Another glimpse inside Marvel’s bullpen awaits within this collection of original art from The Mighty Thor! The third volume in the Bullpen Books series, this oversized 10" x 14" hardcover edition is a stunning collection of iconic covers and original art, reproduced from Marvel’s archival scans, alongside a new essay, commentary, and a new introduction by Walter Simonson.Since his debut in 1962, Thor has remained a key character in the Marvel Universe. The Art of Thor focuses on the work of two of Thor’s most celebrated and influential illustrators: the legendary Jack “King” Kirby and the inimitable Walter Simonson. It includes two complete stories from Kirby’s definitive run—Thor Annual #2 and Thor #134—and four complete stories from Simonson’s run—Thor #337 (the first appearance of fan-favorite character Beta Ray Bill), Thor #338, Thor #339, and Thor #340.Dark Horse’s Bullpen Books series showcases characters and creators integral to Marvel Comics history. This volume follows the previous two Bullpen titles, The Art of the Amazing Spider-Man and The Art of the Fantastic Four.
Contributors: (A) Walter Simonson; Jack Kirby (CT) John Lind
John Lind: Designer, editor, and co-founder of the Dark Horse Comics imprint Kitchen Sink Books (with Denis Kitchen). Specializing in print design with a client list that includes projects for Abrams, Bloomsbury, Chronicle Books, Disney, Hyperion Books, Simon & Schuster, and W.W. Norton in addition to numerous publishers in the comic industry.Walt Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as X-Factor and Fantastic Four, on DC Comics books including Detective Comics, Manhunter, Metal Men and Orion, and on licensed properties such as Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Galactica and Robocop vs. Terminator.He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.Jack Kirby: Born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 to Jewish-Austrian parents on New York’s Lower East Side, Jack Kirby came of age at the birth of the American comic book industry. Beginning his career during the rising tide of fascism in Europe, Kirby and fellow artist Joe Simon created the patriotic hero, Captain America. In the 1950s, Kirby turned his artistic talents to other genres, such as monsters, westerns, crime, and romance. In 1961, Kirby returned to super heroes to illustrate what would become the defining issue in Marvel Comics history: Fantastic Four #1. For the next decade, Kirby and Stan Lee would introduce a mind-boggling array of new characters—including the Avengers, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and the X-Men. Taken together, Kirby’s groundbreaking work with Lee helped form the foundation of the Marvel Universe. Kirby died in 1994, but his influence on the comic book industry is as strong as ever.