Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Review - Part I!

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has a compelling vision of what is artwork and how to bring art to everyone! This is something that I wanted to be a part of when I first heard about the museum. So at the museum’s booth at the L.A. Festival of Books, I decided I wanted to volunteer, and so I’m currently a museum volunteer. If there is anyone who would also like to volunteer, there is always room for more! This caveat aside, these are my observations and opinions of my visitor volunteer day, and of course not reflective of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. 

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art seen from the Park & Gardens, photo by the author. 

This being stated, there is one reaction that I’ve heard including my guests from the day, that there is so much in the museum that you have to make another visit. The other one is how to get tickets. The best way that I found is to sign up for membership. Check out for more info: https://lucasmuseum.org/ The museum opens on September 22nd. The building itself is a wonder, designed by Ma Yansong, it looks like a spaceship landed in Exposition Park! The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is made of curves and not blocky like other museums. 

The museum’s location is across the street from the Natural History Museum and also across from the USC campus. The gardens are open to the public, but close at normal operating hours. After driving into the parking garage or walking up, you scan your tickets and get wristbands. 

This leds you the plaza that shows you the Ocolus, the rounded feature that shows the sky, in the center of the museum! This can go to the south end building that has suspended from the ceiling, a N-1 Naboo Starfighter complete with R2-D2! Elevators are controlled by operators using keypads. It has the library which has a giant window that has beautiful views of the garden. There are several tables, chairs, and rows of books that continues to a second and third level! 

The full size Naboo N-1 starfighter seen from the second floor, author’s photo. 

Walk across the plaza to the north building. This has the gift store to the left, cafe and Starbucks to the right. Past the gift store is the checkroom, restrooms, and a little beyond it is the history of narrative art: Heroes, Myths, The Sacred. I highly recommend this gallery to start your visit. A hallway has a rounded cave projection of Altamira Cave in Spain with prehistoric drawings and the ceiling has a reproduction of a nebula! This also leads to projections of the Sistine Chapel. The projections also representing artwork, are high quality, you can look closely to see weaves of tapestry and the gloss of paint in artwork! There was the Venus of Willendorf,  a reproduction of the Sun Stone from the Aztec people, and I was stunned to see a reproduction of the Capitoline She-Wolf with infant Romulus and Remus! 

All cultures flow throughout the exhibit, the wood block reproduction of Tomoe Gozen’s Departure, and my favorite, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Dance at the Moulin de la Galette, also a reproduction, but captures the vibrant color, life, and what sunts me is that it is static painting of course, but the figures move, dancing, talking, sunlight streams from the trees! From there is the glass elevator, operated by staff with their computer pads, it is a fast trip up to the fourth floor with the galleries. The Cinema gallery is a highlight with the inaugral exhibiton of Star Wars in Motion. This is located to the left of the elevators, down a hall, and another left before the Oculus. On the walls outside are long paintings by Ralph McQuarrie, Doug Chiang, Ryan Church, and others. 

Anakin’s Podracer, the Y-Wing column and Sandtrooper are in the background,  \photo by the author. 

Inside the entrance you are greeted by C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) flanked by the McQuarrie concept painting and the Erik Tiemens painting of Obi-Wan handing baby Luke to Owen Lars, the beginning and the end of the Star Wars Saga. I’m still with George Lucas Canon and the gallery reflects the Original and Sequel Trilogy. Across from them is Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) in the speeder chasing bounty hunter, Zam Wassel (Leeanna Walkman), in her airspeeder. What I find most impressive is that the figures have the likenesses of the actors. The featureless mannequin heads really take me out of the film’s scenes. Next to the droids is the Podracer of Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). 

