365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 237: Jack Kirby DC House Ad Week, Day 1: Somebody get me my crown cuz I'm feeling it now / You might be a lord; but here comes the King

This week, all week, we celebrate the work of the King of Comics through house ads advertising his titanic work at DC! Can your heart stand the excitement?!? (takes medication and breathes into a paper bag first just to be sure)

So, you're sitting in 1970, reading your Superman comic, and you get to this page...


Page from "Superman Meets Super-Houdini!" in Action Comics #393 (October 1970), script by Leo Dorfman, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Murphy Anderson



What is my little button eye drawn to here? Marvelous as it is, it's not the dandy Swanderson artwork...


Nor is it trying to figure out why Metropolis's skies have changed from blue to yellow in the course of a single Superman flight:


Nope, it's these three little words that makes you heart beat and birds suddenly appear:


Yes, Kirby is Coming! So look busy! And if that sends a shiver up your spine and makes you eager to see big black dots all coalescing into each other and crackling, imagine the effect of this senses-shattering house ad which I believe is the most magniloquent and resplendent, nay, kingly house ad in comic book history:


House ad from Teen Titans (1966 series) #28 (July-August 1970), designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino
The Great One is coming to DC! The Great One is coming!


Cover of Jackie Gleason and the Honeymooners #4 (December 1956-January 1957), pencils by Mike Roy (?)
No, no, no, they mean Jack Kirby. Kirby's coming? Kirby's coming? No! KIRBY IS HERE! In your kitchen! Eating your sandwich! Drinking your beer! Use a darn ash tray, Jack!



House ad for Jimmy Olsen #133 (October 1970); printed in (top) Aquaman (1962 series) #54
and (bottom) Batman #226 (both November 1970)
Comic cover art: pencils by Jack Kirby, altered pencils on Superman's face by Al Plastino (shame on you, DC),
inks by Vince Colletta, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Ads designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino
You may have noticed throughout the year that I've tried to feature on most days ads that showed comic books on sale that same date. Well, I'd decided to do an entire week of Kirby house ads for the week of his birthday (this Wednesday) and to kick off the series with "The Great One" and the "Kirby's Coming!" ads...

And then I noticed that the ads actually do say today, August 25. Purely by coincidence.

That, my friends, is exactly how awesome Jack Kirby is.