Superman is going to live forever. They'll be reading Superman in the next century when you and I are gone. I felt, in that respect, I was doing the same thing. I wanted to be known. I wasn't going to sell a comic that was going to die quickly.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the desire for artistic legacy and immortality through one's work.
Jack Kirby expresses his ambition to create lasting art similar to Superman, emphasizing the aspiration for recognition and the belief that his creations should have enduring significance. He acknowledges that while his work may eventually be forgotten, he strives to create something that will resonate long after he is gone, thus aspiring to leave a lasting impact in the world of comics and storytelling.
In practice
In a speech about creativity, one might reference this quote to inspire artists to think about the lasting impact of their work.
I taught myself how to draw, and I soon found out it was what I really wanted to do. I didn't think I was going to create any great masterpieces like Rembrandt or Gauguin. I thought comics was a common form of art, and strictly American in my estimation, because America was the home of the common man - and show me the common man that can't do a comic. So comics is an American form of art that anyone can do with a pencil and paper.
Kid ... Comics will break your heart.
It's not in the draftsmanship, it's in the man. Like I say, a tool is dead. A brush is a dead object. It's in the man. If you want to do it, you do it.
I've never done anything half-heartedly; it's a disservice to me and the audience if I do it half-heartedly.
If you think a man draws the type of hands that you want to draw, steal ‘em. Take those hands.
It's the imperfections that make something beautiful, that's what makes it different and unique from everything else.
Fiction is to the grown man what play is to the child; it is there that he changes the atmosphere and tenor of his life.
I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.
My perfect day is sitting in a room with some blank paper. That's heaven. That's gold, and anything else is just a waste of time.
I trust that if God gives me music for someone else, that's what He wants that person to have. I have to trust that that's what they're supposed to do and that's the music that should specifically be released for them and their ministry, for their career and for their audience.
No translation can possibly be perfect. Every production and every performance is a different path up the mountain, and nobody ever makes it all the way to the summit.
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