What if..Kirby left with Ditko

[Dr.J.]

I came across an item somewhere on the net,that stated that back around thanksgiving of 1965,when Ditko walked from marvel,he sent a letter to Kirby trying to get him to walk also. Now it hurt marvel that spring of 1966 greatly,Ditko leaving, and MUCH more in june of 1970, when it was announced in their bullpin page,Kirby was departing. A double walkout,of these two founding tallents of marvel, would definitly have been VERY devistating! But,I feel, that marvel nonetheless,would have survived.The silver age, would likely have ended,four years earlier,because a LOT of the old guard marvel fans, would have called it a day.Kirby couldnt have then went to DC, because of differences with it's personal, going back to the late 1950s,charlton couldnt and wouldnt have payed him a tenth what marvel did,so only ACG and tower, could have been open to him, with their thunder agents. While kirby could have done some great stuff for them,having Ditko didnt save the companies, and neither could have kirby.I think that by 1968, Kirby would have had no choice but to come crawling back to marvel,as he did in 1975. The king made many mistakes in his career, but he thankfully avoided making his greatest,letting Ditko talk him into walking, at the very peak of his talent.I look at those great thors and f.f's done through 1966 to 1970 by Kirby, and rejoice he didnt also walk.While I liked much of his DC work, it didnt measure up to what he did at marvel,and neither did his return stuff measure up.

[Kid Monster]

As bizarre and personal as Ditko's creations for Charlton were, it's difficult to imagine the strange, funky comics Kirby might have created for that odd little company if he had joined Ditko there!

A Kirby Captain Atom would have just kicked all kinds of ass.

[jackolover]

I think both Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby were hard done by. Leaving Marvel meant leaving all the passion and endeavor that they put into creating their children, which they nurtured and expanded, into the Thors, Caps, Spideys and FF's. When they left Marvel, they couldn't take their children with them, to develop them any further. They were left with a vacuum without the characters that they imbued so much of their souls into. No wonder neither could recreate the pinnacle of their creative genius, when they had their handiwork already.

Kirby leaving Marvel would have meant a huge pay cut, so staying on was more an economical decision.

[Shellhead]

I look at those great thors and f.f's done through 1966 to 1970 by Kirby, and rejoice he didnt also walk.While I liked much of his DC work, it didnt measure up to what he did at marvel,and neither did his return stuff measure up.

I'm not a huge Kirby fan, but I did enjoy his work on Fantastic Four and Thor, and that would have been a disappointing loss if he had left when Ditko left. Although I'm not a big fan of the New Gods in general, it is kind of amazing that Kirby introduced them in a silly comic like Jimmy Olson. Darkseid is one of Kirby's finest creations, despite his unimpressive first appearance as a stocky bald guy on a small monitor screen.

[CaptainCanada]

The silver age, would likely have ended,four years earlier,because a LOT of the old guard marvel fans, would have called it a day.
The industry was not anywhere near as creator-centred as it is now; the ordinary kids who bought comics in the 60s would have had only a vague idea who Kirby was. The idea that they would stop buying is pretty hard to buy.

[Omega Alpha]

The industry was not anywhere near as creator-centred as it is now; the ordinary kids who bought comics in the 60s would have had only a vague idea who Kirby was. The idea that they would stop buying is pretty hard to buy.

Yeah, and if they even knew anyone, it would most likely to be Stan himself. Sales wouldn't be that affected at the time.

But i imagine what would be the impact of Kirby leaving to Marvel today, since we would have no Galactus, no Silver Surfer, Black Panther and Black Bolt if existed would most likely be very different, etc.

[berk]

The industry was not anywhere near as creator-centred as it is now; the ordinary kids who bought comics in the 60s would have had only a vague idea who Kirby was. The idea that they would stop buying is pretty hard to buy.Eventually they would have noticed that a lot of the comics weren't much good, though, even if they had no idea why.

[Omega Alpha]

Eventually they would have noticed that a lot of the comics weren't much good, though, even if they had no idea why.

Or... not, since Spidey didn't begun to suck with Stan & JR, and some would argue it got better.

[ultramandingo]

A Kirby Captain Atom would have just kicked all kinds of ass.

.........just imagin how watchmen woulda turned out!

[jackolover]

Eventually they would have noticed that a lot of the comics weren't much good, though, even if they had no idea why.

A lot of this happened when Herb Trimpe took over Doctor Strange, and George Tuska took over Cap. The quality of the stories suffered, and you could tell straight off, that the stories were no where near exciting as when Ditko and Kirby did them. Ditko and Kirby were great assets, and letting them leave made me discontinue collecting. I wonder if there are figures that show the circulations before and after Ditko and Kirby.

[the_hood]

...may Ditko and Kirby, two of comic history's legends, rest in peace....

[DaeJi]

...may Ditko and Kirby, two of comic history's legends, rest in peace....

Steve Ditko isn't dead yet.

[StoneGold]

Steve Ditko isn't dead yet.

If he ever existed at all....




I still think Steve Ditko is an elaborate hoax.

[Expletive Deleted]

I still think Steve Ditko is an elaborate hoax.Nah.

He's Alan Greenspan.