the kirby-files - kirby collector thirteenth issue

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EditedbyJohnMorrowJackKirbyCollectorcelebratesthelifeandcareerofthe"King"ofcomicsthroughinterviewswithKirbyandhiscontemporaries,featurearticles,andrare&unseenKirbyartwork.Nowintabloidformat,themagazineshowcasesKirby'sartatevenlargersize.

TheKirbyFiles

AnOverviewofJack'sOccultandSupernaturalThemes

byandChrisKnowles

FromJackKirbyCollector#13

Withthemillenniumfastapproaching,therehasbeenamassrevivalofinterestinallthingsoccultorparanormal.TheastoundingsuccessoftheTVprogramTheXFiles(strangelyforeshadowedbyKirbyasSHIELD's"File116"inCaptainAmerica)hasspawnedmultipleimitators.UFOs,ghosts,ESPandotherarcanetopicshavebecomemainstreammediafodder.Thereisagrowinginterestinallthevariousfieldsofmetaphysics,fromshoppingmallneoPaganismtoconspiracytheorynewsgroupsfocusedonoccultsecretsocietiesliketheIlluminati.Socialscientistshavemanyhypothesesforthisphenomenon.Somepositthatthedehumanizingeffectofthetechnologicalrevolutionhasinspiredanirrationalbacklash.Othersstatethehysteriaiscausedbytheuncertaintyofthenewmillenniumanditsattendantapocalypticjitters,eventhoughtheyear2000hasnoBiblicalsignificance.FollowersoftheSwisspsychologicalpioneerCarlJungtheorizethathumaninterestintheparanormalisanexpressionofsubconscioussymbolsandyearnings.Stillotherssimplyseeitasarecurringfad.

AcasualreviewofJackKirby'senormousoutputwillquicklyshowthatoccult,mythologicalandparanormalthemeswerefeaturedinhisworktoo.PerhapssomedayJungianscholarswillanalyzehisworkandpresenttheoriesonthedeeppsychologicalmotivationsandrepressedsubconscioussymbolsofJack'sspaceagemythography.Ihavenosuchexpertise.Ifpressed,IwouldsimplyguessthatJackrecognizedthatmysticismandtheocculthavealwaysbeenthebasisforentertainingstoriessincethetimeofGilgamesh,andhesawhimselfinthathoarytradition.However,glimmersofadeeperinterestsometimespeekthrough.

InRayWyman'sbiographyofJackKirby,thereisarevealingepisodethatinmanywaysforeshadowedJack'slifeandcareer.WymanrecountshowyoungJacobKurtzberglaydyingofpneumonia,averyseriousdiseaseinatimewhereantibioticswerenotreadilyavailable,andqualityhealthcarewasnotavailabletopoorimmigrantfamilieslikehisown.Agroupofrabbiswerecalledintoperformanexorcism,inalastditchefforttosaveJacob'slife.TheychantedinHebrew,demandingthatthedemonsleaveJack'sbody.InthetypeofritualthatisrecountedintheGospels,therabbisdemandedthenamesofthedemons,whichinclassicalJewishexorcismsallowedtherabbistogaincontroloverthedemons.Thisritualisthekindofreligiouscustomthatmodernmanscoffsat,ofcourse.Theonlyproblemis,itworked.

WymanstatesquiteclearlyinTheArtofJackKirbythat"Kirby'slifewasfilledwiththemysticismoffaithandsuperstition."AlthoughthatassertionmayseemobvioustoseriousKirbyfans,itwouldseemthatafurtherinvestigationofKirby'sworkcouldrevealjusthowseriousJack'smysticinterestswere,andhowinsomecaseshismysticismwasdeeperthanwhathemayhaverealizedhimself.

(Note:Intoday'sidiomaticEnglish,certaintermshavetakenonmeaningsthatvarygreatlyfromtheiroriginaldefinition.Apocalypse,forexample,doesnotmeanEndoftheWorldorDoomsday,itsimplymeans"toberevealed."Mysticismhasbecomevirtuallysynonymouswithmagicordivinationbutitmeans"thedoctrineofanimmediatespiritual

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intuitionoftruthssaidtotranscendordinaryunderstanding."Occultisanotherwordwhosemeaninghasbeendistorted.Manypeopletoday,particularlytheuneducated,think"occult"meansdevilworshiporsorcery.ButifonetakesthetimetolookupOccult,thetermactuallymeans"beyondtherangeofordinaryknowledge.")