The long room ends with models of Podracers and behind them is the blur of the Tatooine desert, this is what gives these props and models motion, now this is Podracing! Embedded in a column is a Y-Wing model with Yavin, half in darkness, wow. At the end is the costume of Darth Vader (Dave Prowse), next to Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch), and then Jabba’s Sail Barge and skiff models with figures against the McQuarrie Return of the Jedi (1983) painting. Finally, a Sandtrooper guards the display with his blaster. The hall has the X-34 landspeeder with a figure of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). A Sand People family stands by him and also a Jawa with a model of a Sandcrawler. They are backed by a McQuarrie concept painting overlooking Mos Eisley.

Leia’s speeder bike with Ralph McQuarrie painting showing Luke on his speeder bike, author’s photo. 

At the corner of the hall is Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in her Star Wars (1977) white dress. A cloud car model banks next to a McQuarrie Cloud City painting. Lastly, a model of the Millennium Falcon. A display wall has models of a crashed AT-AT walker, scout walker, farther down is the clone assault tank and batle droid Multi-Troop Transport. The motion part of the exhibit is best seen with the speeder bike chase with props of Leia on her speeder bike, the McQuarrie painting has Luke in his speeder, and behind them is the scout trooper on his bike! Towards the exit there is a section with the Jedi Master costume of Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Owen Lars’ swoop bike. 

Against a backdrop of clone troopers on Utapau is the costume of Darth Maul (Ray Park), and the stunning Wheel Bike with General Grievous! I thought it was a computer generated creation, but s I understand made for the museum, so you can see it in person! Another impressive gallery is Children Stories. It features a display of the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) costume from the classic Wizard of Oz (1939). There are artists like Alphonse Mucha and his painting The Jester: A Hungarian Tale (1887), Andy Warhol’s Howdy Doody (1981), and Robin Hood and Little John (1937) by N.C. Wyeth. So this painting by Wyeth is separate from the gallery devoted to Wyeth’s works. So artists may be found in multiple galleries!

Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat by Naoyo Kimura, author’s photo. 

Then, some iconic illustrations, a 1864 illustration by John Tenniel from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, John R. Neill, original artist for Ozma of Oz (1904)!, also E.H. Shepard has several beautiful, Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations. Plus, paintings by Brian Froud and Maurice Sendak, comprehensive! The Wyeth gallery has fantastic paintings for novels; Thor’s Wonderful Journey (1940) and The Boy’s King Arthur (1917) which has two knights with lances held upwards, three maidens follow on horseback and two swans swim alongside them! The Manga gallery, next to the Oculus, has a statue of Kaneda from Akira in red jumpsuit drawing a gun. 

There are several paintings by Masamune Shirow, illustrations attributed to Osamu Tezuka, and the highlight is Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat by Naoyo Kimura based on Van Gogh’s 1887 painting! Close by was the elevator to the fifth floor with the Murals. I love Giants (2017) by JR which has an infant girl, almost ghostly, towering over a long fence with a tiny guard on the other side. A number of works by Banksy are in that gallery; a “Working maquette for flag statue” (2026) and Girl with Balloon (2002), it looks pulled from a wall with the b&w girl reaching for a red, heart-shaped balloon. There is just so much to take in at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, there will be a part II with the Comic fallery, Fantasy, Frank Frazetta, Science Fiction, and the Garden!   

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Re:tro Re:view - Star Trek: The Experience!

 It is the 60th anniversary of Star Trek and an occasion to look back at Star Trek: The Experience! The earliest Star Trek attraction was Star Trek Adventure that was a live action show that began in 1988. It featured ten audience members to dress in Starfleet uniforms! and recreate dialogue from the Original Series. This went until 1994. The Universal Studios Orlando version started in 1991 to 1996. Last year was Star Trek: Red Alert, an experience that was at Universal Studios Fan Fest. It is tour through the Next Generation Enterprise-D now decommissioned at the Starfleet Museum. Your tour takes you all over the ship and involves an entity that endangers the tour! 

Model of the Enterprise-D above Star Trek: The Experience, 2007, author’s photo.  

