Above is what is thought to be the sole instance of Jack Kirby inking himself on a Marvel project. The inking on this action rich cover for Fantasy Masterpieces #4 is not identifiable as any other artist in the Bullpen and so most folks think this is the hand of the King himself. I've read one opinion that suggests it might've been Roz, Jack's lovely wife who inked this piece.
Whatever the case, it's yet another vibrant cover from the hand of Kirby. And while it's still uncertain in my foggy memory, this just might've been the the very first Marvel comic I ever got hold of as a nubbin.
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I remember this issue and I think it was either inside somewhere or in a Stan's soapbox that Stan Lee mentions that Jack inked the new Captain American and Ivan the Terrible art on the cover.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip Ernie. I have that collection of Stan's Soapbox columns around here, and that might be something to scrounge for.
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It may not have been from inside this book; but, I found a"Bullpen Bulletin" page from Oct. 1966 that mentions Kirby's inking of this image on the cover.
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I should have mentioned that here is the place I found the Bullpen Bulletin.
ReplyDeletehttp://bullpenbulletins.blogspot.com/