Jackwasauniversebuilder.Hewasclearlyobsessedwiththepantheonofancientmythologies,inparticulartheGreekandtheNorse.Infact,ThorfirstappearedinaGoldenAgeepisodeoftheSandman.Jackisalsowellknownfordesigningpantheonsofhisown,drawingheavilyonthoseclassicfables.HisFourthWorldtitlestellusmuch:NewGods,ForeverPeople,MisterMiracle.Thesestoriesdealtwithadualisticpantheonofgods,goodandevillockedineternalcombat.JackseemstohavebeendeeplyinfluencedherebyManichaeism,anancientNearEasternreligionthathadapowerfulinfluenceonreligiousthoughtintheWest.ThePersianfaithofZoroastrianismalsoprofessedadualisticbattlebetweenGoodandEvil.Inthisfaith,thegoodorlightisrepresentedbyAhuraMazdaandSpentaMainyuandaspiritofevil,AngraMainyu.However,Kirbyexpandeduponthesetheories,andaddedanallencompassing"Source"thatwasinvisibleandunapproachable,muchliketheGnosticvisionofGod,whoisultimatelyincomprehensible,andlordsoverthelowerArchons,thepowersofthecreationthatHumankindismorefamiliarwith.GeorgeLucaslaterhijackedthesethemeswholesaleinStarWars,convenientlyrenaming"theSource,""theForce."

The1970swasthefloweringofJack'sinterestintheparanormal.Freedfromtherestraintsofmoreconservativecollaborators,Jackdelvedintothesethemeswithgusto.AlthoughbookslikeBlackMagicandStrangeWorldOfYourDreamsdealtwithstrangephenomena,andbookslikeChallengersofTheUnknownweresprinkledwithsecretsocietiesandsorcery,hisblack&whitemagazineSpiritWorldsetthestageforhisworkinthecomingdecade.InSpiritWorld,Jackdelvedintounexplainedphenomenalikeastrology,spontaneouscombustionandESP.WithresearchforSpiritWorldapparentlystillfreshinhismind,Jackincorporatedacultstory("TheSect")andaseanceintohisDeadmancrossoverinForeverPeople,andawitchcraftcovenstoryintoMisterMiracle.SoonafterthecancellationoftheFourthWorld,JackdoveheadfirstintothesupernaturalwithTheDemonbutasidefromasmatteringofstoriesdealingwithwitchcraft,JackusedTheDemontoretellclassichorrorstoriesfromhisyouth,includingFrankenstein,TheWolfmanandThePhantomoftheOpera.InspiredbyTheExorcist,JackincorporateddemonicpossessionwithascifitwistintheKamandistory"TheExorcism."JackwouldrevisitthisthemeacoupleofyearslaterwiththeArgonstorylineinCaptainAmerica.JackalsodevelopedSatan'sSixaroundthistime,althoughitdidn'tseethelightofdayuntiltheToppsKirbyversecampaigninthe1990s.

AnothercommonthemeinthenetherworldofOccultstudiesisthe"secretsociety."Jackhadutilizedthesecretsocietybefore,mostnotablyA.I.M.andHydraintheCaptainAmerica/SHIELDstorylinesinthe'60s,butheexploredtheideamoreexuberantlyinthe'70s.ModerntheoriesaboutnefarioussecretsocietiesspringfromthemuchembroideredlegendoftheBavarianIlluminati,agroupofscholarsandaristocratsfoundedinthe18thcenturybyAdamWeishaupt.TheIlluminatisoughttooverthrowthemonarchiesofEuropeandreplacethemwithagovernmentof"enlightenedones,"mainlyscholarsandphilosophers,hencethenameIlluminati.Althoughthisgroupwasforciblydissolvedtwohundredyearsago,folklegendhasinflatedtheirstatusimmeasurably.

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Jackalsousedthe"eye"symbolinconjunctionwiththeReincarnators,

asshownherefromTheDemon#3.

Tocontemporaryfringeparanoidsnow,theIlluminatiaretheunseenarchitectsofthecoming"OneWorldGovernment,"andtheyusethemythicalallseeing"EyeofOsiris"astheiremblem.JackapparentlyencounteredthesetheoriesandincorporatedthemintoOMAC,withthe"GlobalPeaceAgency"andtheallseeing"BrotherEye."AnotherpopulistconspiracytheoryconcernsthethreatofarevanchistBritishmonarchywhoareusingthemediaasamindcontroltooltoreclaimAmerica.JackappropriatedthesethemesandblendedthemwithGeorgeOrwell's1984forhisbrilliant"Madbomb"storyinCaptainAmerica.ThethemeofacorruptandconspiratorialaristocracywasalsoexploredinBlackPantherwiththeCollectors.JackalsoexploredamorebenignversionoftheSecretSocietywithhisabortedManhunterrevivalandtheSecretCitySaga.Thethemeofaselectgroupofindividualsworkinginsecrettochangetheworld,whetherforgoodorill,wasobviouslyaKirbyobsession.

