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Julius Schwartz
Born June 19, 1915(1915-06-19)
Bronx, New York
Died February 8, 2004 (aged 88)
Nationality American
Area(s) Editor, Publisher, Writer, Literary Agent
Pseudonym(s) Julie Schwartz

Julius "Julie" Schwartz (June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative Pulp magazines (or pulp fiction; often referred to as "the pulps" were inexpensive Fiction magazines Editing Language, Images or Sound through correction condensation organization and other modifications in various media A literary agent is an agent who represents Writers and their written works to Publishers Theatrical producers and Film producers and Fans in Little Italyjpg|thumb|right|Fans in Little Italy Manhattan celebrating the victory of the Italian association football team after the 2006 FIFA World Cup]][[Image Wm-oly-de-cr He was born in the Bronx, New York. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various times he was primary editor over the company's flagship superheroes, Superman and Batman. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created

He was inducted into the comics industry's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1997. The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman (1924-1993 and coordinated by the publisher Fantagraphics are given for achievement in Comic books The Will Eisner Comic Industry Award is a prize given for creative achievement in American Comic books It is named in honor of the pioneering writer and artist Will Eisner

Contents

Biography

Early life and career

In 1932, Schwartz co-published (with Mort Weisinger and Forrest J. Ackerman) Time Traveller, one of the first science fiction fanzines. Mortimer Weisinger ( April 25, 1915 - May 7, 1978) was an American Jewish Magazine and Comic book Forrest J Ackerman (born November 24, 1916) is an American collector of Science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction The Time Traveller was one of the earliest Science fiction fanzines started in 1932. A fanzine (see also Zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre for the pleasure Schwartz and Weisinger also founded the Solar Sales Service literary agency (1934-1944) where Schwartz represented such writers as Alfred Bester, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, and H. P. Lovecraft, including some of Bradbury's first published work and Lovecraft's last. Alfred Bester ( December 18, 1913 - September 30, 1987) known to his friends as Alfie, was an American science fiction Stanley Grauman Weinbaum ( April 4, 1902 - December 14, 1935) was a Jewish American Science fiction author Robert Albert Bloch (April 5 1917 Chicago – September 23 1994 Los Angeles) was a prolific American Writer, primarily of crime Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy In addition, Schwartz helped organize the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939.

In 1944 he became an editor at All-American Comics, one of the companies that evolved into DC Comics. All-American Comics was the flagship title of Comic book Publisher All-American Publications. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company He recruited Bester to contribute to the company's line of comic books. In the 1950s he oversaw the revival of superheroes such as the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Atom, which led to the Silver Age of comic books. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do For other meanings of the term see Hawkman (disambiguation Hawkman is a Superhero in the DC Comics universe. The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books predominantly those featuring the Superhero This revival has been cited as an inspiration for the transformation of Marvel Comics in the 1960s. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc The Schwartz-edited line of titles was regarded by many as being more creative and dynamic than other DC titles of the time, notably the Superman line edited by Mort Weisinger. Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Mortimer Weisinger ( April 25, 1915 - May 7, 1978) was an American Jewish Magazine and Comic book

Silver Age of Comic Books

In the 1960s, during the period fans and historians calls the the mid-1950s and 1960s Silver Age of Comic Books, Schwartz began editing the Batman titles, helping craft the "New Look" Batman that premiered in Detective Comics #327 (May 1964). The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books predominantly those featuring the Superhero Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created Detective Comics is an American comic book published monthly by DC Comics since 1937 best-known for introducing the iconic Superhero Batman He also helped writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams come to prominence at DC Comics. Dennis O'Neil (often credited as Denny O'Neil) is a Comic book Writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Neal Adams (born June 6, 1941, Governors Island, Manhattan, New York City) is an American Comic book and

From 1971 to 1985 Schwartz was the editor of the Superman titles, helping to modernize the settings of the books and move them away from "gimmick" stories to stories with more of a character-driven nature. This included an attempt to scale back Superman's powers while removing kryptonite as an overused plot device. Kryptonite is a mineral from the Superman mythos originating in the Superman Radio show series This proved short-lived, with Schwartz bowing to pressure to restore both elements in the titles.

As an editor, Schwartz was heavily involved in the writing of the stories published in his magazines. He worked out the plot with the writer in story conferences. The writer would then break down the plot into a panel-by-panel continuity, and write the dialogue and captions. Schwartz would in turn polish the script, sometimes rewriting extensively.

Later life and career

Schwartz retired from DC in 1986 after 42 years at the company, but continued to be active in comics and science fiction fandom until shortly before his death. Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc As a coda to his career as a comic book editor, Schwartz edited seven DC science fiction graphic novels, adapted from classic science fiction works by Harlan Ellison, Robert Silverberg, Bradbury, and others. A Harlan Jay Ellison (born May 27, 1934) is a prolific American Writer of Short stories, Novellas, Teleplays Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is a prolific American author best known for writing Science fiction. In 2000 he published his autobiography, Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction and Comics, co-authored with Brian Thomsen. An autobiography, from the Greek αὐτός autos "self" βίος bios "life" and γράφειν graphein "to write"

His wife, Jean (who had been his secretary before they married), died in 1986 from emphysema, after 34 years of marriage. Emphysema is a chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease ( COPD) formerly termed a chronic obstructive Lung disease (COLD Schwartz's relationship with Jean had been particularly close, and he never remarried or dated following her death. Not many years later, Schwartz's stepdaughter Jeanne — Jean's daughter from a previous marriage — died from the same illness under similar circumstances.

