Sky Masters

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Sky Masters comic strip by Jack Kirby (pencils) and Wally Wood (inks)

Sky Masters of the Space Force is an American comic strip created by Jack Kirby, featuring the adventures of an American astronaut.

[edit] Pre-Creation

Reputedly, Sky Masters of the Space Force began life as a science-fiction strip created by Jack Kirby and writer Dave Wood called Space Busters, which was designed to be sold to a newspaper syndicate, since Kirby was doubting the future of comics, in the wake of the Wertham-affected widespread industry downturn. This strip did not sell, however.

Around that time, Harry Elmlark, "an agent from the George Matthew Adams Service," asked DC editor Jack Schiff for a science-fiction comic to be adapted into strip form, to capitalise on American interest in the Space race in the wake of the previous year's launch of Sputnik. Schiff reputedly rejected Space Busters and either then either collaberated in the creation of a new strip, or simply encouraged Kirby and Wood to produce:

"a strip that dealt with rocket launchings, moon shots, and general story lines just a little ahead of current developments in the news."^[1]

[edit] Creation and conflict

With art samples and story outline approved by Elmlark, Kirby drew the strip which was initially written by brothers Dick & Dave Wood and inked by the unrelated Wally Wood, who had all previously worked with Kirby on the DC comic book Challengers of the Unknown. Later strips were written by Kirby, and inked by Dick Ayers, with the final month penciled and inked by Kirby alone. Schiff was promised "a percentage for arranging the deal" by Dave Wood, which Kirby allegedly assumed was a one time payment, but Schiff understood to be on-going.^[2]

In Spring 1958 - pre-publication - Kirby verbally agreed to pay Schiff an on-going percentage, in large part to safeguard his (Kirby's) lucrative relationship with DC, but confusion over whether the percentage should come from gross or net income (and the apparent expectation that Kirby would personally cover the strip's production costs) strained the relationship between Kirby and Schiff. Kirby also butted-heads with writer Dave Wood, requesting a higher percentage of the royalties ostensibly to cover inking costs. Threatening to leave the strip, Schiff implied that Kirby should ink himself, and noted that Wood required monies to pay his brother, Dick, who was helping with the writing.^[2]

On April 15, 1958, Schiff drew up a formal agreement documenting the royalty cuts between Kirby and Wood, and also Schiff himself (4%). By July, Schiff requested a higher percentage before the strip debuted on September 8, 1958 in "over three hundred newspapers."^[2] With the arrival of the first royalty checks, the Wood brothers sent money to Schiff, but Kirby refused, leading to tension between himself and DC. In an attempt to defuse the situation, Kirby attempted to buy Schiff out of the contract, reiterating the feeling that Schiff was only due a onetime payment, rather than an on-going percentage of the royalties.^[2]

[edit] Legal challenge

Schiff refused the offer, and subsequently fired Kirby from Challengers of the Unknown, claiming that ideas from the Challengers story conferences were finding their way into Kirby's Sky Masters work. On December 11, 1958, Kirby discovered that Schiff was suing both he and the Woods for breach of contract, and counter-sued Schiff. Kirby claimed that Schiff was merely an editor who had "assigned him, the Wood brothers, and Eddie Herron freelance work," that Kirby and the Woods had visited Elmlark without Schiff, that Schiff was not involved in the agency agreement, but that he and the Woods had offered Schiff a gift. Kirby further alleged that Schiff had implied that not paying his demands would lead to Kirby losing work at DC.^[2]

[edit] Outcome

Brilliant Sky Masters example, with each panel representing a level of the spaceship. It would have seen print horizontally. Published 01/30/59.

Schiff's lawyer Myron Shapiro questioned Kirby at trial, and confirmed that Schiff had not verbalised such threats. Jack Liebowitz (executive vice president and general manager of National/DC) testified on Schiff's behalf, and the signed agreement promising Schiff an on-going percentage led the "very short trial at the supreme court in White Plains, New York" led to Schiff being successful. Kirby left then "market leader" DC, and returned to work for Atlas Comics, but continued to draw Sky Masters until early 1961.^[3][2]

The daily strip began 8 September 1958 and ended 25 February 1961. The Sunday strip, which told independent stories, began 8 February 1959 and ended 14 February 1960.

[edit] Episode guide

Daily stories

• "First Man in Space"
• "Sabotage"
• "Mayday Shannon"
• "The Lost Capsule"
• "Alfie"
• "Refugee"
• "Wedding in Space"
• "Message from Space"
• "Weather Watchers"
• "The Young Astronaut"

Sunday stories

• "The Atom Horse"
• "Project Darkside"
• "Mister Lunivac"
• "Jumbo Jones"
• "The Yogi Spaceman"

[edit] Reprints

All the Sky Masters strips are reprinted in The Complete Sky Masters of the Space Force, Pure Imagination, 2000, ISBN #1-56685-009-6. Note that one daily does not appear in sequence, but does appear on the back cover of the book. The Sundays are in black and white.

The first eight Sundays were reprinted in color in an earlier Sky Masters book from Pure Imagination. The remaining Sundays were reprinted in color by Comics Revue magazine.

[edit] Footnotes