Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure unveiled a plaque honoring Marvel Comics legend Jack Kirby on August 28, 2026, marking what would have been his 109th birthday. The tribute celebrates Kirby’s decades of creative vision and his foundational role in shaping the characters and worlds that now populate the theme park land.
The ceremony drew remarks from Kirby’s granddaughter Jillian Kirby, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Stephen Wacker, Brent Davies (Vice President of Disney California Adventure Park), and Brent Strong (Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering). The event concluded with a special appearance by The Thing, one of Kirby’s most beloved creations, underscoring the enduring impact of his work.
Born Jacob Kurtzberg on August 28, 1917, in New York, Kirby became known as “the King of Comics” for his prolific career spanning decades. He co-created some of Marvel’s most iconic characters—including Captain America, Black Panther, Iron Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Avengers—fundamentally reshaping the superhero genre. Kirby died on February 6, 1994, in Thousand Oaks, California, but his influence remains woven into every corner of contemporary pop culture.
The plaque reads: “Avengers Campus owes much to your vision and storytelling.” It features a personal quote from Kirby himself: “If you look at my characters, you will find me. No matter what kind of character you create or assume, a little of yourself must remain there.” The inscription concludes, “The characters you created populate this campus as a living tribute to you, Jack.”
The plaque’s location—on the walkway between W.E.B. and Performance Corridor, near the Avengers Campus sign—places it alongside a similar tribute. In February 2022, Disney unveiled a dedication plaque honoring Stan Lee, Kirby’s legendary creative collaborator, at the entrance to Avengers Campus. Lee’s plaque dedicates the entire land to him, while Kirby’s serves as a complementary recognition of both creators’ foundational contributions to Marvel.
Visitors to Avengers Campus can spot Kirby’s artistic fingerprint throughout the land. “Kirby Krackle,” his signature visual technique depicting cosmic energy as radiating, jagged patterns, appears throughout the area’s design—a nod to the pioneering art effect he used in his comics to bring otherworldly power to life on the page. The plaque’s unveiling ensures that new generations of fans will understand the creative debt Avengers Campus owes to a single artist whose imagination helped define Marvel itself.
Sources
- Marvel.com — Jack Kirby plaque unveiling details, ceremony attendees, character creations, and plaque text
- WDWNT (WDW News Today) — plaque location, installation date, Kirby’s birth name and biography, Kirby Crackle detail
- ABC7 News — ceremony details, granddaughter Jillian Kirby’s remarks, character creations, plaque inscription
- Britannica — Jack Kirby birth and death dates, birthplace and death location
- Wikipedia — Jack Kirby biography and career overview
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Hello, I’m Beckett. I cover series and show news for you to make your evenings more captivating.