So set the time index to 2007, Las Vegas Hilton (now called Westgate Las Vegas), the time that I had visited Star Trek: The Experience. It had opened in 1998, two years after Star Trek Adventure closed in Orlando. It was about the time of Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and four years after the cancellation of Star Trek: The Next Generation. There was a nice signage to the side of the hotel and the front entrance of the Las Vegas Hilton featured Star Trek: The Experience, I was drawn by the sign so entered the side entrance and it was just a regular hotel. 

So the front of the experience is impressive, it was two large alien statues, but they were replaced by Borg boxes in 2004 so you could be Borgified! Above the experience’s signage was giant models; the Voyager, the Enterprise-A from the films, Enterprise-D, and also a Klingon Bird of Prey. They were all lit up and ready to fly! Once you enter, there is a path around The History of the Future Museum. It had the Phoenix model and costume of Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell) from Star Trek: First Contact (1996). Then, the duty uniform of Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) from Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005). 

Then, uniforms of Captain Kirk (William Shatner), he had a Tribble tucked in at his side, and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) from the original Star Trek (1966-1969). Next to the Acolyte’s Robe of Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was a tricorder and phaser type 2. A display had the command uniform of Captain Janeaway played by Kate Mulgrew, the medical uniform of Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), and the green dress and hat of Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg). Then, a display case of different models of phaser rifles and phasers. This ended with the Mark IV proton torpedo that carried Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982).   

The Acolyte Robe of Spock at the History of the Future Museum, photo by the author. 

A display had the make-up heads of a Suliban, Andorian (kinda creepy with the headless costumes), and then a pile of Tribbles next to the head and costumes of a Ferengi. Then, costumes of the original Klingon, red dresses and uniforms of Klingon women next to a command chair. Next, was costumes of two Borg and the detached head of the Borg Queen. The first attraction was the Klingon Encounter. You move from a room showing scenes from the films into a curved transporter room. The lights go out and whoosh! blasts of air, my shirt was flung over my head!  

You find a Starfleet officer in Engineering uniform meet you, she says you are “ten million miles from Earth” and now in the future of 2371! I went to a few attractions at Las Vegas, everyone buys into their character on them. Another officer in red command uniform leads you through the doors towards the bridge. The panels are bright, silvery, but it is great to walk through the corridors. The best part of course is walking into the bridge and told to only stay in the back. You could take a photo op in the captain’s chair. Various crew members are at the consoles. 

Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) calls in, there is a video of Riker in the cargo bay, he calls for a red alert. He explains that you were abducted by Klingons commanded by Captain Korath and transported you through a temporal rift. Lt. Geordi brings him a data pad and says you were intercepted by the Enterprise. Riker continues that Captain Picard was in his chair, but was gone when you appeared. Korath’s plan was to kidnap an ancestor of Jean-Luc Picard! Korath (Vaughn Armstrong) appears and wants Picard’s ancestor. Riker cuts him off, takes the Enterprise into a nebula, and puts you into a transport shuttle. You are taken into a turbolift, Riker is heard, and the Klingons attack so it is a bumpy ride! The turbolift hurtles down, but everything is settled, and Riker checks in on the group. 

Klingon uniform and weapons, author’s photo. 

Another officer appears and leads you down a dark corridor with the power out. This leads to Airlock 1, a large door opens with lines on the floor. You enter the large, Class III shuttle, the Goddard, a simulator ride with Lt. Geordi piloting the Valiant. You leave the Enterprise and are under fire by Klingon Bird-Of-Preys! Computer graphics which were not bad, a little better than game graphics at the time. One Bird-Of-Prey is destroyed by the Enterprise! Geordi heads to the rift with the Goddard behind him. You hit Warp Six and then take cover in the rings of a planet. A surreal watery environment, the pilot reports there are Kruellen Diazon, space whales? 

