Jack Oleck
Encyclopedia
Jack Oleck was an American
novelist and comic book
writer particularly known for his work in the horror
genre.
The brother-in-law
of comics pioneer Joe Simon
, Oleck's comic book career was basically in two parts. During the Golden Age of comics Oleck wrote for EC Comics
and the Simon-Jack Kirby
Studio. After the mid-1950s temporary collapse of the industry following the publication of Frederic Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent
and the establishment of the Comics Code Authority
, Oleck left comics, instead writing novels and publishing an interior design
magazine. From the late 1960s until his death in 1981, Oleck worked for DC Comics
as a writer for their extensive line of horror/suspense titles.
' Silver Streak
, in 1940.
Oleck served in the Army during World War II
, leaving the service as a sergeant
.
, Hillman Periodicals
, and Simon & Kirby's own Mainline Publications
. Oleck quickly established himself as "the number one scriptwriter for Simon and Kirby," producing romance
stories, war
stories, and crime
features in addition to the burgeoning field of horror comics.
EC Comics
editor Al Feldstein
recruited Oleck in the early 1950s, where he became one of the main writers of Crime SuspenStories
. Oleck also scripted stories for Vault of Horror and Weird Science-Fantasy
, as well as the EC "Picto-Fiction" titles Crime Illustrated
, Shock Illustrated
, and Terror Illustrated
.
During this period, Oleck wrote the popular pulp fiction historical novel
Messalina, about a female slave during the Roman era, which has been republished many times.
made a comeback in the late 1960s, and Oleck joined DC Comics
' stable of writers in 1969. He became a regular contributor to such titles as Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion
, House of Mystery
, House of Secrets, Secrets of Sinister House
, Tales of Ghost Castle
, Weird Mystery Tales
, and Weird War Tales
. He also returned to the romance field, scripting stories for DC's Young Love and Young Romance
(ironically, both titles Oleck had written for in the 1950s which had subsequently been acquired by DC).
For House of Mystery #194 (Sept. 1971), Oleck wrote the seven-page story "The King Is Dead," which was illustrated by Nestor Redondo
in his earliest U.S. credit. Conversely, Oleck wrote the final story Golden Age artist Bernard Baily
drew, the eight-page "His Brother's Keeper," for House of Mystery #279 (April 1980).
Oleck and artist Alex Niño
created the science-fiction feature "Space Voyagers" in Rima, the Jungle Girl #1 (May 1974). Oleck and Alfredo Alcala
created Kong the Untamed
in 1975, and Oleck was the writer of the short-lived series starring Kong.
In the early 1970s, Oleck wrote a number of illustrated horror paperback novels, two of which were film tie-ins.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer particularly known for his work in the horror
Horror comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. Horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to...
genre.
The brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
of comics pioneer Joe Simon
Joe Simon
Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
, Oleck's comic book career was basically in two parts. During the Golden Age of comics Oleck wrote for EC Comics
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
and the Simon-Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
Studio. After the mid-1950s temporary collapse of the industry following the publication of Frederic Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent
Seduction of the Innocent
Seduction of the Innocent is a book by German-American psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, published in 1954, that warned that comic books were a negative form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. The book was a minor bestseller that created alarm in parents and galvanized...
and the establishment of the Comics Code Authority
Comics Code Authority
The Comics Code Authority was a body created as part of the Comics Magazine Association of America, as a tool for the comics-publishing industry to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submitted comic books to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to...
, Oleck left comics, instead writing novels and publishing an interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
magazine. From the late 1960s until his death in 1981, Oleck worked 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...
as a writer for their extensive line of horror/suspense titles.
Early career
Oleck's first comics credit was as a writer for Lev Gleason PublicationsLev Gleason Publications
Lev Gleason Publications, founded by Leverett Gleason, was the publisher of a number of popular comic books during the 1940s and early 1950s, including Daredevil, Crime Does Not Pay, and Boy Comics....
