• Skip navigation and go to content
  • Go to navigation

Norman Rockwell Museum

  • Visit
    • Hours & Admission
    • Directions
    • Exhibitions
  • Learn
    • Programs
    • School Programs
    • Curriculum Lab
  • Research
    • Norman Rockwell Collection
    • Archives and Library
    • Rockwell Center for Americal Visual Studies
    • IllustrationHistory.org
    • Frank Schoonover Collection Raisonné
  • Donate
    • Make a Gift
    • Become a Member
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Contact
    • Staff Directory
    • Norman Rockwell Museum e-newsletter sign-up
    • Careers
    • What's my Rockwell Worth?
      FAQ

Illustration History

  • History
  • Artists
  • Genres
  • Essays
  • Resources
  • Podcast
  • History
    • Time Periods
  • Artists
  • Genres
  • Essays
  • Resources
  • Podcast
Home > Artists > Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby

Born: August 28, 1917 | Died: February 6, 1994

Jack Kirby

Biography

A comic book artist who began working during the Golden Age of comic books and continued into the 1990s, Jack Kirby (1917-1994) created or co-created hundreds of characters, including many of today's best known superheroes. 

Well-regarded by his peers and fans as "King" Kirby, he began working at Marvel Comics (then Timely Comics) in 1940 with frequent collaborator Joe Simon. Along with writer/editor Stan Lee, Kirby is credited with Marvel's increased success in the early 1960s with the creation of a strong group of superheroes and the development of a distinct style for Marvel's characters. 

Some of Kirby's creations include:

Ant-Man (Tales to Astonish #27, January 1962)

The Avengers (The Avengers #1, September 1963)

Black Panther (The Fantastic Four #52, July 1966)

Captain America (Captain America Comics #1, March 1941)

Challengers of the Unknown (Showcase #6, February 1957)

Darkseid (Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134, November 1970)

The Fantastic Four (The Fantastic Four #1, November 1961)

Galactus (The Fantastic Four #48, March 1966)

The Hulk (The Incredible Hulk #1, May 1962)

Iron Man (Tales of Suspense #39, March 1963)

Silver Surfer (The Fantastic Four #48, March 1966)

Thor (Journey into Mystery #83, August 1962)

The Vision (Marvel Mystery Comics #13, November 1940)

The X-Men (The X-Men #1, September 1963)

Visit artist's website

Illustrations by Jack Kirby

Cover of “X-Men” #1, September 1963Marvel Comicshttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/cover-of-x-men-1-september-1963
Cover of “The Avengers” #1, September 1963Marvel Comicshttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/cover-of-the-avengers-1-september-1963
Cover art for “Journey Into Mystery” #122, November 1965Marvelhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/cover-for-journey-into-mystery-122
Cover art for “Tales of Suspense” #84, December 1966Marvelhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/cover-art-for-tales-of-suspense-84
Cover of “Captain America Comics” #1, March 1941Marvelhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/captain-america-comics-1
Cover of “The Incredible Hulk” #1, May 1962Marvelhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/the-incredible-hulk-1

Additional Resources

  • Stripper’s Guide
  • “Hanna-Barbera: The Architects of Saturday Morning,” by Jesse Kowalski
  • “A Complete History of American Comic Books,” by Shirrel Rhoades

Bibliography

Evanier, Mark. Kirby: King of Comics. New York: Abrams, 2007.

Kirby, Jack. Challengers of the Unknown Omnibus. London: Titan, 2012.

Kirby, Jack. Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus. New York: DC Comics, 2007.

Kirby, Jack. Jack Kirby, Pencils and Inks: Artisan Edition. San Diego, CA: IDW Publishing, 2016.

Kirby, Jack. King-Size Kirby. New York: Marvel Worldwide Inc, 2015.

Genres
  • Advertising
    • Corporate
    • Political and Public Service
    • Product
    • Self-Promotion
  • Books
    • Children’s Books
    • Cover Art
    • Interior Illustration
  • Cartooning
    • Advertising
    • Caricature
    • Political and Editorial
    • Sports
    • Spot
  • Comics
    • Comic Books
      • Manga
    • Comic Strips
  • Decorative & Applied Illustration
    • Info Graphics
    • Murals
    • Portraiture
  • Fantasy
    • Adventure
    • Fairy Tales and Fables
    • Mythology
  • Fashion
    • Advertising
    • Design
  • Graphic Novels
    • Fiction
    • Non-Fiction
    • Visual Memoir and Autobiography
  • Internet Illustration
    • Web Comics
    • Website Illustration
  • Magazine
    • Cover Art
    • Story Illustration
  • Moving Image
    • Animation
    • Concept Art
    • Storyboard
    • Video Game Design
  • Newspaper
  • Non-Commissioned Work
  • Poster
    • Event (Promotional)
    • Film
    • Political
    • Propaganda
    • Travel
  • Product Illustration
    • Album/CD
    • Calendars
    • DVD/VHS/Videogame
    • Greeting Cards
    • Packaging
    • Paper Dolls
    • Postage Stamps
  • Pulp Illustration
    • Pinup Art
    • Pulp Magazines
  • Science Fiction
    • Creatures
    • Outer Space
    • Technology
  • Technical
    • Anatomy
    • Archaeological
    • Architecture
    • Courtroom Drawings
    • Horticulture
    • Mechanical
    • Natural History
Global Perspectives
  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia
RELATED ARTISTS
  • Wayne Barlowe Wayne Barlowe
  • Ed Benedict Ed Benedict
  • Dick Bickenbach Dick Bickenbach
  • Milton Caniff Milton Caniff
  • Jerry Eisenberg Jerry Eisenberg
  • Ric Estrada Ric Estrada
  • Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta
  • Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera
  • Mike Mignola Mike Mignola
  • Alex Ross (Nelson Alexander Ross) Alex Ross (Nelson Alexander Ross)
  • Norman Saunders Norman Saunders
  • Joe Shuster Joe Shuster
  • Bill Sienkiewicz Bill Sienkiewicz
  • Bob Singer Bob Singer
  • William Stout William Stout
  • Iwao Takamoto Iwao Takamoto
  • Bruce Timm Bruce Timm
  • Alex Toth Alex Toth
  • Doug Wildey Doug Wildey
Related Time Periods
  • The Decade 1930-1940 The Decade 1930-1940
  • The Decade 1940-1950 The Decade 1940-1950
  • The Decade 1950-1960 The Decade 1950-1960
  • The Decade 1960-1970 The Decade 1960-1970
  • The Decade 1970-1980 The Decade 1970-1980
  • The Decade 1980-1990 The Decade 1980-1990
  • The Decade 1990-2000 The Decade 1990-2000

Support the Project

We need your help to keep this project alive and growing. How can you help?

Submit Work
Make A Donation
About The Project

Stay Informed

Join our mailing list to receive updates about this growing project.

Art Works. National Endowment for the Arts. arts.gov

This project is supported in part by an award
from the National Endowment for the Arts.

"The great band of illustrators have shown us to ourselves and I am proud to be among their company."
- Norman Rockwell

©Copyright 2020 Norman Rockwell Museum
9 Route 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262 | 413.298.4100
Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions |
Equity & Justice Commitment