The Fantastic Photo World of Jack Kirby

It's the mid-sixties! (Well, not now it isn't, but bear with me here; I'm tryin' to make a point!) It's a time of change and turmoil. Malcolm X is assassinated; the Vietnam War rages on despite protests, the Beatles claim to be more popular than Jesus, Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde is released, the first man to walk in space...uh, walks in space, the Warner Brothers cartoon division is closed, Winston Churchill passes away, Star Trek premieres, Hurricane Betsy devastates New Orleans, Cassius Clay wallops Sonny Liston. And, perhaps most shocking and earth-shattering in this world of tumult and transformation...the motion picture The Sound of Music debuts.

Meanwhile, comic books are 12¢. Whatta bargain! 'Specially if you're zipping down to Pop's Sodium Shop to finger through the spinner rack and tug out copies of Marvel's flagship title, Fantastic Four. This is the period where Stan Lee and Jack Kirby stretched the boundaries of superhero comics just like Mister Fantastic stuck in a taffy pull—even more so than when they reinvented the whole genre back in the early sixties. Stan's scripts became more frantic, funny and frenzied; Jack's artwork became bigger, bolder, more energetic and powerful than every before: a perfect storm of widescreen entertainment that could be rolled up and stuck in yours back pocket. Each and every month in the pages of FF, Messrs. K. and L. assured the public their production would be second to none. We got such huger-than-life characters like The Silver Surfer and Galactus, Psycho-Man, Black Panther, and the Uncanny Inhumans (featuring Kirby's most gorgeous creation to date, the lovely Lockjaw Crystal). Also, Wyatt Wingfoot.

As Jack experimented with larger panels, huge multi-spread splash pages, dynamic fight scenes and introspective character portraits, he also brought a radical new technique for the first time to Fantastic Four: his famous (some might say infamous) photomontages. In these innovative panels and pages, Kirby would Photostat his artwork over a photograph (sometimes in black and white, sometimes colorized or tinted) to create a collage unlike anything else seen in Marvel comics. At their best the photomontages approached a realistic 3D; even when they visually failed (usually due to the relatively poor printing processes of the period) they were still bold visual experiments. Let's hop in Doctor Doom's Time Machine (just kick those Arby's wrappers out onto the floor...Victor kinda lives outta his Time Machine), set the controls for 1964 and beyond, and tune into wonders of the fourth-dimensional mind of The King, Jack Kirby:



Fantastic Four #29 (August 1964)
Click on any image to King-size



Fantastic Four #32 (November 1964)



Fantastic Four #33 cover (December 1964)



Fantastic Four #33 (December 1964)



Fantastic Four #37 (April 1965)

My favorite part of that last one? Stan's earnest explanation of why the photo might seem a little muddy in reproduction:


Give yourself a No-Prize, Mister Lee!



Fantastic Four #39 (June 1965)



Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965; takes place chronologically between issues #43-44)



Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)



Fantastic Four #51 (June 1966)



Fantastic Four #55 (October 1966)


That last one is a bit murky, perhaps showing off the limitations of the comic book printing and range of colors at the time. But the experiment isn't over, not by a long shot. Maybe it's no coincidence that my two favorite Kirby photomontages are these later two which brought the technique into the double-page spread widescreen format at the same time it more fully integrated the FF characters into the surroundings than ever before:

Fantastic Four #62 (May 1967)



Fantastic Four Annual #6 (1968)


Whoa. That last one shoulda come in a black light version.

Kirby would continue the visual photomontages in his later work, most notably in various issues of his Fourth World books over at DC. It's a pity he did his work before the age of Photoshop, before the dawn of much-improved printing procedures, wider ranges of printed color, and deluxe paper—but then again, knowing how innovative the man was, he'd probably now be amazing us with a technique light-years beyond anything we'd seen. If Stan's scripts filled us with a sense of action and adventure, then Jack's artwork gave us its energy and power...and in his photomontages, awe and wonder over the vastness of unexplored space, undersea, or the Negative Zone.