' Silver Streak
Silver Streak (comics)
Silver Streak is a fictional superhero character created by Joe Simon, who first appeared in Silver Streak Comics #3 , from Lev Gleason Publications. He is believed to be the second-ever comic book superhero whose primary power is speed; All-American Publications' The Flash preceded him by two months...
, in 1940.
Oleck served in the Army 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...
, leaving the service as a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
.
Golden Age
In 1948, using his connection as Simon's brother-in-law, Oleck joined the Simon-Kirby studio, which produced material for such publishers as Quality ComicsQuality Comics
Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
, Hillman Periodicals
Hillman Periodicals
Hillman Periodicals, Inc. was an American magazine and comic book publishing company founded in 1938 by Alex L. Hillman, a former New York City book publisher...
, and Simon & Kirby's own Mainline Publications
Mainline Publications
Mainline Publications, also called Mainline Comics, was a short-lived, 1950s American comic book publisher established and owned by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon.-Foundation:...
. Oleck quickly established himself as "the number one scriptwriter for Simon and Kirby," producing romance
Romance
Romance or romantic may refer to:* Romance languages, a family of languages originating in south-western Europe.* Romance , a genre of medieval and renaissance narrative fiction* Romance , a type of ballad or lyrical song...
stories, war
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...
stories, and crime
Crime comics
Crime comics is a genre of American comic books and format of crime fiction. The genre was originally popular in the 1940s and 1950s and is marked by a moralistic editorial tone and graphic depictions of violence and criminal activity. Crime comics began in 1942 with the publication of Crime Does...
features in addition to the burgeoning field of horror comics.
EC Comics
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
editor Al Feldstein
Al Feldstein
Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife...
recruited Oleck in the early 1950s, where he became one of the main writers of Crime SuspenStories
Crime SuspenStories
Crime SuspenStories was a bi-monthly anthology crime comic published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. The title first arrived on newsstands with its October/November 1950 issue and ceased publication with its February/March 1955 issue, producing a total of 27 issues...
. Oleck also scripted stories for Vault of Horror and Weird Science-Fantasy
Weird Science-Fantasy
Weird Science-Fantasy was a science fiction anthology comic that was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. Over a 14-month span, the comic ran for seven issues, starting in March 1954 with issue #23 and ending with issue #29 in May/June 1955....
, as well as the EC "Picto-Fiction" titles Crime Illustrated
Crime Illustrated
Crime Illustrated was a black-and-white magazine published by EC Comics in late 1955 and early 1956. Part of EC's Picto-Fiction line, each magazine featured three to five stories. The format alternated panels of typography with panels of illustrations...
, Shock Illustrated
Shock Illustrated
Shock Illustrated was a black and white magazine published by EC Comics from late 1955 to early 1956. Part of EC's Picto-Fiction line, each magazine featured three to five stories. The artists drew one to four panels per page with the text overlaid onto the artwork...
, and Terror Illustrated
Terror Illustrated
Terror Illustrated was a black-and-white magazine published by EC Comics in late 1955 and early 1956. Part of EC's Picto-Fiction line, each magazine featured three to five stories. The format alternated blocks of text with several illustrations per page....
.
Novelist and magazine publisher
After temporarily leaving comics, Oleck was the publisher and editor of Interior Decorator News from 1957-1969.During this period, Oleck wrote the popular pulp fiction historical novel
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
Messalina, about a female slave during the Roman era, which has been republished many times.
DC Comics
Horror comicsHorror comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. Horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to...
made a comeback in the late 1960s, and Oleck joined 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...
' stable of writers in 1969. He became a regular contributor to such titles as Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion
Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion
Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion was a horror-suspense-romance anthology comic book series published by DC Comics from 1971–1974, a companion to Secrets of Sinister House.-Publication history:...
, House of Mystery
House of Mystery
The House of Mystery is the name of several horror-mystery-suspense anthology comic book series. It had a companion series, House of Secrets.-Genesis:...
