Hi guys! Just thought you might like to know about my new book, "Jack Kirby's History of the Future". My previous book, "The Lost Jack Kirby Stories", began as an appendix to this book. But this is the big one.



I initially planned to just review Jack Kirby's stories. But I got more and more interested in his lost civilisations, and his stories about the future. Kirby was Jewish. Kirby's sci-fi stories follow the ancient Jewish view of the future. The book began as a something light hearted, but got more and more serious. I ended up making a quick video to introduce the idea of lost civilisations. The video also takes you through the whole book. 

The video is here: 

You can get a free digital copy of the book here: www.tedagame.com/books/

And buy a physical copy here (the physical copy is best!): www.lulu.com/shop/chris-tolworthy/jack-kirbys-history-of-the-future/paperback/product-2g2dq9.html

Hope you like it!

And I hope it isn't too intense! It does include 16 complete Kirby stories, so you can just read those and ignore my insane theories.

The site claims that Rowling has a Time Turner? Pseudoscientific claptrap. Everyone knows that, just as ancient Rome was a medieval invention, there is no record of Shakespeare existing before Rowling's time: no Time Turner needed. Look at every internet site that mentions Shakespeare: every single one of those sites dates to the 1990s or later. Byrne needs to do more research.  

Crystal. From the most desirable girl in the world, super intelligent, fun, gorgeous, interesting, beautiful, dynamic, independent, faithful, I could go on... and then the moment Kirby left, she became sickly and distant and shallow. Beginning her career as what one blogger called (please forgive the crudity) "the Marvel Universe Bicycle." My theory is that Magneto switched her for someone else at the end of FF 102. He kidnapped Sue and Dorma in 104, but I bet that switching Crystal was his long game. Yeah that's it.

Plot twist. In 2023, some nerd discovers a tiny, unnoticed edit that changes a vital detail of the reprinted stories. Hot new writer uses that detail as the basis for a new relaunched X-men. Movies result. Collectors to their horror realise that almost nobody kept the reprints. Non comics speculators star buying remaining reprints for a million dollars a piece.

I will PM you.   
"Cheeky Weekly" was  a weekly comic about a character called Cheeky, drawn (and written?) by Frank McDiarmid. Cheeky was just a boy who told jokes - nothing sophisticated here!  The comic followed his week, each week. Each day would have a page of him meeting his friends, and that would introduce a strip. On Monday night he read an adventure book, and on Saturday he went to the cinema, hence the two "serious" strips. On Tuesday he would sneak into the attic to look at his Dad's old comics (my favourite part), and other days were similar excuses to show different strips. For me, this was British humour comics at their best: great variety and gentle fun. I don't think they've ever been collected. It wasn't a huge hit: some people have no taste! There was no stand out character like Judge Dredd or Dennis the Menace. That was sort of the point: Cheeky was just an ordinary kid who told jokes and had friends. Just like the readers. That's what made it work.

Also, one issue had  knitting pattern for his jersey (sweater), so my best friend and I had our own "Cheeky Jumper". Sadly I ruined mine by putting it over the bedside light while I read late at night, and scorched it. Those were the days.

I think Kirby would agree:



In my opinion, Kirby was a much better writer than artist. And he was a superb artist.

This is one of the few Marvel comics where I think the British version is even better. This was reprinted in "Fantastic Four Weekly" in 1983. The paper size was larger, and all black and white except the covers. This particular story ended on the back cover (i.e. they could not get an advertiser that week). So you read the story in large size black and white, then turned the page and BAM! Big, glossy, full colour cliffhanger! I still remember its impact to this day.