Yep, I’m finally wrapping up issue #49 of The Jack Kirby Collector this weekend, so it’ll be going to press next week, and shipping three weeks after. Really meaty issue this time (as if any Kirby issue isn’t, right?). But boy, finding time to put my own mag together is getting harder and harder these days. Still lots of fun, though; I never get tired of seeing Kirby art, and learning more about the guy.

I got a copy of the second Fourth World Omnibus from DC Comics yesterday; I sent them a bunch of Kirby pencil scans to run, and man, they ran them all! It’s another gorgeous volume, although some people complained about the paper they’re using. My first reaction was the same as others: “Man, why’d they print this hardbound, full-color book on crummy newsprint?” But upon looking more closely, I saw what the designer had in mind; he/she chose a really nice paper that just LOOKS like crummy newsprint. It actually prints lots, lots better than newsprint, and looks 10x better than the original comics, or the 1980s color reprints. I highly recommend it; Mark Evanier’s afterword is really a fun read.