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Post by tolworthy on May 21, 2015 8:49:42 GMT -5
Is there a good web site or book that discusses Kirby's DC work, especially his Fourth World magnum opus? I'm particularly interested in why it was cancelled, and on Kirby as a storyteller.
I understand that the dialog wasn't as easy to follow as with Lee on board, and that sales were not what DC hoped, though still very respectable. I'm looking for something deeper. What were the exact reasons it sold or did not sell? What do comic historians think? Is there a heavyweight commentary anywhere?Something that goes beyond the art and focuses on the story? Any recommendations?
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Post by Reptisaurus! on May 21, 2015 10:47:27 GMT -5
I know a good one about the Eternals.....
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Post by Hoosier X on May 21, 2015 12:07:57 GMT -5
I would love to see a site about The Fourth World! I just finished Volume Three of the Fourth World Omnibus (My library system doesn't have any of the other volumes) and I'm a big fan now! It was a major hole in my comics reading and I would really like to find out more! The Introduction and the Afterword (the latter is by Mark Evanier) are full of little details about Kirby and how he worked and how editorial was constantly making "suggestions." (Like when they asked him to revive Deadman, and Kirby said "sure" and wedged him into The Forever People ... as if The Forever People aren't weird enough to begin with! (My favorite is the landlady.))
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Post by tolworthy on May 21, 2015 13:51:04 GMT -5
Me too! My gut feeling is that the Fourth World stories have never received the attention they deserve. Like most people I found them too different, too intense, at first. But the more I read them the more I find to love.
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Post by berkley on May 21, 2015 14:17:12 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 14:22:06 GMT -5
Amazing Heroes #100-it was the comic news mag of the 80s and the 100th issue was a celebration of Kirby, having in depth articles by Mark Evanier and others on Kirby's oeuvre, but the stuff on the New Gods was particularly noteworthy as Evanier reminisced about being with Jack as he created stuff, recalls things Jack told them behind the curtain so to speak, gives info on Jack's frustrations with DC over editorial decisions et. al. It's not in print, you have to track down a back issue of it...  One caveat. This was how I discovered the Fourth World, so it was all new to me and very informative, I haven't gone back to reread it since I became more versed in comics and comic history, so I am not 100% cerain it would be as valuable to someone who knew a lot more than I did when I first read it. Hindsight nad nostalgia colored glasses and all that. -M |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on May 21, 2015 14:27:40 GMT -5
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Post by Reptisaurus! on May 21, 2015 14:33:12 GMT -5
Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! I can't believe I didn't think of this. Also note: My first post was a board in-joke. It should become clear when he logs on. |
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Post by tolworthy on May 21, 2015 14:50:22 GMT -5
Thanks! I'll look those up!
(Or given the subject matter, THANKS!!! I'LL LOOK THOSE UP!!!)
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Post by The Cheat on May 21, 2015 15:46:50 GMT -5
I remember reading it in concert with an annotations site a few years back. A quick google doesn't seem to uncover it. I'll have a better look later.
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Post by berkley on May 21, 2015 17:03:11 GMT -5
I never looked at Amazing Heroes much but I might give that #100 a try. And now that I scan through the gallery, there were a couple issues covering the "History of the Eternals" - no idea how in-depth they were, though, and I fear they probably gave as much attention to the non-Kirby, MU version as to Kirby's series.
One of these days I might do a New Gods thread myself and also revive or rewrite my old Eternals one. I'd like to do it with a scanner next time around so I can point to what I'm talking about instead of trying to describe everything in words.
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Post by tolworthy on May 22, 2015 4:27:37 GMT -5
Related question: a school textbook on science fiction reprints Forever People 1, and asks students: It's certainly lost on me. I love the poetic naming, but didn't know it went further. Can someone enlighten me? Thanks! (details: kirbymuseum.org/blogs/effect/2012/01/28/1975lookingahead/ ) |
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Post by Cei-U! on May 22, 2015 7:22:19 GMT -5
I don't know about symbolism but "boom tube" is a pun on "boob tube," a derogatory term for TV. Maybe "mother box" is a variant of "idiot box," a similar TV-related epithet?
Cei-U!
Kirby loved his word games!
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Post by berkley on May 22, 2015 10:52:13 GMT -5
Whoever wrote the question in the textbook is probably thinking of the sexual connotations: the Boom Tube as phallic symbol, for example.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on May 22, 2015 10:56:59 GMT -5
Whoever wrote the question in the textbook is probably thinking of the sexual connotations: the Boom Tube as phallic symbol, for example. Freud would probably agree. :-) But being that we are sexual creatures their probably is some conscious or subconscious connection to phallic symbols and overbearing mothers. But I maybe seeing that from reading too much of Freud's writing. |
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