Editing Jack Kirby (section)

===Marvel Comics in the Silver Age (1958–1970)===
Several months later, after his split with DC, Kirby began freelancing regularly for Atlas despite harboring negative sentiments about Stan Lee (the cousin of Timely publisher Martin Goodman's wife), whom Kirby had always found annoying on top of his aforementioned betrayal he suspected in the 1940s. Because of the poor page rates, Kirby would spend 12 to 14 hours daily at his drawing table at home, producing four to five pages of artwork a day.{{sfn|Jones|2004|page=282}} His first published work at Atlas was the cover of and the seven-page story "I Discovered the Secret of the Flying Saucers" in ''[[Strange Worlds (Atlas Comics)|Strange Worlds]]'' #1 (Dec. 1958). Initially with [[Christopher Rule]] as his regular inker, and later [[Dick Ayers]], Kirby drew across all genres, from romance comics to war comics to crime comics to Western comics, but made his mark primarily with a series of supernatural-fantasy and science fiction stories featuring giant, [[drive-in movie]]-style monsters with names like [[Groot]], the Thing from Planet X;<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/groottta.htm|title= Groot|first= Jeff|last= Christiansen|date= March 10, 2011|publisher= Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131113231254/http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/groottta.htm|archive-date= November 13, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Grottu, King of the Insects;<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/grottu.htm|title= Grottu|first= Jeff|last= Christiansen|date= January 17, 2007|publisher= Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131113221123/http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/grottu.htm|archive-date= November 13, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Fin Fang Foom]] for the company's many anthology series, such as ''[[Amazing Adventures]],'' ''[[Strange Tales]],'' ''[[Tales to Astonish]],'' ''[[Tales of Suspense]],'' and ''[[World of Fantasy]].''<ref name=gcdjack /> His bizarre designs of powerful, unearthly creatures proved a hit with readers. Additionally, he freelanced for [[Archie Comics]] around this time, reuniting briefly with Joe Simon to help develop the series ''[[The Fly (Archie Comics)|The Fly]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/fly.htm |title=The Fly |first=Don |last=Markstein |year=2009 |publisher=[[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240527024407/https://www.webcitation.org/6RoNatZp3?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/fly.htm |archive-date=May 27, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[The Shield (Archie Comics)|The Double Life of Private Strong]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/shield2.htm |title=The Shield |first=Don |last=Markstein |year=2007 |publisher=Don Markstein's Toonopedia |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130412002105/http://www.toonopedia.com/shield2.htm |archive-date=April 12, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, Kirby drew some issues of ''[[Classics Illustrated]]''.<ref name=gcdjack />

At Marvel Kirby hit his stride once again in superhero comics, beginning with ''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|The Fantastic Four]]'' #1 (Nov. 1961),<ref name=gcdjack /><ref>[[Tom DeFalco|DeFalco, Tom]] "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 84: "It did not take long for editor Stan Lee to realize that ''The Fantastic Four'' was a hit ... the flurry of fan letters all pointed to the FF's explosive popularity."</ref> which some have observed, shares many elements of Kirby's ''Challengers of the Unknown''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Challengers of the Unknown = Fantastic Four |url=http://zak-site.com/Great-American-Novel/challengers.html |website=The Great American Novel |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511142107/https://zak-site.com/Great-American-Novel/challengers.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The landmark series became a hit that revolutionized the industry with its comparative [[Naturalism (arts)|naturalism]] and, eventually, a cosmic purview informed by Kirby's seemingly boundless imagination{{mdash}}one well-matched with the consciousness-expanding [[youth culture]] of the 1960s.<ref name="century">{{Cite book|last= Krensky|first= Stephen|title= Comic Book Century: The History of American Comic Books|publisher= [[Lerner Publishing Group|Twenty-First Century Books]]|year= 2007|location= Minneapolis, Minnesota|page= 59|isbn= 978-0-8225-6654-0|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=n23M0Bn0JmwC&q=%22fantastic+four%22&pg=PA58|quote= Readers ... liked seeing Reed and Sue bicker, Johnny annoying everyone, and Ben being grumpy. ... Kirby's vivid illustrations created a whole new style for Marvel, where the imaginative art matched the colorful, loose style of the time.