Thanks for the review, guys; as TwoMorrows editor and publisher, I'm really proud we were finally able to let the world see thing amazing, previously unpublished Kirby work.
Regarding the market potential of Soul Love, it's worth mentioning that in the 1960s and '70s there were numerous newsstand magazines aimed at an African-American audience -- such as Bronze Thrills, Sepia, Hep and Jive -- that prominently featured "true love confessions"-type stories that were heavy on text and illustrated with a few photos. Kirby might very well have taken notice of this line of magazines and thought, "maybe I could develop a comic book with the same general approach and appeal." From what I'm seeing here, I think Jack's more effective writing about people falling/staying in love (or hoping to), as opposed to people falling out of love. Perhaps that's a reflection of his own marriage with Roz, and a relative lack of experience with divorce and marital break-ups.
I don't know of any Kirby pencils with Kubert inks, I don't think it's very likely in the 70s because he was paired with Coletta until finally he insisted on choosing his own inker and from then on it was Royer or Berry. He had basically a separate system because he was in California outside the DC office, I think everything was assembled and sent in almost like he was a one-man studio. Meanwhile Kubert was occupied elsewhere, war comics and Tarzan I think? But maybe someone knows more than me.
I colored the story you got to at the 17 minute mark; the one with the "saturated colors". I tried to keep it simple; like comics were colored at that time period. The figure in the foreground of the last panel almost looks like a Mike Sekowsky drawn figure.
I love these comics so much, they really are another side of Kirby's genius. I'd love to live in an alternative universe where DC (or some other publisher) had the ambition to really back Kirby on this and we'd have a line of adult comics from the 1970s with Kirby at the helm and his favorite artists doing stories (I think his original plan was to recruit Wood, Ditko and Romita).
Kirby was ahead of his time and a Gatling gun of ideas 💡! When he was at DC 50yrs ago Marvel literally flooded the newsstand with FF,Thor reprints at a quarter a pop! Annuals too! Avengers &FF etc etc. They were foolish to lose to DC and DC toted Kirby for months and then (in my opinion) fn kneecapping his inventiveness/creative with moronic limitations and the book reviewed is just one of the many blunders that DC dropped the ball on! I met Carmine Infantino in Pittsburgh about 20 yrs ago and I asked him point blank why the Fourth World was canceled + why hire Kirby if your going to shortshank him every step of the way? The Marvel Universe didn’t become a hit overnight and built a readership over a few years! Carmine got pissy with me and I didn’t care either! Kirby brought a lot to the table and work ethic and career proves it especially by the 70’s! I was buying/reading his stuff at the time and as the years rolled out it is still infuriating to me WTF? Kudos to TwoMorrows for sharing the memories/history of comics etc etc to the world! Thanks again to you guys for covering a vast amount of work on this channel ❤️⚡️👍 Keep reading and making comix!🎯
Lets face it- Kirby's best work was always outside of superhero comics. There is some truly exquisite work in this book and just one panel of these puts to shame any splash pages done by todays top superstar artists. I don't know how Kirby does it, but I shall purchase this book to keep studying how. Kirby truly was the GOAT.
This is awesome for obvious reasons. But I particularly like that first Divorce comic because one criticism levied at Kirby is that he can't draw attractive women, but that maid in that issue is a total fox. Absolutely would cause a divorce lol
Great video - Loved Ed's absolutely correct assessment of DC not being a real publisher. Another shout out to TwoMorrows - they are a real great publisher!
Two questions... what really motivated Kirby to tackle African-American characters / stories? And after DC decided not to go with Kirby's divorce comics, soul love and mob stuff, is this when he left to do Captain Victory and OWN his own characters?
He went back to Marvel when his time at DC was done. That's when he did Eternals, Devil Dinosaur, Black Panther, 2001, and his 70s Captain America run. After he left Marvel again, he worked mostly in animation. And then, with that steady income coming in, he thought he could afford to take a chance on doing Captain Victory with Pacific Comics. The way I understand it is that, while Kirby might have liked to have ownership of his work, he was a family man first and foremost, always very conscious of his financial responsibilities. So he would swallow his pride and take the work for hire gig, if it meant that his kids had food on the table. As for what motivated Kirby to tackle African-American characters... He thought it was important to represent black people in comics, and also that it was an untapped market.
Thanks for the review, guys; as TwoMorrows editor and publisher, I'm really proud we were finally able to let the world see thing amazing, previously unpublished Kirby work.
I see that Kirby likes his wimmen thick
I did buy this for the Dingbats unpublished issues, but the love comics is also interesting it shows Kirby can do any genre.
Regarding the market potential of Soul Love, it's worth mentioning that in the 1960s and '70s there were numerous newsstand magazines aimed at an African-American audience -- such as Bronze Thrills, Sepia, Hep and Jive -- that prominently featured "true love confessions"-type stories that were heavy on text and illustrated with a few photos. Kirby might very well have taken notice of this line of magazines and thought, "maybe I could develop a comic book with the same general approach and appeal."
