The Simon and Kirby Library: Horror

The Simon and Kirby Library

by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby (Illustrations)

At every point, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby raised the bar.

When they came to comics, Superman had been around for about a year, and the medium was still in its infancy. They took the action and made it explode, breaking out of the panels and sprinting across the page. They showed what comics could do, experimenting with layout and design, creating the first full-page panels and double page spreads.

Their first million-seller was a superhero ( Captain America ), and their next was military adventure that outsold Superman (DC's Boy Commandos ). These two guys from Rochester and Brooklyn broke all the rules when they created the first romance comics, and they blazed trails in every horror, science fiction, crime etc ...

Their work in the legendary title Black Magic was acclaimed by readers. It was held up on national television by the Senate Committee on Juvenile Delinquency, where experts claimed Black Magic contributed to the corruption of American youth! Also included here are the Simon and Kirby stories from the experimental terror title Strange World of Your Dreams .

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2013

About the author

Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon (born Hymie Simon) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.

With his partner, artist Jack Kirby, he co-created Captain America, one of comics' most enduring superheroes, and the team worked extensively on such features at DC Comics as the 1940s Sandman and Sandy the Golden Boy, and co-created the Newsboy Legion, the Boy Commandos, and Manhunter. Simon & Kirby creations for other comics publishers include Boys' Ranch, Fighting American and the Fly. In the late 1940s, the duo created the field of romance comics, and were among the earliest pioneers of horror comics. Simon, who went on to work in advertising and commercial art, also founded the satirical magazine Sick in 1960, remaining with it for a decade. He briefly returned to DC Comics in the 1970s.

Simon was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1999.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this, it was different to what I usually read, I just wish it was more..gorey lol.

People who are old enough to remember 50s horror comics such Black Magic etc - this will be pure nostalgia for you.

Or if you're into vintage horror like me, you'll find enjoyment in these stories.

I found it Twilight Zone-ish, very short with the suggestion of the supernatural.

There’s little violence in it like I said, instead they rely on creepiness and implication.

You can tell there was a lot of thought put into these comics as the story boards are full of dialogue and the artwork is very good.

Must read for VINTAGE HORROR fans!

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute treasure trove of vintage horror comics and I’m so glad I came across it at the library! It was such a treat to go back to the beginnings of horror comics and see where the genre I love so much came from and how much it has evolved. Some of the comics are a bit campy and cheesy but that’s part of what makes them so good, they can make you laugh AND scare you! The illustrations were incredibly awesome, it was nice to see some old school comic style after reading so many modern graphic novels lately.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

У далеких 1950-х роках виходив журнал коміксів «Чорна магія» («Black Magic»), у якому в команді працювали сценарист Джо Саймон та сценарист й художник Джо Кірбі. Антологія «Бібліотека Саймона і Кірбі: Горор!» («The Simon and Kirby Library: Horror!») якраз складається із цих коротких історій у жанрах жахів та містики. Також тут є кілька історій з іншого журналу «Дивний світ мрій твоїх» («The Strange World of Your Dreams»), але переважна більшість історій саме із журналу «Чорна наука».

Сучасний жанр горору, якщо його розглядати у історичному аспекті, важко уявити без першовідкривачів жанру. Говард Філіпс Лавкрафт, Едґар Аллан По чи Елджернон Блеквуд — це лише деякі з них. Але якщо говорити про цей жанр у мальованих історіях, то таких творців, як Джо Саймон та Джек Кірбі, обов'язково потрібно згадувати у цьому контексті. І, коли мені трапилася нагода придбати таку збірку, то довго не думав, тому що цікаво для себе дослідити вінтажні олдскульні комікси. Та ще й в жанрі, який мені подобається.

Коли вперше відкрив антологію і хвильку погортав її, то відразу у пам'яті зринула збірка із оповіданням Говарда Філіпса Лавкрафта, яку видало «Видавництво Жупанського». І тут, базуючись на моєму досвіді, виникли два важливі аспекти. По-перше, я читав першу збірку оповідань майстра жахів близько двох років і точно не хотів, щоб знайомство із коміксами Саймона і Кірбі, затягнулося так надовго. І добре, що я зібрав усі сили і прочитав збірку у короткий відрізок часу. По-друге, я дійсно хотів, щоб ця вишуканість мови та стиль прози Лавкрафта якимось магічним чином відобразилися у історіях зображених у коміксах. І це друга річ, яка справдилася. Тому можу сказати, що усе вдалося якнайкраще.

