It’s a Jack Kirby Action Figure, Sort of, via NECA TMNT

Technically, this NECA action figure isn’t of world-famous comic-book artist Jack Kirby, who co-created most of the major Marvel heroes with Stan Lee (who had a reputation for taking more of the credit than he ought). It’s of “Kirby,” an artist character who interacted with Donatello in a 1986 comic.

But it sure looks familiar. So familiar, in fact, that the Kirby estate had to approve it, because nobody’s trying to fool anybody here. Thankfully they did, as did TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, and now we have a Jack Kirby action figure who can fight the various pre-existing Stan Lee figures over royalties.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

In the comic, Kirby could bring his drawings to life thanks to a pencil powered by a magic crystal, and even draw his way into another dimension. The figure includes the pencil, sketchbook, various hands, a comic-style blaster weapon, and a creature in Kirby’s style with its own weapon. Typically, this would have been so niche as to be a convention exclusive, but if you’re quick, you can snap it up at Target as part of their Haul-a-thon event. Other online stores should get shipments of it later. The figure comes in a window box featuring original artwork by Kevin Eastman.

Born in 1917 and dead in 1994 at the age of 76, Jack Kirby initially worked at DC following his military service in World War II but soon moved to Atlas Comics, which would become Marvel, where he helped create the likes of Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and many more. Feeling he wasn’t getting due credit, he went to DC in the ’70s, where he created the New Gods and the Fourth World, creating arguably DC’s biggest baddie in Darkseid.

The TMNT comic humorously suggests he “creates” the Ninja Turtles comics after meeting a real one. Now, the Turtles action figure line has “created” him. Check out the official pics below: