If we had regular readers at this early stage, they'd know that we have a Blue Monday feature focusing on adult oriented comics and adult art from comics artists. But Jack Kirby didn't really go there, and this is a King Kirby 100 feature - all of which should be Safe For Work because Jack's fans shouldn't have to worry about what they step in while they're here. (Just use that King Kirby 100 link in the topics column and you'll be fine)
Thus a new feature is born, just for Jack:
Of course, this is not to say that The King wouldn't indulge in a bit of cheesecake in his artwork...
Okay, yeah. Granny's kind of a mood killer. But she's like that.
And he could certainly use provocative poses and angles to great advantage, suggesting far more than is shown. Note here how the angle of the shot seems quite teasingly suggestive - and then realize the implied reverse-angle shot, with her panties dangling from her ankle.* While showing virtually nothing, it gives the impression of a great deal, much akin to coming back from commercial to find Captain Kirk pulling his boots on:
There was, however, a very specific reason for choosing Green as the new Blue. Kirby once toyed with the idea of doing an underground comic style tabloid magazine for DC called Uncle Carmine's Fat City Comix. Rather than going the erotic comic route, Jack was more prone to the social commentary of the undergrounds. He created a far future society where men were nearly extinct called Galaxy Green. Only two pages of art were ever done for it, one being this cover:
...and here's the other:
Uniquely strange, distinctly Kirby, and filled with untapped potential. So much so, that the tale was completed in the French magazine, Strange. The cover above was finished by Reed Mann, artist for the Jean Depelly scripted French comics. (That image was actually coloured by Tom Zukio after Mann's work due to reproduction limitations)
For the curious, here's a translated page of the French comics:
You can find the entire translated comic at TwoMorrows, the publishers of many fine productions, including the more than merely great Jack Kirby Collector magazine.
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*(yeah. I know. That's actually just her hose dropped around her ankle. But, it's all about the impressions that cue the reader's responses. Details follow. Sometimes - how many had to go back and look?)
Sketches & pages by Jack Kirby, excepting French Galaxy Green page by Jean Depelly & Reed Mann. Kirby page art from In The Days Of The Mob #1.
