When I worked for Jack Kirby in the early seventies, my partner was a very clever, nice gentleman named Steve Sherman. We later went our separate ways with Steve becoming an expert maker and operator of puppets. And by one of the umpteen weird coincidences in which my life abounds, there have occasionally been TV projects where I was hired to write and Steve was hired to do puppets.
That's me on the left, Steve on the right at last night's official opening of "Comic Book Apocalypse: The Graphic World of Jack Kirby," an exhibit in the main gallery at the CSUN Art Galleries on the campus of Cal State Northridge in Northridge, California. The word balloon in the photo was on a gigantic blow-up of one of Jack's panels. Steve was not really saying those things.
The exhibit is up through October 10 and features more than a hundred pieces of Jack's artistry, lovingly curated by Professor Charles Hatfield, the man behind a course offered at CSUN called "Comics and Graphic Novels." He did a splendid job.
If you are a fan of Jack's work, you will want to see this exhibit. Steve and I were not the only Kirby-connected folks who were impressed by it last evening. The place was packed with writers and artists and other creative folks who'd either worked with Jack or just been inspired by him. The other day, I wrote a piece here about how personally invigorating it was to be around Kirby and/or immerse yourself in his work. That was the undercurrent in the gallery last night.
I am awaiting more photos that people took there and promised to e-mail to me so I'll be writing more about the event. It was so wonderful though I had to say something now. Personally, anything that gives me even a molecule more of insight into Kirby is something worth experiencing.
I had seen most of those pages before. I'd even touched and worked in meaningless ways on a few of them. Still, a piece of art is different when you see it professionally framed and even a bit more different when you see it in a museum setting, displayed on a wall in a manner that underscores its importance. The context simultaneously says something about the work while holding it to a higher standard. Boy, those pages were impressive there.
I probably need to apologize to a few people there. I was a bit overwhelmed by it all. I get very happy in an eye-moistening way when I see Jack being properly celebrated and recognized for what he did. Parts of my mind were in other places and I had trouble coming up with the names of a few people I encountered at the event, especially just after I arrived. If you were one, forgive me. I know who you are. I was just having a little trouble remembering who I was.
I'll probably go back a few times before October 10. In fact, I'll be back there tomorrow at 10 AM to participate in an event called the Curator's Talk — Charles Hatfield and me talking to a roomful of folks about Kirby. I think it's open to the public. The whole exhibit certainly is and it's free, though you'll probably pay six bucks to park on campus. If seeing the exhibit gives you even a dab of Kirby-fueled inspiration, that might be the best six bucks you ever spend. If not, it's still worth it for the pretty pictures.