So, in short? Jack Kirby: Genius. But, you knew that already, right?

Also, see Rick Veitch's homage to the Kirby photocollages here!

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 28

Panel from Marvel Two-in-One #62 (April 1980), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Jerry Bingham, inks by Gene Day, colors by George Roussos, letters by Joe Rosen

Well, you know that it's going to be all right/When we go shopping

I'm in the money, I'm in the money... Oh, hi! I didn't see you there! I just got my weekly paycheck (from selling copies of Grit magazine ("Grit: celebrating rural America since 1882"). So yes, that jingling and jangling you here...that's cold, hard, American cash burnin' a hole in my little pocket! (Also, my Tinkerbell video game.) Let's go buy some cool stuff, shall we? And there's no place better way to spend my $4.44 than to head into midtown Manhattan, hop on the 6 train and get off at 42nd Street and Madison Avenue. Look up at that skyscraper towering above us...that's the fabulous Baxter Building, home of the world's most amazing quartet of superheroes, the Fantastic Four! And just like all great sightseeing venues like the Louvre, the Taj Mahal, and that Texas restaurant where Ben Grimm once ate a 72 ounce steak just to get his name on the wall...there's a gift shop. In this case, the fabulous and frantic Fantastic Store!:


Panels from Fantastic Four #503 (November 2003), script by Mark Waid, pencils by Howard Porter, inks by Norm Rapmund, colors by Matt Milla, letters Rus Wooton
Step inside this amazing fantastic shop, and manually widen your eyes in wonder at the incredible fantastic souvenirs and other uncanny fantastic loot your hard-earned wampum will buy! Why, I want one of those back-scratchers in the shape of Ben Grimm's crusty paw, and a bottle of "Sue Storm Invisible Bath Beads," and what visit to The Fantastic Store is complete without picking up your very own Willie Lumpkin action figure?



What's that? You say you can't make it to The Fantastic Store, because you're cut off from Manhattan by secretly invading Skrull armadas, a rogue Negative Zone eruption, or maybe you're just plain not on Earth-616? Have no fear, Bully's here! With The Fantastic Store Online...all the finest trinkets, toys, souvenirs and shi stuff that Johnny Storm hurriedly stamped "approved" because he was late for his date with Amy Winehouse! (Remember kids...alcohol and open flames don't mix!). Get your mouse a-revvin' and limber up your clickin' finger to buy some Fantastic Four merchandise. Remember...and I cross my little satin heart here...everything you see is exactly as it's currently titled and pictured on Amazon.com. they may be goofy, mis-conceived, titled incorrectly or displayed on Amazon with the wrong image...they're all weirder than the Impossible Man, but they're all as real as Stan Lee. (Click on the links if'n you don't believe me!) You can't make up this stuff, folks!

Stuff like this:

"Fantastic Four Mini Busts Triple Pack"

Hey, let's do three busts of the Fantastic Four...and leave out the one guy that most people like the best! That's a sure seller!



"Comic Book Metal Tin Sign Marvel Fantastic Four"

Wha' th'...? This is no "tin sign!" And has The Invisible Girl suddenly become The Dazzler?



"Fantastic Four #1"

Fantastic Four #1...for only $5.95?!? Wow, sign me up for that...oh. Ohhh.



"Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four #61-71 + Annual #5"

Oh, it's so cute...this graphic novel comes with it's own little Mini-Me!



"Marvel Comics Collector's Edition The Fantastic Four Volume 2"

Now that's an appropriate image for the cover of a kid's videotape. No wonder the box itself is shouting NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!



"Custom Photo Plate - Fantastic Four Photo Plate - Customize Your Fantastic Four Photo Plate With Your Favorite Photo"

Let's face it, kids...you'll never get to eat breakfast with the Fantastic Four...not even when your mom puts your photo on a personalized plate that guarantees you to be the saddest little FF fan around! Because your mom loves you enough to buy you a dinner dish from a company called "Healthy Happy Pet Net"!