Then, you enter a chase through a techno-planet! The Goddard’s pilot destroys a Bird-Of-Prey and saves Geordi! A cloaking generator has hidden the temporal rift, both shuttles open fire on the generator! The rift appears and you enter it to return to the night skies above the Excalibur and MGM hotels! The Klingons have followed you and it is the Battle of Las Vegas. Korath captures you in a tractor beam! Then, the Enterprise appears to destroy Korath. You hear the voice of Picard (Patrick Stewart) thanking you as the shuttle returns to Deep Space Nine. This is next to the entrance of Star Trek The Experience with Quark’s Bar and Restaurant. Star Trek: The Experience was pure Star Trek fun, just walking the bridge with a great story tying in one of the guests to Picard, and the participation of the actors in the show! 

#StarTrek, 60thAnniversary, #StarTrekAdventure, #StarTrekRedAlert, #UniversalStudiosFanFest, #StarTrekTheExperience, #LasVegasHilton, #HistoryOfTheFutureMuseum, #JamesCromwell, #StarTrekFirstContact, #ScottBakula, #StarTrekEnterprise, #WilliamShatner, #NichelleNichols, #LeonardNimoy, #StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome, #KateMulgrew, #GateMcFadden, #WhoopiGoldberg, #KlingonEncounter, #JonathanFrakes, #LeVarBurton, #PatrickStewart, #VaughnArmstrong    

Re:tro Re:view - Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors!

Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors answers the question: What if Marvel films featured a team of young heroes and were actually fun?! In 2018, Marvel Rising #0, which had the first meeting of Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel, was available for free. This comic was by Devin Grayson and Marco Failla setting up the characters that would be in the Marvel Rising. Next were a series of shorts, Marvel Rising: Initiation before the film that aired on Disney Channel. The Marvel Animation project included a series of animation specials and comic books. Gwen Stacy, Ghost-Spider, played by Dove Cameron was introduced in the animation shorts. She appeared in the special, Chasing Ghosts (2019). Ironheart, Riri Williams, appeared in Heart of Iron (2019). She was voiced by Sofia Wylie. Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors is directed by Alfred Gimeno and written by Maighred Scott. It currently streams on Disney+.  

Secret Warriors debuted as a team in Secret Invasion #3 (2008). It is night in a quiet suburban neighborhood, a rustle in the bushes, as a shadowy person with a long scarf sneaks over to a house. At an open window, Ms. Marvel, trips over some covers and stumbles into bed! Her cat lamp crashes to the floor and Ms. Marvel cringes saying, “Don’t wake up.” She is voiced by Kathreen Khavari. The character was introduced anonlymously in Captain Marvel #14 (2013) and became Ms. Marvel in All-New Marvel NOW! Point One #1.NOW (2014). Imani Vellani played Kamala Khan in the live action Ms. Marvel series (2022). The door to her room. It is morning and she is startled awake by her alarm.Kamala smashes the clock with her stretched arm as she wakes up still in costume. She hears the vaccum of her mother and then releases she is still in superhero uniform! 

Kamala quickly hides under her covers. Her mother, Kamala calls her Ammi (Meera Rohit Kumbhani) wants her up at 6 a.m. She has on a pink hajib and glasses. Ammi starts cleaning up her Captain Crunchy statue! Kamala says it is a limited edition Captain Marvel statue. She slips away her uniform in her backpack and then slips out of the room saying she just wants to hear she has done something right. Ammi is shocked she is wearing her pajamas outside. Kamala has changed into her regular clothes, colors like her uniform, as walks into Coles Academic High School. The students are following the teacher’s lecture about the New Deal, Kamala has her book up, and then falls on her desk with a loud snore! Her book falls and Kamala jumps up saluting Captain America! The class laughs at her. Kamala has her head down and then walks over to a wall. 

