Saturday, August 08, 2015

Pr: Kirby exhibition hype!

(Off topic, but posted for a good friend of mine.)

Hello, this is Charles Hatfield, the author of Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby. I've got news! I'm curating an exhibition, Comic Book Apocalypse: The Graphic World of Jack Kirby, at my school, California State University, Northridge (here in Los Angeles). This exhibition opens in two weeks, on August 24, and will be up through October 10.

Putting together this show has been the thrill of a lifetime! Comic Book Apocalypse will consist of about 100 pieces of original art by Kirby, alongside dozens of his published comics. I believe this will be the largest gallery exhibition of Kirby art ever held in the US, and it will certainly be the first held at a university and integrated with the work of students and teachers. (All of my classes will be coming to the show and doing work based on it.)

The show focuses on Kirby's art from 1965 on but also includes examples of earlier work from the 1940s and 50s. Featured will be Kirby covers, spreads, panel pages, unpublished drawings, and several of his trademark collages. Two complete stories will be exhibited, as well as examples from many, many others.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a deluxe catalog published by IDW and incorporating twenty essays by artists, storytellers, and scholars. From The Fantastic Four to The New Gods to Kamandi, from the Marvel Universe to Kirby's Fourth World and beyond, this exhibition and catalog will capture Kirby at the peak of his invention and daring.

You are invited to our grand opening reception on Saturday, August 29, from 4 to 7pm! Also, we are holding a gallery talk on Monday, August 31, at 10am, and a panel discussion on Saturday, September 26, at 1pm. All these events are free and open to the public, and will take place in the Gallery, in the midst of all that Kirby! Please feel free to attend any and all of them.

You can read about the show at the CSUN Art Galleries website:

I believe this is going to a major event for comics culture in Los Angeles, and I'm eager to spread the word however I can!
Charles Hatfield
California State University

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