Comics Interview — Issue #121

A retrospective interview with the King of Comics reflecting on his career, from his early days in the industry through creating Captain America, the Fantastic Four, New Gods, and the Fourth World saga at DC. Kirby discusses his philosophy of storytelling through action and emotion, his frustrations with industry treatment of creators, and his enduring belief in the power of comics as a medium.

Stone recalls his years inking Jack Kirby's pencils during the early Marvel era, describing Kirby's extraordinary productivity and the challenge of keeping up with his output. He shares anecdotes about working in the Marvel bullpen, the collaborative nature of the Kirby-Stone team, and what made Kirby's work distinctive to ink.

Royer discusses his long association with Jack Kirby, inking his Fourth World work at DC and later his independent projects. He reflects on Kirby's unique visual language, the demands of faithfully translating his pencils, and the personal relationship that developed between them over years of collaboration.

Salmons talks about his idiosyncratic artistic style and the influence Kirby's work had on his own approach to comics storytelling. He discusses working in the independent comics scene and the challenge of carving out a distinctive artistic voice in an industry dominated by superhero conventions.

Stout describes his early career connections to the comics world and how Kirby's work influenced his development as an artist. He reflects on the intersection of comics and other visual arts, including his work in film production design and paleontological illustration, and Kirby's broader cultural impact.

Rude, whose work on Nexus showed clear Kirby influence, discusses what made Kirby's visual storytelling revolutionary and how he has tried to honor that legacy in his own work. He talks about the craft of drawing in a Kirby-inspired style without merely imitating it, and the challenge of maintaining that kind of heroic, kinetic energy in contemporary comics.

DAK's editorial tribute to Jack Kirby, reflecting on the King's immeasurable influence on the medium and the importance of honoring his legacy while he is still alive to receive recognition.