In July 1947, Young Romance #1 debuts. Young Romance was created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon for Prize Comics and is widely known as the first romance comic, which are distinguishable from teen comics of the day in that these stories are usually devoid of any humor, anthological, and make an attempt to take […]
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In July 1947, Boy Commandos #23 includes a story where the Boy Commandos are brought to the underwater city of Atlantis, which of course differs from the versions of Atlantis that each of Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Superman have variously visited. But what’s interesting about this story is the hints of Jack Kirby world-building and […]
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In Star Spangled Comics #64 (November 1946), we say goodbye to another Golden Age creation from Jack Kirby and Joe Simon: the Newsboy Legion and the Guardian. Oh well, I can’t say I was ever really a fan :-/
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Jack Kirby and Joe Simon jumped the Timely/Marvel Comics ship at the end of 1941 and landed at National/DC Comics just as the U.S. was entering World War II. in Star Spangled Comics #7 (February 1942), they debuted a Captain America-resembling hero named The Guardian who took a bunch of orphaned newsboys under his wing […]
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Throughout 1941, Jack Kirby continued to challenge and experiment with conventional comic book layouts. In Captain America #9 (September 1941), we see Cap and Bucky aggressively bursting out of funky-shaped panels, curved or jagged borders, characters with body parts hanging over the rims, etc. We get to see lots of the two-page spreads too!
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Joe Simon and Jack Kirby have their first hit with Captain America #1 (December 1940). Captain America is the first character to star in his own comic book, not as a try-out feature in another book, and comes complete with a fully-fleshed out (and interesting) origin, a sidekick and an iconic villain (the Red Skull) […]
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Finishing off the list of obscure superheroes that debuted in April 1940 is the Blue Bolt, starring in Blue Bolt #1 (Novelty Comics). This lightning-shooting character was created by Joe Simon who drafted his buddy Jack Kirby to work on it with him in the second issue (May 1940). Simon & Kirby would, of course, […]
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