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Kirby Krackle

Stylistic device commonly used in sci-fi, superhero and fantasy comics

Stylistic device commonly used in sci-fi, superhero and fantasy comics

The Kirby Krackle (also known as Kirby Dots) is an artistic convention in superhero and science fiction comic books and similar illustrations, in which a field of black is used to represent negative space around unspecified kinds of energy. It is typically used in illustrations of explosions, smoke, blasts from ray guns, "cosmic" energy, and outer space phenomena.

History

The effect is named after its creator, comic artist Jack Kirby. While the Kirby Krackle in its mature form first appeared in Kirby's work during 1965–1966 (in Fantastic Four and Thor), comics historian Harry Mendryk of the Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center has traced the earliest version of the stylistic device as far back as 1940 to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon's Blue Bolt #5. As Joe Simon was the inker on that comic, he may have been partially responsible for the look of the proto-Kirby Krackle. Examples of a transitional form of the Kirby Krackle appear in two of Kirby's stories from the late 1950s: The Man Who Collected Planets from 1957 (pencils and inks by Kirby) and The Negative Man from 1959 (inks attributed to Marvin Stein). The effects were used during the transformation sequences in the Ben 10 franchise.

Kirby Krackle is incorporated into the design of the Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! attraction in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

Analysis

Philosophy professor and author Jeffrey J. Kripal wrote:

For Kirby, the human body is a manifestation or crystallization of finally inexplicable energies—a superbody. [...] What [[Franz Mesmer

References

References

  1. Crowder, Craig. (2010). "Kirby, Jack". ABC-CLIO.
  2. Foley, Shane. (November 2001). "Kracklin' Kirby: Tracing the advent of Kirby Krackle".
  3. Mendryk, Harry. (September 3, 2011). "Evolution of Kirby Krackle". Jack Kirby Museum: "Simon and Kirby".
  4. Duncan, Randy. (2010). "Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman: From Captain America to Wonder Woman". ABC-CLIO.
  5. [http://comicsalliance.com/scientists-confirm-existence-of-kirby-krackle/ Scientists Confirm Existence of 'Kirby Krackle']
  6. Carr, Kristen. (June 2, 2021). "The biggest Easter egg at Disneyland's Avengers Campus is already on display". SFGate.
  7. (February 6, 2023). "Interview: 'Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur' Cast and Creatives on Family, Lunella, and Bringing a Fresh Story to the Screen".
  8. "The Colorful and Loving World of MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR".
  9. Kripal, Jeffrey J.. (2011). "Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal". University of Chicago Press.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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