Kid ... Comics will break your heart.
Jack KirbyRead
I taught myself how to draw, and I soon found out it was what I really wanted to do. I didn't think I was going to create any great masterpieces like Rembrandt or Gauguin. I thought comics was a common form of art, and strictly American in my estimation, because America was the home of the common man - and show me the common man that can't do a comic. So comics is an American form of art that anyone can do with a pencil and paper.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the accessibility and value of comic art as a legitimate form of artistic expression.
In this reflection, Jack Kirby expresses his journey to self-taught artistry and asserts that comics, often seen as simplistic or common, are a valuable American art form. By stating that anyone can create comics, Kirby democratizes the artistic process, celebrating the common man’s ability to create art, and recognizing the unique cultural significance of comics in American society.
Themes
ComicsArtCreativitySelf-TaughtAmericanAccessible
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared at an art workshop to inspire budding artists to explore their creativity without fear of judgment.
More from Jack Kirby
All quotes →Superman is going to live forever. They'll be reading Superman in the next century when you and I are gone. I felt, in that respect, I was doing the same thing. I wanted to be known. I wasn't going to sell a comic that was going to die quickly.
Jack KirbyRead
It's not in the draftsmanship, it's in the man. Like I say, a tool is dead. A brush is a dead object. It's in the man. If you want to do it, you do it.
Jack KirbyRead
I've never done anything half-heartedly; it's a disservice to me and the audience if I do it half-heartedly.
Jack KirbyRead
If you think a man draws the type of hands that you want to draw, steal ‘em. Take those hands.
Jack KirbyRead
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