Today in Comics History, August 28: Happy birthday, Jack Kirby: The King of Comics! (2012)

KIRBY! Jack Kirby, that is...not that little bubble guy who floats around in video games. We all know that, in mythical pantheons, Kirby, alongside Clapton, is God...


Panels from Fantastic Four #511 (May 2004), script by Mark Waid, pencils by Mike Wieringo, inks by Karl Kesel, colors by Paul Mounts, letters by Randy Gentile

...but did you know that Kirby exists simultaneously in all universes? No? Well, here's one instance of Cross-Dimension Kirby from Earth-B (for Bongo), sub-dimension-RM: the world of Bart Simpson's favorite comic book hero, Radioactive Man!



Pages from Radioactive Man #197/#9 (November 2004), script and layouts by Batton Lash, pencils by Dan DeCarlo, inks by Mike Royer, colors by Chris Ungar and Kane, letters by Karen Bates

So in celebration of the King's 95th birthday, let's take a look at what you can find in just one, one of his comic books: Mister Miracle #6! It all starts out with a bang—literally—and the greatest escape stunt of them all! Why, this book has more action in the first three pages than most modern comic books have an in entire six-issue arc! Yes, I'm lookin' at you, Justice League.




Panels from Mister Miracle v.1 #6 (February 1972), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks and letters by Mike Royer

Well else does this comic feature? Why, it's got the va-va-va-voomy Big Barda. Taking a Big Bath! With Big Bubbles! And, probably, a big rubber ducky.




And it's got this superbaddy—the butt-ugly not-a-supermodel Mad Harriet! (One-half of the team completed by Dirty Lariat!)




It's got a hard-hitting, head-kicking, stomach-punting, gut-skoking foot-womping action-thribbled fight sequence!



What, one bad guy isn't enough for you? Here, have four...they're cheap!



And just for good measure, it's got a sarcastic satire of Jack's old bosses!





It ends on a solemn vow for even more action and adventure in the following ish!



Now how much would you pay? Why, this kirbucopia of, eloquence, energy, and elephants excitement will run you... a mere two bits!



In conclusion, Kirby.

What? You want one more example of how all-powerful the King is? Okay, you asked fer it...

So powerful he can pull characters right out of the comic book and into his own reality. Of all other comic book creators, only Grant Morrison has also been able to do this, and he did it with the help of pharmaceuticals.




Panels from "Satan Wears a Swastika*" in Boy Commandos #1 (Winter 1942), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Joe SImon, letters by Howard Ferguson

So...please join me in declaring: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KING KIRBY!

Kirby, won't you?


*GREATEST STORY TITLE IN THE WORLD.