Jack Kirby, Incorrigible Prankster

This week Folo Watkins, one of my Champaign-Urbana Comic Book Club compatriots from over three decades ago, posted the following on his Facebook page:

"Apparently Carrie Fisher is the new Jack Kirby (fans of the king will understand that)"

Hmmm, I said to myself, I don't understand that. I wasn't sure what Folo meant.  I'm not afraid to say when I don't understand something so I posted "?" in response, hoping that he would spill the beans. And he did! Folo wrote back the following explanation:

"Carrie made up a story about returning to the Star Wars cycle as a joke, just as Jack used to tell tall tales of new projects to fans and fanzines as jokes. Whether Jack wore a slavegirl outfit, though, was only between him and Roz."

Then I got what he meant. I had seen a headline a few days earlier indicating that Ms. Fisher would be having a starring role in the next Star Wars movie. That news did cause my eyebrow to arch seeing as how that lady (like myself) is about one hundred years old by now, but it did not interest me enough to read the article under the headline or to investigate any further.

The information about Jack Kirby having a reputation as a prankster was far more interesting to me. Did I (again) come late to the party? I have no recollection of these pranks but I will see if I can find out more.

UPDATE! Click here for  Jack Kirby, Incorrigible Prankster (Part 2) and here for (Part 3, Conclusion).