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Posts Archived Under Comics
How did a kid from the Lower East Side of New York grew up to become the "King of Comics," and have an immeasurable impact on the world’s popular culture? That’s the story of Jacob Kurtzberg, better known as Jack Kirby, who was born on August 28, 1917.
As a child, Kirby was likelier to get into fistfights than study art, but he was captivated by such masters of the comic strip as Alex Raymond ("Flash Gordon"), Hal Foster ("Prince Valiant"), and Milton Caniff ("Terry and the Pirates"). He enrolled at the Pratt Art Institute, but soon left because they wanted him to linger over his work, and he wanted to "get things done." His imagination was so full and his creativity so profound that he rarely lingered over anything, turning out dozens of pages of brilliant comic art every week.
From Pratt, he went to the Fleischer animation studios (working on their "Popeye" cartoons), but left because of the "production line" way the movies were turned out). He then tried creating a number of comic strips (under an equal number of pseudonyms: Curt Davis, Fred Sande, Jack Curtiss, Ted Grey, and even just "Teddy").
While his work was good, nothing stuck until he met fellow writer and artist Joe Simon. With Simon, he created the character Captain America for Timely Comics (the precursor of today's Marvel Comics), and the rest was history. Simon and Kirby became one of the top teams in comics history, but when they suspected they were being underpaid, they moved to DC Comics, revitalizing such characters as Manhunter and The Sandman, and creating The Guardian and The Boy Commandos.
After World War II, the duo went back to work, creating the classic "Boys’ Ranch," the tongue-in-cheek "Fighting American," any number of crime comics, and even found time to invent the romance comic genre. But good things can last only so long, and the partnership split up. Kirby went back to DC, where he created "The Challengers of the Unknown." But after another legal battle, he returned to Marvel, where he began an unparalleled run that saw him co-create scores of characters, including The Fantastic Four, The Hulk, The X-Men, The Avengers, Thor, The Silver Surfer, Dr. Doom, and The Black Panther, mainstream comics' first black superhero. His muscular and dynamic style was credited by the New York Times as creating "a new grammar of storytelling and a cinematic style of motion ... Even at rest, a Kirby character pulsed with tension and energy in a way that makes movie versions of the same characters seem static by comparison."
But the comics business being what it is, and Kirby being Kirby, following a dust-up over creator's rights and original art, he again went back to DC, creating the "Fourth World," a series of characters (The Demon, Mister Miracle, The New Gods, and Darkseid, DC's ultimate supervillain) and storylines that were nothing less than cosmic in scope. After only four years, though, he was back at Marvel yet again, leaving only three years later to work in animation (becoming an inadvertent footnote in the Iran Hostage Crisis of the 1980s).
But ink was always in Kirby's blood, and after another brief stint at DC, he went to smaller publishers that allowed him not only full creative freedom, but also the ownership of his characters -- something he'd always craved.
He died in 1994, never having lost any of his talent or creativity.
It's hard today to find a comics artist -- or even a film director -- who has not been influenced in some way by Kirby's dramatic and dynamic style. He set the standard, and even 15 years after his death, he is still "the King."
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Directory categories:
Jack Kirby, Comic Book Artists, Comic Books, Marvel Comics, DC Comics |
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Archived under: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Animation, Artists, Arts, Biographies, Birthdays, Captain America, Cartoonists, Celebrities, Comic Books, Comic Strips, Comics, Entertainment, History, Men, Popeye, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Villains, Writers |
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Headline of the New York Post,
June 16, 1959 |
In the early hours of June, 16, 1959, actor George Reeves died from a gunshot wound to the head, creating one of Hollywood's biggest mysteries. After half a century, no one is quite sure if Reeves committed suicide or was murdered.
