Across the vast distances – where the mysteries deepen, and hide, and wait with answers not yet known – a call has been heard – a name summoned for the Ultimate Mission – to thwart the Ultimate Destruction! Thus they come – the protectors – the wielders of the Astro-Force – Matt and Paul of the Mother Box Podcast!

Welcome to episode 5 of Mother Box: A New Gods Podcast on Jack Kirby’s Fourth World. This time, Matt and Paul take a look at “Forever People” #5 and “New Gods” #5, as well as an analysis of the 2017 lecture commemorating Jack Kirby’s Centennial by author and comics historian Arlen Schumer.

[audio: https://paulflai.com/podcast-download/1616/05-contextualizing-kirby-new-gods-5-forever-people-5.mp3]

Or download the podcast episode here.

On this episode, Matt and Paul deep dive into the fascinating lecture that celebrates Kirby’s life and contextualizes his work within both the historical landscape and his career in the comics industry. The 2017 lecture from Palm Springs Comicon is a multimedia presentation by Illustrator and comic book historian Arlen Schumer (The Silver Age of Comic Book Art), and you can watch the whole thing on YouTube right here! Thanks again to number one fan of the show Jaems Murphy for pointing us towards this awesome lecture!

Also on the show, Matt and Paul discuss The treatment of Kirby at both Marvel and DC; understanding the context of the Fourth World; the many faces of Orion; the many genres of New Gods; the cosmetic benefits of a Mother Box; the arrival of Sonny Sumo; the uncomfortable racial stereotypes of comics from this era and much, much more.

Join us in two weeks where we’ll be discussing “Mister Miracle” #5, “Jimmy Olsen” #141 and much more! Don’t miss the opening blasts of the next exciting episode of Mother Box! Here, courtesy of Paul’s copy of the epic Artist’s Editions of “New Gods” and “Forever People,” here are some pages to pour over!