32 Years Ago, We Lost One of the Most Influential Creators in Comics

While they are a near omnipresent force today, comic books weren’t always what they are. Everything had to start somewhere, and in the case of comics, they emerged as the collective effort, care, and belief of hundreds of people, spanning decades. There are too many people to name every single one who contributed something important to the comic book boom, but a few legendary figures stand above the rest. There’s Gardner Fox, Stan Lee, Frank Miller, Steve Ditko, Christ Claremont, Jerry Siegel, and Joe Shuster, to name just a few. All of these men lifted the comic book medium into something larger than life.

Out of all of these legendary creatives, however, only one stands out as the King of comic books. Jack Kirby was one of the most prolific and influential comic creators of all time. His work revolutionized the industry countless times and remains fundamental to the structure of both DC and Marvel’s universes. There could only be one Jack Kirby, and 32 years ago today, we lost him. To honor his insurmountable legacy, let’s take a look back at just some of Kirby’s legendary work.

The Ever-Lovin’ Comic Book King

Kirby jumped on the comic book bandwagon not long after Superman exploded onto the scene. He did some work for small-time books like Wild Boy Magazine and Lightnin’ and the Lone Rider, but his first of many breakout hits started after he partnered with Joe Simon. Together, they created Captain America, who was an instant success. The team later made the jump to DC’s predecessor, National Comics Publications, where they revamped the Sandman character and created Manhunter. Following his duty in WWII, Kirby and Simon came back swinging. They spawned the romance genre of comics with Young Romance, literally creating a genre that is still successful to this day.

Read Next

10 Most Influential Comic Book Artists of All Time

Kirby’s most enduring work came when he returned to Marvel Comics. He co-created the Fantastic Four, which instantly revolutionized the comic book genre. Their mix of science fiction, superheroics, and family drama became a staple of Marvel’s style. He also helped create the Hulk, Thor, the X-Men, and Black Panther, all of whom are major Marvel players to this very day. Kirby was especially influential on the cosmic side of the comics, where Galactus, Uatu the Watcher, and the Silver Surfer all defined what the Marvel Universe looked like beyond Earth.

When he later returned to DC, Kirby did the same for DC’s cosmic mythology. He created the Fourth World, designing the New Gods, Darkseid, and everyone else in their circles. While they didn’t break sales records during their release, these characters became essential to how DC functions. Darkseid is practically the face of DC’s villains, standing as one of the most popular and important comic book characters of all time. Kirby is behind dozens of essential comic book characters, and those are far from his only contributions.

The Man Who Could Imagine Everything

Jack Kirby wasn’t just one of the most important creatives ever in producing iconic characters, but his work itself warped the genre around it. His drawing style was so iconic and of such a quality that it became the standard Marvel look. That’s not even mentioning how his approach to characters and their human aspects became Marvel’s trademark for that era. The King was always pushing forward, looking to make comic books bigger than ever before. He was the one that everyone turned to when things needed to be done, because his style was always evolving, yet maintained a timeless quality.

Did you know that Kirby wanted to release his Fourth World as a trade paperback long before that was a thing? Jack Kirby was always trying to capture the magic he saw in the world, blending mythology, science fiction, and his love of youth culture into journeys that spoke to people. He wanted comic books to connect to everyone, and never forgot that magical inspiration that made his work so enduring in the first place. He was always pushing forward, right up until his final days. His spirit is something we should all honor and try to emulate ourselves. If we all looked at the world the way Jack Kirby did, it would be such a beautiful place. From every comic book fan, thank you, Jack Kirby.

Which of Jack Kirby’s works is your favorite? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!