off white pgs
Kirby cover/art; origin & 1st app. Hulk, Rick Jones, Betty Ross, & General Ross
Inspired by Jekyll & Hyde and the Jewish myth of the Golem, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby kept their Silver Age hot streak running with the big and brutal Hulk. This issue preys on Cold War fears of nuclear annihilation and the average boy's body discomfort to create one of the most haunting and affecting of hero origins. Initially colored grey in his premiere appearance, the character was quickly reworked into a big green beast when the primitive four-color printing process mangled the grey color scheme throughout the book, altering the Goliath's hue from page to page. The famous cover image still resonates with fans to this day.


While the initial run didn't sell in numbers big enough to be considered viable in the long term, the Hulk kept popping up in anthologies and guest spots alongside favorites such as the Fantastic Four until he returned to his own title after developing a following through his involvement with the Avengers.




Artist Information

Jack Kirby is called 'The King of Comics' for a reason, during his career that spanned six decades he gave us many of 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.