The Art of the Simon and Kirby StudioPublisher: Abrams ComicArts
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Price: $60.00
Creator(s): Mark Evanier, Jim Simon, Joe Simon, Jack Kirby
Format: 384 pgs., Full-Color/Black & White, Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1160-2
Age Rating: N/A
ICv2 Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby changed the way comic books stories were told and for the thirty years they worked together they created everything from Captain America to the romance comic and literally everything in between. Presented here is over 350 pages of their work, scanned or photographed from the original pages featuring complete stories in genres ranging from crime to war to present. Among them is what many, Simon & Kirby included, consider the best thing they ever did, “Mother Delilah” from Boys Ranch.
If you just know them just from their superheroes there's plenty of those, including Stuntman, The Vagabond Prince, The Fly, The Double Life of Private Strong and Bullseye. But their hardcore fans will probably prefer seeing some of their more obscure creations, like Foxhole, a war comic exclusively created by artists who had actually been in battle. There's also rare, unseen material as well, like an unfinished page from a new completed Boys Explorer story and a cover mock up of a hero that never made it to the printed page, Sunfire, Man of Flame.
It's a genuine joy seeing their work this way and while this remarkable volume provides ample evidence it’s always better to show than to tell but what text there is here is definitely worth reading. Mark Evanier’s introduction provides an informative overview of Simon and Kirby’s career, there's an afterword by Joe's son Jim and even the exhaustive credits section is well worth reading--though you'll need a magnifying glass to do it. Here's a book for anyone who has any interest in any aspect of comics.
--Steve Bennett: Writer and retail services consultant.
