Jack Kirby, Inspration

I have now reached the age that Jack Kirby was when he began his work on The Forever People and Mister Miracle and The New Gods (as well as Jimmy Olsen). Those are my favorite series of the gentleman's long and storied career, and I have written previously about how I credit Forever People #1 for guaranteeing my lifelong devotion to the artform of comic books.

I can imagine there are some folks at my current age who might settle into complacency after working in their chosen field for a number of years. But Jack Kirby didn't. Instead he slammed four simultaneous homers out of the park, and he kept right on stepping up to the plate.

I've known since I was a kid what age Mr. Kirby was when he wove his Fourth World tapestry. I did not know at that time what my career path would be, but I am here to self-report to you that I pop up out of bed every morning like an English muffin out of a toaster! Thirty-four years and counting, it's a thrill every day to get into my math classroom and I feel I am doing my best teaching ever. Thank you, Jack Kirby, for showing me the way!

By the way, regarding the Fourth World comics, I even have favorites among my favorites. Issues one and four through ten of The Forever People and Mister Miracle and The New Gods are the ones I feel most strongly about. And I am very pleased to be able to tell you that I recently acquired a page of beautiful artwork from Mister Miracle #10 from a fine gentleman over on ebay. May I present to you (in the order of theit first appearance on the below page) Stompa and Lashina and Barda and Bernadeth, the Female Furies: