At the end of February we enjoyed an exhibit of Jack Kirby’s lifetime of work. Jack Kirby of Marvel Comics as well as DC Comics fame. Jack Kirby of Captain America, The Avengers, Black Panther and the Fantastic Four fame, to name a handful. Because we’re AAA members we receive their monthly magazine. I was perusing this publication when I saw that the Jack Kirby exhibit was coming to an end. I didn’t know who he was but I felt sure that hubby would and sure enough, he did. He used to read these comics as a youth. So we planned an excursion just days before the exhibit ended and we’re so glad we did.
The museum didn’t open until noon on the weekday that we chose to visit and the restaurant on site, Zeidler’s Café, opened at 11:30. So we decided to have lunch at Zeidler’s Café then see the exhibit afterwards.
The Skirball Cultural Center focuses on Jewish history and traditions. Jack Kirby was Jewish and you will see some photos below that reflect this. This is Skirball’s mission statement:
Guided by Jewish tradition and inspired by American democratic ideals, the Skirball welcomes people of all communities and generations to participate in cultural experiences that celebrate discovery and hope, foster human connections, and call upon us to help build a more just society.
The parking structure is on the north side of the complex and it’s a lovely walk to the museum. There is a map of the campus in the garage and on the short walk to the museum there is an exhibit of Visitation Stones. It’s a way to honor deceased loved ones and comes from a Jewish tradition of placing stones on graves. They invite you to take a stone and hold it while reflecting on your loved one. Then you place the stone on the table.
The exhibit was all encompassing examining Jack Kirby’s work, from his early career in New York to the later years after he moved to California. The man was very talented indeed!
There was a section for World War II including Jack Kirby’s uniform next to a photo of him in the uniform. Some of his works were focused on the war. One comic had a character named Izzy Cohen which I took keen interest in. My father’s name was Izzy and was also in World War II. He was also a mechanic. If you read the blurb about him, you learn that Izzy was a mechanic so I was wondering if perhaps Kirby knew my father. But, after thinking about it, I doubt they knew each other because they were in different army units but both men landed on the beach at Normandy. I’d bet there were other Jewish servicemen named Izzy as it was a popular name at that time. Here is a gallery of the war-related pieces:
The following gallery are my favorite photos of the rest of the exhibit.
We’d like to go back to the Skirball to see other exhibits but for now, I hope you enjoyed this fascinating and education exhibit. Here’s a link to the Skirball in case you’d like to visit.
travels with toby 