Kyle, who commissioned this gem, is one of the important figures in early fandom. He coined the term "graphic novel" in the 60's, published an early zine dedicated to the advancement of the medium with Graphic Story World and co-owned one of the first comics specialty shops. I believe those few issues of Argosy he published all had Steranko painted covers.
This reminds me of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America with Robert Deniro playing Noodles. They lived in a cold water flat down in the LES (Lower East Side), and there were community bathrooms. It was the same era as Once Upon a Time. He was born around the same time as Frank Sinatra and JFK when all the WW2 vets were born. I heard growing up down there you were in a fight every day.
Something I really like about Kirby is how he does his stories with a level of sincerity that you don't see in quite the same way from a lot of other artists. He puts himself, his attitude, his life into his drawings and it really shows. That's how you know you have something really special and unique. The art comes from his gut.
Bingo. Jack, maybe more than any comic creator I've seen, had what Bruce Lee called "emotional content." Whatever he was feeling just flowed through his pencil onto the page. You've probably heard from people who watched him that he would just start drawing-no sketching, warm-up, layouts-like he had a lightboard in his head and was tracing what was already there. Well, those images, along with the words, came from a very colorful and hard-lived life mixed with whatever thoughts and emotions he was having as he set them down; so spontaneously he sometimes couldn’t recall what he originally planned to do. Pretty amazing.
A brilliant picture into the past by an artist that makes it a living, breathing thing. And side note -- my first apartment in nyc had the bathtub in the kitchen and the toilet on the landing!
Ditto to what Russ Works said below about Richard Kyle. He's viewed as one of the founders of comics fandom, and when Comic-Con invited a small group of guests in 2010, including Roy Thomas, Maggie Thompson, Dick and Pat Lupoff, and Mrs. Jerry Bails, Kyle was also invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of fandom, .He brought a high level of critical evaluation to comics (along with John Benson), and also was one of the first to import European-style comic albums to the states for his mail-order business and his store (I think it was in Long Beach, CA). So yeah, he was a fan ... but he was much more than that. He published an excellent, high-quality fanzine called Graphic Story Magazine, which became WonderWorld. They pop up on eBay often, and they're great. As for Kirby .... I read somewhere once that he never did layouts, just started drawing in the upper left corner of a blank page and worked his way down. I don't know if it was true or not, but he evidently had total control over what his mind saw and what his pencil drew. If it is true, that makes that 2-page spread in Street Code all the more amazing.
I have the Streetwise book, and guess what I bought this just for, that’s right it was for the Kirby’s Street Code. Thanks for sharing with anyone who doesn’t know about this.
I had two feelings when I first read this story in Streetwise: 1) best thing the King's ever done, and 2) why the FUCK hasn’t he done more of this, lol? His Losers run are the best war comics (a genre I never much cared for) I've ever read because he mixed in so many of his wartime experiences and impressions, but, man, if he'd been commissioned to document what REALLY happened? That brief chunk of his life, along with his childhood, are what informed all his storytelling till the day he died. You wanna know what made Jack Kirby Jack Kirby? Read “Street Code.”
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Kyle, who commissioned this gem, is one of the important figures in early fandom. He coined the term "graphic novel" in the 60's, published an early zine dedicated to the advancement of the medium with Graphic Story World and co-owned one of the first comics specialty shops. I believe those few issues of Argosy he published all had Steranko painted covers.
If only we could have gotten more of that from Kirby. Breaks my heart
Same ,so much potential stifled by the higher up's
This reminds me of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America with Robert Deniro playing Noodles. They lived in a cold water flat down in the LES (Lower East Side), and there were community bathrooms. It was the same era as Once Upon a Time. He was born around the same time as Frank Sinatra and JFK when all the WW2 vets were born. I heard growing up down there you were in a fight every day.
Something I really like about Kirby is how he does his stories with a level of sincerity that you don't see in quite the same way from a lot of other artists. He puts himself, his attitude, his life into his drawings and it really shows. That's how you know you have something really special and unique. The art comes from his gut.
Bingo. Jack, maybe more than any comic creator I've seen, had what Bruce Lee called "emotional content." Whatever he was feeling just flowed through his pencil onto the page. You've probably heard from people who watched him that he would just start drawing-no sketching, warm-up, layouts-like he had a lightboard in his head and was tracing what was already there. Well, those images, along with the words, came from a very colorful and hard-lived life mixed with whatever thoughts and emotions he was having as he set them down; so spontaneously he sometimes couldn’t recall what he originally planned to do. Pretty amazing.
I guess I better get crackin' on a story about how I used to design and build houses for my Star Wars figures. :D
A fan commissioned this wow that's amazing ! What a legend.
A brilliant picture into the past by an artist that makes it a living, breathing thing. And side note -- my first apartment in nyc had the bathtub in the kitchen and the toilet on the landing!
Thanks guys for sharing gold. This actually made me sad there isnt more.
I’d love to see you guys do an autobio comic as well! This was great guys Thanks!
Ditto to what Russ Works said below about Richard Kyle. He's viewed as one of the founders of comics fandom, and when Comic-Con invited a small group of guests in 2010, including Roy Thomas, Maggie Thompson, Dick and Pat Lupoff, and Mrs. Jerry Bails, Kyle was also invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of fandom, .He brought a high level of critical evaluation to comics (along with John Benson), and also was one of the first to import European-style comic albums to the states for his mail-order business and his store (I think it was in Long Beach, CA). So yeah, he was a fan ... but he was much more than that. He published an excellent, high-quality fanzine called Graphic Story Magazine, which became WonderWorld. They pop up on eBay often, and they're great.
As for Kirby .... I read somewhere once that he never did layouts, just started drawing in the upper left corner of a blank page and worked his way down. I don't know if it was true or not, but he evidently had total control over what his mind saw and what his pencil drew. If it is true, that makes that 2-page spread in Street Code all the more amazing.
I have the Streetwise book, and guess what I bought this just for, that’s right it was for the Kirby’s Street Code. Thanks for sharing with anyone who doesn’t know about this.
That was incredible to see. Totally with you on wishing someone had him do more of this and that creators now should do more auto-bio.
Reminds me of the Warriors and Gangs of NY too. Great comic.
I read this when it was first published in Argosy. It holds up to many re-readings!
Awesome view! Every episode I watch you guys inspire me to start drawing again!
This was just amazing
Great episode.
That spread is the loudest drawing I've ever seen!
Jack Kirby is Bad ass
I had two feelings when I first read this story in Streetwise: 1) best thing the King's ever done, and 2) why the FUCK hasn’t he done more of this, lol? His Losers run are the best war comics (a genre I never much cared for) I've ever read because he mixed in so many of his wartime experiences and impressions, but, man, if he'd been commissioned to document what REALLY happened? That brief chunk of his life, along with his childhood, are what informed all his storytelling till the day he died. You wanna know what made Jack Kirby Jack Kirby? Read “Street Code.”
Ed & Jim.. .what are the chances we are going to get your 8 page auto bio comic about your life when you were 10-12 years old?
Long live the king.
Fantastic! Check out the Kirby100 tribute book if you want to see that two-page spread inked by Bill Sienkiewicz.
Kirby was bout dat life
Is there anywhere we can find a print version for sale? This is the Kirby story I've been dreaming of all my life.
Yeah, you guys completely dropped the ball on Richard Kyle.
www.tcj.com/richard-kyle-in-retrospect/
weird to see cursing in a Kirby comic