History Creator / JackKirby

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[[caption-width-right:300:[[Film/HistoryOfTheWorldPartI It's good to be The King.]]]]

*** ComicBook/HumanTorch

*** The [[ComicBookAdaptation adaptation]] of Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey, which introduced ComicBook/MachineMan/X-51/Aaron Stack
*** ComicBook/TheEternals

*** ComicBook/SilverSurfer

* ''Young Romance'' (Both the influential comic series, and arguably - ''definitively'', according to Wiki/TheOtherWiki - the entire genre of romance comics).

* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' has a one-off character in the original Mirage comics named Kirby King, who used [[ArtImitatesLife a magic crystal to bring his drawings to life]]. He travels with Donatello to another world where he uses his artistic talent to defeat the monsters threatening it, but remains trapped there as the portal shrinks with only enough time for Donatello to get through. This story was also adapted to a children's picture book as well as [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the 2003 series]], the episode being called "The King" after the real Kirby's nickname. Notably, the original comic was approved by Jack Kirby himself, and the character's LastWords were one of his famous quotes, "Life at best is bittersweet." This plotline took on a whole new meaning in the 2003 series, since it aired after his death.

*** ComicBook/IncredibleHulk

*** The [[ComicBookAdaptation adaptation]] of Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey, which introduced Machine Man/X-51/Aaron Stack

*** ComicBook/{{Iceman}}

*** ComicBook/{{Medusa}}

*** [[ComicBook/JackKirbysFantasticFour Fantastic Four]]

*** ComicBook/{{Cyclops}}

*** ComicBook/{{Beast|Marvel Comics}}

* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' has a one-off character in the original Mirage comics named Kirby King, who used [[ArtImitatesLife a magic crystal to bring his drawings to life]]. He travels with Donatello to another world where he uses his artistic talent to defeat the monsters threatening it, but remains trapped there as the portal shrinks with only enough time for Donatello to get through. This story was also adapted to a children's picture book as well as [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the 2003 series]], the episode being called "The King" after the real Kirby's nickname. Notably, the original comic was approved by Jack Kirby himself, and the character's LastWords were one of his famous quotes, "Life at best is bittersweet." This took on new meaning in the 2003 series since it aired after his death.

After this came the famous early Marvel period, where the Lee-and-Kirby team, with some help as well from Creator/SteveDitko in key areas, built the Marvel Universe from the ground up. However, towards the end of the 60s, the increased prominence of natural showman Lee and unfavourable working conditions led Kirby to become disillusioned with the company and leave. After Kirby left Marvel, he went to Creator/DCComics and created "The Fourth World" series, ''ComicBook/NewGods'', ''The Forever People'' and ''Mister Miracle'' as well as insisting on taking over ''Superman's Pal, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen'' which didn't have an assigned art team so he wouldn't cause anyone to lose their job. In those titles, Kirby created a grand cosmic mythos [[WritingForTheTrade he planned to have reprinted into bound volumes for resale]]. Unfortunately, this idea was around 15 years ahead of its time and DC's publisher, Carmine Infantino, pulled the plug before Kirby could see the project through. ''ComicBook/NewGods'' was reportedly his favourite of his works, and is commonly regarded by Kirby fans and scholars as his greatest achievement.

* More AliensAndMonsters than you can shake a xenomorph at.

* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' has a one-off character in the original Mirage comics named Kirby King, who used [[ArtImitatesLife a magic crystal to bring his drawings to life]]. He travels with Donatello to another world where he uses his artistic talent to defeat the monsters threatening it, but remains trapped there as the portal shrinks with only enough time for Donatello to get through. This story was also adapted to a children's picture book as well as [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the 2003 series]], the episode being called "The King" after the real Kirby's nickname. Notably, the original comic was approved by Jack Kirby himself, and the character's FamousLastWords were one of his famous quotes, "Life at best is bittersweet." This took on new meaning in the 2003 series since it aired after his death.

* ''Captain Victory'' and ''Silver Star,'' which might not have been successes for Pacific Comics, but helped create precedent for the creator-owned comic (see Kirby's travails with Marvel and DC, above).

* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' has a one-off character in the original Mirage comics named Kirby King, who used [[ArtImitatesLife a magic crystal to bring his drawings to life]]. He travels with Donatello to another world where he uses his artistic talent to defeat the monsters threatening it, but remains trapped there as the portal shrinks with only enough time for Donatello to get through. This story was also adapted to a children's picture book as well as [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the 2003 series]], the episode being called "The King" after the real Kirby's nickname. Notably, the original comic was approved by Jack Kirby himself, and the character's used a quote from him as his FamousLastWords, "Life at best is bittersweet." (which took on new meaning in the 2003 series since it aired after his death)

*** ComicBook/FantasticFour

After this came the famous early Marvel period, where the Lee-and-Kirby team built the Marvel Universe from the ground up. However, towards the end of the 60s, the increased prominence of natural showman Lee and unfavourable working conditions led Kirby to become disillusioned with the company and leave. After Kirby left Marvel, he went to Creator/DCComics and created "The Fourth World" series, ''ComicBook/NewGods'', ''The Forever People'' and ''Mister Miracle'' as well as insisting on taking over ''Superman's Pal, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen'' which didn't have an assigned art team so he wouldn't cause anyone to lose their job. In those titles, Kirby created a grand cosmic mythos [[WritingForTheTrade he planned to have reprinted into bound volumes for resale]]. Unfortunately, this idea was around 15 years ahead of its time and DC's publisher, Carmine Infantino, pulled the plug before Kirby could see the project through. ''ComicBook/NewGods'' was reportedly his favourite of his works, and is commonly regarded by Kirby fans and scholars as his greatest achievement.

