Adventures in Sound: Part 16

I normally like to let these sound effect posts stand on their own, but I just had to point out some things about this panel that just knock me out. Taken from an issue of Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, the illustration shows a line of marching robot sentries being taken out by a rock flung by Superman. It not only has that unique Jack Kirby style, but what could have been a throw-away panel takes on a life of its own.

First, Mike Royer's sound effects are all different from each other, but every one also reflects the sentries' robotic nature — there aren't any squishy, organic sounds here. The layout is also something a little different, taking advantage of a landscape view to showcase the trip Superman's missile takes through his opponents. But my favorite part is the way Kirby took the time to put every sentry in a different pose, varying the way their individual bodies react to the sudden trauma of a rock through the melon. It's really a study in body language and posture, and it's fantastic how it works with the sound effects to give the reader a hinting look at the moment just before all those robots go crashing to the ground.

Panel from Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, Volume Three
Letterer: Mike Royer

Butterflies in the sky

Sorry about the radio silence lately, kids, but things have been busy here at GCP HQ. Of course, not so busy that I couldn't swing by the library yesterday to pick up some comic trades and graphic novels I missed out on the first time around.

I'm lucky enough to have a library that is really active in bringing in a wide variety of comics, from the classic collections to the newer stuff and for all age ranges. Take a look at what I checked out (literally!) and tell me what you think of my selection in the comments.


Marvel Adventures: The Avengers Vol. 4 — Weirder and Wilder (by writer Jeff Parker and artist Leonard Kirk)

Marvel Adventures: The Avengers Vol. 7 — The Dream Team (Parker and Ig Guara)

JLA: The Hypothetical Woman (Gail Simone and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez)

Rasl Vol. 1: The Drift (Jeff Smith)

Goats: Infinite Typewriters (Jonathan Rosenberg)

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 — The Authorized Adaptation (Bradbury and Tim Hamilton)

Jack Kirby's The Losers (Kirby)

Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter (Stark and Darwyn Cooke)


I'm probably looking forward to reading those last two the most, though I've got to admit the Satanic chicken of Goats has its own special kind of gravitational pull.

And for the record, yes, I do read books without pictures, too. Especially when I come across something called I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President (Josh Lieb). A title like that is catnip, I tells ya.

Adventures in Sound — Part 8

Panel from Not Brand Echh #1
Letterer: Artie Simek

Today is the King's birthday!

Before we get into it, let me make a confession: I wasn't always a fan of comic book legend Jack Kirby.

Yes, I was a moron.

OK, maybe "moron" is a bit harsh. I can see where Kirby's distinct drawing style and tendency for sudsy, overblown dialogue wouldn't be everyone's thing. It certainly wasn't mine for a while. "What's with these blocky heads?" I'd ask myself. "Why does everyone have square fingers, and why is everyone's mouth open like that?!" I'd complain. "And why won't these people shut up?!?"

Of course I was too young and too shallow a comic book reader to understand Kirby was a trailblazer. I didn't get it when he drew panels that somehow translated the cinematic energy of film into four colors. I completely overlooked the new ways he laid things out, and his use of collage went right over my head. And of course I didn't know enough then to realize this was all new. No one had done it before. Not like Jack Kirby.

Now I devour Kirby stories like a starving man at a Las Vegas buffet. Now I realize that the melodrama Kirby employed was a distinct decision on his part, guiding it beyond what could have been empty bombast to something that has the weight of opera. Really, it's that good.

On top of all that, it's just plain fun. Monsters, superheroes, romance and things that defy easy definition — Kirby did it all. And for that, I'm grateful. Today would have been Jack Kirby's 92nd birthday, but whenever I read one of his stories I think it's his readers who received the real gift.

In honor of the mind-bending imagination that was the trademark of the man called "King," take a couple of aspirin and head over to Zaius Nation, where you can read an early Kirby story called:



Oh, hell, I can't resist; here's one of my favorite Darkseid panels while I'm at it:


And finally, something from Gavin Jasper over at 4th Letter; I think Jack Kirby would approve.

Friday Night Fights: Kalibak is a big John Cusack fan

OK, Kalibak, you've made it to the final round and you have a chance to win the game! You've chosen "80s Movies" as your category so let's begin.

For $800 and a year's supply of Turtle Wax® brand Club Polish, ring in and finish the title of this film: "Better Off ..."

I don't know what hurts more, the Fourth World beating or that joke.

