Kirby
Iron Man
Behind the Scenes
Don Heck drew most of the character’s early solo stories, but the original design was by Kirby, who also drew his early appearances in The Avengers. The iconic image I picked was used on the masthead for Tales of Suspense during the Silver Age and I have happy childhood memories of it. I did add the repulsor ray to his right hand, so he looked more like he was on offense and because I loved the King’s design. You’ve got to love that glorious Kirby-tech.
This was still in my early days of working with the Apoxie Clay, but the finish you can get with this material once it sets is perfect for the subject. Shiny metal that flexes and moves somehow? With this stuff you can feel it, not just imagine it.
Iron Man: Tales of Suspense Issue #60
Box-office success might seem like a foregone conclusion in hindsight, but the reality is that when Marvel released its first independently produced film (albeit in partnership with Paramount), Iron Man in 2008, they were taking a gamble. Revisionist history aside, the character wasn’t A-list, nor was the actor cast in the lead role.
Marvel didn’t have the film rights to its most popular characters at the time, Spider-man or the X-men, but they believed in the core characters of the original Avengers, even if most younger fans saw them as second-tier or passé.
20 plus films, multiple television shows and hundreds of products and licensing ventures—along with several billion dollars in revenue from all the aforementioned—speak to a worldwide cultural phenomenon. The impact on the film industry is undeniable.
But it started with some funny books.
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Please note, all Manifest Sculpt work is completed with traditional sculpting techniques—modelling and carving—rather than through modern digital techniques and programs. Consequently, the resin and bronze castings in this edition were also produced through traditional mold making and manufacturing processes. Final Manifest Sculpt commissions are available in a variety of materials, but they are not 3D printed and are not available as printable files. Copyright Notice: all work, including ideation, concepts, stories and their development, character design and production are the property of Carlos Soca unless otherwise noted, and all rights are reserved. Should you wish to discuss collaboration or licensing of an intellectual property or its design, please contact Manifest Sculpt.