Cosplaying comic book fans swarmed Manhattan Monday as a local street was renamed for Marvel’s other mastermind, Jack Kirby — the so-called “King of Comics.”
Kirby, a legendary artist who feuded with former Marvel writer and editor Stan Lee for credit of some of the company’s most iconic superheroes, was remembered with an honorary co-naming of Essex and Delancey streets as “Jack Kirby Way.”
Fans showed up dressed as some of his co-creations including Captain America and members of the Fantastic Four.
“Jack Kirby isn’t just arguably the most important artist in the history of comics, he’s one of the most important artists of the 20th century,” said Roy Schwartz, a pop culture historian and friend of the Kirby family who spearheaded the street co-naming campaign.
“He is a founding father of popular culture in New York, of a beloved American mythology,” he said, “and he was born right here.”
Born Jacob Kurtzberg to Jewish immigrant-refugees from Austria, Kirby drew inspiration from his upbringing in a crowded Essex Street tenement building — and fighting in a youth gang during the Great Depression — to create some of the most iconic heroes in the Marvel Universe, officials said.
Notable creations include Captain America, The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Iron Man and Black Panther.
He’s also credited with played a role in the creations of Spider-Man and Daredevil, among others.
One Kirby character, the Fantastic Four’s “The Thing,” even grew up on the Delancey Street-inspired “Yancy Street,” Schwartz noted. Captain America’s origin story as a bullied youngster on the streets of New York was also pulled from the artist’s own experiences.
Essex Street residents petitioned the local community board to consider the street re-naming last year.
“Denied proper recognition during his lifetime—especially compared to creative partner Stan Lee—Kirby’s unbridled imagination, groundbreaking artistic innovation, and moralistic storytelling have inspired generations of New Yorkers, Americans, and people around the world,” the petition read.
“This was beyond overdue,” Council member Christopher Marte said at the ceremony. “His story is the story of the Lower East Side.
“He went onto represent the Lower East Side throughout his work, and told stories of underdogs from poor neighborhoods who became superheroes.”
The co-naming coincides with the opening of a new exhibit about Kirby’s legacy, dubbed “The Jack Kirby Way: How a boy from the Lower East Side became the ‘King of Comics.’”
The free display, presented by the American Jewish Historical Society, features many never-before-shown artifacts including original art and rare comics.
It will be on view from view May 11 through Nov. 26.
“This neighborhood helped make him who he was,” Marte added, “and now we can honor his legacy by ensuring he’s part of this neighborhood forever.”