At the time of his death, Reeves was (and still is) best known for his television role as Superman, though it's still uncertain whether he was thrilled or delighted with that fact. On the one hand, the role provided him with national fame, the chance to direct, and a handsome salary (that he planned on using to initiate his own projects). On the other hand, like many other actors who play superheroes, he was typecast, and found getting serious acting work difficult, leading to such false urban legends as the one that his role in "From Here to Eternity" was severely cut because audiences allegedly yelled, "Hey, it’s Superman!" when he came on the screen.
But it's not like Reeves had been a huge success as an actor previous to his being cast as the Man of Steel. He had had some success in the 1930s and 40s with bit parts in such films as "The Strawberry Blonde" (with James Cagney and Rita Hayworth) and "Gone With the Wind" (as one of the red-haired Tarlton twins), but not much of note beyond that.
In the decades since, while no firm case has been made for murder -- and Reeves's friends and fellow cast members Noel Neill and Jack Larson have gone on the record with their beliefs that it was indeed suicide -- the controversy continues because he apparently had so much to live for. "The Adventures of Superman" was due to begin production again after a year’s hiatus, with Reeves having a greater say in the creative realm, he was newly engaged, and saw career prospects beyond wearing his underwear on the outside of his clothes. And although he was found with a fatal gunshot to his head, not only was there no powder residue on his hands, a second bullet hole was found in the floor of his bedroom, something that usually doesn't occur in point-blank suicides. On top of that, he had been involved with Toni Mannix, wife of ruthless MGM executive Eddie Mannix, a man for whom the idea of taking out a hit on a romantic rival wouldn't have been unthinkable. Theories have been advanced for both murder and suicide, but Hollywood mysteries being what they are, no one will ever know.
In one of those coincidences we so love, the Superman family suffered a second loss on June 16, as in 1996, longtime Superman artist Curt Swan died. Swan was an old-school craftsman, whose ability to tell a story and convey expressions was unparalleled. Equally at home on serious and humorous tales, he was the definitive Superman artist for nearly five decades.
One critic described Swan's Superman as "the alien in our midst (who was) someone like us, who would think and feel as well as act, who was approachable, big-hearted, considerate, maybe physically superpowerful yet gentle, noble yet subtly tragic," a quote which also describes Reeves's portrayal of the Man of Tomorrow. A finer epitaph an actor or an artist couldn’t wish for.
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Directory categories:
Superman, George Reeves, The Adventures of Superman, Comic Book Artists, Superheroes |
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Archived under: 1950s, 1990s, Actors, Anniversaries, Artists, Cartoonists, Celebrities, Coincidence, Comic Books, Comics, Cover Ups, Dead Celebrities, Death, Entertainment, Murder, Mysteries, Scandals, Secrets, Suicide, Superheroes, Superman, TV, Unsolved Crimes, Urban Legends |
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There's a moment in everyone's life when they come out of the closet -- not necessarily that closet -- but rather when they realize that that thing they’ve always been interested in and fascinated by isn't something to be embarrassed about, but is something to be acknowledged and celebrated.
In my own case, it was (and is) comic books. Even though I've been reading them for half a century, when I was in high school, it was worst sort of social embarrassment to admit that not only did you read and enjoy them, but you also collected them. When I got to college, I met men and women who were smart, funny, and who actually read comics -- and admitted it. Since then, I've been more than proud of my fanboy status -- even if some of my fellows are still stereotypically geeky.
May 25th is Nerd Pride Day, a holiday that started (in Spain, of all places) in 2006, and is dedicated to allowing all of us the freedom to be geeks or nerds about anything we like -- no, not just like, but are really into. With that in mind, I polled my fellow Sparksters to find out what floats their particular boats.
- Sarah: I am a total history junkie. I will read, watch, or listen to anything involving history (as you can probably tell from my Sparks). I'm partial to European history, especially anything weird, corrupt, or scandalous -- and it’s even better if it involves the monarchy. But surprisingly, I've never been to a Renaissance Faire.
