Kirby: King of Comics’ author Mark Evanier @ Meltdown 6.7.8
“I was thinking how the world should have cried on the day Jack Kirby died”
The above line is from a song titled MELT by the band Monster Magnet. It perfectly represents the undying enthusiasm for the many and varied works of Jack Kirby, an enthusiasm that is that is stoked, nurtured and built to burn ever higher by fantastic Earthlings like Mark Evanier, author of KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, a magnificent coffee table edition now in wide release from Abrams.
Mark Evanier was smart enough and lucky enough to have worked as Jack Kirby’s assistant and eventually became the standard-bearer for all things Kirby. He has done more than perhaps any single person to point the curious and the uninformed in the direction of the work of the King and in this new biography he does so in a wonderfully engaging yet unassuming style that brings neophyte and professional alike to the same conclusion; without Jack Kirby, modern comics would not exist.
While Jack Kirby is no longer with us, his spirit and legend are carried forward in print and in many wonderful tales that you can hear in person when Mark Evanier joins us at Meltdown Comics on June 7th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a signing and question and answer session. We look forward to seeing you then. Long live the King!
A brief Q & A will be hosted by super Kirby Fan and ADULT SWIM Animation Producer/Director Jon Schnepp.
About Jon Schnepp:
Jon Schnepp has been directing, writing and producing episodic series and short-form shows for the past twelve years. His credits include directing the popular “Upright Citizens Brigade”, directing the 3D origin of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”, editing episodes of “Space Ghost: Coast to Coast”, and co-producing and directing “Metalocalypse”. Jon has worked on programming for Cartoon Network , FX, Nickelodeon,
MTV2, VH-1, and Comedy Central. Deeply influenced by comic books, SciFi flicks, and all things “geek”, Jon continually produces, writes, and directs his own films, which include Nerd Hunter 3004 and The Removers. Jon has also used the skills he acquired from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago to design and create characters for the animated series “Metalocalypse” on Adult Swim. Jon is currently co-producing/directing for its second season. Absorb!
MARK EVANIER SIGNS
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS
AT MELTDOWN
JUNE 7, 2-4 PM
7522 SUNSET BLVD
www.meltcomics.com
THE ESSENTIAL, ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY OF ONE OF COMICS’
GREATEST INNOVATORS
KIRBY
King of Comics
By Mark Evanier
Introduction by Neil Gaiman
Gatefold by Alex Ross
Jack Kirby (August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) created or co-created some of the most popular superheroes in comic book history including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor, Darkseid, and The New Gods. More significantly, he created much of the visual language for fantasy, adventure, and romance comics. Almost everything that was different about comic books began in the forties on the drawing table of Jack Kirby. Although there were comics before him, for the most part their page layout, graphics, and visual dynamic aped syndicated newspaper strips. Kirby, however, completely reinvented the contemporary comic book, producing a groundbreaking visual style that has influenced all artists who followed him.
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS is a spectacular, profusely illustrated book featuring 200 full-color illustrations, including many unpublished and never-before-seen preliminary sketches, photographs, and illustrations, as well as a new piece of specially commissioned Kirby artwork by painter Alex Ross. Here, for the first time, is the story of Jack Kirby told through the words of someone who knew him well. Mark Evanier, Kirby’s friend and onetime assistant, shares over thirty-five years of memories and research, providing an in-depth account of Kirby’s work, including the often overlooked autobiographical element of his stories. KIRBY is the authorized celebration of the one and only “King of Comics”—creator, writer, artist, editor, husband, father . . . and legend.
About the Author:
Mark Evanier met Jack Kirby in 1969, worked as his assistant, and later became his official biographer. A writer and historian, Evanier has written more than 500 comics for Gold Key, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics, several hundred hours of television (including Garfield), and is the author of several books including MAD Art (2002). He has three Emmy Award nominations, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award for animation from the Writers Guild of America. His Web site is www.povonline.com.
May 17th, 2008 at 7:25 am
May 29th, 2008 at 4:56 pm