To Erik Larsen, age ain’t nothin’ but a number:
I just turned 44.
Now, that isn’t, for most, a monumental occasion. It’s not as though turning 44 stands out for most folks – it isn’t a nice round number like a 40 or 50. People don’t dread turning 44 or look forward to turning 44 – to most people turning 44 is pretty much the same as turning any other age.
But I’m not like that… [44 was t]he age Jack Kirby was when he started illustrating the world’s greatest comic magazine – “The Fantastic Four.”
What I find particularly remarkable about that is that Jack, at age 44, still hadn’t settled into what would become his eventual style! There were no squiggles or square fingers of crackling Kirby dots to signify everything from energy to water. Kirby’s buildings were relatively normal – the crazy random shadows were nowhere to be seen and numerous other details that we’ve come to associate with the king of comics were still waiting to be utilized. And it was several years before he found and utilized many of those things.
At age 44, Jack, along with writer Stan Lee, began populating a universe with colorful characters and he didn’t really hit stride until he was nearly 50!
There’s hope for me yet!
December 19th, 2006 at 8:32 am
Does anyone else think Graeme was hoping to start a fight between the Larsen blog entry and the PAD blog entry by putting them right next to each other? Playing with fire, Graeme, playing with fire.
In all seriousness, to be 44 and in charge of Image (insert joke here if you want) is not too shabby.
December 19th, 2006 at 8:33 am
And I’m embarassed to say, I just noticed the Douglas Adams joke.