OccultistandConspiracytheoristsclaimthepursuitofholyormagicaltalismansisofsupremeimportancetothesecultishsecretsocieties.Hitler'sobsessionwithfindingtheSpearofDestiny,theHolyGrailandtheArkoftheCovenantwasexploitedtogreateffectbyGeorgeLucasinthebrilliantIndianaJonesfilms.PerhapsLucaswasagaininspiredbyhisstudyofJungianscholarJosephCampbellwhenhemadethesefilms,butbasedonhissuccessfulappropriationofKirby'sthemesfortheStarWarsmovies,perhapshereturnedtothewellforinspirationandtookcuesfromKirby'sBlackPantherseries,sincethatbookdealtalmostexclusivelywiththeadventuroussearchformagicaltalismans.

Accordingtomodernfolklore,whenthesesecretcultsaren'tpursuingtheseelusive

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artifacts,theyengageinscientificblackmagic.KirbydepictedthismodernalchemyinFantasticFourwiththe"Him"storylineandinThorwiththe"HighEvolutionary."Asmentionedbefore,thenefariousRoyalistsocietydevelopedtheMadbombtoadvancetheirambitions,andtheunrepentantNaziArnimZolaappearedinallhisghastlysplendorinCaptainAmerica.ThesecretsocietyknownasNewGenesisalsoseemedtobemorescientificthanmagicalwiththeirBoomTubesandMotherBoxes.AndifArthurC.Clarkeistobecreditedwithinventingacommunicationssatellitesimplyforwritingaboutone,KirbyshouldbecreditedwithinventingVirtualReality,sincehefirstdepictedaformofV.R.inJimmyOlsen,whichhenamedthe"SolarPhone."

TheEternalswasthebookwhereKirbysaidhewastryingtoget"mystical."Ina1984interviewinComicsFeature,Kirbyrecountedthathewastryingtoexplore"wherewecamefrom."TheEternalswasasynthesisofpastthemes,mostnotablytheThor/NewGodspantheontheme,butitalsoincorporatedthencurrentpseudoscience,andparapsychology.TheBermudaTrianglethemewasvisited,aswellasapocalypticandgeneticengineeringthemes,butKirby'smainfocuswastoexplorethethemesofancientalienvisitationlaidoutinErickVonDaniken'sChariotoftheGods.Inthisbook,VonDanikenproposedthattheancientgodsmentionedinpreColumbianSouthAmericanmythologywereactuallyextraterrestrialvisitors.KirbywenttotownwiththisideaonthefirstthreeissuesofTheEternals,depictingvastandcomplexanaloguesofMayanandAztecartandpresentingtheoriesofaliengeneticengineering.Forreasonsunknown,thesethemesweredroppedandTheEternalsquicklybecamestandardboilerplate,withaJudgmentDaybackdropthatwasneverfullydeveloped.

ThefactthattheJudgementDayanglewasneverdevelopedwastelling.KirbyusuallyshiedawayfromJudeoChristianthemesinhiswork.HisBibleillustrationswereseeminglydoneforJack'sownamusementandwereonlyreleasedposthumously.AndthoseimagestendedtobeEternalstypedepictionsofBiblicalstories.OneofJack'smostfamousdepictionsofGodshowedhimturninghisbackonapleadingyetdefianthumanity,almostlikeascenefromtheBookofJob.TheSilverSurferwasclearlydevelopedbyStanLeetobeamessiahfigure,butJack'sownviewofthecharacterwasfarmoreambiguous.Jackseemedtotakeadimviewofreligiousextremism,correctlyseeingitasanotherformoffascismpersonifiedbyGloriousGodfreyandDariusDrumm.TheformerwasaservantofDarkseid(Jack'sSatanfigure)andthelatterbecametheliteralAngelofDeath.

Jackwasunderstandablyhesitanttodiscusshisownbeliefs.Hewasinterestedinsharingideas,butneverproselytized.Whereasallthevariousphantasmagoriaoftheoccultandsupernaturalmadeforexcitingcomics,Jack'sspiritualinclinationwasprobablyveryintimateandpersonal.HemayhavecomeacrosshispersonaldemarcationwithTheEternals,andbackedoffabit.Jack'smaingoalwastoentertainandtosellcomics,whichisprobablywhytheBibleimagerywasnotreleasedduringhislifetime,butaspopularculturecontinuestoexplore"extremepossibilities,"wecancelebratetheworkofamanwhowasoutontheedgefirst.

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