled for more than three decades. He was a master of his craft. And a top notch performer in every sense of the word. I gauge his work with Dusty Rhodes in a steel cage at Starcade in the early 80's for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt as one of the greatest, and most grizzly sights. This is a few years after Flair broke his back in a plane crash and could have easily bowed out of the sport with nobody blaming him. He only went on to win the World Title 16 times. And having hundreds of matches with each of his contemporaries during the late seventies and all of the 80's he made a mark that could not be equaled in work rates, or performance. So from one measuring stick to another. My grade is Dusty Rhodes versus Ric Flair inside of a ten foot high steel cage. Where Flair delivers another "five alarm" blade job and makes us all believe. Flair put Dusty over so high in that match, it was just about perfect in every way.