FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — A soldier killed in an apparent demolition accident was training to become a Green Beret experienced in handling explosives.

1917 to 2017: 100 years of Kirby.

Join us this month to celebrate Jack “King” Kirby’s 100^th birthday by learning about the characters and stories he created that changed comics forever. To commemorate Jack’s centennial, we’ve sat down with the modern-day creators he influenced—and the decades of work he gifted us all.

Over the years, plenty of artists have taken pages from Jack Kirby’s playbook. For his part, Frazer Irving says that doing so helped him fully realize his own style. As he’s evolved and grown as an artist, he continues to look at the King’s work for inspiration and structural ideas.

As a professional, Irving got to put those learned skills to work on books like SILENT WAR as well as on the current volume of BLACK BOLT, for which he does the occasional interior fill-in. We talked with Irving about discovering Kirby by way of a sticker, trying to work like “The King,” and how that made him understand his own talents.

Marvel.com: Do you remember how you first came to see Jack’s work and what you thought of it back then?

Frazer Irving: I was very young, probably three [years old] when I saw Captain America on a sticker in that famous pose where he could be dancing. I think the sticker made mention of that. I was bemused by the proportions and simplification of the lines compared to the busy inking of Tom Palmer on [TOMB OF DRACULA]—also in the same reprint mag I think. It struck a chord with me that echoed when I discovered the work of [artists] Barry Smith and Jim Steranko, and by then I could understand what the lines were doing and I was no longer bemused. My enduring memory of that first experience though was the thought, “Why is everyone shiny?”

Marvel.com: Did you look to Kirby’s output when you were developing your own style? Did you learn any tricks or lessons from his panels?

Frazer Irving: I totally tried to channel the dynamics back in the early days, but it never took [because] I’m not Jack Kirby, I’m me, and I draw very un-Kirby things. In many ways that’s how studying his work helped me: it showed me what I wasn’t, which meant that what I was left with was a more honest impression of my artistic voice. Less time wasted drawing dynamic figures, more time playing with Photoshop filters.

One trick I did take from him much later on was the use of simple panel grids. I’d already nabbed the nine-panel grid from Strangehaven, but the six-panel grid of Jack’s was something I’d avoided forever, until I didn’t. It certainly simplifies the reading of a page, which is his real gift to us doodlers. Beyond the smash and splash of his illustration he was very, very good at showing stuff happening in a way that even a newbie could understand. And we all need a bit more of that simplicity. But now with millions of colors, and filters.

Marvel.com: When you worked on SILENT WAR, how was it playing with those classic Kirby designs that seem almost untouched since he developed them?

Frazer Irving: I liked them as it was one of the few things that had survived almost intact since my childhood, thus I didn’t have much research to do on what was new that year. I used to love the Inhumans back in the day, oblivious to the publishing history. I just assumed there was a paucity of stories because the characters were reclusive in nature.

Marvel.com: How has it been returning to Black Bolt with your work on his current series?

Frazer Irving: It’s different in that he has a groovier tuning fork now, and I can draw a lot better, but aside from that it does feel nicely familiar. Boltagon’s outfit hasn’t changed enough to make it difficult to draw and so I guess the biggest difference is drawing him talking; I think I may have made him a little fitter than back in the day, however the angst and inner turmoil that I so loved in him during SILENT WAR—screaming into space on the moon? That’s how Blackagar rolls—is still very much a part of his character, so the acting is very easy.

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for more throughout Kirby Month and beyond! And join the conversation on all of our social channels with the hashtag #Kirby100.

About 1.5 million homes and businesses in Florida and Georgia remained without power on Friday after Hurricane Irma, including 46 of Florida's nearly 700 nursing homes caught in the deadly storm's path. Irma, which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record before striking the U.S. mainland as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 10, killed at least 84 people. Florida Power & Light, owned by NextEra Energy Inc and the state's biggest electric company, said it was working aggressively to restore power to the 23 percent of its customers still in the dark.

