Fantagraphics Bookstore Celebrates Simon & Kirby
By The Editor
April 10, 2012 - 13:09
Fantagraphics Bookstore Features Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s Romance Comics
Jack Kirby is among the most influential American artists of the last century, but a substantial body of Kirby’s work has been largely overlooked until recently. In the post-war years, with the popularity of superhero comic books fading, Kirby teamed with writer Joe Simon to create the new genre of romance comics. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery celebrates these forgotten works with “Young Romance: The Best of Simon & Kirby’s Romance Comics.” The interpretive exhibition opens on Saturday, April 14 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM with a discussion by Michel Gagné, author of a recent collection of the same title from Fantagraphics Books.
At the end of World War II, with soldiers returning from long deployments, romance was in the air. The superhero comics that served to instill a sense of patriotic heroism leading up to the global conflict had lost their appeal. Simon and Kirby seized on these emerging sensibilities to create one of the most popular comic book series of all time. Unlike previous comic book genres, the work appealed largely to women readers. The stories and imagery reflected mid-century American society while discretely challenging the conventional morality of the era. Kirby’s work from this period was mimicked by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and others, and is emblematic of post-war American aesthetics.
Curator Michel Gagné will discuss his delicate restoration process at the opening reception on Saturday, April 14. An exhibition will display enlarged examples of Simon and Kirby’s romance comics and examine the creative process of these American masters. Gagné has worked as an animator and cartoonist for Pixar, Disney, DC Comics and the Cartoon Network. He won the 2011 Annie Award for Best Animated Video Game and the 2012 BAFTA GAME Award for Best Debut Game for his independent creation Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet.
Listing Information:
YOUNG ROMANCE: The Best of Simon & Kirby’s Romance Comics
Curated by Michel Gagné
Opening reception and curator discussion
Saturday, April 14, 6:00 to 9:00 PM.
Exhibition continues through May 9, 2012.
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S)
Seattle, WA 98108 206.658.0110
Open daily 11:30 – 8:00 PM, Sunday until 5:00 PM
Related Articles:
Review: Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Review: Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Jack Kirby's Captain Victory is Back
Fantagraphics Bookstore Celebrates Simon & Kirby
The Simon and Kirby Library – Crime
Preview: The Simon & Kirby Superheroes
Heroes Con: Kirby Krackle
Kirby Krackle: E for Everyone
Steve Saffel on The Best of Simon and Kirby
Jack Kirby's Fourth World