, House of Secrets, Secrets of Sinister House
Secrets of Sinister House
Secrets of Sinister House was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by DC Comics from 1972–1974, a companion to Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion.-Publication history:...
, Tales of Ghost Castle
Tales of Ghost Castle
Tales of Ghost Castle was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by DC Comics in 1975. Tales of Ghost Castle was "hosted" by Lucien, who later became an important supporting character in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman...
, Weird Mystery Tales
Weird Mystery Tales
Weird Mystery Tales was a mystery anthology from DC Comics, which ran from July/Aug. 1972-November 1975. Like its sister books House of Mystery and The Witching Hour, it was known for its "monstrous stories" with shock endings....
, and Weird War Tales
Weird War Tales
Weird War Tales was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics which ran from September 1971 to June 1983.-Background:...
. He also returned to the romance field, scripting stories for DC's Young Love and Young Romance
Young Romance
Young Romance is a comic book series created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for the Crestwood Publications imprint Prize Comics in 1947. Generally considered the first romance comic, the series ran for 124 consecutive issues under Prize imprint, and a further 84 published by DC Comics after Crestwood...
(ironically, both titles Oleck had written for in the 1950s which had subsequently been acquired by DC).
For House of Mystery #194 (Sept. 1971), Oleck wrote the seven-page story "The King Is Dead," which was illustrated by Nestor Redondo
Nestor Redondo
Nestor Redondo was a comic-book artist best known for his work for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and other American publishers in the 1970s and early 1980s.-Early life and career:...
in his earliest U.S. credit. Conversely, Oleck wrote the final story Golden Age artist Bernard Baily
Bernard Baily
Bernard Baily was an American comic book artist best known as co-creator of the DC Comics characters the Spectre and Hourman, and a comics publisher, writer, and editor.-Early life and career:...
drew, the eight-page "His Brother's Keeper," for House of Mystery #279 (April 1980).
Oleck and artist Alex Niño
Alex Niño
Alex Niño is a Filipino comic book artist best known for his work for the American publishers DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Warren Publishing, and in Heavy Metal magazine.-Early life and career:...
created the science-fiction feature "Space Voyagers" in Rima, the Jungle Girl #1 (May 1974). Oleck and Alfredo Alcala
Alfredo Alcala
Alfredo P. Alcala was a Filipino comic book artist, born in Talisay, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Alcala was an established illustrator whose works appeared in the Alcala Komix Magazine. His 1963 creation Voltar introduced him to an international audience, particularly in the United...
created Kong the Untamed
Kong the Untamed
Kong the Untamed is a comic book series published by DC Comics that ran for five issues. It was created in 1975 by writer Jack Oleck and artist Alfredo Alcala....
in 1975, and Oleck was the writer of the short-lived series starring Kong.
In the early 1970s, Oleck wrote a number of illustrated horror paperback novels, two of which were film tie-ins.
Novels
- Messalina (L. Stuart, 1959)
- Theodora (Signet, 1971) — historical novel similar in spirit to Messalina
- The Villagers (L. Stuart, 1971)
- Tales From the CryptTales from the Crypt (film)Tales from the Crypt is a British horror movie, made in 1972 by Amicus Productions. It is an anthology film consisting of five separate segments, based on stories from EC Comics. Only two of the stories, however, are actually from EC's Tales from the Crypt...
(Bantam, 1972) — film tie-in - Vault of HorrorThe Vault of Horror (film)The Vault of Horror is a British portmanteau horror film made in 1973 by Amicus Productions. Like its predecessor, Tales from the Crypt, it is based on stories from the EC Comics series written by Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines...
(Bantam, 1973) — film tie-in - The House of Mystery (Warren Paperback, 1973) — illustrated by Bernie WrightsonBernie WrightsonBernie "Berni" Wrightson is an American artist known for his horror illustrations and comic books.-Biography:...
External links
- "Simon and Kirby: Jack Oleck," Jack Kirby Museum