Book Review: Kirby: King of Comics

           Today marks the 101st birthday of Jack Kirby. Kirby, who passed away in 1994, was one of the most prolific comic book creators of his generation. With the popularity and endurance of the characters he created, his legacy reaches far into today’s comic book world. 

Originally published in 2008, Mark Evanier’s Kirby: King of Comics (Anniversary Edition) (affiliate link) received a revised version in 2017, which I recently finished reading. For those wanting to learn more about Kirby, it is a must read.

            The book tracks Kirby’s life from childhood, to his early jobs, through his career in comics, his death, and the legacy he left behind. It is well-written, easy-to-read, and features great Kirby art and anecdotes about the “King,” including an amusing anecdote about how he received that particular title.

            Of particular interest to me were the business and legal issues touched on by the book, particularly during his falling out with Marvel in the 1960s. As related in the book, Kirby was aware of the increasing value of his contributions to Marvel, and, at his wife’s suggestion, even stopped creating new characters for the company to exploit. He frequently tried to obtain a better deal for himself, but was put off or ignored.

When Marvel was sold to Perfect Film and Chemical Corporation, the company was intent on keeping Stan Lee, believing he was main catalyst of Marvel’s success, but it was unaware of and didn’t care about Kirby’s contributions. As Kirby and his lawyers pushed for a better deal, or any deal at that particular point, the new owners stopped responding. The lack of respect for his contributions and the absence of long-term commitments or recognition for his contributions were primary factors in Kirby’s move to DC comics.

            While tales of character ownership, contract disputes, and lawsuits pop-up in the book from time-to-time, the revised edition also includes a chapter on the Kirby family’s attempts to reclaim copyright ownership to some of characters Kirby created for Marvel. While it doesn’t get too far into the legal issues involved, it does track the thoughts and feelings of the family leading up to their filing the copyright termination notices necessary to reclaim ownership, the initial settlement talks, and Disney’s abrupt end to the settlement talks by filing a lawsuit to seek a declaration that the characters Kirby created were made as a work-for-hire. It succinctly tells how the Kirby family lost in the district court and the second circuit, with those courts agreeing that Kirby’s contributions were done as a work-for-hire, and it briefly discusses the attempt to get the case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court, which was rendered moot after Disney/Marvel and the Kirby estate finally settled the case.

            Two themes I took away from the book were Kirby’s desire to provide for his family, and his ability to see value in comics when others didn’t. His focus on providing for his family guided him through many of his career decisions, and it led him to seek new deals to properly reflect his contributions, which he didn’t always receive. When Marvel was sold in the ’60s, the book relates how Kirby felt the value placed on the company was too low, remarking that the character Ant-Man was worth more than what Marvel was sold for. As the book points out, Kirby recognized the potential value in the characters and stories. Time has shown the value of Kirby’s contributions to the world of comics and proved he was right.   

Kirby: King of Comics is a well-crafted biography written by a former assistant, and friend, to Jack Kirby and continues to be the definitive book on his life and legacy.