Schwartz died at the age of 88, after being hospitalized for pneumonia. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal He was survived by his son-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom he encouraged to refer to him not as "Great-Grandpa" but as "Super-Grandpa".

He remained a "Goodwill Ambassador" for DC Comics and an Editor Emeritus up until his death. [1] He was a popular guest at comic book conventions, often attending between ten and twelve conventions a year. A fan convention, or con, is an event in which fans of a particular TV show, Comic book, or Actor, or an entire style of entertainment

Awards

Ray Bradbury and Schwartz (right) at Comic-Con International in 2002
Ray Bradbury and Schwartz (right) at Comic-Con International in 2002

In 1998, Dragon*Con chairman Ed Kramer established the Julie Award, bestowed for universal achievement spanning multiple genres and selected each year by a panel of industry professionals. Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery Dragon Con (also Dragon*Con) is a North America multigenre convention, held annually in Atlanta Georgia. Edward E Kramer (born on March 20, 1961) is an American editor and author of numerous Science fiction, Fantasy, and horror The inaugural recipient was science-fiction and fantasy Grand Master Ray Bradbury. The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is an Award given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery Additional awards, presented by Schwartz each year, included Forrest J. Ackerman, Yoshitaka Amano, Alice Cooper, Will Eisner, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Carmine Infantino, Anne McCaffrey, Peter David and Jim Steranko. Forrest J Ackerman (born November 24, 1916) is an American collector of Science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction (born July 28 1952) is a Japanese Artist known for his illustrations for Vampire Hunter D and for his character designs image illustrations Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer songwriter and musician whose career spans five William Erwin Eisner ( March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an acclaimed American Comics Writer, Artist and Neil Richard Gaiman (ˈgeɪmən (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of Science fiction and Fantasy short stories and Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925) is an American Comic book Artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age Anne Inez McCaffrey (born April 1, 1926) is an American Science fiction Author best known for her Dragonriders For the Grenadian politician see Peter David (politician. Peter Allen David (often abbreviated PAD) (born September 23 James Steranko (born 5 November, 1938, Reading Pennsylvania, United States) is an American Graphic artist, Comic

In addition to his induction into the both of the comic-book industry's halls of fame, Schwartz received a great deal of other recognition over the course of his career, including:

Appearances in comics

Schwartz has appeared as himself in a number of comics:

In the "Flash — Fact Or Fiction" story (reprinted in The Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told), the Flash finds himself in "Earth Prime" (the real Earth that we live in). The Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to professionals in Comic book, Comic strip, Animation, Bartholomew "Barry" Allen is a Fictional character, a Superhero in the DC Comics universe and the second Flash Earth Prime (or Earth-Prime) is a term sometimes used in works of Speculative fiction involving parallel universes or a multiverse, and refers He contacts the "one man on Earth who might believe my fantastic story and give me the money I need. The editor of that Flash comic mag !" Schwartz helps the Flash build a cosmic treadmill so that he can return home. In DC Comics publications the cosmic treadmill is a Time travel device that was invented by Barry Allen, the second Flash.
As a 70th birthday present, the staff at DC Comics made Superman' #411 as a surprise tribute to Schwartz, who was involved in creating what he thought was #411. The cover shows Schwartz in his office being surprised by real-life co-workers just before Superman flies in the window with a birthday cake. The story features Schwartz playing himself as a down-and-out character with a modified version of his real history.
The cover of part two of the two-part alternate-universe story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", written by Alan Moore and begun in the same month's Superman #423, shows Superman flying away from a number of DC Comics staff, including Schartz. Superman Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is a notable story from 1986 featuring the DC Comics character of Superman.
During Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite rampage on DC Universe in numerous realities, they find our Earth and Julie Schwartz working in DC offices.
After Schwartz's death, DC Comics issued a series of eight standalone one-shot specials. In the American Comic book industry the term one-shot is used to denote a pilot comic or a stand-alone story created to last as one issue Each issue featured two stories based on a classic DC cover from the mid-1950s and 1960s Silver Age of Comic Books, reflecting Schwartz's frequent practice of commissioning a cover concept, then telling the writers to create a story around that cover. The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books predominantly those featuring the Superhero Schwartz or a doppelganger thereof appeared in all eight issues, serving various roles. A doppelgänger ( or fetch is the ghostly double of a living person a sinister form of Bilocation. [2]

Quotes

Nick Cardy on the popular but apocryphal anecdote, told by Schwartz, about Carmine Infantino firing Cardy over not following a cover layout, only to rehire him moments later when Schwartz praised the errant cover art:

“ [A]t one of the conventions . For other uses see Anecdota. For a comparison of anecdote with other kinds of stories see Myth legend fairy tale and fable. Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925) is an American Comic book Artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age . . I said, 'You know, Carmine, Julie Schwartz wrote something in [his autobiography] that I don't remember at all and it doesn't sound like you at all'. And I told him the incident . . . and he said, 'That's crazy. You know I always loved your work. Gee, you were one of the best artists in the business. The guy's crazy'. So I said, 'Okay, come on'. We went over to Julie Schwartz's table and we told him what our problem was. And Carmine and I said, 'We don't remember the incident'. So Julie said, 'Well, it's a good story, anyway'. [laughs] And that was it. He let it go at that. [laughs] He just made it up". [3] ”

Footnotes

  1. ^ Orcafresh
  2. ^ Comics Bulletin: "DC Comics Celebrates the Legacy of Julius Schwartz with Eight New Specials". March 20, 2004
  3. ^ Back Issue #13 (Dec. 2005), p. 6

References

External links

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