With over 350 pages of incredible illustration, The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio represents a masterclass in comic art.
Offering comic-book fans and ink-junkies an opportunity to indulge in some of the finest comic art you’re ever likely to see, The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio tells the epic origin story of these two masterful comic creators.
Many times in my day job as an Illustrator and Graphic Designer, clients have come to me with a request for ‘that comic book look’ for their latest project. After which i’m usually handed a print out of a Roy Lichtenstein painting, many of which were repurposed grabs from classic Simon and Kirby romance comics. While I admittedly find this misplaced credit annoying on several levels, it does illustrate just how much the Simon and Kirby look ‘is’ comics.
Their innovative style of storytelling, drawing, composition and character design established the very language of comics, and their creations through the corporate behemoths such as Marvel and DC, continue to reign supreme among fans.
Mark Evanier (award-winning author of Kirby: King of Comics) sets the scene with his brief, but informative introduction, followed by over 350 pages of original artwork, beautifully reproduced from new scans that display the subtlety of every inked line, pencil draft and correction – similar to what might have already seen in IDW’s brilliant Artist’s Editions.
Jack Kirby’s beautifully inked lines truly shine, boasting an economic skill that most artists would kill for, (see Calamity Jane and Masher!) and control and confidence in any subject matter.
The Stunning Young Brides cover illustration on page 211 could be pinned up on your wall as a benchmark for all brush, pen and ink work.
Although my copy does display a few low-res pages here and there (see A Very Dangerous Dude) these are just minor printing errors in an otherwise tremendous collection, well deserving of your cash. A solid contender for my book of the year.