New York City is naming a block of Essex St. on the Lower East Side Jack Kirby Way, in honor of the Marvel Universe co-creator and pop art pioneer.
The street naming ceremony is scheduled for Monday, May 11 at 12 pm, at the corner of Essex & Delancey Streets. It’ll be attended by the Kirby family, city dignitaries, and a who’s who of the comics industry.
Speakers include NYC Council Member Christopher Marte, Marvel’s EIC C. B. Cebulski, and Jack Kirby’s family, daughter Lisa and grandchildren Jeremy and Tracey.
Kirby has a strong connection to the Lower East Side, not Queens, but it’s still a story about NYC finally recognizing its own. One fun connection is that Kirby played a part in the creation of Spider-Man (though the credited co-creators are Stan Lee and Steve Ditko), who’s of course a Queens boy, and Kirby drew the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15, Spidey’s very first appearance.