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 TOP TEN KIRBY BLURBS
When the OLD blurbs died, there arose the NEW BLURBS! And now I, Robby Reed, creator of this web page and author of this article, have selected the TOP TEN greatest blurbs from the covers of Kirby's DC Fourth World titles
I'm limiting this list to
Fourth World ONLY, no Demon or Kamandi, etc. -- just
Jimmy Olsen, New Gods, Forever People and Mister Miracle. The blurbs were written and pencil-roughed by Jack Kirby, and most if not all were finished by GASPAR SALADINO (the interior lettering on most of these titles was done by John Costanza). |
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FOREVER PEOPLE #1
February-March 1971
BOOM! In one fell swoop, DC went from "Lois exposes Superman's identity!" to the breakthrough blurb seen on the right. "They belong to sunrise and get up at mid-day?" Dig it, man! Cosmic hippie super heroes! (Below: the blurb and cover pencils by Kirby, rough logo placeholder by Mark Evanier!)
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NEW GODS #2
April-May 1971
In one small yet sinister space, Kirby summarizes his entire Fourth World theme in a single blurb! The planetary name "Apokolips" invokes frightening Biblical imagery of the end of the world, while jagged electrical bolts add a touch of menace.
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MISTER MIRACLE #2
May-June 1971
As a dwarf warns our hero (the super escape artist) he's about to die, we meet a sadistic, freaked-out headmistress named Granny Goodness, and await deadly little things like the "X-Pit." Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!
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JIMMY OLSEN #142
October 1971
The (big) vampire bit! Like we've never seen it before! Is that even possible? Under the reign of King Kirby, ANYTHING is possible! And if you've read the story, you know this blood-sucking little blurb does NOT lie! (Below: the original blurb and cover pencils!)
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JIMMY OLSEN #139
July 1971
Defoliants in my succotash?! Landmines in my lunchbox!? TWO Rickles!?!? What happened to Jimmy becoming a giant turtle-boy? Mommy! Either I've suddenly lost my mind, or this is the whackiest blurb EVER.
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MISTER MIRACLE #3
July-August 1971
Now I'm scared. The PARANOID pill? Buy it but don't SWALLOW it?!?! Yikes, gosh, and holy moley! Talk about pushing the e
nvelope. Toto, HELP! We're so frickin' far from Kansas now, we'll NEVER get back!
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FOREVER PEOPLE #4
August-Sept. 1971
This comic book blurb brazenly declares that the issue's villain (named after the Marquis de Sade) is not only a SADIST, but that he LOVES being a sadist! Envelope pushed (whipped?) to the limit.
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FOREVER PEOPLE #3
June-July 1971
Kirby's dire warning that authority figures can sometimes use value judgments to justify their lethal actions! Number three on our list, this is probably the single most existential comic cover blurb ever written!
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JIMMY OLSEN #141
September 1971
You knew this one was coming, because it beats them ALL! No promise of action, no dramatic question, not even a friendly request. Just one simple order, direct from the KIng: BUY IT!
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NEW GODS #?
The Jack Kirby Collector
The only blurb that could top the previous one is this, the ULTIMATE Kirby Fourth World blurb, from Jack's unpublished original conclusion to his EPIC SAGA FOR OUR TIMES. (Below: KING-size version!)
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THE AMAZING, STUDENDOUS, ASTONISHING, ULTIMATE END! |
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POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW! |
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