Ask anyone on the street who Jack Kirby is, and unfortunately, they probably can’t tell you who he is.

Show someone a piece of Jack Kirby art, however, and they’ll immediately recognize it as a crucial part of 60’s and 70’s comic history.  In his lifetime, Kirby drew literally hundreds of comics for both DC and Marvel and single handedly defined the style for comics like Fantastic Four and the New Gods, two name just two of DOZENS of comics he had a hand in.

Unfortunately, like most artists of the day, he never really had ownership of his timeless characters or designed.  This lead to him doing work well into old age, including design work for entire series of cartoons which never saw the light of day, until today.

Back in the 1980s, Kirby designed a number of animated series for Ruby-Spears Productions, who were behind pretty much any notable licensed cartoon back in the day.  However, when Ruby-Spears Productions were purchased and became part of Hanna Barbera, none of the Kirby designed series ever hit production.

This art was recently discovered, and now Joe Ruby and Ken Spears are working along side kids TV pioneers Sid and Marty Krofft to make these long lost series a reality.

The New York Times has a closer look at the design for these series, but each feels like a time capsule to an alternate reality where these cartoons were childhood favorites alongside He-Man, Transformers and GI Joe.  Click through below to read the full article, and check out some of the eyeball popping designs, they’re totally rad.

Maybe future generations will now get to appreciate Jack Kirby as mine did.

Source: Jack Kirby of Marvel Comics Left Some Ideas Behind - NYTimes.com.