Jack Liebowitz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Liebowitz
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Jack Liebowitz working at the offices of DC Comics.
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| Born |
Yacov Lebovitz
October 10, 1900 Proskuriv, Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine)
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| Died | December 11, 2000 (aged 100) Great Neck, New York, United States
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Accountant, publisher |
Jack Liebowitz (born Yacov Lebovitz on October 10, 1900 – December 11, 2000) was an American accountant and publisher. He is best known as the co-owner of National Allied Publications, which later became DC Comics, along with Harry Donenfeld.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to America
Jack Liebowitz was born Yacov Lebovitz in a place called Proskuriv, which is now Khmelnytsky in Ukraine. This was in October 1900. When he was about 10 years old, his family moved to the United States.
They settled in a Jewish neighborhood in New York. Like many families at that time, they changed their names to sound more American. Yacov became Jacob, which was soon shortened to Jack. Jack was a very hardworking child. He took on many small jobs, like being a newsboy. In high school, he became very good at accounting. He hoped this skill would help him build a better life.
Starting a Career in Accounting
By the age of 24, Jack Liebowitz had earned his accounting degree from New York University. In 1927, he got married and moved to The Bronx. Liebowitz started his own accounting business in Manhattan. One of his first big clients was a large workers' union. He showed great skill in managing their money, especially during a big strike. This made the union officials trust him a lot.
Later, Liebowitz started studying the stock market. His early investments went well. However, after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, many people lost a lot of money. Liebowitz and the union decided to go their separate ways.
Partnering with Harry Donenfeld
In 1929, Jack's father helped him get a job with Harry Donenfeld. Donenfeld was a rising businessman in the publishing world. He hired Jack as his personal accountant. Even though it was a chance meeting, the two men worked very well together. Donenfeld was outgoing and liked to take risks. Liebowitz, on the other hand, was careful and logical. He helped make sure Donenfeld's business decisions were smart and financially sound.
At first, Donenfeld's publishing company was part of a larger distribution company. In 1931, this company faced serious money problems. Donenfeld decided to create his own distribution system called the Independent News Company. As a publisher, Donenfeld had sometimes struggled with money. But as a distributor, he relied more on Liebowitz. Jack made sure bills were paid on time. He helped build trust with clients, which was new for Donenfeld's businesses.
Building the DC Comics Empire
In 1935, a man named Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson needed a new distributor for his comic book company, National Allied Publications. Donenfeld agreed to help. Independent News began printing and distributing comic books. Wheeler-Nicholson released two comics, New Fun and New Comics. New Fun was important because it was the first modern comic book with all new stories. His third comic, Detective Comics, would become very important.
Wheeler-Nicholson was in debt. To publish Detective Comics, he had to create a new company called Detective Comics Incorporated. He partnered with Jack Liebowitz for this.
Taking Control of the Company
In 1938, Donenfeld took over Detective Comics, Inc. Liebowitz, who was now the sole owner of Detective Comics Inc., then bought Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications. This meant Donenfeld and Liebowitz now controlled the entire growing comic book company.
Liebowitz was now in charge of the new company. He came up with the name for what would become their most important comic book: Action Comics. He asked his editor, Vin Sullivan, to find stories for the new comic. Sullivan, Liebowitz, and Sheldon Mayer made comics history. They chose a character created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster to star in the new comic. That character was Superman! This moment helped start what fans call the Golden Age of Comic Books.
All-American Publications Joins In
In the late 1930s, Max Gaines, another comic book publisher, wanted to start his own company. He asked Donenfeld for money and distribution help. Donenfeld agreed, but only if Gaines made Liebowitz his partner. Donenfeld did this to reward Liebowitz and to keep him involved in the business. By the end of 1938, Gaines and Liebowitz owned All-American Publications. This was a separate company but worked closely with National/DC.
In 1945 or 1946, Gaines left All-American to start his own company. This allowed Liebowitz to buy Gaines's share of the company. Liebowitz then merged All-American with DC/National. He and Donenfeld continued to publish the best comics from both companies.
Embracing New Media
Jack Liebowitz always looked for new ways to share their characters. He helped bring Superman to movie serials, where Kirk Alyn played the hero. Superman also moved to radio shows and animated cartoons shown in theaters.
A comics historian named Gerard Jones said that Liebowitz was the only comics publisher who truly tried to use Television. In 1951, a TV show called Adventures of Superman started airing. This showed how forward-thinking Liebowitz was.
Company Changes and Retirement
In 1961, DC Comics became a public company. It was officially known as National Periodical Publications. Liebowitz remained the president of what was then America's top comics publisher. Six years later, a company called Kinney National Services bought National Periodical Publications. The next year, Kinney also bought Warner Bros.. These companies then joined to form Warner Communications.
Liebowitz stayed an active member of the Warner Communications board. He visited his office daily even when he was 91 years old! He finally retired in 1991.
Later Life and Legacy
Jack Liebowitz was a founding trustee of the Long Island Jewish Hospital. He served on its board for over 50 years, starting in 1949. He was also the hospital's second president from 1956 to 1968. He was also a trustee for a Jewish charity in New York.
In 1985, DC Comics honored Liebowitz in their 50th-anniversary publication, Fifty Who Made DC Great. This book celebrated the people who helped make DC Comics what it was.
Jack Liebowitz passed away on December 11, 2000. He is buried in Mount Ararat Cemetery in New York. His niece, Carole, was married to Harry Donenfeld's son, Irwin Donenfeld, who was also a long-time executive at DC Comics.