Історії, зібрані з журналу «Чорна магія», є напрочуд елегантні й елегічні за своєю природою, що у форматі коміксів дає зовсім інший досвід, який є відмінний від читання оповідань Лавкрафта. Хоча спільного під час читання знаходиш достатньо. Зловісний «Вуду на Десятій авеню» — це дослідження поетичної справедливості, жорстокості та чорної магії, а «Плащ» розповідає історію сатанинського одягу та того, як він впливає на невинних людей. Тут знайдуться, і «Срібна куля для твого серця», де природа вовкулак розкривається у трагічній жіночій красі, «Дивовижне скло Саймона», яке розповість про фанатичну прив'язаність до дрібнички зі скла, що показує «справжній» колір людини, та легко зведе з розуму, чи «Народження після смерті» про те, як оживають померлі люди.

На щастя, не кожна історія є безкровним жахом — деякі історії у збірці досліджують царство снів, як «Зневага безликого народу». А інші — історичні історії, як «Бачення Нострадамуса». Вони частково є пророцтвами, частково пропагандою, а частково невпевненими теоріями про майбутнє. Правда, не кожна історія є хорошою чи пак захопить чимось, оскільки у коміксах використовується багато однакових тропів.

Ця антологія, у фоліанті якої є понад п’ятдесят історій, де кожен знайде щось собі до смаку. Але, щоб знайти те «щось», прийдеться протиснутися поміж багато відверто банальних історій, які не мають чим вразити. Та все ж, це цікавий досвід і змога дослідити початки коміксів у жанрі жахів, які розвинулися у те, що ми маємо сьогодні.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of the classic horror stories form the Golden Age of comics. Done by 2 of the masters of the new comic industry they are fantastic to behold. Very recommended

[Matthew Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern horror owes a great debt to the pioneers of the genre from the past. There are many individuals responsible for ushering in the current age of terror: H.P Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Algernon Blackwood, and Richard Matheson just to name a few. But the list goes on and on.

It would not be complete, however, without mentioning the influence of two famous comic creators: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. These two men made a name for themselves by revolutionizing an already thriving comic scene; but they became almost infamous with the publication of their horror comic, Black Magic. This title was singled out by a Congressional investigation committee and labeled a contributor to the corruption of youth. As a result, it was shut down shortly thereafter. Now, years later, the fine folks at Titan have compiled an exhaustive collection of Black Magic’s greatest stories and crammed them into one amazing volume. THE SIMON & KIRBY LIBRARY: HORROR! is a gem of a book, and fans of both horror and comics should definitely pick this up.

There is just something about vintage horror that fascinates me. Maybe it is the way stories were told back then, or maybe it is the type of stories they chose to tell…I’m not sure. But needless to say, I thoroughly enjoy it in all forms of media. As such, this collection is right up my alley.

THE SIMON & KIRBY LIBRARY: HORROR! is a stunning anthology with a wide diversity of terror. From stories based on legends to completely original forays into the abyss, there’s plenty to choose from here. Each tale is superbly written and illustrated with the trademark style fans of Simon & Kirby will recognize immediately.

There are over fifty stories in this tome, however I cannot bring myself to pick a favorite. They are ALL good. I can mention a couple that stood out in my mind, which include “Donovan’s Demon”, “The Monsters on the Lake!”, and “Slaughter-house”. These three are perfect examples of what make Simon & Kirby’s horror so great.

THE SIMON & KIRBY LIBRARY: HORROR! is an excellent collection that horror and/or comic fans will definitely want to add to their libraries. I highly recommend giving it a look, even if you aren’t a fan of either. It is available now.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This a great, high quality collection of Simon and Kirby horror stories mostly from the 50's. This volume includes every Simon and Kirby story from the series "Black Magic." I was pleasantly surprised by these stories as they are very close in quality to the EC horror comics of the time, which will always be the "gold standard" by which horror anthology comics are graded. The stories were sophisticated, and not something I would call childish. I was under the impression that most comic readers of that time period were children, but most of these stories would have been too complex for younger readers.

