Once, giants walked the earth.

Jack Kirby,  inks by Bill Everett.  Thor #175, April 1970.

A giant, anyway.  19 years ago today, Jack Kirby shuffled off the coil.  It was six days after my mother died, and capped a monumentally lousy week.  

I knew my mom way better, but I did meet the man once.  Anyone that's ever had more than one Kirby conversation with me is tired of hearing me mention it again, but I shook Jack's hand when I was 12.  Tons of times.  In fact, I spent two solid days finding crap for him to sign and then going and waiting in his line again. There were other things afoot at the convention that weekend, but I was on a mission.  Jesus, Kirby was in the room! JACK KIRBY.

Anyway, that happened.  People live, people die.  Young and old, some you know, some you don't, really.  A couple of them had massive impact on my life and how I've lived it, and they died in the same week.  And that was a hell of a thing.