Footage of Jack Kirby?

[goldust40]

With Julius Schwartz's passing another comic great has gone. I think it's a shame that there never was a definitive middlebrow comic series about American comics (at least as far as I'm aware - correct me if I'm wrong) from 1935 to now. The comic medium is accessible, but such a series would've been helped by interview footage of so many important writers, artists, editors and publishers that are sadly departed.

 

Speaking of the King himself - the only video footage I've ever seen of Jack Kirby was on an old 75 minute tape called Comic Book Confidential. And that lasted three seconds, with Jack quickly glossed over. It seems to me that Kirby only really got his due from the industry in the last decade of his life, which may explain the lack of film of him.

 

Anyone know of any footage or documentary featuring the man himself?

[Red Hook]

There's a videotape I own entitled "The Masters of Comic Book Art" hosted by Harlan Ellison and produced by Rhino Video that contains a nice segment of the King talking about his work.

 

Also, Will Eisner, Kurtzman, Adams, Wrightson, Moebius, Miller, Sim and Spiegelman are featured. Also, a voice over by Ditko.

 

1987, 60 minutes. and copyright 1989 by Rhino. Rhino Home Video RNVD 1929

[goldust40]

Thanks Redhook - excellent. I assume that video is O/P and only available on NTSC. Sounds like it's worth having just to hear Steve Ditko's voice (I always assumed he talked a bit like Rorschach...only joking).

 

Does this ever turn up on ebay, I wonder.

[Red Hook]

I'll bet everything turns up on Ebay eventually. Is NSTC a format for US viewing only. Educate me son! Educate me!

[goldust40]

I'll bet everything turns up on Ebay eventually. Is NSTC a format for US viewing only. Educate me son! Educate me!

 

NTSC is indeed the video format for the U.S.A. only. In the U.K. we have Pal, which is a slightly different format (rather than DVD's regions, which are differently programmed, and can easily be "adjusted").

 

You can buy NTSC VCRs in the U.K., but they've become understandably harder to find with the onslaught of DVD.

[Ze-man]

I agree with you that it would be nice for some one to do a definitive documentary on Comics

 

Perhaps Ken Burns can turn his vast pool of resources towards comics, and do a series for PBS

 

I am mainly a Silver age fan ( due to my age I guess , 38 )

And I am just fascinated by how many titles, comics, heros, and stories were created over barely a 10 year period, that is still being tapped into even today..(amhemmm.. such as every hollywood movie made today)

 

I would love to hear from all the survivng cast of the ol Marvel Bullpen talk about the good ol days, before its to late to get the stories first hand from them directly.

 

I dont know if you all have the new "Looney Toons" DVD that just came out, but it has countless hours of behind the scene specials, documentries, and step by step breakdowns of dozens of all the famous artists, producers etc.. of the Glory days of Wraner Bros.

 

As a fan I would jump at a chance to buy something like this done about comics evolution ,and pioneers of each era of comics, and how it changed pop culture as we know it.

 

 

[Red Hook]

The other thing to note, is that there are a shinking number of silver age pros still around who were instrumental in the creation of comic books as we know them.......It would be nice to envision a kind of Library of Congress project to get as much raw documentation on video and worry about editing it later.

 

Weren't there projects like that done with folk music and the blues?

 

Get guys like Stan Lee (although he's probably as ubiquitous as anyone), Sinnott, Ayers (you'll miss him when he's gone!), Lieber (Stan's brother), etc. Romita, etc. Heck.

 

Look at who we've lost recently, Buscema, Schwartz, Gil Kane.

 

I once took an illustration course with Burne Hogarth when I attended Parsons School of Design in the mid 70's. That was an experience I'll never forget!

 

And Gil Kane was one of the most articulate men ever in the biz. His interviews are so great to read.

[Galactus]

Andy, near enough any VCR you buy nowadays (with the exception of the budget supermarket ones) will play NTSC. A few years ago you had to pay through the nose for one of these VCR's but with the onslaught of DVD players the VCR market has loaded even the cheaper models with as many features as they can.

[goldust40]

Thanks for the heads up, Galactus. Huzzah! The video shall be mine!!

[Galactus]

May i suggest a Sony/Panasonic VCR, for around £130 you now get Super VHS (better than standard VHS quality) as well as PDC & Nicam stereo sound as well as lots of other features

[goldust40]

May i suggest a Sony/Panasonic VCR, for around £130 you now get Super VHS (better than standard VHS quality) as well as PDC & Nicam stereo sound as well as lots of other features

 

Sounds v. affordable. That'll be the ticket!