Happy Birthday to the King of Comics!

Today is the 103rd anniversary of the birth of Jacob Kurtzberg, better known to us all as Jack Kirby, the absolute King of Comics. I've been absorbing Jack's DC work through my very pores this year, thanks to these collections...

Yeah, I already had tons of the original comics, but re-reading them in tpb form is both handy and a new way to experience old favorites. All that's left are Kamandi (my omnibus, which I ordered for MY birthday, last Wednesday, the 26th)  should be here soon!) and Forever People (which I'll get for Christmas, if not sooner). 

Now I just need this to go back into print...

And for a miracle to happen so these can be collected in their own volumes...

Happy birthday, Jack Kirby! Your legacy still entertains, enthralls, and amazes me! Thank you so very, very much!

Groovy Age Gold: "The Secret of the Buzzard's Revenge!" by Simon and Kirby

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Flipping through Jack Kirby's awesome New Gods #4 (June 1971), the very first 52 page, 25 cent ish, what jumped out and grabbed me by the brain but a reprint Jack and Joe Simon's inaugural Manhunter strip from Adventure Comics #73 (February 1942)? Wanna see it?

I knew you would!

Groovy Age Gold: "The Lady and the Tiger" by Simon and Kirby

Check it out, Groove-ophiles! Here's another magnificent Golden Age Manhunter saga from Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. This particular tale was originally told in Adventure Comics #78 (September 1942) and was reprinted in New Gods #9 (April 1972). Notice how S&K rarely showed Manhunter's face in this story--and when they did, his mask kept changing! O Editor, Where Art Thou?

Groovy Age Gold: "Beware of Mr. Meek!" by Simon and Kirby

What it is, Groove-ophiles! Today we're checking out the magnificence that was Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Golden Age Manhunter. "Beware of Mr. Meek" comes from the back pages of the legendary sixth issue of New Gods (October 1971) and was originally published in Adventure Comics #75 (cover-dated June 1942). This was Young Groove's first exposure to "society sportsman" Paul Kirk's alter ego, and I hope it impresses you as much as it did moi!

Making a Splash: Goodwin and Simonson's Manhunter

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! It's February! The month of Valentine's Day--the month of LOVE (or LUV as some called it back during the Groovy Age). Gonna kick February off with something Ol' Groove dearly loves--Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson's magnificent Manhunter series from the pages of Detective Comics 437-443 (July 1973-July 1974)! (Just check the Stream of Comicbook Consciousness, baby, you'll find lots'a Manhunter posts here on the Diversions!) Today we're gonna look at wild-n-wooly Walt's smashing splashes. Note that these aren't traditional splash pages with one huge panel filled with awesome; Archie and Walt only had eight pages to play with, so they had to make the most of their real estate, dig? So Mr. Simonson came up with some of the most innovative page one layouts this side of Will Eisner. See why Ol' Groove loves that series so?

Yeah, that's The Batman for the 'Tec #443 splash, since he teamed up with Manhunter for the series' finale!

Oh, and just 'cause Ol' Groove loves ya, baby, here's Walt's art for the contents page of 'Tec 443 aaaand his pulsating pin-ups from that self-same ish!