Post by Hoosier X on Dec 15, 2021 19:30:47 GMT -5
Evanier has also noted that while he (ME) was never particular fond of Infantino, over the years he'd join Kirby and infantino when they socialized. One example: "One evening at one con, I dined with him [Infantino] and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Kirby in the hotel's semi-swank dining room."
---An online article from about 4 years ago. The whole thing is a must-read for Kirby fans, but here's an excerpt (emphasis mine):
"A surprise visit from an old friend changed that professional calculus and presented Kirby with the chance to fundamentally alter the way a superhero creator could operate. Seeking a new lease on life and better air quality for his asthmatic wife and youngest daughter, he had moved from his native New York to California in early 1969, and soon afterward, DC editorial director Carmine Infantino visited the Kirbys for a Passover seder. When the dining and prayers died down, Kirby brought Infantino to his office and showed off designs he’d drawn up for three potential comics series about his new gods. Infantino was awed and told Kirby he was game to bring the projects to DC."
www.vulture.com/article/jack-kirby-fourth-world-steppenwolf-justice-league.html
---A fascinating 1971 joint-interview with Kirby and Infantino that appeared in the fanzine Comic & Crypt #5; or as the 2 fanzine writers termed it: "more of a casual discussion, which is exactly what took place; just the four of us sitting in Carmine’s office talking with him and Jack Kirby." Kirby and Infantino seem very comfortable with one another and seem to have each other's back (IMO). This was reprinted in Comic Book Artist #1 (which is where I first came upon it, titled "The King and the Director"). Here's an excerpt:
"Infantino: I could never do a sci-fi story the way he [Kirby] could.
C&C interviewers: But your speed concepts and futuristic cities were amazing.
Infantino: Did you see the ones he did?
C&C: But you’re two different types of artists. You can’t-
Infantino: This isn’t what I’m trying to say. This is not what I enjoyed the most. I enjoyed the ELONGATED MAN because of the satire in there. Well, let me say something. Back in the early days there was quite a lot wrong with my drawing and every once in a while I would go up to this fellow in the city. We’d talk and he’d help me. But the most important thing he helped me do was think, and I feel his was one of the best around. When I went up there, he used to stop his work and look at my stuff and give me suggestions. That person was Jack.
Kirby: Well I’m not going to take credit for that. Carmine was and is a fine artist, but back then Joe Simon and I used to have an apartment up there. All the guys got together and I think we helped each other actually. That was the main purpose back then as none of us had a school; we became each others’ school. There were things that Carmine knew that I didn’t. It was an exchange and that’s basically how artist’ learned back then. We took standards from each other."
These (below) are from Infantino, so they are biased sources. As such feel free to ignore these, but I'll include them anyway in case anyone is interested:
TJKC: So you worked for Simon & Kirby for one year?
CARMINE: A little more, I think, but we remained friends; the three of us were very friendly.
Source: The Jack Kirby Collector #34, The Incredible Infantino Interview (2000)
CARMINE INFANTINO: Jack Kirby and I were old friends. We had done that strip that never sold and, in the '50s, I worked for him and Joe Simon. While Jack was at Marvel, we would talk from time to time. In '69, I was flying back and forth to California overseeing Hanna-Barbera's work on DC's Super-Friends TV show. I called and said, "Jack, I'm coming out to California. Do you want to get together and have a drink?" He said, "Absolutely." So we did. And when we talked, he showed me these three covers. They were Forever People, New Gods, and Mister Miracle. I said, "They're sensational. When is Marvel putting them out?" He said, "They're my creations and I don't want to do them at Marvel. Would you make me an offer?" I said, "Absolutely.
Source: The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino, page 110 (2001)
Thanks for the info on Kirby and Infantino’s friendship. And thanks for the sources and the quotes.
They were business associates, and from the looks of it, they were friendly business associates.
I wonder how friendly they were when Kirby left DC in the mid-1970s?
They were friendly enough to have dinner together (with Mark Evanier) at a convention in the early 1970s, when Carmine was publishing The Fourth World. And they were friendly enough that Carmine would visit Jack in Thousand Oaks when Carmine was in Los Angeles for business reasons, and Kirby wanted to show him the ideas that became the Fourth World.
Infantino defends his decision to have the Superman faces redrawn in several interviews I’ve seen. (He also said he should get credited as co-creator of Kamandi in his auto-biography.) Maybe he was pressured by the executives at DC, but he acts like it was his final decision.
Maybe they really were very close friends at one point. I hope not. Because that makes Infantino look really bad. He didn’t have Jack’s back when he saw the art on the Superman figures and supported the decision to have them redrawn. Was he looking out for Jack when Vince Colletta was assigned to all four Fourth World titles? (Although I have to admit that Vinnie did a pretty good job most of the time.) Did he have Jack’s back when the titles were canceled without really being given a chance?
The more I read about it, the more I don’t like Infantino. I’m probably being a little harsh. Maybe a lot harsh. But I see a lot of evidence of Carmine’s ego and I see little reason to give him a break on the way Kirby was treated at DC.
Seriously, good luck with the job. We will talk soon. 