The latter stores in the book are from a comic that supposedly translated the dreams of readers, and I didn't care for those nearly as much as the horror stories. This is the reason for the 4.5 rather than a solid 5 stars, but it wasn't really enough to bring the collection down a full star.

If you are a Simon and/or Kirby fan, or a fan of horror comics ala Tales from the Crypt, this is a can't miss pick.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reprints Black Magic #1-8, 10-13, 15, 17-33 and The Strange World of Your Dreams #1-3 (November 1950-November 1954). Horror creeps as the dark approaches. Ghosts, witchcraft, and maniacs stalk the shadows…and the horror is growing. Plus, dreams are often insight into peoples’ dreams and desires…and doors to their horrors.

The Simon and Kirby Library continues to present classic Jack Kirby and Joe Simon stories. The collection by Titan presents Kirby and Simon’s earliest work in a clean and great presentation. The comics collected in collection are highly sought after by fans due to the horror base and the controversy surrounding horror comics in the ’50s. Some of Kirby and Simon’s Black Magic comics were reprinted in 1973 by DC comics in a nine-issue series.

I love horror comics and this is a great collection. With so much focus on EC Comics and the easily found reprints of DC and Marvel comics, it is nice to see some other horror tales…especially stories that were historically significant in the battle over comics.

EC Comics like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror seemed to be a lot gorier than the Kirby/Simon entries. Despite this, Black Magic did become a hot button issue in the battle in Congress over comic book content. Black Magic #29 (March 1954) which presented “The Greatest Horror of Them All!” was used as an example of horror comics in the argument for the official Comic Code. It is rather amusing to read comics like this now and think they were controversial since they are rather tame. Though the stories are predictable, they are fun.

The idea of dream interpretation in the series is also kind of fun. Black Magic #2 (January 1951) presents “The Scorn of the Faceless People!” introduces Robert and Mary Clark who are dream interpreters. The “horror” of the dreams is looked at and explained in dime-store psychology. This is looked at again in The Strange World of Your Dreams which encouraged readers to send in their dreams and nightmares. Whether the dreams were legitimate or not, I can’t be sure, but the concept was an ingenious way to bring in the readers (pre-social media).

The Simon & Kirby Library is a great treat for fans. The latest horror entry is great for fans of Simon and Kirby, but also fans of classic horror as well. The comics are probably cleaner and crisper than they originally appeared in print and leave you wanting more.

[PopInsomniacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scary, the terrifying, the downright frightening. What's your favourite scary story?

Chances are there's something like in the scintillatingly scary anthology of the work of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, two of the twenty-first century's finest comic book artists and the auteurs behind strips of stories of true crime, horror, romance and science fiction that thrilled huge audiences in the 1940s and 1950s during the Golden Age of Comic Books. The anthology, it has to be said, is crisp and beautiful, each panel lovingly restored to vibrant, pulpy brightness, the colours leaping off the page and providing plenty of visually entertaining fare before you even consider the stories.

For someone like myself who is a comics (in the serialised format) newcomer, the anthology not only allows me an easy jumping-off point into the genre, it also ensures that the reader is enthralled from the start. The stories - collected from Simon & Kirby's lauded 'Black Magic' series - are surprisingly elegant and elegaic in nature, allowing the reader a chance to explore creepy concepts and tales of terror without lengthy introductions or deep backstories, as is the nature of the comic.

Several of the best stories deal with terrifying scenarios that could rival some of the best thrillers and horror films out in recent years; the sinister 'Voodoo on Tenth Avenue' is an exploration of poetic justice, cruelty and black magic, while the brilliantly scary 'The Cloak' tells the story of a Satanic garment and the way it affects innocent people. The stories feel almost Hitchcockian in a way; in similar vignette-style tone to his 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents...' series, a slow and growing dread sweeps over the reader as the twists and turns are unravelled and shocking, supernatural events and figures besiege our protagonists one way or another. The stories feel like a precursor to ' The Twilight Zone' and maintain a sense of unease and shock throughout.

Fortunately not every story is a bloodless horror - some stories in the collection investigate the realm of dreams, while others are historical stories used for terrifying tales. One notable story is the stellar 'Visions of Nostradamus' which is part-prophecy, part-propaganda, and part-crackpot theorising last seen during an 'Ancient Aliens' marathon. Not every story is a winner, admittedly, with a lot of the same tropes being used throughout, but with a context such as this, it makes sense that Simon and Kirby were playing to what American readers wanted - action, terror, suspense, horror, but without gore or the brutality of war that many had known all-too-well a few years before.