|access-date= November 12, 2020|archive-date= February 4, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210204065610/https://books.google.com/books?id=n23M0Bn0JmwC&q=%22fantastic+four%22&pg=PA58|url-status= live}}</ref><ref name=iowahistoricalreview>{{cite journal|url=https://pubs.lib.uiowa.edu/iowa-historical-review/article/id/1636/download/pdf/|title='Truth, Justice and the American Way: The Intersection of American Youth Culture and Superhero Narratives|first=Sebastian T. |last=Mercier| journal=Iowa Historical Review|publisher=[[University of Iowa]] |pages=37–38| volume= 1|issue= 2|date=2008|doi=10.17077/2373-1842.1010|quote = The liberalization of American culture allowed superhero comic books to challenge the assumptions behind 1950s censorship. ... Marvel was able to position themselves as a publishing maverick. Several of their new superheroes, including the Fantastic Four and the Amazing Spider-Man were able to reflect real-world sensibilities and problems. Other heroes such as the Invincible Iron Man and the Silver Surfer examined the political landscape of the 1960s. The close bonds shared with youth culture meant that superheroes had reasserted themselves into the American national consciousness.|doi-access=|url-access=subscription}}</ref> For almost a decade, Kirby provided Marvel's house style, creating many of the Marvel characters and designing their visual motifs. At the editor-in-chief's request, he often provided new-to-Marvel artists "breakdown" layouts, over which they would pencil in order to become acquainted with the Marvel look. As artist [[Gil Kane]] described:

{{blockquote|text=Jack was the single most influential figure in the turnaround in Marvel's fortunes from the time he rejoined the company ... It wasn't merely that Jack conceived most of the characters that are being done, but ... Jack's point of view and philosophy of drawing became the governing philosophy of the entire publishing company and, beyond the publishing company, of the entire field ... [Marvel took] Jack and use[d] him as a primer. They would get artists ... and they taught them the ABCs, which amounted to learning Jack Kirby ... Jack was like the Holy Scripture and they simply had to follow him without deviation. That's what was told to me ... It was how they taught everyone to reconcile all those opposing attitudes to one single master point of view.<ref>Gil Kane, speaking at a forum on July 6, 1985, at the Dallas Fantasy Fair. As quoted in George 2002, p. 109</ref>}}

Highlights of Kirby's tenure also include the [[Hulk]], [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]], the [[X-Men]] and [[Magneto (Marvel Comics)|Magneto]], [[Doctor Doom]], [[Uatu|Uatu the Watcher]], [[Ego the Living Planet]], the [[Inhumans]]<ref>{{cite web | first= Brian|last= Cronin|url= https://www.cbr.com/a-year-of-cool-comics-day-261/|title= A Year of Cool Comics – Day 261|website= [[Comic Book Resources]]|date= September 18, 2010|access-date= December 13, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101123190418/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/09/18/a-year-of-cool-comics-day-261/|archive-date=November 23, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DeFalco111">DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 111: "The Inhumans, a lost race that diverged from humankind 25,000 years ago and became genetically enhanced."</ref> and their hidden city of Attilan, and the [[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]]<ref>{{cite web |first= Brian|last= Cronin|url= https://www.cbr.com/a-year-of-cool-comics-day-262/ |title= A Year of Cool Comics – Day 262|website= Comic Book Resources|date= September 19, 2010| access-date= December 13, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110708181411/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/09/19/a-year-of-cool-comics-day-262/|archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter |title='Black Panther' Co-Creator Jack Kirby Would've Adored Film Phenomenon, Family Says |date=February 15, 2018 |first=Ryan |last=Parker |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-jack-kirby-wouldve-adored-film-says-family-1084730 |access-date=June 10, 2018 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612135941/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-jack-kirby-wouldve-adored-film-says-family-1084730 |url-status=live }}</ref> (comics' first black superhero) and his [[Afrofuturism|Afrofuturist]] nation, [[Wakanda]].<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 117: Stan Lee wanted to do his part by creating the first black super hero. Lee discussed his ideas with Jack Kirby and the result was seen in ''Fantastic Four'' #52.