MARVELMATION: First-Ever History of JACK KIRBY’s Final Act Due in 2026

Posted By Dan Greenfield on Sep 4, 2025 | 0 comments

Another fine publication coming from TwoMorrows…

It’s fair to say of all the creators in comics history, nobody’s career has been better documented than Jack Kirby’s. Part of that is down to the dedication of John Morrow, whose Jack Kirby Collector and related books have left no Krackle unturned.

But with a legacy as rich as the King’s, there’s always more to explore — and so it is with 2026’s oversize paperback MarvelMation (aka JKC #98), Morrow’s deep dive into Kirby’s later years, including his return to Marvel and his work in animation.

Dig the official description:

MARVELMATION: Jack Kirby’s Final Act in Comics & Animation — 1976-1994

By John Morrow with Jon B. Cooke

In the tradition of his past books Kirby & Lee: Stuf’ Said and Old Gods & New, Jack Kirby Collector #98 explores the King’s final act in comics and animation, in this first-ever overview of that largely undocumented era by editor John Morrow. Marvelmation examines the climax of Kirby’s storied life and career, from his return to Marvel Comics in 1976, through his lengthy stint in 1980s animation, up to his passing in 1994. This double-size book examines the the highs and lows of his 1970s Marvel output (Captain America, Black Panther, Machine Man, Eternals, 2001, and Devil Dinosaur), digging deep into the whys and wherefores of those creations. Jon B. Cooke delves into the Marvel inter-office politics that threatened to squelch Kirby’s creativity, and led him to abandon mainstream comics to produce Captain Victory and Silver Star for Pacific Comics, thumb his nose at Marvel with Destroyer Duck, and make a triumphant return to DC Comics in 1984 with SUPER POWERS and THE HUNGER DOGS. Jim Shooter gives his take on Marvel’s side of the Kirby original art battle in a never-published interview, while unseen correspondence sheds new light on that painful episode in Jack’s life. Plus there’s extensive coverage of Jack’s animation career, from the 1978 Depatie-Freleng New Fantastic Four cartoon, to Thundarr the Barbarian and other Ruby-Spears projects, including a host of shows you never knew Kirby was involved with. Finally, it focuses on his years of retirement, sharing memories from fans, family, and friends who give us a better understanding of how he viewed his legacy, and the resolution of numerous unused concepts he left behind at Topps Comics and elsewhere. It includes extensive art galleries of both comics pencil art and animation concepts, and heartwarming photos that provide a proper farewell to the King of Comics!

Due: Sept. 16, 2026

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Not only that, TwoMorrows has also scheduled Jack Kirby Collector #99, for the second half of next year:

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #99

It’s the Wartime issue, featuring Super-Soldiers, Sheriffs, and Sergeants! We’ll show how Jack borrowed from a Hugo Pratt war story for “The Losers,” take a look at scripts for Simon & Kirby’s Prize Western comics, examine Jack’s often overlooked Western work, compare and contrast Captain America’s Golden Age stories with their Silver Age retellings, feature an interview with Joe Simon and a never-reprinted Simon & Kirby story, plus there’s Mark Evanier and our other regular columnists, the 2026 Wondercon Kirby panel, a gritty pencil art gallery, and more!

Due: Dec. 16, 2026

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MORE

— Much-Awaited MARVEL COMICS IN THE LATE 1960s History Book Coming in 2026. Click here.

— FIRST DETAILS: TwoMorrows’ New JIM APARO Illustrated Biography. Click here.