Who Is Jack Kirby? Age, Biography and Wiki
Jack Kirby, born on August 28, 1917, was a pioneering American comic book artist, filmmaker, and writer. Known as one of the most influential figures in the comic book industry, Kirby co-created many iconic superheroes, including Captain America, the X-Men, the Hulk, and the Fantastic Four. His innovative art style and complex narratives helped shape modern comic storytelling. Although he passed away on February 6, 1994, Kirby’s work continues to inspire new generations of comic book artists and writers. By 2025, he would have been 107 years old, cementing his legacy as a timeless icon in the genre.
| Occupation | Comic Book Artist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | August 28, 1917 |
| Age | 76 Years |
| Birth Place | New York City, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 6 February, 1994 |
| Died Place | Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. |
Popularity
Jack Kirby's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details about his height and weight during his lifetime are not widely publicized, Jack Kirby is often remembered for his robust frame and dynamic physical energy that reflected in his artwork. His unique style blended bold lines with dramatic poses, contributing to the memorable characters he created.
In the early 1940s Kirby at times disregarded panel borders. A character was drawn in one panel, but their shoulder and arm would extend outside the border, into the gutter and sometimes on top of a nearby panel. A character may be punched out of one panel, feet being in the original panel and body in the next.
Panels themselves would overlap, and Kirby found new ways to arrange panels on a comic book page. His figures were depicted as lithe and graceful, although Kirby would place them thrusting from the page towards the reader. In the late 1940s and 1950s Kirby moved away from superhero comics and with Joe Simon worked in a number of genres.
Kirby and Simon created the romance comics genre, and working in this as well as the war, Western and crime genres saw Kirby's style change. He left behind the diverse panel framing and layouts. The nature of the genres enabled him to channel the energy into the posing and blocking of characters, forcing the drama into the constraints of the panel.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Jack Kirby was married to Roz Kirby, who was not only his wife but also a vital partner in his career. The couple had four children: Barbara, Susan, Neal, and Scott. The Kirbys maintained a close-knit family, with Roz often assisting Jack in his creative endeavors. Although there isn't information regarding any relationships outside of his marriage, it is clear that his family was an essential support system throughout his career.
His parents, Rose (Bernstein) and Benjamin Kurtzberg, were Austrian-Jewish immigrants, and his father earned a living as a garment factory worker. Kirby grew up on the Lower East Side.
Among his close friends was Leon Klinghoffer, who grew up in the same neighborhood, and who in 1985 was shot, killed and thrown overboard from the cruise ship Achille Lauro by Palestinian Liberation Front hijackers. In his youth, Kirby desired to escape his neighborhood. He liked to draw, and sought out places he could learn more about art.
Essentially self-taught, Kirby cited among his influences the comic strip artists Milton Caniff, Hal Foster, and Alex Raymond, as well as such editorial cartoonists as C. H. Sykes, "Ding" Darling, and Rollin Kirby. He was rejected by the Educational Alliance because he drew "too fast with charcoal", according to Kirby.
He later found an outlet for his skills by drawing cartoons for the newspaper of the Boys Brotherhood Republic, a "miniature city" on East 3rd Street where street kids ran their own government.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing, Jack Kirby's net worth was estimated to be significant due to his prolific output and influence in the comics industry. In 2025, it's estimated that his legacy has only grown, with net worth figures now reflecting potential sales of his art and characters. Many of the characters he created continue to be adapted into major blockbuster films and television shows, further boosting his estate’s value. Although exact posthumous earnings are unknown, his contributions to comics likely translate into substantial income originating from royalties and licensing fees.
Kirby moved on to comic-book publisher and newspaper syndicator Fox Feature Syndicate, earning a then-reasonable $15-a-week salary. During this time, Kirby met and began collaborating with cartoonist and Fox editor Joe Simon, who in addition to his staff work continued to freelance.
Simon recalled in 1988, "I loved Jack's work and the first time I saw it I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He asked if we could do some freelance work together. I was delighted and I took him over to my little office. We worked from the second issue of Blue Bolt through... about 25 years."
Career, Business and Investments
Jack Kirby's career spanned over several decades, starting from the Golden Age of Comics in the 1930s. He initially worked with various publishers before co-founding Marvel Comics along with Joe Simon. His groundbreaking work included the creation of iconic series that pioneered the superhero genre. Beyond comic book artistry, Kirby also ventured into animation and film, influencing the development of visual storytelling across multiple mediums.
In terms of investments, Kirby's estate engages in ongoing sales of his original artwork and characters, ensuring that his creative legacy remains not just artistically, but financially, viable.
Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew up in New York City and learned to draw cartoon figures by tracing characters from comic strips and editorial cartoons.
He entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s, drawing various comics features under different pen names, including Jack Curtiss, before settling on Jack Kirby. In 1940, he and writer-editor Joe Simon created the highly successful superhero character Captain America for Timely Comics, predecessor of Marvel Comics.
During the 1940s, Kirby regularly teamed with Simon, creating numerous characters for that company and for National Comics Publications, later to become DC Comics.
Social Network
Though Jack Kirby did not have social media during his lifetime, his legacy thrives on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook through fan pages celebrating his work. Various comic book communities continue to share his artwork, appreciation posts, and historical insights into his incredible contributions to the comic book industry.
Kirby and Simon spent their first weeks at National trying to devise new characters while the company sought how best to utilize the pair. After a few failed editor-assigned ghosting assignments, National's Jack Liebowitz told them to "just do what you want".
The pair then revamped the Sandman feature in Adventure Comics and created the superhero Manhunter. In July 1942 they began the Boy Commandos feature. The ongoing "kid gang" series of the same name, launched later that same year, was the creative team's first National feature to graduate into its own title.
It sold over a million copies a month, becoming National's third best-selling title. They scored a hit with the homefront kid-gang team, the Newsboy Legion, featuring in Star-Spangled Comics.
In 2010, DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz observed that "Like Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creative team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby was a mark of quality and a proven track record."
Education
Kirby’s formal education included the School of Industrial Art in New York City. However, much of his artistic development came from practical experience and a deep love for comics and storytelling. He learned from working alongside talented peers and through self-study, which laid the foundation for his iconic style.
At age 14, Kirby enrolled at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, leaving after a week. "I wasn't the kind of student that Pratt was looking for. They wanted people who would work on something forever. I didn't want to work on any project forever. I intended to get things done".
