Julius Schwartz, 1915-2004

Mark Evanier has begun to blog his own reminiscences and stories from others in the comic book business about legendary DC editor Julius Schwartz, who died earlier today.

When sales on Batman were sinking, DC turned to Schwartz to institute a "new look" and bolster the character, which he did. And when Superman was in need of an editor who knew what he was doing, Julie came to the rescue. How many people in this world could say honestly that they saved both Superman and Batman?

Evanier has also written about being edited by Schwartz. And Roy Thomas conducted an interview with him for the fanzine Alter Ego a while back, focusing on his part in launching the superhero revival of comics' Silver Age. You can also read this career survey. And three years ago, HarperCollins published his autobiography, Man of Two Worlds.

I first became aware of Schwartz through Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming's Ambush Bug comics when I was in high school, which were filled with goofy Silver Age details instantly recognizable to the adult fanboys of the time. Schwartz was lovingly invoked on many occasions as something of a godfather to not just an entire generation of comics writers and artists, but to the medium as a whole, and he became for me a touchstone by default.