Posted By Dan Greenfield on Aug 29, 2025 | 5 comments

FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS!

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Jack Kirby was born 108 years ago this week, on Aug. 28, 1917. You can find other tributes here and here. — Dan

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By FRANCO

I met Jack Kirby. I appreciated it and also didn’t. It was at one of my first conventions. As a kid I read comics and loved them. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized there was someone behind the words and pictures in a comic book. One of those people was Jack Kirby.

He was the writer and artist behind The New Gods and The Eternals, not really my favorite titles. They had weird ideas, with these people and places I couldn’t really wrap my head around. I wanted action and adventure and Spider-Man making sarcastic quips to Doc Ock. These comics I got because they were the issues sandwiched between two others in those three-packs at the store. (You’d try to separate them in the plastic to see what was in the middle, but that didn’t really work, so it was a gamble.)

I knew Kirby had a hand in creating some of the most iconic characters ever — Fantastic Four, Black Panther, the Avengers, just to name a few. And I liked those characters. The artwork… not so much. I didn’t get it. It looked so blocky and the ink lines were so dark and heavy sometimes.

I was at one of those hotel conventions in New York City, way before they were at the Javits Center. There Mr. Kirby was, standing off to the side all by himself, away from the hustle and bustle of the tables and small crowd. I recognized him from the pictures in comics or wherever I had seen them. I decided I needed to buck up the courage to talk to him.

No one else had noticed him, I thought, and if I embarrassed myself it would only be in front of him and no one else. So I said hello and told him I just wanted to say thank you for what he did in comics. He thanked me and before I could say anything else, his wife had joined him. They thanked me again and shook my hand and off they went. I thought that was pretty cool.

Art is a subjective thing. You like what you like. Someone else will like what they like and those may not be the same thing. And that’s OK. That’s what I love about art. Understanding what Jack Kirby did was what started to bring me around on his artwork. After meeting him was when I learned about all the things he did. And it really wasn’t until after I learned about Picasso, Matisse and Rousseau that I really started to appreciate more of Kirby’s work.

I sat down with some of his books and marveled (pun almost intended) at how creative and good Jack Kirby was at his job. His imagination. His artwork. It all clicked in me. Not only his writing, but his artwork. Kirby had his own style that distinctly said “I’m Jack Kirby!” As distinct as a Picasso was, so was Kirby. Instantly recognizable.

Over the years I’ve only grown to appreciate the man and his art and stories even more. I’m glad I went up to him that day and told him I was a fan… and I was — just not as big a fan as I am now. He was unbridled. Just absorb the awesome!

I am in no way comparing myself to Kirby, but his art does inspire me sometimes, and this was a great opportunity to do an homage piece with a fabulous character and some powerful, bright pop colors, and of course, some Kirby Krackle.

Thank you, Mr. Kirby and Happy Birthday!

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Want more FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS? Come back next week!

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MORE

— OF COMICS AND TEACHING: The Bittersweet Pangs of a New School Year. Click here.

— IT CAME FROM THE BACK ISSUE BIN: 1976’s Captain Marvel #49. Click here.

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Franco and his forehead have traveled the world and he writes and draws stuff. Franco is the creator, artist and writer of Patrick the Wolf Boy and Aw Yeah Comics! Franco has worked on books/comics, including Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures. Franco was also a high-school teacher and is one of the principal owners of Aw Yeah Comics retail stores. Dan made Franco add that he has won three Eisners.