(no subject)

[ivyfic]

Today I met the grandson of the founder of DC Comics. Well, that's not entirely true. I sing in a choir with him, so I already knew him, I just didn't know who his grandfather was. His aunt dated Bob Kane for a while, and he was friends with one of the original Superman pencillers whose sketches now go for thousands. And he of course met George Reeves. He said that when he was in summer camp, his grandfather would send him crates of the latest issues. Can you say popular kid?

He also said that the book on the history of DC Comics (which I can not for love or money find on amazon - I guess knowing the title would help) is highly inaccurate with respect to his grandfather.

What does this man with the coolest family legacy known to man do for a living? He's a CPA.

Comments

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Ummm...given the Rozakis family history, this surprises you?

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Nope, not at all. I still think it's funny, though.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

What does this man with the coolest family legacy known to man do for a living? He's a CPA.

This should not be the slightest bit surprising--No one in the comics business wants the people they care about anywhere near the comics business. My father would probably break my legs if I went to work at DC. Apparently there was barely any mention of Julie Schwartz's comic/sci-fi career at his funeral, because his family didn't have any connection to it. Actually, the only "legacies" I can think of that seriously got into the comics business were all related to Stan Lee.

What was this guy's name? (The grandfather, I mean.)

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, I believe. The guy didn't tell me his grandfather's name, but MW-N seems to be credited with founding DC.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Though it could've been Harry Donenfeld or Jack Liebowitz. I don't know. Given the age of this guy, it's probably not Wheeler-Nicholson, especially since he said DC kept his family "very comfortable" and it sounds like W-N died broke.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

If you get a chance, please find out for sure. I'm curious now.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Can I just say it is incredibly hard to find institutional history for DC Comics? Sheesh. I'm pretty sure it's Jack Liebowitz. His obit says he had six grandchildren and Steve (the Dessoffian) mentioned taking a picture with George Reeve and his five cousins.

Now you know I'm going to have to pitch a history of DC as an idea for an article for Uncle John's. I mean, I've got the horse's mouth, right?

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

And Men of Tomorrow is the name of the book Steve was talking about.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

He also said that "Stan Lee" was anathema in his house. You couldn't even whisper the words in the presence of his grandfather.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Why is that?

I mean, I know that your dad was pretty stressed by the end. And he didn't seem to be doing what he liked doing anyway. But was it so terrible a job he'd never wish it on anyone? What was so incredibly bad?

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

Comics publishing is like normal publishing, only with more egos, politics, and "artists". It's not that my dad wouldn't wish his job on anyone, it's that he wouldn't wish the industry culture (and general level of reward for putting up with it) on anyone.

Not to mention, "The Year of Being Stupid."

[aethel]

I'm assuming he would break your legs *before* you went to work, thus preventing you from getting there.