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of St Louis Missouri after a  white former police officer was acquitted Friday in the 2011 death of a black man who was fatally shot following a high-speed chase. Feelings have been running high in the city even before the verdict was announced. There were some reports of scuffles during the protests on Friday night. Ahead of the acquittal, activists had threatened civil disobedience if Jason Stockley were not convicted, including possible efforts to shut down highways. Barricades went up last month around police headquarters, the courthouse where the trial was held and other potential protest sites. Protesters were on the march within hours of the decision. The judge who decided the matter declared that he would not be swayed by "partisan interests, public clamor or fear of criticism." The case played out not far from the suburb of Ferguson, which was the scene of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, the unarmed black 18-year-old who was killed by a white police officer in 2014. That officer was never charged and eventually resigned. Stockley, who was charged with first-degree murder, insisted he saw Anthony Lamar Smith holding a gun and felt he was in imminent danger. Prosecutors said the officer planted a gun in Smith's car after the shooting. The officer asked the case to be decided by a judge instead of a jury." A woman marches downtown after the not guilty verdict was announced in the murder trial of Jason Stockley Credit: Whitney Curtis/Reuters "This court, in conscience, cannot say that the State has proven every element of murder beyond a reasonable doubt or that the State has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in self-defense," St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson wrote in the decision . In a written statement, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner acknowledged the difficulty of winning police shooting cases but said prosecutors believe they "offered sufficient evidence that proved beyond a reasonable doubt" that Stockley intended to kill Smith. Assistant Circuit Attorney Robert Steele emphasized during the trial that police dashcam video of the chase captured Stockley saying he was "going to kill this (expletive), don't you know it. Less than a minute later, the officer shot Smith five times. Stockley's lawyer dismissed the comment as "human emotions" uttered during a dangerous police pursuit. The judge wrote that the statement "can be ambiguous depending on the context." Prosecutors objected to the officer's request for a bench trial. The Constitution guarantees the right of criminal suspects to have their cases heard "by an impartial jury." But defendants can also opt to have the verdict rendered by a judge. Stockley, 36, could have been sentenced to up to life in prison without parole. He left the St. Louis police force in 2013 and moved to Houston. Protesters yell at National Park Service rangers on the steps of the Old Courthouse following a verdict in the trial of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockle Credit: Jeff Roberson/AP The case was among several in recent years in which a white officer killed a black suspect. Officers were acquitted in recent police shooting trials in Minnesota, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. A case in Ohio twice ended with hung juries, and prosecutors have decided not to seek a third trial. Fears of unrest prompted several downtown businesses and some schools to close early. Video from St. Louis television stations showed a crowd that swelled from a handful to several hundred in the hours after the verdict and marched through city streets. The group included black and white protesters and some people carrying guns, which is allowed under state law. Efforts at civil disobedience were largely unsuccessful. When several demonstrators tried to rush onto Interstate 64, they were blocked on an entrance ramp by police cars and officers on bikes. When they tried to enter the city's convention center, the doors were locked. At one point, a group of the protesters stood in front of a bus filled with officers in riot gear, blocking it from moving forward. When officers began pushing back the crowd, protesters resisted, and police responded with pepper spray, two women told The Associated Press. People march downtown after the not guilty verdict was announced in the murder trial of Jason Stockley Credit: Whitney Curtis/Reuters   Both women's faces had been doused with milk, which is used to counter the effects of pepper spray. By early evening, police were saying a protest at a downtown intersection was no longer peaceful and that they were asking demonstrators to leave the area. Protesters had surrounded a police vehicle in front of the old police building near Tucker Boulevard and Clark Avenue and damaged it with rocks. Police approached and tried to secure the vehicle and some in the crowd threw rocks and pieces of curbing at them. Officers then used pepper spray on the group. In a tweet, the police department said protesters were ignoring commands and violating the law and were subject to arrest. Thirteen arrests were made and four officers were injured. St. Louis interim police Chief Lawrence O'Toole said none of the officers injured was hospitalized. One had an injured hand, one was hit by a bike, one was pinned by a bike, and one was struck by a water bottle. Police spokeswoman Schron Jackson said she didn't know if protesters were injured but she was not aware of any reports of demonstrators being hospitalized. The Rev. Clinton Stancil, a protest leader, said the acquittal was shocking based on the evidence but not surprising."It's a sad day in St. Louis, and it's a sad day to be an American," Stancil said. A protester writes, "Black Lives Matter," on the ground with a chalk as protesters gathe Credit: Jeff Roberson/AP One man was arrested for damaging a police vehicle. There were also scattered reports of protesters attacking journalists, authorities said. The St. Louis area has a history of unrest in similar cases, including after Brown's death, when protests, some of them violent, erupted. In Smith's case, the encounter began when Stockley and his partner tried to corner Smith in a fast-food restaurant parking lot after seeing what appeared to be a drug deal. Stockley testified that he saw what he believed was a gun, and his partner yelled "gun!" as Smith backed into the police SUV twice to get away. Stockley's attorney, Neil Bruntrager, argued that Smith, a 24-year-old parole violator with previous convictions for gun and drug crimes, tried to run over the two officers. Stockley fired seven shots as Smith sped away. A chase ensued. At the end of the chase, Stockley opened fire only when Smith, still in his car, refused commands to put up his hands and reached along the seat "in the area where the gun was," Bruntrager said. Stockley said he climbed into Smith's car and found a revolver between the center console and passenger seat. But prosecutors questioned why Stockley dug into a bag in the back seat of the police SUV before returning to Smith's car. The gun found in Smith's car did not have his DNA on it, but it did have Stockley's.    

