Mark Evanier announced on his blog that leading art book publisher Harry N. Abrams will be publishing a biography/coffee table volume on the life and art of comic book grand master Jack 'King' Kirby.  Entitled Kirby: King of Comics, Evanier's first biography of his friend (and former employer) will be a 9' x 12' full color hardcover volume with a gatefold and 'all sorts of nifty features.' In addition to an extensive biographical section, the book will include a treasure trove of rare Kirby art reproduced in full color -- many of the illustrations will be black-and-white pencil and ink art and they will also be presented in color so that readers will be able to see all the pencil marks, corrections, smudges, and marginalia.

Although the Abrams volume will be one of this year's 'must-have' items, as Evanier points out, 'Jack is too big a topic for one book,' so he is planning a second 'Galactus size' biography for 'the hardcore Kirby fan.'  This massive tome is still a year or two off, but anyone interested in the history of one of the towering figures in the history of American comics will have the lavish Abrams illustrated biography Kirby: King of Comics to give and/or receive during the coming holiday season.