</ref> Kirby initially was assigned to pencil the first [[Spider-Man]] story, but when he showed Lee the first six pages, Lee recalled, "I ''hated'' the way he was doing it! Not that he did it badly—it just wasn't the character I wanted; it was too heroic".<ref name="Theakston">{{Cite book|last=Theakston|first=Greg|title=The Steve Ditko Reader|publisher=Pure Imagination|location=Brooklyn, New York|year=2002|isbn=1-56685-011-8}}</ref>{{rp|12}} Lee then turned to [[Steve Ditko]] to draw the story that would appear in ''[[Amazing Fantasy]]'' #15, for which Kirby nonetheless penciled the cover.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2 = Manning|first2 = Matthew K.|chapter= 1960s|title = Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2012|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 15|isbn = 978-0756692360|quote= Kirby had the honor of being the first ever penciler to take a swing at drawing Spider-Man. Though his illustrations for the pages of ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 were eventually redrawn by Steve Ditko after Stan Lee decided that Kirby's Spidey wasn't quite youthful enough, the King nevertheless contributed the issue's historic cover.}}</ref> Lee and Kirby gathered several of their newly created characters together into the team title ''[[The Avengers (comic book)|The Avengers]]''<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 94: "Filled with some wonderful visual action, ''The Avengers'' #1 has a very simple story: the Norse god Loki tricked the Hulk into going on a rampage ... The heroes eventually learned about Loki's involvement and united with the Hulk to form the Avengers."</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/28/captain-america-x-men-iron-man-the-avengers-jack-kirby-king-of-comics |access-date=June 10, 2018 |title=Captain America, X-Men, Iron Man, the Avengers ... Jack Kirby, king of comics |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Graeme |last=Virtue |date=August 28, 2017 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612145211/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/28/captain-america-x-men-iron-man-the-avengers-jack-kirby-king-of-comics |url-status=live }}</ref> and brought back old characters from the 1940s such as the [[Namor|Sub-Mariner]]<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 86: "Stan Lee and Jack Kirby reintroduced one of Marvel's most popular Golden Age heroes – Namor, the Sub-Mariner."</ref> and Captain America.<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 99: "'Captain America lives again!' announced the cover of ''The Avengers'' #4 ... Cap was back."</ref> In later years, Lee and Kirby disputed over who deserved credit for such creations as ''The Fantastic Four''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Batchelor |first1=Bob |title=Stan Lee : The Man Behind Marvel |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-7781-6 |page=73|year=2017 }}</ref>
[[Image:Fantasticfour72.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'' #72 (March 1968). Cover art by Kirby and [[Joe Sinnott]], illustrating [[Kirby Krackle]]]]
The story frequently cited as Lee and Kirby's finest achievement<ref>{{Cite book|last= Hatfield| first= Charles|chapter= The Galactus Trilogy: An Appreciation|title= The Collected Jack Kirby Collector ''Volume 1''|page= 211|year= 2004| publisher= TwoMorrows|isbn= 978-1893905009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last = Thomas|first = Roy|author-link = Roy Thomas|author2=Sanderson, Peter |title = The Marvel Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the World of Marvel|publisher= [[Running Press]]|year= 2007|location= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|page = 93|isbn = 978-0762428441|quote= Then came the issues of all issues, the instant legend, the trilogy of ''Fantastic Four'' (#48-50) that excited readers immediately christened 'the Galactus Trilogy', a designation still widely recognized four decades later.}}</ref> is "[[The Galactus Trilogy]]" in ''Fantastic Four'' #48–50 (March–May 1966), chronicling the arrival of [[Galactus]], a cosmic giant who wanted to devour the planet, and his herald, the [[Silver Surfer]].<ref>{{cite web |first= Brian|last= Cronin|url=https://www.cbr.com/a-year-of-cool-comics-day-50/ | title= A Year of Cool Comics – Day 50|website= Comic Book Resources|date= February 19, 2010|access-date= December 13, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100504111741/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/02/19/a-year-of-cool-comics-day-50/|archive-date=May 4, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 115: "Stan Lee may have started the creative discussion that culminated in Galactus, but the inclusion of the Silver Surfer in ''Fantastic Four'' #48 was pure Jack Kirby. Kirby realized that a being like Galactus required an equally impressive herald."