Jack Kirby - Fantastic Four 35 Page 4
Artists: Jack Kirby (Penciller) , Chic Stone (Inker) , Stan Lee (Writer)
43 Comments - 2,219 Views - 8 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionA chance to add a vintage Lee & Kirby FF page to my collection? No way I could let that one pass me by!...OK, no FF in sight here, not even a major villain. I have to do with Diablo, whose only real trait of genius is to have invented biodegradable spells way before it was fashionable! Well, at least he got a very decent sinister look thanks to King Kirby Tailors Inc., even though his costume was soon to be dropped out (right after this scene, by the way...). But that's nit-picking from my part... I would have been thrilled even if that page had only starred Willie Lumpkin!!! And, as it is, it certainly has a lot to commend: - A nice tension-building self contained page, one of those great classic "while our heroes look elsewhere" scenes - A solid (is there any other?) mid-60's Large Art Kirby composition - Chic Stone inks!!!... In my opinion, Kirby's Numero Uno inker from that period (just before the King went Kosmic on us all...)! Look at that great explosion on Panel 2, the line work on Diablo's appearance AND disappearance: that's what I call reliable! - Those 2 hapless witnesses: standard typical bulky Kirby guys that could have worked as extras in the Yancy Street Gang, or with almost any crew in any Kirby strip you could think of during that age! - And, finally, Diablo himself, who proves he can look quite a menace, at least for one page! Look at his left evil eye on Panel 6... Well, he deserves some indulgence and I'm pretty sure John Byrne had a soft spot for him when he cast him as the main villain (faulty spells et al) for his grand taking over/making over of the FF with the "Back to the Basics" issue (that's FF 232 for the Nostalgics...). NB: Also worth mentioning here is the fact that this is one of the earliest pages sporting handwritten comments by Jack. I understand he began doing them systematically from May 1964 on. This page having appeared in the February 1965 issue of the FF, it must have been done sometime in late 1964... Unfortunately, most of the comments have been trimmed out with the board borders, but one (with, apparently, Stan Lee's handwriting) remains perfectly legible on top of the page, detailing Diablo's actions: "Had chemicals inside - helped escape". Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Matt S
Member Since 2006
Posted on 10/5/2013
what a wonderful page... as far as FF pages go this is a fantastic pick
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/5/2013
Matt S wrote:
what a wonderful page... as far as FF pages go this is a fantastic pickThank you Matt! I admit, the more I see it, the more I love it!
steve roden
Member Since 2011
Posted on 10/5/2013
who cares that there's no FF... this is an absolutely freaking amazing page!!!!! congrats!!!!!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/5/2013
steve roden wrote:
who cares that there's no FF... this is an absolutely freaking amazing page!!!!! congrats!!!!!Thank you Steve! To be honest, there must be a zillion FF characters I would have preferred over Diablo, even though I like him better than I appear to say: after all, this scene comes from one of the very first FF adventures I read as a kid and you know how powerful that type of attraction can be! Also, I do love those well-built self-contained sequences that always make you rush to continue over next page... And, well, the opportunity was too good to pass!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/5/2013
frank x townsondecker wrote:
Sweet Kirby page!!!Thank you Frank for the kind words!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/6/2013
David K wrote:
Holy Cow!!! Congrats!Thank you, David! My first FF page! Let it not be said that Diablo cannot turn anything into gold for good(with the noticeable help of Mssrs Lee, Kirby & Stone, of course...)!
Johan Tudts
Member Since 2008
Posted on 10/6/2013
' The more I see it, the more I love it ' you say, that is a GREAT feeling isn't it ?! I know how that feels ! Congratz on this great pick up, it truly is a very beautiful piece +++
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/6/2013
Johan Tudts wrote:
' The more I see it, the more I love it ' you say, that is a GREAT feeling isn't it ?! I know how that feels ! Congratz on this great pick up, it truly is a very beautiful piece +++Thank you Johan! Yes, the thrill of finding it, the thrill of waiting for it, the thrill of finally getting it and the thrill of sitting speechless staring at it,... No cheap thrills, for sure!
Gordon Bartik
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/6/2013
A beautifully composed and inked FF page Al, it has wonderful Jack Kirby detail, exquisitely inked by Chic Stone (I agree with your comments here); congratulations.
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/6/2013
Gordon Bartik wrote:
A beautifully composed and inked FF page Al, it has wonderful Jack Kirby detail, exquisitely inked by Chic Stone (I agree with your comments here); congratulations.Thank you Gordon! Could it be a philosopher's stone (ouch!)? Maybe not, but, at the very least,a cornerstone for this collection!
Mark Howland 
Member Since 2004
Posted on 10/6/2013
Who needs the FF with those trees and branches in panels one and three and with the appearance of the villain in panels four and five and with that villainous pose in panel six.
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/6/2013
Mark Howland wrote:
Who needs the FF with those trees and branches in panels one and three and with the appearance of the villain in panels four and five and with that villainous pose in panel six.Thanks Mark! I agree, there is in that page all that makes Kirby the undisputed King of Comics: the grandeur AND the small subtleties! He makes the best out of each sequence, however minor it may appear!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/6/2013
Ron S wrote:
I think this is a great page. Thanks for sharing!!My pleasure, Ron! Thanks for your comments!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/29/2013
Alex B wrote:
Congrats for this awesome page !Thanks Alex! I guess this is the kind of reason we're in this hobby for!...
fab collection
Member Since 2007
Posted on 11/27/2013
Les planches de Jack kirby c'est quand même quelque chose... Bravo pour cette belle pièce.
