Captain Willy Schultz
Encyclopedia
Captain Willy Schultz is a fictional
comic-book soldier, a German-American U.S. Army captain during World War II
, who after being falsely accused and convicted of murder, escapes and blends into the German Army
while seeking a way to clear his name and retain his Allied allegiance. Created by writer Will Franz
and artist Sam Glanzman
, the character starred in the feature "The Lonely War of Willy Schultz", which debuted in Charlton Comics
' Fightin' Army #76 (Oct. 1967).
The Willy Schultz storyline was a departure from most other combat features of this time, with its conflicted hero caught between loyalties. Writer Franz opposed the American war in Vietnam
, and the Schultz character reflected the divisiveness of the era.
war comics
anthology
Fightin' Army
#76 (Oct. 1967), Captain Willy Schultz continued in that series through issue #92 (July 1970), except in issue #81 (Sept. 1968).
The feature was reprinted in Fightin' Army #141 (Oct. 1979) and #150 (Mar. 1981), as well as in the Charlton series Attack #20 (Feb. 1980), Battlefield Action #68 (Apr. 1981), and Captain Willy Schultz #76-77 (Oct. 1985 - Jan. 1986).
In 1999 and 2000, Avalon Communications collected the feature in the four-issue series The Lonely War of Capt. Willy Schultz, and reprinted another Willy Schultz story in its one-shot Star Combat Tales #1 (Oct. 18, 2000).
during World War II
, Schultz, an armored company commander, is falsely accused of murdering his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Stenik. Arrested by Stenik's father, a U.S. Army general, Schultz is convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
Escaping from custody and in desperation, he joins a German Army Tiger
unit, passing himself off as a German tank crewman separated from his unit. Using his language skills and knowledge of German military customs, Schultz goes through several adventures. He changes sides again, joining British commandos in a raid on a German base. He is captured by the Germans and sent to a prisoner of war camp in Italy
. He escapes when the prison train is destroyed in a British air raid.
Schultz subsequently joins up with Office of Strategic Services
Major Jon Daurio, who promises to get him a pardon if he agrees to work with Daurio's band of Italian partisans
. Schultz became the sole survivor of his partisan unit, escaping to once again join the Germans and being sent to fight on the Eastern Front
.
By 1945, he has become completely immersed in the German military and could no longer go home to the United States. The last story sees Schultz meeting Lassiter Wilkes (the U.S. officer who prosecuted Schultz for Stenik's murder) after the surrender of Schultz's German unit, and calling out, "I didn't kill him" — but without Schultz knowing if he spoke in English or in German.
Despite an initial inclination to kill Schultz at the end of the war, writer Franz instead had him go off with the daughter of a German general to start a new life.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
comic-book soldier, a German-American U.S. Army captain during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, who after being falsely accused and convicted of murder, escapes and blends into the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
while seeking a way to clear his name and retain his Allied allegiance. Created by writer Will Franz
Will Franz
William "Willi" Franz is an American comic-book writer and occasional penciler, best known for his Charlton Comics war stories, mostly published during the period 1967–1970. Franz is particularly remembered for the ongoing feature "The Lonely War of Willy Schultz", a Vietnam War-era serial about a...
and artist Sam Glanzman
Sam Glanzman
Sam J. Glanzman is an American comic-book artist, best known for his Charlton Comics series Hercules, about the mythological Greek demigod; his biographical war stories about his service aboard the U.S.S...
, the character starred in the feature "The Lonely War of Willy Schultz", which debuted in Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
' Fightin' Army #76 (Oct. 1967).
The Willy Schultz storyline was a departure from most other combat features of this time, with its conflicted hero caught between loyalties. Writer Franz opposed the American war in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and the Schultz character reflected the divisiveness of the era.
Publication history
Following the debut of his feature "The Lonely War of Willy Schultz" in the Charlton ComicsCharlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
war comics
War comics
War comics is a genre of comic books that gained popularity in English-speaking countries following World War II.-American war comics:Shortly after the birth of the modern comic book in the mid- to late 1930s, comics publishers began including stories of wartime adventures in the multi-genre...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Fightin' Army
Fightin' Army
Fightin' Army was a bimonthly war comic published by Charlton Comics from 1956–1984...
#76 (Oct. 1967), Captain Willy Schultz continued in that series through issue #92 (July 1970), except in issue #81 (Sept. 1968).
The feature was reprinted in Fightin' Army #141 (Oct. 1979) and #150 (Mar. 1981), as well as in the Charlton series Attack #20 (Feb. 1980), Battlefield Action #68 (Apr. 1981), and Captain Willy Schultz #76-77 (Oct. 1985 - Jan. 1986).
In 1999 and 2000, Avalon Communications collected the feature in the four-issue series The Lonely War of Capt. Willy Schultz, and reprinted another Willy Schultz story in its one-shot Star Combat Tales #1 (Oct. 18, 2000).
Fictional character biography
During the fighting in North AfricaNorth Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Schultz, an armored company commander, is falsely accused of murdering his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Stenik. Arrested by Stenik's father, a U.S. Army general, Schultz is convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
Escaping from custody and in desperation, he joins a German Army Tiger
Tiger I
Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...
unit, passing himself off as a German tank crewman separated from his unit. Using his language skills and knowledge of German military customs, Schultz goes through several adventures. He changes sides again, joining British commandos in a raid on a German base. He is captured by the Germans and sent to a prisoner of war camp in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He escapes when the prison train is destroyed in a British air raid.
Schultz subsequently joins up with Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
Major Jon Daurio, who promises to get him a pardon if he agrees to work with Daurio's band of Italian partisans
Italian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
. Schultz became the sole survivor of his partisan unit, escaping to once again join the Germans and being sent to fight on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
.
By 1945, he has become completely immersed in the German military and could no longer go home to the United States. The last story sees Schultz meeting Lassiter Wilkes (the U.S. officer who prosecuted Schultz for Stenik's murder) after the surrender of Schultz's German unit, and calling out, "I didn't kill him" — but without Schultz knowing if he spoke in English or in German.
Despite an initial inclination to kill Schultz at the end of the war, writer Franz instead had him go off with the daughter of a German general to start a new life.
Further reading
- Comic Book ArtistComic Book ArtistComic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
' #9, August 2000 (TwoMorrows Publishing, Raleigh, North Carolina): Interviews with Sam Glanzman (pp. 90-94) and Will Franz (pp. 96-103)