"The Fantastic Four: Belgian Aerobic Showdown"

Remember that period in the 1990s when the Hulk, Ghost Rider, Wolverine and Spider-Man replaced the FF? They've got nuthin' on these guys. Calling Marvel's legal department...



"Fantastic 4 Series III 6" Figure: Clobberin' Time Thing"

It's FLASHERIN' TIME!



"Fantastic 4 Series IV 6" Figure: Sping Attack Mr. Fantas"

Okay, who doesn't hear an accordion going huh-haw, huh-haw, huh-haw when you see this thing?



"Fantastic 4 Child's Costume Accessory Boots Boot Covers"

Oh, yes, we swear that this is absolutely an authentic Fantastic Four costume accessory! It's definitely not just a generic product we're trying to brand to tie-in to a motion picture, no sir!



"The Fantastic Four Plug And Play Video Game"

Why aren't they making this video game controller for the Wii?



"Fantastic Four Mr. Fantastic Infant Costume: Size 12-18 months"

I think we all remember the issue of FF where Reed was transformed into an African American infant. (Truth to tell, I just thought this one was relentlessly cute!)



"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer by Unknown. ART PRINT ON CANVAS with 3/4 inch deep bars. 11.00 inches width by 17.00 inches height. Highest Quality Art Poster Print"

Mel Brooks is "Mister Fantastic!” Dom Deluise is "The Thing!" Marty Feldman is "The Human Torch!" And Madeline Kahn is "The Invisible Girl!" They're all Jewish and all hiliarious!



"Fathead Fantastic Four The Thing Wall Décor"

Thing! Stop jumping on the bed!



"Mask of Dr. Doom 1/1 Scale Replica"

What If™...Victor von Doom was a 1960s Doctor Who monster?



"Fantastic Four Bob Bag"

"But Mommy, that's not the Thing!" "Shut up and punch your balloon."



"Premiere Collection: Formalwear Sue Storm 12" Statue"

And finally...we reach the point at which it doesn't matter whether you officially license a character or just churn out some generic crap in a factory and call it an official tie-in product.

So, if you've ever been wondering how the FF could ever go bankrupt...



Now you know...the rest of the story.

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 27

Panel from MAD #456 (August 2005), by Johnny Ryan

Mystery Science Monday: Talk Soup Theater 3000

The cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 meets "Señor Sock" from Talk Soup



Mike and the Bots riff on The Jerry Springer Show on Talk Soup

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 26

Panels from Fantastic Four #118 (January 1972), script by Archie Goodwin, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Jim Mooney, letters by Sam Rosen

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 25

Panel from Fantastic Four Annual #6 (November 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Joe Sinnott, letters by Sam Rosen

Ten of a Kind: No no no no, I don't read comics no more/I'm tired of waking up on the floor

(More Ten of a Kind here.)

Separated at Birth: Fishnets, fishnets, roly poly fishnets

L: Flash Comics #92 (February 1948), art by Carmine Infantino
R: Detective Comics #554 (September 1985), art by Klaus Janson
(Click picture to Big Bird-size)

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 24

Panels from Marvel Feature #12 (January 1982), script by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Joe Sinnott, colors by Linda Lessmann, letters by Mike Royer

Saturday Morning Cartoon: The Beatles "Penny Lane"

The Beatles "Penny Lane" (1967), directed by Jack Stokes and featuring the voices of Lance Percival and Paul Frees
Read more about The Beatles cartoon here

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 23

Panels from Fantastic Four #238 (January 1982), written and pencilled by John Byrne, inked by terry Austin, colored by Bob Sharen, lettered by Joe Rosen

16 More Marvel Masterpieces!

Remember the days when all you needed to advertise a comic book was a snazzy cover...or four?


from Marvel comics cover dated September 1965


from Marvel comics cover dated October 1965


from Marvel comics cover dated November 1965


from Marvel comics cover dated December 1965

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 22

Panels from Ultimate Fantastic Four #42 (July 2007), written by Mike Carey, penciled and inked by Pascal Ferry, colored by Justin Ponsor, lettered by Rus Wooton

Esquire: Man at His Swingingest.