From what I'm seeing here, I think Jack's more effective writing about people falling/staying in love (or hoping to), as opposed to people falling out of love. Perhaps that's a reflection of his own marriage with Roz, and a relative lack of experience with divorce and marital break-ups.
I have this. Twomorrows publishing did a wonderful job putting this book together.
That counsulor guy; it's Peter Sellers as the US President in "Dr Strangelove"!
I don't know of any Kirby pencils with Kubert inks, I don't think it's very likely in the 70s because he was paired with Coletta until finally he insisted on choosing his own inker and from then on it was Royer or Berry. He had basically a separate system because he was in California outside the DC office, I think everything was assembled and sent in almost like he was a one-man studio. Meanwhile Kubert was occupied elsewhere, war comics and Tarzan I think? But maybe someone knows more than me.
I colored the story you got to at the 17 minute mark; the one with the "saturated colors". I tried to keep it simple; like comics were colored at that time period. The figure in the foreground of the last panel almost looks like a Mike Sekowsky drawn figure.
I think you did a great job on the colors! 👍🏼
Yep, I need this. I think some of Kirby's best work came from his '70s DC output.
More proof of the genius of Kirby. Who needs an inker when you put out pencils like that??!!
man that "Death Fingers" joint on page 110 is fresh! the layout, the style and the letter content... Spectacular!
I love TwoMorrows publications. They have a great book about Matt Baker.
The raw pencils are great to pore over.
I love these comics so much, they really are another side of Kirby's genius. I'd love to live in an alternative universe where DC (or some other publisher) had the ambition to really back Kirby on this and we'd have a line of adult comics from the 1970s with Kirby at the helm and his favorite artists doing stories (I think his original plan was to recruit Wood, Ditko and Romita).
I would love to have read Soul Love and Divorce Comics from Jack Kirby.
Kirby was ahead of his time and a Gatling gun of ideas 💡! When he was at DC 50yrs ago Marvel literally flooded the newsstand with FF,Thor reprints at a quarter a pop! Annuals too! Avengers &FF etc etc. They were foolish to lose to DC and DC toted Kirby for months and then (in my opinion) fn kneecapping his inventiveness/creative with moronic limitations and the book reviewed is just one of the many blunders that DC dropped the ball on! I met Carmine Infantino in Pittsburgh about 20 yrs ago and I asked him point blank why the Fourth World was canceled + why hire Kirby if your going to shortshank him every step of the way? The Marvel Universe didn’t become a hit overnight and built a readership over a few years! Carmine got pissy with me and I didn’t care either! Kirby brought a lot to the table and work ethic and career proves it especially by the 70’s! I was buying/reading his stuff at the time and as the years rolled out it is still infuriating to me WTF? Kudos to TwoMorrows for sharing the memories/history of comics etc etc to the world! Thanks again to you guys for covering a vast amount of work on this channel ❤️⚡️👍 Keep reading and making comix!🎯
Lets face it- Kirby's best work was always outside of superhero comics. There is some truly exquisite work in this book and just one panel of these puts to shame any splash pages done by todays top superstar artists. I don't know how Kirby does it, but I shall purchase this book to keep studying how. Kirby truly was the GOAT.
Awesome video! I hope you review more Kirby and TwoMorrows books!
This is awesome for obvious reasons. But I particularly like that first Divorce comic because one criticism levied at Kirby is that he can't draw attractive women, but that maid in that issue is a total fox. Absolutely would cause a divorce lol
Abby Parker in "Diary of the Disappointed Doll" in Soul Love is gorgeous, too.
Picked up a copy of the limited 200 print run of Soul Love last year.
Great video - Loved Ed's absolutely correct assessment of DC not being a real publisher. Another shout out to TwoMorrows - they are a real great publisher!
BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT!!! I just purchased it. Thank you so much for informing us about this treasure.
Someone HAS to do that 'True life divorce* book!
Two questions... what really motivated Kirby to tackle African-American characters / stories? And after DC decided not to go with Kirby's divorce comics, soul love and mob stuff, is this when he left to do Captain Victory and OWN his own characters?
He went back to Marvel when his time at DC was done. That's when he did Eternals, Devil Dinosaur, Black Panther, 2001, and his 70s Captain America run. After he left Marvel again, he worked mostly in animation. And then, with that steady income coming in, he thought he could afford to take a chance on doing Captain Victory with Pacific Comics. The way I understand it is that, while Kirby might have liked to have ownership of his work, he was a family man first and foremost, always very conscious of his financial responsibilities. So he would swallow his pride and take the work for hire gig, if it meant that his kids had food on the table.
As for what motivated Kirby to tackle African-American characters... He thought it was important to represent black people in comics, and also that it was an untapped market.
anotha banger
13:46 word! Get Alex on 😊
❤
DC collected editions dept is a shambles
Twomorrows has best research
Anyone reading danger street?
Lol heading grabbed my attention, New Jack 🙅♂️🙅♂️🙅♂️… Kirby