Joe Kubert

• Born 1926-09-18 · Died 2012-08-12

Joe Kubert was a comics artist and editor, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is well-known for his work on the DC characters 'Sgt. Rock' and 'Hawkman' and for his own creations, such as 'Tor', 'Son of Sinbad', 'Firehair', 'Unknown Soldier', and ‘Viking Prince’. With writer Robin Moore, he created the syndicated strip ‘Tales of the Green Beret’. He was born in Poland in an area now part of Ukraine and his family emigrated to the US two months later. As a young teenager, he began essentially apprenticing in the new comic-book industry. He worked with the Chesler Studio and had work in titles from Holyoke, Quality, MLJ (now Archie), and others. In 1942, he began his life-long association with DC by drawing features such as 'Johnny Quick', 'Hawkman', and 'Sargon the Sorceror'. In the mid-1950s, following his military service, he was managing editor at St. John. There he, his high-school friend Norman Maurer, and Norman’s brother Leonard Maurer produced the first 3-D comic books. He created 'Tor' there in 1954. From the early 1960s, Kubert was a central figure in the Silver Age revival of DC. He worked on seminal features such as 'Viking Prince' and co-created a new version of 'Hawkman' with writer Gardner Fox. He and writer Robert Kanigher produced a large body of war stories, including the 'Sgt. Rock' stories and the memorable character 'Enemy Ace'. From 1967 to 1976, he was the Director of Publications at DC. When DC acquired the license to Edgar Rice Burroughs' properties in 1972, Kubert’s art defined the look of both "Tarzan" and "Korak, Son of Tarzan". In 1976 he and Muriel Kubert, his wife, established The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in Dover, New Jersey. Now called simply The Kubert School, it has developed a reputation for a demanding and intensive curriculum. Kubert continued creating and teaching throughout his life. His honors include multiple Alley Awards and National Cartoonists Society Awards, and 1997 Eisner and Harvey awards for "Fax from Sarajevo". He was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame (Harvey Awards) in 1997 and the Will Eisner Awards Hall of Fame in 1998. He received the Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Cartoonists Society in 2009. Comics creators Adam Kubert (born 6 October 1959) and Andy Kubert (born 27 February 1962) are his sons. Comics editor Katie Kubert is his granddaughter. Syndication work: Big Ben Bolt daily (King Features Syndicate) 1977-05-09 - 1977-07-30 [Pencil and ink work.]; Big Ben Bolt Sunday (King Features Syndicate) 1977-05-15 - 1977-07-24 [Pencil and ink work.]; A Christmas Carol daily (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1982-12-06 - 1982-12-23 [Pencil and ink work.]; Flash Gordon Sunday (King Features Syndicate) 2002-11-10 [Pencil and ink work]; Gifts of the Magi daily (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1983-12-05 - 1983-12-24 [Writer, pencil, and ink work.]; Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates daily (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1984-12-03 - 1984-12-25 [Writer, pencil, and ink work.]; Johnny Reb and Billy Yank Sunday (New York Herald-Tribune) 195X-XX-XX - 195X-XX-XX [Pencil and ink work. Strip ran from 1956 to 1959, the exact dates of Kubert's work are unknown]; The Spirit Sunday (Register and Tribune Syndicate) 1941-XX-XX - 1942-XX-XX [Assistant colorist.]; The Spirit Sunday (Register and Tribune Syndicate) 1943-XX-XX - 1944-XX-XX [Assistant inker.]; Tales of the Green Beret daily (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1965-06-20 - 1965-12-11 [Pencil and ink work.]; Tales of the Green Beret daily (Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate) 1966-04-04 - 1968-01-10 [Pencil and ink work.]; Tales of the Green Beret Sunday (Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate) 1966-04-10 - 1968-01-07 [Pencil and ink work.] Kubert did support work as an editor for Pacific Comics in 1984, editor for St. John from 1952 to 1955, publishing and editing for White Cliffs Publishing in 1977, and letterer for his own art for DC from 1951 to 1952, 1977, 1992, and 1996. He also was an editor for several DC titles including 80-Page Giant Magazine (1965 series) from 1970 to 1971, Arion, Lord of Atlantis (DC, 1982 series) from 1983 to 1984, Blitzkrieg (1976 series) in 1976, DC 100-Page Super Spectacular (1971 series) in 1972, DC Special Series (1977 series) from 1977 to 1978, DC Special (1968 series) in 1969, G.I. Combat (1957 series) from 1968 to 1972, Our Army at War (1952 series) from 1968 to 1977, Our Fighting Forces (1954 series) from 1968 to 1973, Ragman (1976 series) from 1976 to 1977, Rima, the Jungle Girl (1974 series) from 1974 to 1975, Sgt. Rock (1977 series) from 1977 to 1986, Showcase (1956 series) in 1969, Korak and Tarzan titles from 1972 to 1976, Tomahawk (1950 series) from 1970 to 1972, and Weird War Tales (1971 series) from 1971 to 1972. Kubert was a part-owner, along with St. John, of Hollywood Confessions (St. John, 1949 series). He and his studio also did the packaging for the series and he wrote some of the stories as well.