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 11/28/2013
fab collection wrote:
Les planches de Jack kirby c'est quand même quelque chose... Bravo pour cette belle pièce.Merci ! J'ai encore du mal à réaliser chaque fois que je la regarde... Trop de choses et trop de souvenirs !
Hart R.
Member Since 2004
Posted on 11/28/2013
BRILLIANT Diablo page! One of my favroite FF villains!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 11/29/2013
Hart R. wrote:
BRILLIANT Diablo page! One of my favroite FF villains!Thank you Hart! Apart from that brief Byrne appearance I mentioned in my comments, I always felt only Kirby could do Diablo justice!!!
Marvelman Excelsior
Member Since 2011
Posted on 1/25/2014
Amazing page - early Kirby FF pages are just so stunning - love Stone's inks on the King, really gives him a jazzy, chunky feel! And Diabolo's such an archetypal Kirby design, so gloriously over the top. Let's not forget the wonderfully hyperbolic Stan Lee dialogue either! Such fun! Awesome acquisition!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 1/25/2014
Marvelman Excelsior wrote:
Amazing page - early Kirby FF pages are just so stunning - love Stone's inks on the King, really gives him a jazzy, chunky feel! And Diabolo's such an archetypal Kirby design, so gloriously over the top. Let's not forget the wonderfully hyperbolic Stan Lee dialogue either! Such fun! Awesome acquisition!Thanks, Steve! I can still see the kid I was then being completely carried away by the magic conjured by the Man and the King! Being able to own a slice of that magic is a real privilege indeed!...
CHRIS OLIVERIA
Member Since 2011
Posted on 5/29/2015
Stone was always my favorite on Kirby, such a controlled rawness......so many great things going on in each panel.....excellent!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 6/1/2015
CHRIS OLIVERIA wrote:
Stone was always my favorite on Kirby, such a controlled rawness......so many great things going on in each panel.....excellent!Thanks Chris! I fully agree, Chic Stone is a real enhancer, perfectly suited to that period of Kirby's art... But, as you have recently demonstrated, more unlikely candidates like George Roussos also deliver when circumstances are right!...
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 7/10/2016
Red Raven wrote:
yooooo man - this is a GRAIL !!!Thanks! It kinda feels like it!
Dadako Dadako
Member Since 2010
Posted on 8/16/2016
..My Best Compliments on this Classic FF page, Al! I think that Diablo is one of the best villain that they have dealt with: still today he has an aura of mystery and a realistic beastliness that I haven't seen in many others of his "colleagues"..
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 8/17/2016
Dadako Dadako wrote:
..My Best Compliments on this Classic FF page, Al! I think that Diablo is one of the best villain that they have dealt with: still today he has an aura of mystery and a realistic beastliness that I haven't seen in many others of his "colleagues"..Thanks Alessio! There definitely is an aura of unpredictability around Diablo that sets him apart. Given that, Stan Lee himself recently expressed regrets about not having devoted more time and energy to fully develop the character and his motivations. This could have been turned to an advantage but I still feel that he has been mostly under-used, except, of course, for these 2 issues by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (and Chic Stone!). Nothing could stop them and I'm glad to own a page from that key period!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 7/21/2018
Nicolaj Borch wrote:
A Wonderful page by the Master
Thanks Nicolaj!
Bill J
Member Since 2009
Posted on 8/5/2019
Awesome page. Kirby really knew how to tell a story. His work still holds up.
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 9/1/2019
Bill J wrote:
Awesome page. Kirby really knew how to tell a story. His work still holds up.
Thanks Bill! I agree: Jack Kirby's work is timeless! How often I see this page on my wall and want to grab the comic book again and read the story for the thousandth time...
gene o
Member Since 2018
Posted on 9/1/2019
One of my first FFs had Diablo in it. And i read it dozens of times as i didnt have many comics at the time. I thought he was a major villain for years!!!
Bill J
Member Since 2009
Posted on 1/30/2022
Impressive Kirby page. And it's from the Fantastic Four. And it's got a major villian. Looks like you won the trifecta.
Bill J
Member Since 2009
Posted on 3/24/2022
Man, I love these vintage Kirby/Stone FF pages. They're so well-thoughout, so beautifully laid out, that they tell a story beautifully. Look at how slowly and carefully Diablo's return is unveiled. The ground explodes, Diablo steps out of the fog, announces he's back and then poof! he teleports to another locale. Great storytelling!
NEBUR ADLAN
Member Since 2009
Posted on 4/11/2023
Love this Kirby page and Diablo is Spanish like me !
CJ Design
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 12/6/2024
I agree....Chic is one of my Fave JK inker,s along with Joe...Great page!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 12/8/2024
CJ Design wrote:
I agree....Chic is one of my Fave JK inker,s along with Joe...Great page!
Thanks! I agree, this was a very good match!
Comicart Boston
Member Since 2010
1 - Posted on 8/13/2025
This comment comes over a decade late, but better late than never! A wonderful page - many collectors underestimate the impact of a nice villain page. Many congrats on this wonderful page from the King of Comics!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 8/13/2025
Comicart Boston wrote:
This comment comes over a decade late, but better late than never! A wonderful page - many collectors underestimate the impact of a nice villain page. Many congrats on this wonderful page from the King of Comics!
Thanks for your comment! Diablo showing off and monologuing to himself may look a little corny, but this is the kind of introduction scenes that build the story! And, well, you're right: it's Kirby!
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