In these times, the glorification of war is hardly sustainable. The horrors of war are all too readily apparent due to modern communications methods. That said, the romanticism of war remains to some degree when applied to the dedication and rigor of men and women who commit to that service. Jacob (Jack Kirby) Kurtzberg was one of those men who served his country during the war which put down Fascism and saved the planet from decades if not centuries of oppression. Kirby survived his stint in the war and became as we all know arguably the greatest and most influential talent in all of comic books. Among the thousands and thousands of pages of comic art he generated were some which chronicled the doings of soldiers in that war. Though he is less famous for his war material than greats like Joe Kurbert, Sam Glanzman, Russ Heath, Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin, Irv Novick, and Jerry Grandenetti, he nonetheless brought a distinctive character and raw energy to the task. Below are some of my favorite Kirby comic book covers which combine that distinctive Kirby power with harsh reality of war.
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Great cover repros! I loved reading the war books back in the '60s and '70s.
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