She hears a girl being bullied by two boys for being Inhuman. Now in Ms. Marvel uniform, tih rips and tears all over from her night battle, Kamala calls out the bullies. She enlarges her fist, but misses the bullies, and smashes her teacher’s car! The girl thanks Kamala. She runs down the street and then looks up at an alien ship. Kamala’s hero, Captain Marvel, flies into battle. We hear a part of the song, “Watch Me Rise” by Shair Short with Photronique. She takes video of Captain Marvel and says that Doreen wouldn’t believe she saw her hero. This pans back from the cell phone video in a park with Doreen Green, aka Squirrel Girl. The introduction of Squirrel Girl was in the anthology comic, Marvel Super-Heroes #8 (1992). She was created by Will Muray and Steve Ditko. 

W.E.B. profiles at Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, 2022, author’s photo.

Yes, the co-creator of Spider-Man created his last Marvel Comics hero with Squirrel Girl! Besides that connection, the live action show that was cancelled before airing, New Warriors, had Squirrel Girl played by Milana Vayntrub who voices her here! Doreen Green was one of the engineers of the WEB (Worldwide Engineering Brigade) in the Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure attraction at Disney’s California Adventure. Squirrel Girl is unbeatable! Their chat is interrupted by the whistle of the squirrel, Tippy-Toe, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. Tippy-Toe is one of the squirrels that partner with Squirrel Girl and wears a yellow ribbon. She first appeared in G.L.A. #4 (2005). Under the watchful eye of Tippy-Toe, the duo begin exercises, I like the two heroes training at the park. 

Doreen shows her fellow hero, the cellphone pic of themselves in uniform. Their conversation turns to the random Terrigen Mist that gave Ms. Marvel her stretching powers. This is the heart of the show, two girl heroes becoming super heroes. Tippy-Toe walks away with a chestunut. Squirrel Girl says that people don’t like Inhumans. Kamala says that she wants to show a different side to Inhumans transformed by the Terrigen Mists which was from the detonation of the Terrigen Bomb in Infinity #4 (2013). Then, they hear a cry for help and a hot dog vendor points out a thief running away. Kamala leaps up shrinking into her clothes and then flies out as Ms. Marvel!  Dorren tears apart her outfit to reveal her Squirrel Girl costume! S.G. as Kamala, who she calls Double-M, calls her gives out a temporary battle cry, “Let’s get nuts!” Very funny! 

As they are running in pursuit, Kamala asks her best friend if it is expensive ripping apart her clothes. Doreen answers her clothes have snaps, an idea from Tippey-Toe! The guy in the hoodie with glasses runs, he is Dante Pertuz (Tyler Posey) who debuted in Inhuman #1 (2014) created by Charles Soule and Joe Madureira. Ms. Marvel closes in on him in embiggen form, statue-tall with giant hands. Squirrel Girl is on her back shouting for him to stop. Ms. Marvel stumbles and crashes to the ground. Squirrel Girl leaps into action! Doreen leaps into the trees and then drops down in front of Dante. He falls back and there is another hilarious line from Squirrel Girl, “Guy covered in squirrels says what?” 

Squirrels including Tippy-Toe swarm Dante and he ends up falling down a hill to a dirt path to a tunnel! Dante startes to run when Ms. Marvel’s arm wraps around him and Dante falls again. Ms. Marvel tries to work out a catchphrase and make a citizen’s arrest. Dante admits he stole a hot dog! This makes me think of Jean Valjean from Les Miserables, who is jailed for life for stealing a loaf of bread. Dante warns them and Kamala calms down the situation. Closeup on her eyes and stern face, very cinematic. Dante is about to say something, but pauses and unleashes a blast of fire!, his superhero name is Inferno. Ms. Marvel pulls back S.G. who is angry that her tail is singed! Squirrel Girl charges after Dante, whose powers fade, until he finally sends out another flame blast! 

