George Kashdan
Encyclopedia
George Kashdan was an American
comic book writer and editor, primarily for DC Comics
, who co-created such characters as Tommy Tomorrow
, Mysto, Magician Detective
, and others. He was additionally a screenwriter
for such animated television series as The Mighty Hercules
and The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure
.
, New York City
, New York
, and received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Chicago
. In 1947, after having written two comic-book scripts for DC Comics
, he was hired as an editor at that Manhattan
-based publishing company, where his brother, Bernard Kashdan, was a business executive who'd joined the company in 1940. George Kashdan's first two recorded comic-book credits, appearing the same month, are writing the "Congo Bill" backup feature in Action Comics
#105 (Feb. 1947), and co-writing, with Bernie Breslauer and DC managing editor
Jack Schiff, the first story of spaceman Tommy Tomorrow
, co-created with artist Howard Sherman, in DC's Real Fact Comics #6 (Feb. 1947).
He became a story editor on Action Comics beginning with #106 (March 1947), mostly editing and rewriting the backup features on that anthology
title, which headlined Superman
, helmed by fellow story editor Mort Weisinger
. As Kashdan recalled his start at the company, "There was a small emergency there. One of the editors with whom I had worked was Bernie Breslauer. ... He was in the hospital briefly and Mort called me. He said, 'Hey, we need an editor here.' Bernie came back and I remained, basically as a copy editor. I wasn't buying stories or giving out plots, or giving out assignments of any sort. Bernie died a year or two later, I guess — around 1950. I moved into his desk.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
comic book writer and editor, primarily for DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, who co-created such characters as Tommy Tomorrow
Tommy Tomorrow
Tommy Tomorrow was a long-running science fiction hero published by DC Comics in several of their titles from 1947 to 1963. He first appeared in Real Fact Comics #6...
, Mysto, Magician Detective
Mysto
Mysto, Magician Detective is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Detective Comics #203 .-Publication history:...
, and others. He was additionally a screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
for such animated television series as The Mighty Hercules
The Mighty Hercules
The Mighty Hercules was an animated series based loosely on the Greek mythological character of Heracles, under his Roman Mythology name, Hercules. It was created in 1962 and then debuted on TV in 1963 and ran until 1966 coinciding with the sword and sandal genre of films popular at the...
and The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure is a Filmation animated series that aired on CBS from 1967 to 1968. Premiering on September 9, 1967, this 60-minute program included a series of six-minute adventures featuring various DC Comics superheroes....
.
Early life and career
Kashdan was born in The BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. In 1947, after having written two comic-book scripts for DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, he was hired as an editor at that Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-based publishing company, where his brother, Bernard Kashdan, was a business executive who'd joined the company in 1940. George Kashdan's first two recorded comic-book credits, appearing the same month, are writing the "Congo Bill" backup feature in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#105 (Feb. 1947), and co-writing, with Bernie Breslauer and DC managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
Jack Schiff, the first story of spaceman Tommy Tomorrow
Tommy Tomorrow
Tommy Tomorrow was a long-running science fiction hero published by DC Comics in several of their titles from 1947 to 1963. He first appeared in Real Fact Comics #6...
, co-created with artist Howard Sherman, in DC's Real Fact Comics #6 (Feb. 1947).
He became a story editor on Action Comics beginning with #106 (March 1947), mostly editing and rewriting the backup features on that anthology
Comics anthology
Comics anthologies collect works in the medium of comics that are too short for standalone publication.- U.S. :- UK :British comics have a long tradition publishing comics anthologies, often weekly...
title, which headlined Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, helmed by fellow story editor Mort Weisinger
Mort Weisinger
Mortimer Weisinger was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' Superman during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books...
. As Kashdan recalled his start at the company, "There was a small emergency there. One of the editors with whom I had worked was Bernie Breslauer. ... He was in the hospital briefly and Mort called me. He said, 'Hey, we need an editor here.' Bernie came back and I remained, basically as a copy editor. I wasn't buying stories or giving out plots, or giving out assignments of any sort. Bernie died a year or two later, I guess — around 1950. I moved into his desk.
External links
- George Kashdan at the DC Comics Database
- George Kashdan at Comicvine