In this Book

summary

Jack Kirby (1917-1994) is one of the most influential and popular artists in comics history. With Stan Lee, he created the Fantastic Four and defined the drawing and narrative style of Marvel Comics from the 1960s to the present day. Kirby is credited with creating or cocreating a number of Marvel's mainstay properties, among them the X-Men, the Hulk, Thor, and the Silver Surfer. His earlier work with Joe Simon led to the creation of Captain America, the popular kid gang and romance comic genres, and one of the most successful comics studios of the 1940s and 1950s. Kirby's distinctive narrative drawing, use of bold abstraction, and creation of angst-ridden and morally flawed heroes mark him as one of the most influential mainstream creators in comics.

In this book, Charles Hatfield examines the artistic legacy of one of America's true comic book giants. He analyzes the development of Kirby's cartooning technique, his use of dynamic composition, the recurring themes and moral ambiguities in his work, his eventual split from Lee, and his later work as a solo artist. Against the backdrop of Kirby's earlier work in various genres, Hand of Fire examines the peak of Kirby's career, when he introduced a new sense of scope and sublimity to comic book fantasy.

Table of Contents

restricted access Download Full Book
  1. Cover
  2. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Contents
  2. pp. vii-viii
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. ix-x
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Introduction
  2. pp. 3-19
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Chapter 0: Kirby’s Improbable Career
  2. pp. 20-35
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Chapter 1: Kirby’s Narrative Art
  2. pp. 36-77
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Chapter 2: Kirby, Stan Lee, and the Creation of Marvel Comics
  2. pp. 78-107
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Chapter 3: How Kirby Changed the Superhero
  2. pp. 108-143
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Chapter 4: Kirby’s Technological Sublime
  2. pp. 144-171
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Chapter 5: The Great Bust-Out: Kirby’s Fourth World
  2. pp. 172-205
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Chapter 6: Kirby at Apogee
  2. pp. 206-227
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Chapter 7: “Unexpected Constants”: Kirby’s Eternals versus the Marvel Universe
  2. pp. 228-252
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Appendix: Kirby and Kirbyana in Print and in Fandom
  2. pp. 253-261
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Notes
  2. pp. 262-271
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Works Cited
  2. pp. 272-283
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Index
  2. pp. 284-297
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
Back To Top

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless.