Mort Weisinger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mort Weisinger |
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Weisinger and DC Comics proofreader Gerda Gattel in 1975
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| Born | Mortimer Weisinger April 25, 1915 New York City, New York |
| Died | May 7, 1978 (aged 63) Great Neck, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer, Editor |
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Notable works
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Action Comics Superman |
| Awards | Inkpot Award, 1978 Eisner Award Hall of Fame, 2010 |
Mortimer "Mort" Weisinger (born April 25, 1915 – died May 7, 1978) was an American editor for magazines and comic books. He is best known for being the editor of DC Comics' famous Superman comic books from the mid-1950s to the 1960s. This time is often called the Silver Age of comic books.
Weisinger also helped create popular characters like Aquaman, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick, and the original Vigilante. He worked as a story editor for the Adventures of Superman TV show. He also wrote a popular paperback book called 1001 Valuable Things You Can Get Free.
Contents
Mort Weisinger's Life Story
Early Years and Science Fiction Fandom
Mort Weisinger was born in New York City and grew up in the Bronx. When he was 13, he discovered science fiction through a magazine called Amazing Stories. By 1930, Mort was very active in early science fiction fan clubs. He also helped create fanzines, which were like fan-made magazines.
In 1931, Weisinger hosted a meeting of a fan club called "The Scienceers." Here, he met a young Julius Schwartz, who would become a lifelong friend and colleague. A year later, Weisinger, Schwartz, and Forrest J. Ackerman started The Time Traveller. This was one of the first magazines completely about science fiction. They interviewed famous science fiction writers and shared news with other fans.
Starting His Career
After high school, Weisinger went to New York University. He edited the college newspaper and magazine. He later left before finishing his degree. With Julius Schwartz, he sold his first story, 'The Price of Peace', to Amazing Stories.
In 1934, Weisinger and Schwartz started a business called Solar Sales Service. This was the first agency to help writers sell their science fiction, horror, and fantasy stories. They helped many famous writers like Edmond Hamilton and Otto Binder. Weisinger soon moved on to work for Standard Magazine. He became the editor of Thrilling Wonder Stories and other pulp magazines. By 1940, he was in charge of editing many different titles.
Working at DC Comics
Joining National Periodicals
In March 1941, Weisinger started working for National Periodicals, which later became DC Comics. He mainly edited the Superman and Batman comics. One of his first tasks was to create new characters. This led to the creation of Aquaman, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick, and Vigilante.
Weisinger's work was paused when he joined the U.S. Army in 1942 during World War II. He wrote scripts for an Army radio show. In 1943, he married Thelma Rudnick. They had two children, Joyce and Hendrie.
New Ideas for Superman
After the war, Weisinger returned to DC Comics in 1946. He continued editing Superman and Batman comics. During his time, many new ideas and characters were added to the Superman stories. These included Supergirl, Krypto the Superdog, the Phantom Zone, the bottle city of Kandor, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and different types of kryptonite.
Weisinger also helped explain Superman's powers. He introduced the idea that Superman's powers are much stronger under Earth's yellow sun, compared to Krypton's red sun. He also liked to feature stories where Superman lost his powers. This made it easier for readers to connect with the powerful hero. Lois Lane, a reporter, often tried to prove that Superman was actually Clark Kent in these stories.
Weisinger enjoyed surprising readers. He brought real people like Allen Funt and Steve Allen into the comics. He was also proud of creating "imaginary stories". These were "what if" stories that didn't have to follow the usual rules of the comics. He also came up with the idea for DC's first big collection, The Superman Annual.
The Adventures of Superman TV Show
Weisinger eventually focused mainly on the Superman comics. In the early 1950s, he went to California to work as a story editor for The Adventures of Superman TV show. He met George Reeves, the actor who played Superman. Weisinger said Reeves was a very kind person and looked a lot like Clark Kent.
Weisinger's experience helped George Reeves get a guest role on the I Love Lucy show. Weisinger also helped many writers move from comics and TV to other successful projects.
Superman Editor for Many Years
From 1958 until he retired in 1970, Weisinger was the only editor for all the Superman comic titles. He got many of his ideas by talking to kids in his neighborhood. He would ask them what they wanted to see in the comics. These talks inspired him to create spin-off titles for Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
Weisinger even hired Jim Shooter to write for "The Legion of Super-Heroes" when he was only 14 years old. Weisinger liked a clear, almost "picture book" style for his comic illustrations. He also sometimes reused old story ideas with new twists.
Over time, Weisinger felt less excited about his job. He sometimes didn't want to tell people he edited Superman. He tried to leave by asking for big raises, but his demands were always met. He even became a vice president for the company. He eventually left and bought a white Cadillac.
Weisinger's Editing Style
Some people criticized Weisinger for being very strict and controlling with his writers and artists. He had strong ideas about how stories should be written. He often gave writers their plots instead of letting them come up with their own. He explained that he did this so writers wouldn't waste time on ideas he might not like.
Jim Shooter said that Weisinger's "rules" for writing comics always worked. They were "easy, idiot-proof, safe." But he also said that trying new things beyond those rules was hard. Weisinger also brought the idea of creating a story around a cover that was already drawn. This became a common practice in the comic book industry.
During Weisinger's time, the Superman comics had a strong internal story flow. However, they didn't connect much with other parts of the DC Universe. In 1970, his childhood friend Julius Schwartz took over as editor. Weisinger was later honored in the Superman comics with a statue in Clark Kent's apartment.
Books and Articles
Besides his work in comics, Weisinger wrote many articles for different magazines. He wrote for Reader's Digest, Collier's, and The Saturday Evening Post. His articles covered various topics, from the Comics Code to how This Is Your Life TV show surprised its guests.
Weisinger also wrote articles for writers' magazines like Writer's Digest. He was very interested in beauty contests. He wrote an article for Parade magazine about why some finalists in the Miss America pageant could never win. He also wrote a popular novel called The Contest. This book was very successful and was even considered for a movie.
Weisinger's most famous book was 1001 Valuable Things You Can Get For Free. It was first published in 1955. This book listed many free things people could get. It sold over three million copies and was printed many times.
Later Life
Mort Weisinger lived in Great Neck, New York, for most of his life. He passed away there from a heart attack in 1978. In 1985, DC Comics honored him in their 50th-anniversary book, Fifty Who Made DC Great.
Images for kids
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Weisinger and DC Comics proofreader Gerda Gattel in 1975
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Adventure Comics #296 (May 1962). Editor Weisinger's Superman and Superboy stories often featured outlandish situations. Cover art by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein.
