DINGBATS, DIVORCES, AND SOUL LOVE...

Copyright TWO MORROWS PUBLISHING and DC COMICS

Another book that arrived at Castel Crivens yesterday is the above one - Jack Kirby's Dingbat Love, by TwoMorrows Publishing in cooperation with DC Comics.  I meant to order it when it was first announced as being in production a couple or so years back, but you know how life has a habit of getting in the way of one's plans.  Then recently I was reminded of it when I saw it on Rip Jagger's Dojo, so wasted no time in buying myself a copy.

Rather than me witter in about it in my typical longwinded way, below is the official spiel on the back cover - though I suspect diehard Kirby fans will already know its contents having already bought theirs.  A nice touch inside is what Soul Love #1 could've looked like had it been published - well, it has now.  It was also available as a separate magazine in limited numbers, but I only learned that on Rip's blog and my chances of obtaining one are probably zilch.

Kirby's dialogue is clunkier than a thrupenny bit (or pound coin nowadays), but his art (for the most part) is top notch - though there's one panel with a guy resting books on his head, which looks like the top has been sawn off.  The Dingbats Of Danger Street is another proposition entirely; not exactly what you'd call bad, art-wise, but not Kirby at the top of his game.

What with my original issues, Kirby Omnibus volumes, and now this, I think it's safe for me to say that I now have everything that Jack Kirby did for DC during his '70s run.  Well done me! 

Below is an Alex Ross illustration based on JK's layout for the proposed cover of Soul Love #1.  I don't know why (and nothing to do with Ross's art), but it just doesn't have a 1971 'look' to it for some reason.

Look at the panel below.  It really astounds me that Jack couldn't see what was wrong with it in regard to the 'head meets books' department.  It leaps off the page at me, so why not him?

Posted in: Cartoons