2 posts tagged “jack kirby”
After work this morning, I was able to walk outside without wearing a coat or jacket. This is something that I have not been able to do in weeks if not months. The sun was shining bright and no clouds could be seen in the sky. All but a few traces of snow surviving in the shade had disappeared leaving any and all debris on the ground visible. It was an odd contrast. The ground looked ugly and dead, but the air and the sky were perfect. It was nice. Maybe winter has finally exited the stage.
I can not remember when I first became aware of the man Jack Kirby and his impact on the comic book industry, but I do know that his style is unmistakable. Bold, block like faces and arms that punch out through the panels filled with abstract shapes are what come to my mind. His legacy at Marvel came to my attention first and over time I have come to know most of his DC creations. Personal favorites of mine include Scott Free and Barda. Visually the two of them are classic in my mind and I also appreciate their tragic and triumphant relationship. However, not every character in the Kirby stable has been seen firsthand by me, so I was happy to have a chance to read the Kamandi Countdown Special that DC recently put together.
Now having read the first issue of Kamandi, I can say that it is very Kirby. A world where civilization has fallen into ruins and animals have learned to talk is something very much in his style and speaks to his strengths as an artist. I can not say that I was instantly hooked by what I read, but I can appreciate his effort to create something outside the normal super hero genre. Plus at the time, I am certain that it was very eccentric if not ground breaking.
Wednesday for me is the one day of the week that I try to set aside for complete relaxation. I seldom drive anywhere and try to keep my household chores to a minimum. Today is meant to be a day where I indulge in some of my favorite pastimes such as reading and watching movies. Hopefully I can also squeeze in a healthy amount of sleep.
To start of my relaxing day, I watched the first four episodes of what for me is a new anime series. This time I chose to watch Last Exile and so far I am very impressed by what I have seen. Stylistically speaking, the animation is very different from the last series I completed. Where Fooly Cooly had some mecha elements mixed in with humor and fan service, Last Exile is much more in the realm of steampunk. The characters live in a Victorian era world with fascinating flying machines and technology relying heavily on flasks and tubes. In an interview, the production designer said that he had the world of Germany between the two world wars in mind when creating the look, but to me the clothing and architecture of the world are much more nineteenth century than early twentieth century.
Something else about the series caught me by surprise. Now that I have more than a handful of anime series under my viewing belt, I am starting to recognize some of the voice actors. I could not place her, but I knew that the woman who did the voice of Lavie was familiar to me. Then when I did a quick search online, I had my answer. Kari Wahlgren had done a voice in Fooly Cooly, Wolf's Rain and Witch Hunter Robin, all three of which I have seen and enjoyed. I also recognized the lead male character's voice and found out that that actor had also been in Wolf's Rain. As silly as it sounds, I think that being a voice actor has to be a fun job. Maybe I not aware of some hidden downsides to the job, but spending time in a booth watching great animation sounds like a good time to me.
Yesterday, an issue of the Marvel comic book Thor from the year 1970 was delivered. This is the only issue of Thor that I own that was created by the classic team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. I have yet to finish reading the book, but the style is not something that is seen in modern comic books anymore. Stan and Jack made have caused a revolution in their day, but somewhere through the decades that magic has been lost. Maybe I am being overly sentimental, but I don't think so, because I did not grow up reading these books. I came into the hobby after Stan had stopped writing and Jack had fled to DC. Neither of the two men were what drew into the world of illustrated adventure. Now decades later I get a chance to see what inspired so many modern creators to get into the field.