Double-M is in the way of the blast, but a man in a silver suit steps in the way of the torrent of flame! After the flames, he says his name is Viktor Kohl, voiced by BooBoo Stewart. He played Warpath in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Viktor faces Dante who flames his hands. Viktor forms a black-purple blade and shield. Their face-off ends with Viktor knocked back. He rushes Dante again who uses his flames to cut through a tree. Ms. Marvel’s stretching arms saves him. More flames from Dante same result with Ms. Marvel and Viktor. Squirrel Girl charges him and his flame blast hurtles S.G. back! Dante tries to apologize and then runs off to the forest. Viktor revives and asks about Dante. Kamala realizes that Viktor was searching for Dante. He says, “It’s Inhuman business.” Viktor says he was tracking Dante for weeks and says he burned down his house in Illinois. This happened during a battle in Inhuman #1. 

A S.H.I.E.L.D. flying car hovers above them, puts a spotlight on the group, and then enhanced-incident area.” It lands and Viktor watns Mrs. Marvel to leave, she refuses so he descends in a portal from what looks like the Darkforce dimension. Weapons and portals can be formed from them so Viktor is suspect! Daisy Johnson shows them her i.d. was a character created by Brian Michael Bendis and Gabriele Dell’Otto. This was in her debut in Secret War #2 (2004). In 2008, she joined the Secret Warriors. She featured in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020) portrayed by Chloe Bennet. Daisy was known as Skye and learns that her name is Daisy Johnson. Along with her is the junior agent, The Patriot, voiced by Kamil McFadden, he was in the Disney series, K.C. Undercover as Emie CooperRayshaun Lucas was the third version of the character., he was introduced in Captain America: Sam Wilson #18 (2017). Rayshaun’s shield can transform into a hoverboard!  

The earlier version of Patriot, was Eli Bradley, who first appeared in Young Avengers #1 (2005). He appeared in episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) played by Elijah Richardson. Doreen fan girls over Patriot whom she says is Captain America’s sidekick! She tries to explain what happened which brings two Inhumans to the incident. Daisy explains that it is a pattern with Inhumans disappearing after the events. Doreen and Kamala says they can team up to find Dante, but this is rejected by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.  Doreen asks if they have powers. As Daisny pilots the black, flying car away, Rayshaun mentions Daisy’s quake gauntlets. 

The duo are left alone, but Tippy gives an inspiring speech about Captain Marvel never giving up. They walk away as a motorcyle passes them. The rider is America Chavez, later voiced by Cierra Ramirez, she starred in the teen drama,  The Secret Life of the American Teenager. This is to the theme song, “Born Ready” sung by Dove Cameron. The character first appeared in Vengeance #1 (2011). America Chavez was played by Sochitl Gomez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors has the chance to give the Marvel Cinematic Universe a fresh, young team made up of heroes across the Marvel films and television that could be its own series or movies! 

Five+ Hot Dogs out of Five! 

#MarvelRisingSecretWarriors, #AlfredGimeno, #MaighredScott, #MarvelRising, #DevinGrayson, #MarcoFailla, #MarvelRisingInitiation, #GhostSpider, #DoveCameron, #ChasingGhosts, #Ironheart, #HeartOfIron, #MsMarvel, #KathreenKhavari, #SquirrelGirl, #MilanaVyntrub, #TylerPosey, #BooBooStewart, #ChloeBennett, #KamilMcFadden, #CierraRamirez.  

Happy Birthday Jack Kirby!

Happy Birthday to the King of Comics! The best way to celebrate Jack Kirby’s birthday is to buy comics! There are currently facsimile edition, reprints that copy the style of the original comics, of Fantastic Four. This covers Fantastic Four #1, #4 the introduction of Sub-Mariner to the FF, #5 first appearance of Doctor Doom, and #48, “The Coming of Galactus!”There is also trade paperbacks, omnibus’, and maybe find that rare back issue! Also, watch (again) Fantastic Four: First Steps! To understand how comic books, superhero comics, the work and its appeal, you have to understand Jack Kirby. His extreme poses and action exploding out of the panels are the language of superhero comic books today. 