Before working with Lee, he had a ridiculously creative partnership with Joe Simon, starting in the 1940s. Among other things, the two co-created ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and the ''entire genre'' of romance comics. Eventually, comic books went through their 1950s rough patch and the team amicably split for their separate paths. Kirby, although he loathed to work under Stan Lee whom he suspected of ratting him out to Martin Goodman and thus getting him fired from Timely in the 1940s, then spent much of the late 50s working on Atlas Comics' [[{{Kaiju}} monster stories]] with Stan Lee, co-creating characters who would eventually become Marvel mainstays, including [[ComicBook/IronMan Fin Fang Foom]] and [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Groot.]]

* ''Film/{{Argo}}'': played by actor Michael Parks. Based on the real life story of Kirby drawing the storyboards for the sci-fi movie cover story used to smuggle 6 Americans out of Iran after the revolution. Though he didn't know about the true nature of the story as it wasn't declassified until 2007, 13 years after his death. [[note]]The movie Argo makes it appear that Kirby was actually doing art for the phony Argo film (that he, of course, didn't know was phony). In real life, his art was simply repurposed for that fake movie since it was already on hand. Kirby, in reality, created that artwork years prior for a never realized film adaptation of Roger Zelazny's 1967 novel ''Lord of Light.'' The script for this shelved project was pulled out and rewritten as ''Argo''; the Kirby conceptual artwork simply came with the package.[[/note]]

Before working with Lee, he had a ridiculously creative partnership with Joe Simon, starting in the 1940s. Among other things, the two co-created ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and the ''entire genre'' of romance comics. Eventually, comic books went through their 1950s rough patch and the team amicably split for their separate paths. Kirby, although he loathed to work under Stan Lee whom he suspected of ratting him out to Martin Goodman and thus getting him fired from Timely in the 1940s, then spent much of the late 50s working on Atlas Comics' [[{{Kaiju}} monster stories]] with Creator/StanLee, co-creating characters who would eventually become Marvel mainstays, including [[ComicBook/IronMan Fin Fang Foom]] and [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Groot.]]

Before working with Lee, he had a ridiculously creative partnership with Joe Simon, starting in the 1940s. Among other things, the two co-created ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and the ''entire genre'' of romance comics. Eventually, comic books went through their 1950s rough patch and the team amicably split for their separate paths. Kirby, although he loathed to work in under StanLee whom he suspected of ratting him out to Martin Goodman and thus getting him fired from Timely in the 1940s, then spent much of the late 50s working on Atlas Comics' [[{{Kaiju}} monster stories]] with Creator/StanLee, co-creating characters who would eventually become Marvel mainstays, including [[ComicBook/IronMan Fin Fang Foom]] and [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Groot.]]

Before working with Lee, he had a ridiculously creative partnership with Joe Simon, starting in the 1940s. Among other things, the two co-created ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and the ''entire genre'' of romance comics. He then spent much of the late 50s working on Atlas Comics' [[{{Kaiju}} monster stories]] with Creator/StanLee, co-creating characters who would eventually become Marvel mainstays, including [[ComicBook/IronMan Fin Fang Foom]] and [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Groot.]]

No relation to [[VideoGame/{{Kirby}} a certain pink, walking marshmallow]].

* ''Film/{{Argo}}'': played by actor Michael Park. Based on the real life story of Kirby drawing the storyboards for the sci-fi movie cover story used to smuggle 6 Americans out of Iran after the revolution. Though he didn't know about the true nature of the story as it wasn't declassified until 2007, 13 years after his death. [[note]]The movie Argo makes it appear that Kirby was actually doing art for the phony Argo film (that he, of course, didn't know was phony). In real life, his art was simply repurposed for that fake movie since it was already on hand. Kirby, in reality, created that artwork years prior for a never realized film adaptation of Roger Zelazny's 1967 novel ''Lord of Light.'' The script for this shelved project was pulled out and rewritten as ''Argo''; the Kirby conceptual artwork simply came with the package.[[/note]]

* TakeThat: A famous one in ''ComicBook/NewGods'', where [[MeaningfulName Funky Flashman]], his angry take on Creator/StanLee, lives in a [[Creator/MarvelComics crumbling house]] with a sycophantic manservant based on Roy Thomas, and gets his meagre cash by rooting around in a container shaped like ''Jack's head.'' Oh, and he wears a toupée.[[note]]Seriously, this was a surprisingly big deal - the fact that Stan wore a toupée was an open secret till now, but Kirby was the first to actually say it out loud.[[/note]]

* TakeThat: A famous one in ''ComicBook/NewGods'', where [[MeaningfulName Funky Flashman]], his angry take on Creator/StanLee, lives in a [[Creator/MarvelComics crumbling house]] with a sycophantic manservant based on Roy Thomas, and gets his meagre cash by rooting around in a container shaped like ''Jack's head.'' Oh, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and he wears a toupée.]][[note]]Seriously, this was a surprisingly big deal - the fact that Stan wore a toupée was an open secret till now, but Kirby was the first to actually say it out loud.[[/note]]