- Suzi: This Memorial Day, I hope to be sitting by the pool, soaking up the sun, enjoying a bevy of tunes from my iPod Classic, whilst reading some lovely literary selection on my Kindle. I'm sure I'll be in contact with loved ones, as my Blackberry Pearl never leaves my side. Yes, folks, I am an unabashed gadget girl. I wear my Nerd Pride badge, well, proudly.
- Richard: I became painfully aware of my status as a gay nerd while creating a spreadsheet of "Golden Girls" episodes that I wanted to rip to my iPhone, organized by season, disc, and featured musical number (where applicable.)
- Jessica: I am nerdy about snowboard construction. My own snowboard has a Kevlar core for strength and flexibility (and in case bad guys are after me on the slopes, a la James Bond). It's pretty new, but the latest in board tech is bamboo veneer, which, in addition to being sustainable and looking very board-like indeed, reduces vibrations on icy snow and at high speeds. So cool.
- Adrienne: I collect Japanese toys. Okay, I'm not a master collector, but I still spend too much money of ugly vinyl monsters and fanciful plastic windup toys. Source of neurotic nerdiness: Crying over Gamera's apparent demise ("Don't die, Gamera! Don’t die!") in a fellow 3-year-old’s Gaithersburg, Maryland basement. It's one of my earliest memories. Do manicured lawns spawn escapist fantasies?
- Chris: I am an unapologetic sci-fi nerd. A good sci-fi novel/movie inspires you to think deeply, often forcing you to consider possibilities that never occurred to you. The prescription for all closed-minded individuals who just can't show any empathy or sympathize with any unknown point of view is an assigned list of the best sci-fi.
- Mike: I am a Disneyland nerd and proud of it! Since I was 10 years old, I’ve been going there at least once a year. After my first son was born, I have shared my poison, I mean passion, for it with my family -- my eight-year-old son has been there 15 times. I know ... it's nuts. And that’s why it's the nerdiest thing about me.
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Directory categories:
Comic Books, Consumer Electronics, The Golden Girls, Collectible Toys, Disneyland |
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Archived under: Authors, Board Games, Books, Celebrations, Collectibles, Comic Books, Comics, Counterculture, Cultures, Disney, Disneyland, Entertainment, European History, Extreme Sports, Fanatics, Fiction, Gadgets, Games, Gay Pride, History, Hobbies, Holidays, In Character, James Bond, Japan, Literature, Monsters and Creatures, Parenting, Royalty, Science Fiction, Sitcoms, Society and Culture, Sports, Star Trek, Star Wars, TV, Technology, The Spark, Toys, Winter Sports, Yahoo! Directory |
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Batman's first appearance
in Detective Comics #27 |
In 1939, 24-year-old comics artist Bob Kane was not having a lot of success. But one day, he got a phone call from DC Comics. DC was trying to come up with a costumed superhero to capitalize on its success with Superman, and wondered if Kane had any ideas. Looking for inspiration, he thought of the swashbuckling movies of Douglas Fairbanks, a flying apparatus designed by Leonardo da Vinci, and a movie thriller called "The Bat Whispers," and came up with a character called "The Bat-Man."
Unfortunately, that "Bat-Man" wore red tights and a domino mask and looked about as threatening as Little Orphan Annie. Seeking help, Kane turned to writer Bill Finger, who junked most of Kane's ideas and implemented his own. He put the character in grey and black, added a scalloped cape, gloves, and a cowl with bat ears. Finger's final touch was the name "Bruce Wayne." With that, the Batman we more or less know today was created.
Today we note the 70th anniversary of the publication of Detective Comics #27, which featured the first appearance of Batman, supposedly created solely by artist Bob Kane. But despite the credit line that still appears on every Batman comic, cartoon, and movie, Kane was probably the least involved of the team members that created the Caped Crusader. Kane was a poor artist and "swiped" many of the images in those early stories. Where Kane excelled was in his business sense and marketing ability, so he signed a contract with DC that gave them exclusive rights to Batman in exchange for sole credit going to Kane for "creating" the Dark Knight.