Hey, it's Clint Eastwood, the man so tough Chuck Norris calls him 'Dad,' on the cover of the January 2009 Esquire magazine. I'm allowed to read a few magazines made for grown-up folks, and Esquire is one of them, partly because of the incisive political and cultural reporting, partly for the style, cooking, automobile and fine living tips, but mostly for the incredible babes.

One of my favorite sections in Esquire is the monthly "What I've Learned" feature, where a celebrity passes on life lessons he or she thinks are important and helpful details useful for enjoying life, the people around you, and your world to its fullest. It's always fun to see what life lessons, say, Larry Hagman or Shelley Long have to pass onto a little stuffed bull. (Mostly: take care of your liver, and what was I thinking leaving network television's highest rated sitcom?!?, in that order.)

January's Esquire was therefore fifty times as fun to this little stuffed reader when I opened it to discover this is an all-"What I've Learned" feature issue. Not one, not two, not seventeen, but fifty people in entertainment, sports, politics, literature, and everyday life were spotlighted, every man and woman Jack and Jackie of 'em contributing a big-ass overflowing cornucopia of home-spun wisdom that not only do they take, they can dish out. Why fifty? Because each contributor represents a different state in the USA, so it's like a all-country road-trip with fifty great people riding shotgun. (And you can read it sitting on the toilet.) California provides cover boy Clint Eastwood, Nevada Wayne Newton, North Caroline Charlie Daniels, Indiana Larry Bird, Iowa Cloris Leachman, Alaska Sarah Palin a polar bear hopped up on fermented salmon.

Hey, let's see who's repping my favorite state, the place I live, the Empire State, the state that is so great they hired Stan Lee to write their state motto: New York. Which inspirational person will be representing New York, I wonder?:



Wha... Huh... Uh... Ummmm... Wha... Noooooooo.. No, Esquire magazine. Paris Hilton is not allowed to be the public face of lessons learned from New York. I simply will not let this happen. This will not stand! Especially with life lessons like

• Having a nightclub in your house really helps for a party, because then you don't need to go out.
• Things may seem to naturally come my way. But I work hard for them too. I have good karma.
• I put pheromones in a lot of my fragrances, and that attracts people to you. My new fragrance is called Fairy Dust. I'm dressed kind of like Tinkerbell.

No! Nein! Non! Nyet!

Okay, Bully, deep breath. If there's one thing Mama Bull taught you...a "what I've learned" of my own...is that bulls don't just sit back and lament mishaps when they can be fixed. A bull is an animal of decision and action. And tho' I may be a very little stuffed bull, I'm handy with a scanner, and the internet, and Adobe Photoshop Elements for Bulls 5.0. All I had to do was scratch my little fluff-filled head and come up with the name of a person synonymous with New York, whose very existence makes New York a better, happier, safer and funner place every single day of the year. After I came up with that person, the rest was easy as pie.

So pick up your copies of Esquire Volume 151, Number 1, tear out pages 80 and 81, crumple them in a ball and toss them out the window or at those pesky squirrels in your back yard, and replace them carefully with this new improved version of a New York celebrity telling us what he's learned that I made up for you:

(Click picture to Big Apple-size)

There we go. Much improved. Now, let's see who's on the next page. Ah, Florida, who will you...JEB BUSH?!? NOOOOOOOOO!

Okay, don't panic, folks. I've got this thing under control.

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 21

Panel from Marvel Two-in-One Annual #4 (1979), plot by Allyn Brodsky, script by David Michelinie, layouts by Jim Craig, finished art by Bob Budiansky and Bruce Patterson, colors by "George Bell" (George Roussos), letters by Irving Watanabe (Letters).