IDW will honor the legendary Jack Kirby with a special 100th birthday celebration panel and art show at Comic-Con International: San Diego that will feature 1,300 images of original Kirby artwork. The birthday tribute will be hosted by IDW President Greg Goldstein and will feature a multimedia display selected from the eight Jack Kirby Artist’s Edition books that IDW has published.

Kirby had a hand in creating the X-Men, Captain America, Silver Surfer, The Avengers, and hundreds more, and thusly remains one of the most influential comic artists ever. Walter Simonson (Thor, Alien) and Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) will be on hand to discuss Kirby’s legacy. Also present will be IDW PDX Creative Director Dirk Wood and IDW Director of Special Projects Scott Dunbier, the editor of IDW’s award-winning Artist’s Editions series.

“Jack Kirby was the most important comic artist of all time, and we could not be more pleased to help celebrate his enduring legacy,” said Dunbier.

Panel attendees will see hundreds of eye-catching pieces from Kirby’s tenure at both DC and Marvel, including selections from Fantastic Four, Mister Miracle, Thor, The Forever People, and more, printed so clearly that the whiteout, eraser marks, and blue-line notes are all visible, giving a behind the scenes look at some of Kirby’s biggest hits.

“One of the things that IDW is most committed to as a company is the preservation and proper display of classic comics, and we could not be more excited and proud to show off these original pages in celebration of all that Kirby accomplished,” Goldstein said. “We’re grateful to our partners at Marvel and DC, and of course to the Kirby family, for the opportunity to publish these beautiful and important books.”

The panel will take place on Saturday, July 22, from 1 PM to 2 PM in Room 25ABC. Seating will be limited, and in addition to a special gift for everyone who attends, two lucky fans will be leaving with their own Kirby Artist’s Edition.