Additional reporting by Maggie Klimentova

The news of Len Wein’s passing rocked the comic book world this week—and people everywhere shared their stories in honor of his memory.

Writers, artists, creators, and fans spoke about how he dreamed up so many cherished characters and comics; how he enriched and influenced so many lives along the way. Wein—the man who conceived of iconic Marvel heroes like Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus—shaped generations of creators who came after him.

Beyond the emotional depth and humanity he expressed on the page, Len Wein stood as a kind, generous spirit beloved by his peers. His colleagues universally remembered his bold spirit and giving nature, his humor in the face of adversity. Their words and memories represent a testament to his legacy.

RIP the great Len Wein, co-creator of Wolverine, Swamp Thing and Human Target, architect of the British Invasion & a truly wonderful man.

— axel alonso (@axelalonsomarv) September 11, 2017

Saddened by the loss of my friend @LenWein. I knew him less for his legendary output, & more for his warmth & inquisitive smile. #RIPLenWein https://t.co/YyhKoiDMlR

— Bear McCreary (@bearmccreary) September 10, 2017

R.I.P. @LenWein #LenWein #DC 11×17 India ink/ acrylic/ pencil/ spray paint pic.twitter.com/R0O0OTdsjG

— Bill Sienkiewicz (@sinKEVitch) September 12, 2017

Len Wein, co-creator of WOLVERINE and SWAMP THING & more responsible for the x-men you love than he gets credit for. Thank you. #RIP

— BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (@BRIANMBENDIS) September 10, 2017

One of the industry’s best writers.
One of the industry’s best editors.
One of the industry’s best people.
RIP @LenWein.

— Fabian Nicieza (@FabianNicieza) September 10, 2017

Rest in peace and thank you so much, Len Wein. pic.twitter.com/ULLXr1CCJV

— Greg Pak (@gregpak) September 10, 2017

Blessed to have known Len Wein. I first met him in 2008. I told him – from his heart, mind & hands came the greatest character in comics. pic.twitter.com/cFqL1uy0JV

— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) September 11, 2017

Today’s warm up sketch is all about saying thank you. #RIPLenWein pic.twitter.com/1AhPHQpwCb

— Joe Mulvey (@JoeMulv) September 12, 2017

Co-created Wolverine & the new X-men. Co-kickstarted the modern comic book era with its most powerful metaphor. And more. RIP Len Wein. pic.twitter.com/TSiWChvfdI

— Joss Whedon (@joss) September 10, 2017

R.I.P. to comic book legend LEN WEIN, co-creator of not only Wolverine but also one of my favorite characters of all time, the Swamp Thing.

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) September 11, 2017

RIP the great #LenWein. He co-created Wolverine & Swamp Thing, both of which gave me a living as a writer & endless pleasure as a reader.

— Mark Millar (@mrmarkmillar) September 10, 2017

I just learned that my friend and writing inspiration @LenWein passed away this morning. My love and condolences to his wife, @mcvalada.

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) September 10, 2017

Farewell to Len Wein. I devoured his runs of Swamp Thing, Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk and Marvel Team-Up in the 70s.

— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) September 10, 2017

Heartbroken to hear my friend, my old boss, the man without whom, Len Wein has passed. I would not be who I am without having known him.

— Scott Edelman (@scottedelman) September 10, 2017

Len Wein. The fanboy made good, made legend. Co-creator of Swamp Thing, Wolverine, editor of Watchmen, writer of, well, everything. RIP. pic.twitter.com/ZYhDK7uOuH

— Tom King (@TomKingTK) September 10, 2017

Our old pal, Len Wein, caught the last train out. Much will be said of him; I’ll just say I loved him. Godspeed.https://t.co/4DYfnWfTRS

— Walter Simonson (@WalterSimonson) September 10, 2017

Len Wein’s legacy will endure in both the hearts of the community that celebrates him and in the characters whose stories will live on forever.