I woke up this morning wanting to write more about the gala opening night of the new Jack Kirby Exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center here in Los Angeles. I’m still feeling a warm glow from just setting foot in the place…being surrounded by all that Jack Kirby artwork, all those memories of that wonderful man, all those people who had some connection to him or at least his work. After spending so much of the previous few weeks in a hospital, it was an exciting contrast…and maybe the best medicine I could have had.
I can’t guarantee it will have the same effect on you that it had on me…but it should enrich you in some way. As I’ve mentioned, the exhibition will be there until March 1 of next year and you can get all the info on it you need on this page.
The only negatives for me that evening had to do with how crowded it was and how many people there I knew but didn’t get to talk to…or didn’t get to talk to long enough. The grandson of Jack’s one-time partner Joe Simon was there but we didn’t have nearly enough time. Fortunately, Jesse Simon came by to visit yesterday for several hours…and though we still didn’t have enough time, we had a few hours and there was no music playing to talk over.
(This is not particularly a criticism of the Skirball Center — I now love that place even more than I did before — but as I edge up on living for three-quarters of a century, I have still not been at any party or public gathering where the playing of records accomplished anything besides making it more difficult for people who wanted to talk with each other to talk with each other.)
At the opening, I also talked with some of Jack’s grandkids but not nearly enough with Jillian Kirby, who among the many things she has done to tell the world about her grandpappy has been to run the Kirby for Heroes campaign. It’s raised awesome amounts of dough for good causes. Jillian, if you’re reading this, let’s get together one of these days so I can tell you more about what a great man your grandfather was…and your father is, as well.
But didn’t get to talk to my longtime pal William Stout. Barely got to talk to my longertime pal Scott Shaw! Didn’t get to talk to lots of folks who I heard were there but didn’t see them. And didn’t get enough time to stare at all that magnificent Jack Kirby artwork. Fortunately, it will still he there when I return.
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