Disney Just Honored “The King of Comics” With a Touching New Tribute at Avengers Campus

Theme park tributes have become an increasingly meaningful way for major studios to honor the creative minds behind their biggest franchises, offering a permanent, physical space where fans can pay their respects to the people who built these fictional universes from scratch. Few figures in comic book history deserve that kind of recognition quite as much as the man whose fingerprints touch nearly every corner of Marvel’s mythology.

That recognition finally arrived this week, marking a long-overdue moment for one of the industry’s most influential and, for years, under-credited creators.

A plaque for Jack Kirby has been placed in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, unveiled on August 28 to coincide with what would have been Kirby’s 109th birthday. According to ABC7 Los Angeles, the ceremony featured remarks from Kirby’s granddaughter Jillian Kirby, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Stephen Wacker, and other creatives involved in developing Avengers Campus, with The Thing making a fitting appearance to help honor the character he originally helped bring to the page.

Known throughout the industry as “The King of Comics,” Kirby co-created some of Marvel’s most enduring heroes, including Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk, alongside Stan Lee and, earlier in his career, Joe Simon at Timely Comics. According to ComicBook.com, the plaque reads, “Avengers Campus owes much to your vision and storytelling,” followed by, “The characters you created populate this campus as a living tribute to you, Jack.”

The tribute installs near an existing plaque honoring Stan Lee, which was first unveiled at the same entrance back in February 2022. According to Laughing Place, news of the Kirby plaque was first announced roughly two weeks earlier during a panel at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where Imagineer Brent Strong and Marvel Experiences Development executive Brian Crosby revealed the plans as part of a broader discussion about the Marvel attractions currently being developed across Disney Parks worldwide.

The plaque also features a personal quote from Kirby himself, reading, “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.” Nerdist noted that recognition for artists like Kirby has historically lagged behind the credit given to writers within the comics industry, pointing out that it took until 2014 for Marvel and Kirby’s estate to reach a formal settlement regarding credit and monetization for his contributions.

Kirby’s grandson Jeremy Kirby attended the unveiling and shared his reaction on social media, calling it “an amazing honor” and thanking both Disney and Marvel for the tribute. Born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 on New York’s Lower East Side, Kirby passed away in 1994, but his creative legacy extends well beyond Marvel, having also helped shape DC’s mythology through characters like Darkseid and the New Gods, along with pioneering entire genres of comics spanning war, romance, and science fiction.

Given how foundational Kirby’s work remains to virtually every corner of the modern superhero genre, this permanent tribute inside one of Disney’s most popular themed lands feels like a fitting way to ensure his legacy continues reaching new generations of fans. With Bleeding Cool also noting that the Jack Kirby Museum plans to hold a tour of his birthplace the following day, this milestone birthday is clearly being marked with genuine reverence across the comics community.

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