It's over! Phoenix's 3rd annual celebration of Jack Kirby's birthday has passed, and this year we honored the King's 100th birthday with a multifaceted three day event I won't soon forget, because I recorded the whole thing!
Firstly, I'd like to thank Drawn to Comics for hosting the 24 Hour Kirby Comic Challenge. Drawn to Comics has come up a lot here lately, not just because I co-host a podcast with shop owner Ken Brown, but because he and his wife Susan are incredible supporters of local artists like myself. Who else would let five weirdos lock themselves in a comic shop for 24 straight hours?
One of those weirdos was me -- the rest were four of my favorite people in Phoenix (well, one of them is in Sedona, but that's Phoenix adjacent, so it counts). Birdie Birdashaw, Derk Harron, the Janimal, and Zoe Sugg agreed to attempt the 24 Hour Comic Challenge to honor Kirby, while I documented the whole thing in an attempt to create a webseries of the day. Here's a picture of them as the sun rose over Glendale, bushy-eyed but strong-willed -- as you'll see when that webseries drops on YouTube later this year!
That Monday, the 28th, the day of Kirby's actual birthday, 10 of the Valley's funniest people gathered to roast the King's first, and perhaps most important creation -- Captain America! My thanks to Monkey Pants Bar & Grill in Tempe for hosting our event. If you're ever hankering wings and/or karaoke near ASU, Monkey Pants is the place.
I'll post the roast on Phoenix Tonight's YouTube page soon, but in the meantime, here's a shot of me with the Avengers in attendance. I guess Stark had an expo, or something.
My appreciation to the comedians that made the night hilarious, and particularly to the Captain himself, who made both the 24 Hour Comic Challenge and this roast some of the most memorable events in this fanboy's life. Follow him on Instagram @stevenrogersusa.
Keep your eyes glued to this blog for more posts this fall! Karaoke adventures, zines, and more zany fandom to come!
