Kirby was born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 near the corner of Delancey and Essex, where his namesake street now sits.
Known as the “king of comics,” he was a leading artist for Timely Comics and its successor, Marvel, as well as its major rival, DC, until his death in 1994.
He is credited with co-creating some of Marvel's most iconic characters, including the Fantastic Four, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and the X-Men.
Jack Kirby's grandchildren with fans at the Jack Kirby Way naming ceremony on May 11, 2026 (X/JeremyKirby)[Missing Credit]
A Jack Kirby fan at the Jack Kirby Way naming ceremony on May 11, 2026 (X/RileyMacGregor)[Missing Credit]
He was also famous for his collaboration, and later bitter argument, with long-time Marvel editor Stan Lee over artistic credit.
“Widely recognised as the most prolific and arguably most important creator in the history of the comic book medium, Jack Kirby is also one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century,” according to a new exhibit on his life and work at Manhattan’s Centre for Jewish History.
The exhibition, The Jack Kirby Way, is co-produced by the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) and the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Centre. It will be on view through November 30.
The Jack Kirby Way street sign (X/ComicBookCouplesCounseling)[Missing Credit]
One of the artifacts on display in the show is the original Captain America comic books, issues one through ten. Joe Simon, who co-created the character and many more with Kirby, owned the issues on display.
The iconic first issue of Captain America, published in March 1941, shows the superhero punching Hitler in the face, before the United States entered the war and at a time when US public opinion on the Nazis was divided.
Its publication led to death threats to both men by the German-American Bund, according to Schwartz.
Paul Golin, executive director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism and a long-time Kirby fan, also attended the street naming.
“I love all of his work. It continues to blow me away, and he was so prolific,” he told JNS. “He is so Jewish, so if you take pride in the accomplishment of fellow Jews, then he’s someone you should know about.”
Kirby’s three adult grandchildren spoke about his legacy, saying that their grandfather was a superhero in his own right.
“From these humble beginnings, he created entire universes that are now out there inspiring people across the world,” said Jeremy.
