Shaver
On the subject of Deros and visual art, let’s take a second to appreciate Richard Shaver’s “rock art”. Some of the most stunningly original work of the 20th century.
Shaver dedicated the latter part of his life to these ‘rock books’ making thousands of these studies using rocks from his yard.
Like Kirby, Shaver created a living mythology that continues to haunt our culture.
While Kirby’s influence is astoundingly clear, one cannot go to a movie theater or toy store without seeing his characters, Shaver’s influence is like his demonic deros: underground.
The idea of a wretched underground, in which horrible tortures are committed is essential to many modern conspiracies, it recurs in horror films like Us and The Descent. I have identified this motif as essentially Lunar in my set of Conspiracy correspondences: https://memeanalysis.com/planetary/luna
Kirby
Back to Kirby!
Grant Morrison (who I care very little for) has rightly called Jack Kirby “The William Blake of the 20th Century”
One can clearly see similarities in the super-human forms depicted by Blake and Kirby.
Both set about creating new universes populated by New Gods, the most significant work that an artist can tackle in this world where God has died.
New Gods
This brings us to the final comic study in this piece, one of my favorites from Kirby, his New Gods.
New Gods presents us with a fascinating theogony, in which an original world is split, with half the Gods ascending to New Genesis, and the other half falling to Apokolips.
(Though he is brilliant, none can accuse Kirby of subtlety)
The Heavenly New Genesis is home to “Highfather” (duh) and Apokolips to Darkseid.
This may seem like a very dull mythology, but worry not, it gets interesting.
I became particularly infatuated with this mythology after reading the 3rd issue of “Forever People” in which Darkseid’s henchman “Glorious Godfrey” appears.
He preaches Darkseid’s philosophy (and real existent equation/force) of Anti-Life.
To fully embrace Anti-Life, Godfrey’s followers wear armor.
The parallels to Wilhelm Reich’s concept of DOR, or Deadly Orgone are clear. The rigid hatred of life, accompanied by muscular armoring is given a brilliant mythic form in Kirby’s story.
By deifying these forces, we can understand them symbolically, rather than intellectually. We need stories to share the truth.
The King
Kirby was a great man who understood this, and made innumerable stories which contain these sacred symbolic symbols.
And for every thousand people who mindlessly enjoy comic books and superhero movies, if even one decided to dig deeper, they will find a world populated by symbolic wonder.
I am not too harsh with Star Wars for this reason as well. I would never have discovered Joseph Campbell without it. Or developed an interest in Archaeology without Indiana Jones.
The entertainment we show our children will dictate their futures. Be sure it is meaningful, and has a path to the Truth in it’s narrative labyrinth!