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Pg. 8; Jack Kirby pencils, Dick Ayers inks; 14" x 22"; professionally matted and framed 20.5" x 28.5"

Comic books were made to be comic, or at least fun. We sometimes forget that in this era of anti-heroes and flawed, grim legends. There's a persistent line of thought that the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby assault on the comic industry via 1960's Marvel brought a new realism to comics that kicked against the prevailing blandness of the time. A quick glance at early Marvel comic books shows just how wrong this thinking is. Witness this rambunctious, loopy page from the "King" himself, ably inked by unsung hero Dick Ayers, which pretty much owns up to how ridiculous the idea of a seven-foot-tall green behemoth really is. It's the intricate melding of over-the-top comic book goofiness with a more grounded, cynical approach born of both creators' deep New York City roots that made Marvel such a bracing change of pace in Atomic-era America.



Silver Age original comic art is notably tough to track down, as much of it was tossed, destroyed or otherwise neglected by paranoid publishers and editors too shortsighted to appreciate the future potential of these fine pieces of illustration. Kirby's earliest Marvel work, as a result, attracts furious bidding when it does come to market, as one never knows when the next example may become available. This unique and wonderful page not only shows the maestro's rock-solid hero work, but his sharp sense of pacing and timing, as well as atmosphere. Hulk never goes off-model here, and the art remains lifelike and grounded, yet subtle panel composition and facial expression keep a wry, sly mood throughout. A simply marvelous piece (pun not intended sorry) sure to excite and delight Hulk-amaniacs.



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Artists Information

Jack Kirby is called 'The King of Comics' for a reason, during his career that spanned six decades he gave us many of the most iconic characters the medium would ever see. From his introduction of Captain America at the height of World War II it was clear he wasn't your ordinary comics artist. But it was his creative explosion at Marvel Comics in the 1960's that cemented his legacy, over a short period of time Kirby would give us The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Hulk, The X-Men, Thor, Ant-Man and Nick Fury just to name a few. Kirby would then go to DC and create his Fourth World, introducing Darkseid, Mister Miracle, The New Gods and a host of cosmic supporting players. Long live The King.

Richard "Dick" Ayers was an American comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of the main inkers during the late-1950's and 1960's Silver Age of Comics, including some of the earliest issues of Marvel Comics' including Jack Kirby's The Fantastic Four. He is the signature penciler of Marvel's World War II comic Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, drawing it for a 10-year run, and he co-created Magazine Enterprises' 1950s Western-horror character the Ghost Rider, a version of which he would draw for Marvel in the 1960s. His career would span 7 decades until his death in 2014.