This anthology does an admirable job of celebrating the genre and bringing the stories back for a whole new generation - myself included - to thoroughly enjoy, with the attention to detail paid throughout the restoration, transference and resurrection of the art is commendable.

If you're in the mood for some short, dark, and scary material, you can't get much better than 'Horror!' - although it might be best to read it in the daytime. After all, who knows what's lurking in the shadows...

Review written by Chris Haigh at Pop Insomniacs.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The presentation is great. The actual content is mediocre — and I say this as a big Golden Age horror and Jack Kirby fan. His Marvel monster comics are where his style starts to blossom, and EC’s slightly later offerings are a better version of mid-20th century horror comics.

The pacing of the stories is weird. They tend to take their time getting to their premises, and they often end too soon, with several panels of unnecessary exposition to drive home the point, which only weakens the impact. Sometimes, there’s not really even a story there. And boy did Joe Simon love writing the same Nostradamus story over and over.

[Derek Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Send us your dreams! Here is another great volume from the Simon & Kirby Library, this one focused on horror comics. I grew up reading comics like this -- not the old Black Magic series, which was way before my time, but the ancestors to these and similar stories, especially the many macabre DC Comics had in the 1970s. This is the stuff I loved reading more than anything, and it's great to go through these old Simon and Kirby stories. Andy and I will discuss this on the next episode of The Comics Alternative, http://comicsalternative.com.

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Simon And Kirby – Horror’ book collects macabre stories from the fifties put out by the Simon and Kirby studio. Most of the tales are from the renowned horror anthology magazine ‘Black Magic’, published by Prize Comics from 1950-1961. This book features selected stories from issues # 1-33. At the back are some interesting vignettes from ‘The Strange World of Your Dreams’, an odd magazine in which readers sent in their dreams for ‘dramatization and analysis by Richard Temple’. It only lasted four issues from 1952-1953.

The ‘Black Magic’ stories are many and varied. ‘A Giant Walks The Earth’ is a tale of daring set in the interior of India and it’s more H. Rider Haggard than horror. A small plane crashes and the two pilots investigate a huge footprint. Kirby always thought anything big was good, as his work shows. Like many of the tales, this is told retrospectively by the man to whom it happened, pilot Jim Handley, in this case. ‘The Thing In The Fog’ is told from bed by seaman John Karski. ‘Detour Lorelei On Highway 52’ is told from his bed by Davis, a trucking man. A cop tells two fellows the story of ‘Donavan’s Demon’ when they ask him who was the greatest man in the world.

The stories are usually tightly plotted and if they seem hackneyed, well, bear in mind how old they are. The scripting is often elegant, if redolent of pulp fiction. ‘Arlington’s eyes bulged in a frog-like fashion’ and ‘dropped into the soft arms of Morpheus’ are two examples from ‘A Giant Walks The Earth’. ‘Up There!’ is narrated by test pilot Tolliver, a man who ‘flew along the edge of death for a paycheck’. ‘I returned to the cold night’, he says, ‘to the darkness which men fight with artificial lighting, mechanical sounds and the futile voice of massed humanity.’ Old Tolly could get a job as a writer when he’s too old to fly.

‘A Rag – A Bone And A Hank of Hair’ is a slightly silly story about a dummy coming to life but again the script has some good moments: ‘So it began! An accident! But then, was not the first vague stirring of life in the steaming seas of lost millenniums also an accident.’ Such stuff may be a bit purple but it has some vigour at least. The wordy captions, incidentally, appeared again in Kirby’s solo work during the seventies, proving either that he learned nothing from the sparser style of Stan Lee or, more likely, preferred the style of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

Like many anthologies, especially of very short stories, this is best taken in small doses. The original ‘Black Magic’ came out bi-monthly at first and then monthly, so it was not designed for bulk consumption. To be honest, the quality tailed off a bit as it continued. Perhaps the need for more material meant lower grade stuff passed muster. I think it was Simon and Kirby’s practice to launch a magazine with a lot of input from themselves then slowly let other studio hands contribute more. The other studio people included Mort Meskin, no mean talent, and the standard never got very low.