</ref> ''Fantastic Four'' #48 was chosen as #24 in the 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time poll of Marvel's readers in 2001. Editor [[Robert Greenberger]] wrote in his introduction to the story that "As the fourth year of the ''Fantastic Four'' came to a close, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby seemed to be only warming up. In retrospect, it was perhaps the most fertile period of any monthly title during the Marvel Age."<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Greenberger |editor-first=Robert|title = 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time|publisher = Marvel Comics|date = December 2001|page = 26|title-link=100 Greatest Marvels of All Time}}</ref> Comics historian [[Les Daniels]] noted that "[t]he mystical and metaphysical elements that took over the saga were perfectly suited to the tastes of young readers in the 1960s", and Lee soon discovered that the story was a favorite on college campuses.<ref>{{cite book|last = Daniels|first = Les|author-link = Les Daniels|title = Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics|publisher = [[Abrams Books|Harry N. Abrams]]|year = 1991|location= New York, New York|page = 128|isbn = 978-0-81093-821-2}}</ref> Kirby continued to expand the medium's boundaries, devising photo-collage covers and interiors, developing new drawing techniques such as the method for depicting energy fields now known as "[[Kirby Krackle]]", and other experiments.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Foley |first=Shane |url=http://www.twomorrows.com/kirby/articles/33krackle.html |title=Kracklin' Kirby: Tracing the advent of Kirby Krackle |journal=The Jack Kirby Collector |issue=33 |date=November 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130183009/http://twomorrows.com/kirby/articles/33krackle.html |archive-date=November 30, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1968 and 1969, Joe Simon was involved in litigation with Marvel Comics over the ownership of Captain America, initiated by Marvel after Simon registered the copyright renewal for Captain America in his own name. According to Simon, Kirby agreed to support the company in the litigation and, as part of a deal Kirby made with publisher Martin Goodman, signed over to Marvel any rights he might have had to the character.<ref>Simon, p. 205</ref>

At the same time, Kirby grew increasingly dissatisfied with working at Marvel, for reasons Kirby biographer Mark Evanier has suggested include resentment over Lee's media prominence, a lack of full creative control, anger over breaches of perceived promises by publisher Martin Goodman, and frustration over Marvel's failure to credit him specifically for his story plotting and for his character creations and co-creations.{{sfn|Evanier|2008|pages=126–163}} He began to both write and draw some secondary features for Marvel, such as "The Inhumans" in [[Amazing Adventures#1970 series|''Amazing Adventures'' volume two]],<ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 146: "As Marvel was expanding its line of comics, the company decided to introduce two new 'split' books ... ''Amazing Adventures'' and ''Astonishing Tales''. ''Amazing Adventures'' contained a series about the genetically enhanced Inhumans and a series about intelligence agent the Black Widow."</ref> as well as horror stories for the anthology title ''[[Chamber of Darkness]],'' and received full credit for doing so; but in 1970, Kirby was presented with a contract that included unfavorable terms such as a prohibition against legal retaliation. When Kirby objected, the management refused to negotiate any contract changes, bluntly dismissing his contribution to Marvel's success since they considered Lee solely responsible.{{sfn|Evanier|2008|page=163}} Kirby, although he was earning $35,000 a year freelancing for the company<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/02/archives/shazam-here-comes-captain-relevant-here-comes-captain-relevant.html?scp=27|title=Shazam! Here Comes Captain Relevant|first=Saul|last=Braun|newspaper=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|date=May 2, 1971|access-date=January 18, 2012|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612114833/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/02/archives/shazam-here-comes-captain-relevant-here-comes-captain-relevant.html?scp=27|url-status=live}}</ref> (adjusted for inflation it was the equivalent of over $271,000 in 2024),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ |title=Inflation Calculator Determines Change in Dollar and Rates over Time |access-date=August 14, 2024 |archive-date=July 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723111922/https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> then left Marvel in 1970 for rival DC Comics, under editorial director [[Carmine Infantino]].{{sfn|Van Lente|Dunlavey|2012|page=115}}