Jack Kirby’s U.S. Army uniform, Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity, Skirball Cultural Center, author’s photo. 

The King of Comics, started as an in-betweener at the Fleischer Studios working in animation. Then, he started work at the Eisner & Iger studio creating artwork working in many genres for Wild Boy Magazine. Kirby moved to Fox Feature Syndicate working with writer Joe Simon on the Blue Beetle comic strip. The duo worked together on Captain Marvel Adventures #1 (1941) for Fawcett Comics. They joined Timely Comics, which later became Marvel Comics, and created Captain America Comics #1 (1941). It sold out and became an iconic character for Timely/Marvel. Captain America was the subject of a movie serial in 1944, some movies in 1979 and  a film in 1990. 

Cap entered the MCU played by Chris Evans in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).The Simon and Kirby duo created romance comics with Young Romance #1 (1947). Kirby then worked for DC creating the Challengers of the Unknown, a quartet of explorers who survive a jet crash to investigate strange dangers in Showcase #6 (1957). In Challengers of the Unknown #3 (1958), written and drawn by Kirby, the group gets super powers including projecting flame and invisibility. He worked with Stan Lee introducing monsters like Groot in Tales to Astonish #13 (1960). The tree-creature was featured in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 (2023). What launched the Marvel Age of Comics in the Silver Age was Fantastic Four #1 (1961). Jack Kirby and Stan Lee even cameo trying to crash the wedding of Sue Storm and Reed Richards in Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965)! 

Last year, Fantastic Four: First Steps, opened in theaters. It featured Marvel’s First Family, Silver Surfer, and Galactus besides many other cameos! The film is a love letter to Jack Kirby and his work. The creative duo turned a monster into a hero with The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962) who was in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) series. Then, Thor first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962). The God of Thunder's latest solo film is Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Lee and Kirby co-created Ant-Man in Tales to Astonish #35 (1962) with Larry Leiber. Also, the Wasp in Tales to Astonish #44 (1963) with Ernie Hart. Their latest film is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Next, the team co-created Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #39 (1963). 2008's Iron Man started the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Lee and Kirby brought the heroes together in The Avengers #1 (1963). The blockbuster, Avengers: Endgame, featured the characters, and this year will have Avengers: Doomsday! They also created Black Panther in Fantastic Four #52 (1966).  The character was featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). The Lee and Kirby duo created the X-Men and villain Magneto in X-Men #1 (1963). Professor Xavier, leader of the X-Men, had a cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When Kirby went to DC Comics, he created the Fourth World drawing and writing New Gods #1 (1971) and also their nemesis Darkseid, who Kirby introduced in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134 (1970). Darkseid appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021).

Jack Kirby returned to Marvel and wrote and drew Captain America with issue #193 (1976). He also crafted Captain America #200 (1976) which was the also Bicentennial of America! Kirby created The Eternals in The Eternals #1 (1976). Their film was out in 2021. Kirby worked in animation reuniting with Stan Lee on The New Fantastic Four (1978) series. One of the most clever comics Kirby wrote and illustrated What If? #11 (1978) which had Stan Lee as Mr. Fantastic, Flo Steinberg as Invisible Girl, Sol Brodsky as Human Torch, and the character that was mirror to Kirby, The Thing. 

Kirby had some creative titles with Pacific Comics starting with Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1 (1981). The work of Kirby is found in issues of Jack Kirby Quarterly. Jack Kirby was pioneering in comic books, animation, he created film concept art that was used by the CIA seen in Argo (2012). On May 11th, the block of Essex Street renamed a corner Yancy Stree/Jack Kirby Way. Yancy Street was the home of Ben Grimm, The Thing! A plaque dedicated to Jack Kirby was dedicated today at Avengers Campus, Disney's California Adventure. He died in 1994, but his legacy will always be remembered by fans and audience members who love comic books on the screen, his art in museums, street corners, and theme parks! Happy Birthday Jack Kirby! 

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