Kane soon farmed out the actual work of drawing Batman to such artists as Sheldon Moldoff, George Roussos, Ray Burnley, Charles Paris, Lew Sayre Schwartz, and, most notably, Jerry Robinson and Dick Sprang. Robinson was responsible for refining the look of Batman and creating the Joker, Alfred, and Robin. Well, actually, he only named Robin. The Boy Wonder was one of Bill Finger’s many creations, along with The Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face, The Riddler, the Batmobile, the Batcave, the name "Gotham City," and dozens of other characters and concepts.
While Robinson moved on to other things (including becoming an award-winning editorial cartoonist, teaching at the School of Visual Arts, The New School, and the Parsons School of Design, and writing the first history of the comic art form) Finger continued working more or less anonymously for DC, co-creating the Green Lantern (this time for credit), and turning out classic Superman and Batman stories in the '40s, '50s, and '60s.
Bob Kane died in 1998, never fully acknowledging the contributions of his collaborators. Robinson, however, now 87, has worked tirelessly to ensure creators' rights (including shaming DC Comics into giving a pension to Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster). Robinson greatly responsible for founding the Bill Finger Award, given annually at San Diego's Comic-Con International to writers who were not sufficiently honored in their own lifetimes.
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Directory categories:
Batman, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Comic Book Artists, Comic Book Writers |
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Archived under: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, American History, Anniversaries, Artists, Batman, Books, Cartoonists, Collectibles, Comic Books, Comics, Cover Ups, Entertainment, Impersonators, Secrets, Superheroes, Writers, Writing |
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Carl Barks in 1982 |
For comic readers in the 1950s, times could be grim. The art form was anything but respected, superheroes had mostly disappeared and crime and horror comics were banned. Superman was busy pulling cruel practical jokes on his friends and Batman was fighting aliens, so for real adventure, readers turned to "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories." What they found there was a series of globe-spanning treks featuring Donald Duck, his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and his wily and parsimonious uncle, Scrooge McDuck.
Fans noticed that some of the stories were better-written and drawn than others, but since the Disney corporate image required the illusion that Unca Walt himself personally created everything that went out under his name, that one creator was known only as "The Good Duck Artist," rather than his real name: Carl Barks. When Barks retired (for the first time) in 1966, the secret of his real identity leaked out to fans who were delighted to finally be able to connect the artist's name to his work.
Despite being in his mid-60s and having over 25 years of comics behind him, Barks was persuaded to come out of retirement to write more stories featuring Donald and Daisy Duck and the Junior Woodchucks. Unable to put his art aside, he took up painting, concentrating mainly on farm scenes until he was commissioned to recreate one of his "WDC&S" covers. Word of his paintings spread like wildfire among collectors, and Barks was soon selling them for thousands of dollars each. While Disney originally approved his efforts, unauthorized sales by a fan led to the company revoking his license until "Star Wars" producer Gary Kurtz persuaded Disney to change its corporate mind and allow Barks to continue creating paintings of Donald, Uncle Scrooge, and his other creations until his death in 2000 -- only months short of his 100th birthday. Museum exhibitions of his art have drawn hundreds of thousands of fans who are charmed by the humor and clarity of his work.
I met Barks in the 80s. Unlike the mob scenes at most of his appearances, he and his wife Garé were alone, so I got the chance to have a long talk with him. He was charming, funny, and surprisingly self-effacing for a man whose influence spread far beyond comics. How far? Remember the opening scenes of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"? They were taken from Barks' "Seven Cities of Cibola." Bet you didn’t know the real Indiana Jones was Scrooge McDuck!
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Directory categories:
Carl Barks, Donald Duck, Comic Books, Comic Book Artists, Cartoon Art |
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Archived under: 1950s, Animation, Artists, Arts, Biographies, Birthdays, Cartoonists, Cartoons, Comic Books, Comic Strips, Comics, Disney, Donald Duck, Entertainment, In Character |
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