Meskin received credit as ‘associate editor’ on ‘The Strange World Of Your Dreams’ because he gave Simon and Kirby the idea. He had great nightmares and used to tell his colleagues about them. He also went for psychoanalysis, that wonderful American hobby. Presumably, they learned enough of the jargon to get away with these yarns, which are quite interesting in a quirky way, though I can’t vouch for their accuracy as psychotherapy. I wonder did readers really send in their dreams or are Miss Ellen K. of Boston, Massachusetts, Mrs C.C.D. of Parkersburg, West Virginian and Mr Thomas R. of Holiet, Illinois just made up names. At least, if they’re still around, they can now get their dreams in a nice hardback edition on quality paper.

The art herein collected is mostly by Jack Kirby. It’s not his best work, probably because it was turned out pretty fast, but his neat design sense, dramatic layouts and sound storytelling shines through as ever. The inking looks sort of muddy in places, which doesn’t help. Had the guys in the studio known that their work would be collected in deluxe hardback editions sixty years later, I’m sure they would have taken more care. They did the best they could in the circumstances and the results are generally pleasing. An excellent volume, overall, and a good addition to the wonderful ‘Simon And Kirby Library’.

Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/

[Ángel Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este tomo es absolutamente espléndido: guiones fabulosos, llenos de tensión e intriga, comparables a los de EC (aunque sin el memorable giro irónico final marca de la casa) e incluso superándolos a menudo en atmósfera, debido, claro está, a la narrativa simpar del Rey de los cómics. Puede que Kirby fuera un ilustrador inferior en técnica pura y dura a luminarias como Wally Wood, Reed Crandall o George Evans, pero en energía y capacidad narrativa... en eso, no había color: Jack era, es y seguirá siendo el Rey.

En fin, tal vez en esta elección influya que su temática sea mi favorita, pero este es, en mi opinión, el mejor tomo de esta colección dedicada a la encomiable recuperación de las historias del dúo de creativos más importante de la Edad Dorada del cómic americano: Joe Simon y Jack Kirby. Además, se da el hecho de que los manchurrones y los trazos oscurecidos que estropean muchas de las páginas de anteriores volúmenes no aparecen en este: todas las historias han sido restauradas a la perfección, por lo que el resultado final es el sueño de todo aficionado al arte del Rey. ¿Y qué auténtico fan de los cómics no lo es?

[ISMOTU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon and Kirby at their most horrible! By which I mean fun, spooky, stories with weird premises and spectacular art of course.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before playing Lennon to Stan Lee’s McCartney, Jacky Kirby teamed with writer/artist Joe Simon to create a legacy that included Captain America, the romance comic, and numerous other creations. The latest volume of Titan’s handsome, full color collections of the duo’s collaborative works features horror tales from Black Magic and The Strange World of Your Dreams. The former enjoyed a 33 issue run from 1950-1954 (though it was later resurrected years later with #34, but sans Simon/Kirby) and the latter beginning in 1952 for a scant 4 issues, a rare business failure for the pair. Simon and Kirby did not work on every story in either title but rather employed a small group of artists which included the amazing Mort Meskin and Bruno Premiani. Though Kirby did draw the majority of the tales, he often just contributed the splash page with others providing the rest of the story. This volume reproduces and restores every story from the two series that contained any Kirby art.

The stories themselves rise above much of the muck, some just below the era’s horror gold standard EC. Perhaps the volume’s biggest flaw lies not with the largely excellent stories but rather with the scant historical data. Series editor Steve Saffel penned the introduction that offers some interesting background material, but acknowledging the credits to other artists when known (or even suspected) would certainly have enhanced the project. Even with that minor quibble, The Simon and Kirby Library: Horror successfully encapsulates this lesser known epoch of Kirby’s impressive output and should be part of every well stocked comics library.

[Greg Trosclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Simon and Kirby Library Collection are truly gems. Every volume is a stroll back in time. It is an awesome experience reading these great tales. Are they scary? Not really but they are a bit creepy. I love Kirby's art. He was a man before his time. Truly the King of Comics.

[Eric Shosted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deserves all the stars.

[Onorio Catenacci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost as good as the EC books of the same period. Plus kudos to Titan Books. The book itself was a good quality product.