Still, for sheer cosmic-level brutality it's hard to beat the King, a lesson Orion learns after Kalibak hits him so hard half his face disappears!

Something tells me Spacebooger would approve.


Following a link? Read more Great Caesar's Post right here!

Panel from Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus: Vol. 3
Jack Kirby, writer and artist

13 for Halloween: The Terror of Titano!

Without a doubt, Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. And one of the things I like most about it is sharing the morbid fun with all the wicked boys and girls out there (hey, that's you!).

So every day for the next couple of weeks (er ... except for weekends) I'll be posting some of my favorite monstrous comic book moments, wrapping it up on the big day with a look at an overlooked title I personally believe helped kick off the latest resurgence in horror-type comics. It's a book I enjoy every time I read it, so stick around, and let's have some gruesome fun!

Let's start things off with a classic drive-in movie vibe; grab your life vests and prepare to be ...

TRAPPED BY TITANO!

Panels from Where Monsters Dwell #1
Originally published in Tales to Astonish #10
Stan Lee, writer; Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, pencillers; Dick Ayers and Steve Ditko, inkers


Click here to see more 13 for Halloween!

WTF Wednesday: Top o' the Skrull Home-world, Ma!

Hey, remember when a bunch of Skrulls decided they wanted to look and act like gangsters? I wonder where those intergalactic conquerers got that idea?

Click to Super-Skrull size!

Waaaait a minute — whadya think I am, some kinda mook? What could possibly explain the Fantastic Four (oh, and that Crystal dame) putting the lean on a couple of Skrulls in the back of a flying Model-A?


Oh, yeah ... STAN LEE and JACK KIRBY.

Panels from Fantastic Four #75 (1978)
Originally published in Fantastic Four #93
Stan Lee, writer; Jack Kirby, artist; Frank Giacoia, inker

Kirby and The New Yorker's familiar Tale

Plagiarism is nothing new in the world of publishing, and we all know that comic creators not getting their due is an original sin as old as the industry itself. But if you're going to rip someone off at least have the smarts not to ape someone as well-known as JACK FREAKIN' KIRBY!

According to the New York Post, a cartoon published in The New Yorker for its Cartoon Caption Contest wasn't meant to be a rip-off, even though it looks like a straight lift from 1962's Tales to Astonish #34. After contacting artist Harry Bliss, the magazine says the image was supposed to be a "tribute" to the original — and iconic — "Monster at My Window" cover by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

The magazine is trying to fix things by having the Web site credit updated to read, "Drawing by Harry Bliss, after Jack Kirby," and normally this wouldn't bother me all that much — people try their hand at referencing Kirby all the time, with varying degrees of success.

But there are a couple of things that bug me about this episode. First, Bliss' image goes beyond a simple reference or mimicking of style. The monster, the background, practically the same guy in the window — there is nothing original about it. Secondly, this quote from the New Yorker spokesperson jumped out at me:

"Harry did it with all good intentions. He thought it was an overt reference, and not an attempt to plagiarize. He thought it was a tribute," Cassanos said. "To people in the comic world, it's a recognizable image."

Sure, comic book fans and people in the industry would recognize the reference (or at the very least, the style), but what about all the other people who read The New Yorker who aren't comic book fans? The majority of whom, I would guess, are not hardcore comics geeks. It seems a little disingenuous of the magazine to offer up the pretense that the average New Yorker reader would instantly realize the image was based on someone else's original work. Generally speaking, it is an "overt reference," but that doesn't necessarily make it a "recognizable image."

I don't think Bliss composed his cartoon with any malicious intent — but if he's enough of a fan to draw something as an homage to Jack Kirby, he should also have enough respect to give him the credit he deserves.

What do you think?

Panels taken from the New York Post Web site

WTF Wednesday: The King's taxes ... from space!

There was a reason Jack Kirby was called the King: Not only did he create some of the most enduring and iconic comic book characters in history, he could also make some of the craziest ideas look great.

Who else would you want to illustrate a story called, "The Mystery of the Tax Collector From Space!"?


So simple, and yet so perfect.

On a side note: Would you like to read the story this panel is taken from, in its entirety? This and other goodness can be found at the awesome Monster Blog, an archive and tribute to Kirby's creature comics. Go check it out and be prepared to do nothing else with the rest of your day.

Panel from Tales of Suspense #33
By Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers
Image courtesy Monster Blog (thanks Philip!)