August 28, 2014, just over two weeks from now, would have been the 97th birthday of Jack Kirby, who passed away twenty years ago, in 1994, at the age of seventy-six.
Kirby means so much to the history of comics that I believe his birthday ought to be, for fans, a holiday—a day of remembrance, celebration, and thanks. I think of it that way myself. As Tom Spurgeon has observed, over at The Comics Reporter,
there seems to be a slowly developing movement to honor Kirby on his birthday,
and I’m glad to participate in and encourage that. Kirby Day: a day for acknowledging comics, cartoonists, and in particular the history of the American comic book.
Kirby Day! I like the sound of that. And it can be much more than a private celebration among fans—it can be a way to give back:
Kirby’s family continues to celebrate his birthday by supporting veteran comic book creators through The Hero Initiative, a federally chartered, not-for-profit organization dedicated to honoring and helping creators in need. Since 2012 Jack’s granddaughter Jillian Kirby has spearheaded the Kirby4Heroes campaign to raise money for the Initiative on his birthday. In the spirit of generosity that Kirby himself championed, the Initiative seeks to provide (as its website says) “a financial safety net for yesterdays’ creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.” In 2012 Kirby4Heroes raised $6000 for the Initiative, and in 2013 it raised $10,000. This year Jillian has set the goal of $15,000. I urge my readers to help reach that goal!
On August 28, Kirby Day, select comic book shops across the country will be donating a portion of their sales to The Hero Initiative. Some stores will also be hosting special events, as will as the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco and other organizations. ComicsPRO, the professional organization of comic book retailers, has endorsed Kirby4Heroes, and many comics artists will be lending their time and talents as well. (Follow #WakeUpAndDraw on Twitter on Aug. 28th!)
Supporting Kirby4Heroes is simple. Besides shopping at your local comics store on August 28, you can donate online or by mail. To donate online, visit The Hero Initiative at heroinitiative.org (and be sure to type “Kirby4Heroes” in the space for “special instructions”). To donate by mail, send a check to:
Kirby4Heroes Campaign
c/o The Hero Initiative
11301 Olympic Blvd., #587
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Be sure to make out your checks to The Hero Initiative!
For more information about Kirby4Heroes, check out the Kirby4Heroes website and this article at Hero Complex (the Los Angeles Times‘s pop culture blog). Also, visit the campaign’s Facebook page, and watch Jillian’s video about the campaign via YouTube, courtesy of the Nerdist Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQbKLQkDa6k
Unfortunately, I can’t embed the video here, since WordPress doesn’t play ball with YouTube, but click through the link and you’ll see it. Here’s a screenshot:
I hope all of my readers will consider supporting Kirby4Heroes. Celebrate Kirby Day by lending veteran creators a helping hand!
HAND OF FIRE 
Thank you so much for your support, Mr. Hatfield. I respect you tremendously and your kindness touches me. I have just one little correction. Any checks should be made out directly to Hero Initiative, as they are the organization I am trying to fund raise for on “Kirby Day”. Hero Initiative is a wonderful organization, and recently one of the many individuals helped by this organization, co creator of Rocket Raccoon, Mr. Mantlo, an early recipient of assistance from H. I. was featured in a N.Y. Times article. I feel if we love comic books and then the eventual movie adaptations of so many of these characters and story lines, we all must have it in our hearts to lend a helping hand to the individuals who have given to all of us! Thank you again, Mr. Hatfield! Jillian Kirby
Jillian, thank you for weighing in here! I’ll be sure to clarify the point regarding making checks out to The Hero Initiative. Re: Bill Mantlo, are you referring to this New York Times article from August 6, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/07/movies/comic-character-creators-fight-for-cash-and-credit.html?_r=0 ? Most interesting, and important!