THE DEAN OF DC COMICS
Julius Schwartz, the man who would become every DC artist's favorite editor, was born in New York, NY on June 19, 1915. It should be no surprise that even in the 1920s when he was growing up, he was a major fan of fantasy. There being no widely read comic books on hand, science fiction pulp magazines were the next best thing.
In 1932, Schwartz and and his friend Mort Weisinger (who would also later run things at DC comics) published a now legendary sci-fi fanzine called The Time Traveler. They also later formed a company called the Solar Sales Service, whereby they acted as agents for such popular sci-fi authors as H.P.Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury and Robert Bloch.
By the late 1930s, the business of selling comicbooks instead of just pulp sci-fi was increasing in a big way (thanks to a major boost from a certain comic named Superman in 1938). Schwartz landed a job at DC Comics (National Periodicals) in 1944 after an introduction by sci-fi author Alfred Bester. He began editing All Star Comics, Green Lantern, Flash and Sensation Comics - very heady titles to hear these days, but back then it didn't always exactly seem like Golden Age heaven to the men grinding out the material behind their desks. There was always much midnight oil burning and countless deadlines to meet.
But Schwartz showed he could rise to the occasion and hang in there with the best of them. Later on, DC itself started some titles a bit off the path of super heroes, when it ventured into books like Mystery In Space and Strange Adventures. This sci-fi wave was no doubt due to the strong influence of many of Schwartz's former pulp writer contacts who were already working at DC themselves. The powers that be at DC therefore saw him as the natural choice to edit the new sci-fi comics.
He took this new work in stride and was also given editorial control of Showcase, which began appearing in January 1956. Sales on this new title were not great, however, being that it was merely a variety show on paper, a printed advertisement for possible future stars, which most readers used to their favorite regular comic characters did not want to waste time on.
After three issues, Schwartz decided to try something different than merely making up yet another new character loaded down with all the unfamiliar bells and whistles that were turning fans off. This time instead, why not revamp some almost forgotten favorite - dust off some old Golden Age character from the previous decade, who might be remembered by parents and also catch the interest of a new generation of comics readers? Looking at current Showcase sales, there was little to lose, so it was certainly worth a try.
And so the Flash returned!
After a slight customizing job, the new scarlet speedster (aka Barry Allen) had been given an all red outfit with no headgear except some small yellow ear wings (unlike the blue pants and metal Mercury helmet of the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick).
This new Flash first showed up in Showcase #4 (the Sept-Oct 1956 issue), and look who Julius got to work with on it - writer Robert Kannigher (of Sgt. Rock fame) and artist supreme Carmine Infantino (who would virtually own Flash comics for over a decade).
With this stellar cast, it became a resounding success, resulting in what most collectors acknowledge as the birth of the Silver Age of comics.
Indeed their sales figures spiked for the book, but back in those "ancient history" days, that fact couldn't be confirmed for 60 to 90 days.
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Amazing World of DC Comics 3, Nov. 1974.
Cover art by Joe Kubert.
(Click pic to enlarge.)
Copyright © 1974 DC Comics
Therefore, although suspecting they had a huge hit on their hands, DC ironically had to continue putting out a few more new Showcase issues, featuring other characters, as if the Flash hadn't scored at all.
A noteworthy appearance was the Challengers of the Unknown, a thrilling sci-fi adventure drawn by the always incredible Jack Kirby. It involved an adventurous team of four gifted people, which foreshadowed his later staggering work on The Fantastic Four which he would produce for Marvel comics under the editorship of Stan Lee in the early 1960s.
The Challengers visited the comic racks again in Showcase 7, but by then Schwartz and company had gotten the impressive sales figures for the Flash issue.
Needless to say, the Flash quickly made another run in Showcase 8, and what the world would later know as the Silver Age was well on its way.
Showcase continued to introduce new heroes, including future favorites like Adam Strange, Tommy Tomorrow and another revamped Golden Ager, Green Lantern (in Showcase #22), but the Flash always remained the biggest star in that bunch.
The ways of fate (and the publishing business), however, resulted in the Challengers of the Unknown getting their own comic book (April 1958) before Flash got his in 1959 (with Green Lantern following in 1960).
Also backing up this retro Golden Age popularity was a team based on the All Star Comics of the 1940s, renamed the Justice League of America, which debuted in Brave and Bold #28 (February-March 1960).
Naturally both the Flash and Green Lantern became the new League's main members (the Challengers weren't, since they already were their own team, anyway), as did Wonder Woman, the Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman. Their sales numbers likewise turned red hot, prompting DC to also give the Justice League it's own title within half a year of their first Showcase appearance.
And behind it all, driving those many writers and editors to their deadline-meeting goal, was that great modern age comic book idea man, Julius Schwartz.
He would also go on to later inspire the talented Stan Lee to follow suit in the 1960s and 1970s when he managed to revive his own flagging company, Marvel comics. In many ways, one could contend that had there not been a Julius Schwartz at various editorial helms at DC from the 1940s through the 1960s (he was kicked upstairs to editor-in-chief in 1970), there would be no Marvel, at least not as we now know it.
Although not as active as in the old days, Schwartz, nicknamed "Julie" by comics artists and fans alike, could still be found participating on panel discussions at various comics conventions around the country for years after his retirement.
It is there that people were still able to meet the man that shaped so much of the modern concept of comics, and say things like this, as they so often do: "A lot of my childhood was a lot more fun because of your comics - thanks for everything you did!" And, even 60 years after first joining DC comics, he never got tired of hearing it.
Schwartz received many awards, such as the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award, the Shazam, the Eagle, the Alley, the Inkpot and the Jules Verne Awards. In 1998 DragonCon established the Julie Award, whose recipients, including Forest Ackerman, Ray Bradbury, Will Eisner, Harlan Ellison and Neil Gaiman, are recognized for their achievements in multiple genres of creativity.
On February 8, 2004, Schwartz passed away at the age of 88 in New York, of complications from pneumonia. Paul Levitz, DC's President and Publisher, said "DC has lost a living legend this weekend, and a true original."
Related Reading: Fans should take solace, however, in the fact that shortly before leaving this dimension, Schwartz had finally released his long-awaited autobiography, Man Of Two Worlds, published by Harper-Collins.
Co-written with Brian Thomsen, it features Schwartz exploring his careers in the similar yet not identical worlds of science-fiction and comic books.
It also contains an afterword by sci-fi great Harlan Ellison. It's a must read for anyone interested in comic book and sci-fi history, or art and media in general.
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