Jack Kirby: Young Allies #1 - Summer 1941

Summer 1941: Young Allies #1

Jack Kirby: USA Comics #1 - August 1941

August 1941: USA Comics #1

Jack Kirby: Captain America #1 - March 1941

You knew this was coming 😉

March 1941: Captain America #1

Joe 'n' Jack - the dream team

Jack Kirby: Marvel Mystery Comics #12 - October 1940

October 1940: Marvel Mystery Comics #12 

Jack Kirby: Daring Mystery Comics #6 - September 1940

September 1940 - Daring Mystery Comics #6

Jack Kirby: Red Raven Comics #1 - August 1940

Let the centenary celebration begin! Okay, I know Jack Kirby wasn't born until August 1917, but what's a few months when it comes to commemorating the Kirbyversary. We'll take a look at two or three Kirby covers a week. 

August 1940: Red Raven Comics #1

Scarlet Witch and Ava Gardner

I'm sure we've all read about how much Jack Kirby loved the movies. But had he seen these Ava Gardner images when coming up with the Scarlet Witch's look? Take a look: tousled chestnut tresses, check. Chiseled bone structure, check. Shapely figure, check. And yeah, even a dimpled chin. 😉

Wanda the Scarlet Witch in X-Men #4 - Jack Kirby

And check out the poster for the 1960 MGM film The Angel Wore Red, starring guess who? 

It Was 55 Years Ago Today...

...when this unassuming lttle comic hit the stands*** 

***On sale date of 8/8/61 is given by various sources including the utterly invaluable Mike's Newsstand.

A Great Pair of Jeans! By Jack Kirby and Barry Windsor-Smith

                     

X-Men #9 (1965) Jack Kirby natch!

X-Men #53 (1969) Barry W-Smith 

One of My Favorite Jack Kirby Covers

Now that's a Kirbyesque face!  ;)

Jack "King" Kirby  

August 28 1917- February 6 1994

Psst: betcha can't guess who the lanky figure in black is ;)

Angry Young Men: Incredible Hulk #1 and...

I've long wondered if Kirby's fine-featured, brooding Hulk was based--facially, anyway--on a certain fine-featured, brooding actor. And yeah, I first posted this on a comic book forum a while back but I'm re-posting it here just 'cause I like these images. So there! 

(l.) Brando as Antony in the 1953 film Julius Caesar         (r.)  Incredible Hulk #1 by Kirby-Reinman                   

Fun fact: In 1969 Jack Kirby designed the costumes and posters for a production of Julius Caesar at the University of California at Santa Cruz. More info at the  Kirby Museum. 

Update: check out August 2015 Time magazine on Kirby!  

Scarlet Witch's Hair Color Part 4

Last time we established that Wanda's hair color reverted to brown way back in 1970's Avengers #75 (click here for details). For the most part her hair's remained rich brown aka red aka auburn aka chestnut aka marsala ever since....though there've been a few variations along the way. 

Black or brown? Scarlet Witch by John Buscema (l)...and by Bob Hall channeling his teacher Buscema (r)

1990s: Yeah I know Wanda's hair color is the kind of brown that can be called "red"; but it's criminal to depict Wanda with bright tomato-red hair--you know, the shade that's normally associated with Medusa or Matt Murdock or Jean Grey. Wanda should never be depicted as a Jean-clone as she was back in the late '90s (leave that sort of stuff for Madelyne Pryor). That's Jean in the first panel and Wanda in the third--I think. 

X-Men #335 (1996)

2000s: Ultimate Wanda had black patent leather tresses.   

2005: Basic brown at the conclusion of House of M.

2007: The lighter, gingery red-brown hair she sported as Wandjelina  was wrong. Just. Wrong.    

New Avengers #26

     

There you have it, a look at Wanda the Scarlet Witch's hair hues. If you want a refresher you can check here and here and here. So, which do you prefer, the brown or black? I must confess that while I find Wanda's deep brown hair lovely, I've always preferred the black as it's a great counterpoint to Pietro's white hair. Plus I feel Wanda's black hair is a better complement to her usual red attire, it's got that le rouge et le noir thing going on. Ah well, c'est la vie...  ;)

And for good measure, here's the hex-tossing, long-tressed Elizabeth Olsen!