J.J. Kirby

For other uses, see J.J., Juvan, and Kirby (disambiguation).

"There's a place for everybody in this world… If you're a creative and you think you don't fit, you do fit. You just have to get in where you fit in; find your place. Everybody has a voice and they're valid… Get in where you fit in and find your audience, because they're waiting on you."

―J.J. Kirby on working in the comics industry^[6]

J.J. Kirby, also known as Juvaun Kirby (born in 1974 in Dayton, Ohio, United States), is an American comic book illustrator and penciller. For the Star Wars franchise, Kirby was one of the pencillers who worked on the second issue of the Dark Horse Comics miniseries Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi. Additionally, Kirby illustrated two variant covers for Marvel Comics's annual Pride Month lineup of Star Wars covers.

Biography[]

J.J. Kirby,^[1] also known as Juvaun Kirby,^[2] was born in 1974^[1] in Dayton, Ohio in the United States.^[2] In 1995,^[1] Kirby began working as a comic book illustrator^[1] and penciller professionally.^[5] Fellow Star Wars comic illustrators Arthur Adams^[7] and Alan Davis^[8] were early artistic influences on Kirby.^[9] Kirby served as penciller for the second issue of the Dark Horse Comics miniseries Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi, which was published on January 28, 2004, alongside Ryan Benjamin and Dan Norton.^[5]

StarWars2020-25-variant-Kirby — Kirby's 2022 Pride Month variant cover featuring Larma D'Acy and Wrobie Tyce

In 2021, Kirby illustrated a comic cover for the thirteenth issue of the 2020 Marvel Comics series Star Wars: Darth Vader as part of the publisher's Pride Month lineup of Star Wars variant covers.^[4] Kirby's official Pride Month variant cover was announced on March 18, 2021 in an article on StarWars.com.^[10] On May 7 of the same year, StarWars.com also revealed Kirby's final design,^[4] and it was published on June 23.^[11] The comic cover depicts^[4] Vice Admiral^[12] Rae Sloane on the bridge of a starship with her arms crossed. Outside a window, the Death Star^[4] battle station^[13] can be seen with a flash of yellow behind it.^[4]

For Marvel's 2022 Pride Month comic covers, Kirby illustrated a variant cover for the twenty-fifth issue of^[14] Marvel's Star Wars comic series. The cover was revealed by StarWars.com on May 19, 2022 and was published on July 20 of the same year. Kirby's art features^[14] members of the Resistance^[15] Larma D'Acy and Wrobie Tyce in a loving embrace.^[14]

Works[]

Bibliography[]

Year	Title	Contribution
2004	Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi 2	Penciller^[5]
2021	Darth Vader (2020) 13	Pride Month variant cover^[4]
2022	Star Wars (2020) 25	Pride Month variant cover^[14]